Materiales nivel 3

Contenido:

¡Bienvenido al tercer nivel! Al terminar este nivel, rendirás el examen Flyers y obtendrás un nivel A1 en la escala del Marco Común de Referencia Europeo para idiomas (CEFR, por sus iniciales en inglés).

Hasta este nivel encontrarás explicaciones en español. ¡A partir de la lección 7, las explicaciones serán en inglés! Pero no te preocupes, tu conocimiento será suficiente para entenderlas.

No se requiere materiales especiales. Sigue con tu diccionario inglés (seguiremos definiendo palabras en inglés), con el traductor, los audios y las listas de vocabulario, y lograrás tu meta.

Adicionalmente incorporaremos lecturas graduadas, es decir, lecturas de temas de actualidad pero redactadas con un vocabulario limitado para facilitar la comprensión. Emplearemos con frecuencia la página NewsInLevels.com. Las lecturas serán de mucha utilidad para 1) aumentar tu vocabularo; 2) practicar tu speaking, pues habrás de resumirlas para el tutor; y 3) conservar tu inglés cuando no estés estudiando activamente.

Como en el nivel anterior, algunas palabras en las conversaciones irán subrayadas y en negrilla, así, para animarte a buscarlas en el diccionario en inglés que estés usando.

Finalmente, hemos dejado de traducir las conversaciones de los audios. ¡Ya sabes bastante vocabulario como para entenderlas sin necesidad de traducciones!

¡Pero no te quedes con dudas! Usa siempre el diccionario o el traductor, y consulta al tutor cuantas veces sean necesarias. ¡Buen ánimo!

Lección 1: presente progresivo / continuo, vs. Presente simple; ordinales

Esto es muy sencillo y probablemente ya lo sepas.

El presente continuo, también llamado progresivo, se usa para referirse a acciones que están ocurriendo en ese momento.

Se construye con un verbo “to be” conjugado, más un presente participio. Esto del “presente participio” es tan sólo el verbo + ~ing.

Por ejemplo:

Yo estoy estudiando: I am studying.
Ella está haciendo los deberes: She is doing homework.

¿Lo ves?, sucede en este momento.

En la mayoría de verbos para hacer el continuo, sólo se añade ~ing. En otros verbos, los terminados en Consonante-Vocal-Consonante (CVC), por ejemplo put, debes duplicar la última consonante: putting.

Los verbos terminados en y añaden ~ing normalmente: fly, flying.

Verbos terminados en e la eliminan: choose, choosing; give, giving.

Por último, las consabidas excepciones: mentir, lie; mintiendo: lying. El verbo have usualmente significa tener, pero dicho de la comida, significa servirse, comer: Estoy desayunando: I’m having breakfast. Sírvete una galleta: Have a cookie.

Como usamos el verbo “to be” para formar el continuo, para hacer negativas, sólo añadiremos “not”, contrayendo, si deseamos; y para hacer preguntas sólo cambiaremos el orden de las palabras:

Ellos no están jugando: They aren’t playing.
¿Estás viendo televisión? Are you watching TV?

En cambio, aunque parezca paradójico, ¡el presente simple no se usa para hablar de cosas que suceden ahora! Se usa para hablar de rutinas, es decir, cosas que se hacen habitualmente pero que no estamos haciendo en este momento. Por ejemplo:

Vamos al colegio cada mañana, We go to school every morning, pero no estamos yendo al colegio ahora mismo.
Yo duermo a las once, I sleep at eleven, ¡pero obviamente no estoy durmiendo ahora mismo!

El presente continuo a veces también se usa para hablar de decisiones tomadas, de planes para el futuro. Por ejemplo:

Le voy a decir mañana al profesor, I’m telling the teacher tomorrow. Parece que la acción ocurriera en este momento; pero el contexto indica que no es así.
Mañana me voy, I’m leaving tomorrow.

