Essential Vocabulary and English Grammar Foundations

Foundational Vocabulary: Environment and Society

Key Geographical and Social Terms

• Inhabit (V): To live in a place.
• Employment (N): A job or work; an activity that is paid.
• Migration (N): Movement of people, animals, or plants.
• Herding (N): The movement of animals for grazing or feeding.
• Ancient (Adj): Relating to things that are very old.
• Hunting (N): Killing an animal for sport or food.
• Fishing (N): The activity of catching fish.
• Sail (V): To travel in a boat, usually using sails.
• Lack of (Phrase): The fact that something is not available or present.

Environmental and Landscape Definitions

• Coast (N): The land next to the sea.
• River (N): A large, natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river.
• Desert (N): An area of land, often covered with sand or rocks, characterized by very little rainfall and few plants.
• Soil (N): The upper layer of earth in which plants grow.
• Forest (N): A large area of land covered mainly with trees and plants.
• Rain (N): Drops of water falling from clouds.
• Grass (N): A low green plant that grows naturally over a large area of the Earth's surface.
• Savanna (N): A grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, usually with few trees.
• Valley (N): An area of low land between hills or mountains.
• Lake (N): A large area of water surrounded by land.
• Tropical (Adj): Relating to the area between the two tropics.

Scientific Methodology Terminology

Understanding the process of scientific inquiry.

• Laboratory (N): A place where scientists work and conduct experiments.
• Research (N): Systematic study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
• Theory (N): A scientific idea or set of principles intended to explain a phenomenon.
• Survey (N): Collecting the same information from a group of people, often through questionnaires.
• Experiment (N): A scientific test carried out to determine the validity of a hypothesis.
• Results (N): The information or data that scientists obtain after an experiment.
• Conduct (V): To organize and carry out (an activity or experiment).
• Conclusion (N): A judgment or decision reached after looking at all the information.

English Grammar: Verb Tenses

Key English Tenses and Usage

• Present Simple: Used for routines, habits, and general truths.
  • Example: I am a student.
  • Example: He always walks to school.
• Simple Past: Used for activities that started and ended in the past.
  • Example: I played soccer. (Correction of original example)
• Present Continuous: Used for actions that are happening at the moment of speaking.
  • Example: I am studying now.
  • Example: I am talking English.
• Present Perfect: Used for experiences or actions connecting the past to the present.
  • Example: I have worked.
  • Example: You have gone.

Irregular Verb Forms (Base, Simple Past, Past Participle)

Regular Verb Endings (Simple Past)

Regular verbs form the Simple Past and Past Participle by adding -ed. The pronunciation varies:

• Pronounced /t/ (Voiceless sounds): Cooked, Finished, Sneezed
• Pronounced /ɪd/ (After 't' or 'd'): Added, Hunted
• Spelling Rules (Y-ending): Played, Studied, Stayed