Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar Lists

Personal Adjectives: Describing Character

A comprehensive list of adjectives used to describe personality and character traits:

• A: affectionate, aggressive, ambitious, arrogant, assertive.
• C: calm, caring, charming, committed, competitive, confident, conscientious, contrary, curious.
• D: discerning.
• E: empathetic, energetic, extrovert.
• F: fallible, frank.
• G: glib, guilty.
• H: hardworking, heartfelt, high-spirited, honest.
• I: idealistic, impatient, independent, insecure.
• L: loyal.
• M: modest.
• N: narrow-minded.
• O: obstinate, open-minded.
• P: perceptive, persistent, playful, powerful, practical, proud.
• Q: quiet, quick-tempered.
• R: rebellious, reliable, rewarding, ridicule (Note: typically a noun/verb).
• S: self-conscious, self-opinionated, self-righteous, sensible, sensitive, sentimental, sincere, single-minded, sociable, spoilt, stable, stubborn, supportive, sympathetic.
• T: tender, tolerant, trivial, troubleshooter (Note: typically a noun), trustworthy.
• U: undisciplined.
• V: vulnerable.
• W: warm-hearted, well-organized.

English Modal Verbs and Their Negatives

• must / mustn't
• might
• may
• should / shouldn't
• could / couldn't
• have to / don't have to
• can / can't
• ought to

General Vocabulary for Relationships

• colleagues
• strangers
• good friends
• acquaintances
• siblings
• family
• boyfriend/girlfriend
• create
• contract
• evolution
• assess
• conciliatory
• communicate
• artificial

Common Phrasal Verbs for Relationships

• get on with: (have a friendly relationship)
• fall out with: (have a quarrel with someone)
• get fed up with: (become annoyed or bored of someone)
• go for: (tend to like a particular type of person)
• take to: (start to like someone)
• break up with: (separate from someone)
• stand up with: (refuse to accept unfair treatment)
• fall for: (start to love someone)

Verbs Followed by Gerunds (-ing Form)

Verbs and phrases that require the gerund form:

• enjoy, avoid, like, suggest, stop, practise, miss, think about, consider, give up, feel like, finish, avoid, (can't) help, (can't) stand, (don't) mind, regret, need, mean, remember, forget.
• Additional items: quiet, stay, decorate, see, meet, dance.

Verbs Followed by the Infinitive (to + verb)

Verbs and phrases that require the infinitive form:

• able (to be able), attempt, hope, manage, avoid, plan, allow, decide, expect, want, agree, design, use, like, cause, promise, need, plan, learn, would like, get, go, intend, stop.
• Examples: to become, to speak.

Verbs Taking Gerunds or Infinitives

These verbs can be followed by either form, often with a change in meaning:

• prefer, start, able, avoid, like, love, hate, continue, remember.