Por último, los números cardinales expresan cantidad: one, two, three… En cambio, los números ordinales expresan orden:

Primero: First, 1st
Segundo: Second, 2nd.
Tercer: Third, 3rd.
Cuarto: Fourth, 4th.
Quinto: Fifth, 5th

…y en adelante, los demás números sólo se les añade ~th para convertirlos en ordinales. Sólo cambian twelve, twelfth, y los números terminados en ~y cambian por ~ieth: thirty, thirtieth, etc.

Audios lección 1:

Unit 1: He’s scoring a goal!

1. Awful. 2. interesting. 3. tired. 4. happy. 5.

1. Captain. 2. Team. 3. Game. 4. Goal. 5. competition. 6. race. 7. winner. 8. sports.

1. First. 2. Second. 3. Third. 4. Fourth 5. Fifth. 6. Sixth. 7. Seventh. 8. Eighth. 9. Ninth. 10. Tenth.

Lección 2: would like + verbo, presente simple: negativas y preguntas

El would es otro modal. Como tal, altera el modo en el que se expresa la acción. El would convierte la acción en condicional, imaginaria.

Would, en español, significa ~ía; es decir, depende del verbo: Yo correría, I would run; Ellos irían, they would go.

Me gustaría una pizza: I would like a pizza. Contraído: I’d like a pizza. El I’d suena /aid/

Para hacer preguntas, usamos el orden habitual: AUXILIAR + SUJETO + VERBO. ¡Recuerda esta estructura, es muy importante!

En este caso, el modal viene a ser el auxiliar:

¿Te gustaría jugar ajedrez? Would you like to play chess?
No me gustaría estar en sus zapatos. I wouldn’t like to be in her shoes.
¿Me ayudarías? Would you help me?

Audios lección 2:

Unit 2: I’m not playing soccer. Track 6: Read & listen.

Track 7: Listen & repeat.

1. cap. 2. bat. 3. boots. 4. ball. 5. gloves. 6. racket. 7. jersey. 8. shorts.

Track 8: Listen & repeat.

1. soccer. 2. table tennis. 3. baseball. 4. field hockey. 5. tennis. 6. basketball. 7. volleyball. 8. squash.

Track 9: Listen & repeat.

1. _ 2. _ 3. ___
2. _ 5. _

Lección 3: adjetivos, adverbios

¿Recuerdas el primer nivel? Los adjetivos nos indican cómo es un sustantivo (persona / animal / cosa), por ejemplo: la casa es grande, Jessica es alta, etc.

Los adverbios nos dicen cómo son las acciones: correr rápido, hacer algo bien.

En inglés, la mayoría de los adverbios llevan ~ly al final. Por ejemplo, triste: sad, tristemente: sadly, etc.

Hay dos excepciones comunes: good – well, y fast – fast, no cambia el adverbio.

Por ejemplo:

You did a good job, La palabra good describe a job, por lo que se usa adjetivo.

You did the job well, la palabra well describe al verbo did, por eso usamos adverbio.

El buen estudiante, estudia bien. The good student, studies well. Vemos que good es adjetivo, y well es adverbio.

Juan es un conductor cuidadoso, él conduce cuidadosamente. John is a careful driver, he drives carefully.

Audios lección 3:

Unit 3: Is he washing the dishes? Track 11:

Track 12:

Track 13: Listen & repeat.

1. Wash the dishes.
2. make the bed.
3. mop the floor.
4. clean the bathroom.
5. water the plants.
6. pick up the room.
7. vacuum the floor.

