Mastering English Vocabulary and Verb Patterns

Common Idioms and Expressions

• White lie: mentira piadosa
• Pretending: fingir
• Bluntly: sin rodeos
• Economical with the truth: parte de la verdad para no herir
• Denies: no admitir / negar
• Own up: confesar
• Two-timing: engañar / segunda oportunidad
• Gossip: chismorreo
• Hoax: falsa alarma
• Makes up: inventar
• Fall for: creer algo que es mentira
• Pigs might fly: cuando los cerdos vuelen
• Telling tales: chivarse
• Fake: falso
• Masterminded: planear
• Set foot on: poner un pie en
• Fluttering: aleteo
• Breeze: brisa
• Nouveau: nuevos ricos
• Stepfather: padrastro

Phrasal Verbs and Meanings

• Cover up: cubrir
• Point out: señalar
• Tamper with: estropear / alterar
• Back up: apoyar / respaldar
• Frown on: no gustar / desaprobar
• Live off: depender de alguien
• Tip off: informar / dar un soplo
• Come out: publicar
• Blow up: explotar algo / soplar
• Taken over: comprar / fusionar
• Broken out: empezar / estallar
• Die out: extinguirse
• Crack down: mano dura

Media and News Terminology

• Launched: presentar
• Live coverage: emitir en directo
• Broadcast: lanzamiento / emitir
• Tabloid: revista / tabloide
• Published: publicar
• Download: descargar
• Search engine: buscador
• Gossip: cotilleo
• Biased: en contra / sesgado
• Broadsheet: diario serio
• Broadband: banda ancha
• Dubbed: adaptar / doblar
• Censorship: censurar
• Foreign correspondent: periodista en el extranjero
• Sensational: muy exagerada
• Sunday supplement: suplemento dominical

Social and Economic Terms

• Casualties: heridos / víctimas
• Demonstration: demostración / manifestación
• Venues: lugar
• Make redundancies: despidos
• Economic downturn: recesión económica
• Forecast: predicciones del tiempo
• Outbreak: brote
• Unions: sindicato
• Go on strike: huelga
• Rave reviews: buenos comentarios
• Premiered: primera vez demostrado / estrenado
• Breakthrough: descubrimiento
• Drew: empatar

Common Collocations

Collocations with Set

Set: a date, a good example, a record, fire to, free, homework, your alarm.

Collocations with Go

Go: ahead, back on your promise, bald, down well, far, for a run, smoothly, to great lengths.

Verb Patterns and Structures

• Verb + To + Infinitive: agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten.
• Verb + Object + To + Infinitive: advise, ask, beg, encourage, forbid, invite, persuade, order, remind, tell, warn.
• Verb + -ing: admit, deny, suggest, recommended.
• Verb + Object + Preposition + -ing: accused of, apologize for, blame for, congratulate on.
• Verb + That Clause: admit, announce, assume, believe, decide, deny, explain, insist, mention, point out, promise, realize, recommended, report, suggest, think.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Used as a noun or after a preposition:

Admit, advise, avoid, begin, can’t help, can’t stand, can’t imagine, can’t face, complete, consider, continue, delay, detest, discuss, dislike, don’t mind, enjoy, finish, forget, give up, go on, hate, imagine, involve, keep, like, love, mention, mind, miss, postpone, practice, prefer, recall, recommend, regret, remember, report, resist, risk, start, stop, suggest, try, understand.

Verbs Followed by Infinitives

Used after adjectives or for permission:

Afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, beg, begin, choose, consent, continue, dare, decide, demand, deserve, expect, fail, forget, get ready, go on, hate, hesitate, hope, intend, learn, like, love, manage, mean, need, offer, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, remember, seem, start, stop, threaten, try, wait, want, wish.

Verbs Followed by Both

Forget, go on, regret, remember, stop, try.