Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar for Work and Everyday Life

Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar

Common Phrases and Idioms

Work and Everyday Life

• Paid peanuts: Pagar una miseria (To be paid very little)
• Got sacked: Despidieron (To be fired)
• Show you the ropes: Mostrar como funciona (To show someone how to do a job)
• Pulling your weight: Ponerte las pilas (To do your fair share of work)
• Homesick: Tener morriña (To miss home)
• Make yourself at home: Sentirse como en casa (To feel comfortable)
• Suburbs: Barrios residenciales (Residential areas outside of a city)
• Success: Éxito (Achievement)

Examples:

• Earn money, respect: Ganar dinero, respeto
• Teamwork: Football match, group project
• Profit: Selling things, investing money
• Pack: Suit, toothbrush
• Deliver: Pizza, message
• Dare: Come late, make personal phone calls

Other Useful Phrases

• Regardless of: Independientemente de
• Split: Separar
• Sort: Ordenar
• Income: Ingreso
• Slack off: Perder el tiempo
• Take pride in: Sentirse orgulloso de
• Exploit: Aprovechar

Important Work-Related Terms

• Fast learner, take initiative, people skills, work well under pressure, good at multitasking
• Resign: Dimitir
• Shifts: Turnos
• Wage: Sueldo
• People commute: Gente viaja
• Fired: Despedido
• Field: Campo
• Hold down a job: Mantenerse en su trabajo

Idioms Related to Sports

• On the ball: Estar atento
• In your corner: Estar de tu lado
• Jump the gun: Precipitarse
• Hitting below the belt: Golpe bajo / Tener ventaja
• Track record: Historial
• Back on track: Volver a encarrilar
• One-track mind: Tener una sola idea en la cabeza
• Cover your tracks: Cubrir tus huellas

More Useful Vocabulary

• Extended: Parientes lejanos (Distant relatives)
• Flee: Irse (To run away)
• Accomplishment: Logro (Achievement)
• Devote: Dedicar
• Guidance: Consejo (Advice)
• Excel: Superar (To surpass)
• Stamina: Resistencia (Endurance)
• Referee: Árbitro
• Sportsmanship: Deportividad
• Let someone down: Decepcionar
• Catch up with: Alcanzar
• Sit the game out: No jugar
• Enhance: Mejorar
• Try out for: Probar para
• Go in for: Interesarse por

Grammar Essentials

The Passive Voice

• Present Simple: The house is cleaned.
• Present Continuous: The house is being cleaned.
• Past Simple: The house was cleaned.
• Past Continuous: The house was being cleaned.
• Present Perfect: The house has been cleaned.
• Past Perfect: The house had been cleaned.
• Future Simple: The house will be cleaned.
• Future Continuous: The house will be being cleaned.
• Present Conditional: The house would be cleaned.
• Past Conditional: The house would have been cleaned.
• Infinitive: The house must be cleaned.

The Causative

The causative is formed with 'have/get + object + past participle'.

Modal Verbs

• Can: Ability, request, possibility.
• Be able to: Ability, possibility.
• Can't: Inability, prohibition, disbelief, deduction.
• Could: Past ability, polite request, polite suggestion, possibility.
• May/Might: Possibility. May: Polite request, permission.
• Should/Ought to: Advice, opinion.
• Need to: Necessity, obligation.
• Have to: Necessity, obligation.
• Must: Obligation, strong necessity, strong belief.
• Mustn't: Prohibition.
• Don't have to: Lack of obligation.
• Needn't: Lack of obligation.
• Would: Formal request, offer.

Modal Perfect

• Could have: Ability to do something in the past but which wasn't done in the end.
• Can't/Couldn't have: Certainty that something didn't happen.
• May/Might have: Guess about a past action.
• Must have: Certainty or logical conclusion about an event in the past.
• Should/Ought to have: Criticism or regret after an event.
• Shouldn't have: Criticism or regret after an event.
• Would have: Desire to do something but which wasn't actually done.

Present Perfect Continuous

Have/(He/She/It) has been +ing.

Past Perfect Continuous

Had been +ing.

Conditional Sentences

• Zero Conditional: If/When/Unless + Present Simple and Present Simple / Modal + Base Form.
• First Conditional: If/Unless + Present Simple and Future Simple / Imperative / Modal + Base Form.
• Second Conditional: If/Unless + Present Simple and Would + Base Form / Could/Might + Base Form.
• Third Conditional: If + Past Perfect Simple and Would Have + Past Participle / Could/Might Have + Past Participle.

Desiderative

• Wish/If only + Past Simple
• Wish/If only + Past Perfect Simple
• Wish/If only + Could/Would + Base Form