Online safety conversation

Charlie: Mum! That’s my computer!
Mum: I know, I know. Don’t worry, I’m changing your privacy settings.
Charlie: Privacy settings?
Mum: Yes. There are privacy settings on your social networking sites. Your account is totally public at the moment, and you’re logged in!
Charlie: Oh. What are the privacy settings for?
Mum: To make you safe online. You want to be safe, don’t you? And for the right people to see your information, not EVERYONE.
Charlie: Everyone?
Mum: Yes. If you don’t change your privacy settings, when you upload a photo, anyone can see it. It’s important to change them so only your friends can see them. You don’t want everyone to see everything, do you?
Charlie: No! But I can delete things, can’t I?
Mum: Well, you can, but it’s very difficult. Some things stay there forever.
Charlie: That’s really scary, Mum.
Mum: Don’t worry, but you must learn how to stay safe. You mustn’t tell anyone your password!
Charlie: I won’t!
Mum: Crazy Charlie one two one, isn’t it?
Charlie: Mum! Yes, it is. How …
Mum: It’s on your notebook. Right there. On your desk. It isn’t a very secret place, is it?
Charlie: No, it isn’t.

Lección 4: sentimientos / opuestos

Como vimos en el nivel anterior, muchos adjetivos pueden definirse por su opuesto. Por ejemplo: Bad, is the opposite of good.

Asimismo puedes emplear una palabra adicional para no hacer definiciones circulares: Good, is the opposite of bad; bad, is the opposite of good.

En vez de eso, puedes decir: Good, is something that has high quality; bad, is the opposite.

Asegúrate de ser capaz de definier good, easy, old, incredible, y sus opuestos. ¡Usa alguna palabra adicional; no uses definiciones circulares!

Audios lección 4:

Track 15: listen & repeat.

1. bad, good. 2. difficult, easy. 3. new, old. 4. incredible, terrible.

Track 16:

a. head. 1. ears. 2. nose. 3. mouth. B: arm. 4: fingers. C: body. 5: chest. 6: stomach. D: leg. 7: knee. 8: ankle.

Ordering food in a café

Café worker: Next, please! What would you like?

Andi: Can I have a burger, please?
Café worker: A cheese burger or double cheese burger?
Andi: Double cheese burger, please.
Café worker: Anything else?
Andi: Yeah, I'd like some banana cake.
Café worker: Would you like a drink?
Andi: Yes, can I have an apple juice, please?
Café worker: OK, so that’s one double cheese burger, one banana cake and an apple juice. What’s your table number?
Andi: Table 3. How much is that?
Café worker: That’s £8.37, please.
Andi: Here you are.
Café worker: Thank you ... that’s £10.00 ... and £1.63 change. Next, please ...

Lección 5: pronombres posesivos, like

Los pronombres posesivos indican pertenencia, pero como son pronombres, reemplazan el objeto al que se refieren.

Recordarás que los possessive adjectives que vimos antes, como adjetivos que son, van junto al objeto; por ejemplo, My pencil is yellow. Her name is Jessica.

En cambio, los possessive pronouns no van junto al objeto del que se hable, o éste ni siquiera es mencionado. Como pronombres, reemplazan al objeto o sustantivo.

El lápiz es mío. The pencil is mine. Es como decir “el lápiz es mi lápiz”, el possessive pronoun reemplaza al “mi lápiz” por “mío” para no sonar redundante.
El lápiz es tuyo. The pencil is yours.
Es de ella. It’s hers.
Es de él. It’s his.
Los possessive pronouns no suelen usarse para animales ni cosas.
Estos lápices son nuestros. These pencils are ours.
Estos exámenes son de ustedes. These tests are yours.

Recuerda: los possessive pronouns no van junto al sustantivo al que se refieren, o ni siquiera aparece el sustantivo. “El lápiz es mío” –> The pencil is mine.

Veamos ahora un poco sobre el uso de like.

Como sabes, el significado común de like es “gustar”: I like pizza, me gusta la pizza.

Like también significa cómo: You speak like your father. Hablas como tu papá.

Look like se traduce como “parecer”: You look like your grandfather, Tú te pareces a tu abuelo.

Recuerdas de niveles anteriores la palabra how: ¿Cómo estás? How are you? ¿Cómo están tus padres? How are your parents?

¿Pero si queremos preguntar: «¿Cómo son tus padres?»? En español, la pregunta cambia un poco según si usamos el verbo ser o el verbo estar. ¡Pero en inglés son el mismo verbo to be!

En español, podemos preguntar de alguien, «¿Cómo es?», para informarnos de sus características estables: es alto, es inteligente, es rubio… Cómo es.

En cambio, al preguntar «¿Cómo está?», estamos inquiriendo acerca de este momento: está bien, está mal, ahora.

En inglés, para preguntar de alguien «¿Cómo es él?», diremos: What is he like?, usando like en el sentido de “cómo”.

En cambio, para preguntar «¿Cómo está él?», usaremos: How is he?

¿Cómo es tu hermano? What’s your brother like?

Cómo está tu hermano? How is your brother?

Por ejemplo, en español preguntamos: «¿Cómo está el clima?», pero en inglés no suena bien How is the weather? Por eso se pregunta: What’s the weather like?

¿Cómo es tu jefe? What’s your boss like?
¿Cómo está tu jefe? Escuché que tuvo un accidente. How is your boss? I heard he had an accident.

Por último, para preguntar sobre los gustos de una persona, usaremos like como verbo, con auxiliar:

¿Qué le gusta a John? Quiero comprarle un regalo de cumpleaños. What does John like? I want to buy him a birtday present.

Por último, para referirse a alguien que se parece a otra persona, usaremos look like: You look like your grandfather, te pareces a tu abuelo.

Parece que va a llover: It looks like it’s going to rain.

También puede usarse para preguntar sobre la apariencia física de alguien que no conocemos: ¿Cómo se ve, o cómo luce, el cliente? What does the customer look like? Nos responderán: es alto, flaco, de bigote…

Tal vez debas memorizarte los modelos para no confundirte. Recuerda:

¿Cómo está ella? How is she
¿Cómo es ella? What is she like?
¿Qué le gusta a ella? What does she like?
¿Cómo luce ella? What does she look like?

Audios lección 5:

Unit 5: I’m playing a computer game. Track 19:

“Hi! Are you surfing?” “No, I’m playing an online game. What about you?”
“I’m talking online. But it’s boring. I never play online games. Are they good?”
“They’re incredible! My favorite is secret city.” “What’s that?”
“Secret City is a game in a virtual world. I have an avatar, and it lives in Secret City. My avatar goes shopping, or goes to a restaurant with friends, or plays volleyball. It’s fun. There are hundreds of players in Secret City. I play it every Saturday. And I love it. Would you like to play?” “Sure.”
“The web address is secretcity.com. You click on the new player button, and then you give a password.

Track 20:

1. Avatar. 2. Button. 3. Instant message. 4. Online game. 5. Password. 6. Web address.

Track 21:

“What are you doing right now?” “I’m looking at the Secret City website.”
“And now?” “I’m giving my password.”
“What next?” “Click on the ‘New Player’ button, and choose an avatar.”
“I’m clicking on the button right now. Wow! They’re cool.”
“What is your favorite?” “I don’t know. What do avatars usually wear?”
“My avatr always wears black pants and a black jacket.”
“OK. I like number 23. She’s wearing a red jacket and green pants.”
“Great! Next, give the avatar a name. Can you think of a good name?”
“Hmm. I’m thinking about it right now. Mitzy is a good name.”
“OK. Now you and Mity can play Secret City!”

Track 22:

“What’s this, Laura?” “It’s dad’s new computer. I always surf the internet or write emails on it.”
“What are you doing right now?” “I’m writing an email.”
“Are you using a pen?” “No, I’m not. It’s a keyboard. I’m using my fingers. I often listen to music on the computer. Look! These are the speakers. And this is a webcam. I’m taking a photo of you right now.”
“Oh!” “Now look at your photo on the screen!”
“Oh, very nice! Can I have it?” “Yes, you can. This is the mouse. I’m clicking on the ‘print’ button with the mouse. And there! Your photo is on the printer.”
“A printer! That’s amazing!”

Track 23:

1. keyboard. 2. mouse. 3. speakers. 4. webcam. 5. printer. 6. screen.

Lección 6: preposiciones de lugar, números de mil en adelante

Sólo unas cuantas preposiciones de lugar adicionales a las que ya hemos visto:

across: al frente de
into: dentro, indicando movimiento.
out of: fuera de, indicando movimiento
over: por encima de (sin apoyarse)
past: pasando, más allá de
under: debajo

Recordemos que en inglés el separador usual de miles es la coma, no el punto; el punto se usa para separar decimales.

En español: tres mil: 3.000
En inglés: three thousand: 3,000
En español: dos mil coma cinco: 2.000,5
En inglés: two thousand point five: 3,000.5

En ocasiones en algunos textos no se usará la coma para presentar miles separados, sino un espacio:

five thousand: 5 000

(Sin embargo, al digitar en una computadora no se especifica separador de miles, sólo el punto para los decimales.)

Al hablar de los años antes del año 2000, se los menciona de dos en dos: 1965: nineteen sixty-five. A partir del año dos mil, se leen normalmente: 2005: two thousand and five.

Cuando la cifra en miles es baja y cerrada —es decir, terminada en cientos sin decenas ni unidades, como 1,600— puede utilizarse hundreds directamente. 1,600 sería sixteen hundred, en vez de one thousand six hundred.

Cifras más altas se leen normalmente: 100,000: one hundred thousand; 1,000,000: one million.

Ten en cuenta que en inglés un billion equivale a mil millones, mientras que en español el “billón” frecuentemente significa un millón de millones, es decir, mil veces más que el billion inglés. Los periodistas frecuentemente se equivocan al traducir las noticias; así que si un número parece demasiado grande, probablemente haya sido mal traducido.

Todos los números cardinales se convierten en ordinales (primero, segundo, tercer…) añadiendo ~th, salvo las excepciones que ya conoces (first, second, third, fifth, ninth, twelfth, twentieth, thirtieth, etc.).

Los decimales se leen cifra por cifra, y el punto, point, pudiendo omitirse el cero si no hay unidades:

0.5: point five
0.73: point seven three
0.05: point zero five
2.95: two point nine five

En las fracciones, el numerador se lee como un número cardinal, y el numerador será ordinal. Si el numerador es 1, el denominador se leerá en singular; si es

1/3: one third
3/4: three fourths
5/6: five sixths
1/2: one half, se lee “una mitad”
3/2: three halves, “tres mitades”.

Para leer porcentajes, sólo se añade percent:

5%: five percent
25%: twenty-five percent
36.25%: thirty-six point two five percent
100%: one hundred percent
400%: four hundred percent

Para leer sumas de dinero, el signo de dólar o libra suele ir antes de la cantidad; el signo de centavos y euros, luego de la cifra. Los centavos se leen como un número total, no cifra por cifra como en los decimales comunes:

$25 twenty-five dollars
52€ fifty-two euros
₤140 one hundred and forty pounds
$43.25 forty-three dollars and twenty-five cents abreviado: “forty-three twenty-five” en el habla común.
25¢ twenty-five cents, or “a quarter”
₤10.50 ten pounds fifty

Audios lección 6:

Track 24: That dog is theirs!

“There’s your avatar! She has short black hair, and…”
“Wow! Yes! That’s mine! What does yours look like?”
“Lola is walking in front of you.”
“Yes, she is beautiful. What is Lola like?”
“She’s outgoing and cheerful. What is Mitzy like? You can choose.”
“Mitzy is hardworking, but she’s shy. ”
“You’re my Secret City friend now. Look! They are my friends, too. Buzz and Vick.”
“And whose dog is that?” “It’s theirs. Its name is Bone. Would you like to play volleyball with your new friends?”
“Yes! Let’s play volleyball with them.”
“And with my friends’ dog. Bone plays volleyball, too!”

Track 25:

1. hardworking. 2. shy. 3. unhappy. 4. outgoing. 5. cheerful. 6. lazy.

Track 26:

1. “Look at Nancy.” (sobbing) “I know. She’s having some problems at home.” “She needs her friends now. Let’s talk with her.” “Good idea. Let’s help her.”
2. “What is Danna doing?” “She’s playing online games.” “I know. She has a big project for Mr. Jinkins’s class. And she isn’t doing it!” “That’s Danna.” “She loves her games. But she doesn’t like her school projects.”
3. “What’s James like?” “He has a hundred friends. He always talks to people. He always goes to parties, and he sings, too!” “Really?” “Yes! And he’s in my class. All the students like him.”
4. “I’m worried about my homework.” “Me, too. It’s very difficult.” “Look! There’s Renata. She can help us.” “Oh, yeah! She’s amazing. She always studies and does her homework.”
5. “Who is Pietro? What does he look like?” “He has brown hair and brown eyes.” “Oh. What’s he like?” “He doesn’t talk. And he doesn’t like parties.” “Oh, yes. The quiet boy.”
6. “Look! There’s Ugi.” “Let’s talk to him. He’s a nice person.” “Yes, he is. And he’s always happy.”

Lección 7: comparaciones de igualdad/desigualdad, comparativos

Starting from this lesson, you will have the explanations in English! It should not be too difficult, you know a lot of English already.

Read the explanations many times! Make sure you understand them. Use a dictionary, the translator, anything that helps you understand!

We will try to use short sentences and clear explanations to make them easy to understand.

Don’t worry, we are going to use examples in Spanish so you can compare both languages.

You can compare things using adjectives: tall, interesting, etc.

There are two different ways to make an adjective in the comparative.

If the adjective is a short word, for example “fast,” (one or two syllables) just add ~er to the adjective to make it comparative.

This ~er that we add, is like the word “más” in Spanish: Faster, más rápido.

Example: The red car is faster than the white one. El auto rojo es más rápido que el blanco.

If we mention the two things that we are comparing, we should use also the word than, that means “que” in Spanish.

I am taller than my brother. Soy más alto que mi hermano.

Who is taller, you or your brother? He is taller. ¿Quién es más alto, tú o tu hermano? Él es más alto.

He is taller than me. Él es más alto que mí.

Do you understand so far?

If the adjective is a long word, for example “interesting,” (three or more syllables) we don’t add ~er to it: “Interestinger” is not correct.

Instead, we use the word more, “más” in Spanish:

The book was more interesting than the movie. El libro fue más interesante que la película.

As you see, we also use the word than if we are mentioning the other object.

This exercise is easier. Este ejercicio es más fácil.

As usual, we have a few irregular cases: the comparative of “good” is “better”; the comparative of “bad” is “worse.”

These comparisons show that one of the compared things has “more” of the quality: taller, more interesting, etc.

We can also say the opposite: that one of the compared things has less, menos, of the quality:

That joke was less funny than the one you told before. Esa broma fue menos graciosa que la que contaste antes.
“Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.” ~Goethe. Pensar es más intersante que saber, pero menos interesante que ver.

Comparatives of equality

When the two items compared have the quality in the same, or very similar, intensity, we are not really comparing, but expressing that they are similar:

You are as tall as your brother. Eres tan alto como tu hermano.

The words “as … as” in English are translated in Spanish as: «tan … como».

In these cases, the adjective does not change.

This is as easy as eating a pie. Esto es tan fácil como comerse un pastel.

You can also use this structure in the negative, when you want to express that they are not the same in that quality:

It’s not as easy as the last exercise. No es tan fácil como el último ejercicio.
Your English isn’t as good as you think. Tu inglés no es tan bueno como crees.

Remember the previous example: “That joke was less funny than the one you told before”? You can express a similar idea using as … as:

That joke wasn’t as funny as the one you told before. Esa broma no fue tan graciosa como la que contaste antes.

Audios lección 7:

Track 27: Let’s go into that store!

“Where are we?” “I don’t know. Let’s find a bookstore.”
“Why do we need a bookstore?” “Because Lola and Mitzy don’t have a map. Let’s go to a sports shop.”
“Why are we going there?” “Because Mitzy doesn’t have any sports clothes. Then we can play volleyball at 3:30. Look, we’re here. Let’s go across that street, over this small bridge, pass these clothes stores and shoe stores, and into the shopping mall.”
“These long white shorts are great!” “Good! Now let’s find a bank.”
“Why are we going to a bank?” “Because you always need money in Secret City.”

Track 28:

Track 29:

1. “Why are you in this bookstore?” “Because I like these magazines.”
2. “Why is she going into the sports shop?” “Because she needs a tennis racket.”
3. “Why are you going to the shoe store?” “Because I need some good boots.”
4. “Why are you going to the pet store?” “Because we don’t have any cat food.”
5. “Why are they looking at the music store?” “Because there’s a new Rihanna CD.”
6. “Why are you going to the computer store?” “Because I need a new keyboard.”

Study tips

Ben: You always get good marks at school. You’re lucky! I study but I don’t always get good marks.
Katy: I’m not lucky! I know how to study. I always do three things. Do you want to know them?
Ben: Yeah, please!
Katy: OK, number one. Always study in a quiet place.
Ben: I usually study in my bedroom. It’s very quiet.
Katy: Number two. Have a clear desk!
Ben: Right. A clear desk. My desk isn’t clear. There are lots of papers and books and pens on it.
Katy: Well, that isn’t very good!
Ben: What’s tip number three?
Katy: Have lots of breaks. I always study for thirty minutes. Then I have a break for five minutes. I move my arms and legs and drink some water. Then I study again for thirty minutes.
Ben: I never have a break. I sometimes study for two or three hours. 
Katy: That isn’t a good idea! It’s important to get up and move your body. 
Ben: OK. Thanks. Next time I think I can get good marks!

Lección 8: superlativos, how often, adverbios, operaciones

Superlatives express that one thing has the highest quality or degree of all its group. With comparatives we are referring to two items; with superlatives we are comparing one thing with all the others.

To make the superlative, we need an adjective. If the adjective is short, we use “the” and add ~est to the adjective:

This is the easiest exercise I’ve done. Este es el ejercicio más fácil que he hecho.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal. El guepardo es el animal terrestre más rápido.

As usual, when a word ends in consonant + vowel + consonant, before adding ~est you have to repeat the last consonant:

The Great Danes are the biggest dogs. Los gran daneses son los perros más grandes.
These will be the hottest days in the year. Éstos serán los días más calientes del año.

As you saw in the example above with the adjective “easy,” when an adjective ends in ~y you change it for ~i. For example, with the adjective “happy“:

Disneyland’s motto is “The happiest place on Earth.” El lema de Disneylandia es “el lugar más feliz del mundo”.
He tells the funniest jokes! ¡Él cuenta los chistes más graciosos!

If the adjective has two or more syllables, instead of adding ~est we use the word “most,” and of course the word “the”:

It was the most exciting videogame ever! ¡Fue el videojuego más emocionante jamás!
She’s the most beautiful girl in my class. Ella es la chica más bonita de mi clase.

As usual, a few irregulars: the superlative of “good” is “the best”; the superlative of “bad” is “the worst”.

Finally, as the opposite of “more” is “less,” the opposite of “the most” is “the least,” and can be used in superlatives, too:

I was the least popular boy in my school. Yo era el chico menos popular de mi escuela.

The word “least” is also used in the expression “at least”: At least let me explain. Al menos déjame explicar.

Adverbs

You probably remember from the first level that an adverb describes an action; for example, run fast, speak well. They give information about the action: where did it happen, how, why, when, etcetera.

Usually adjectives are transformed into adverbs by adding ~ly: quiet → quietly: (it's like Spanish: fácil → fácilmente)

She is a quiet girl. She plays quietly. Ella es una niña silenciosa. Ella juega silenciosamente.

As you see, the adjective "quiet" refers to "girl," which is a noun, and the adverb "quietly" refers to the action of playing; that's what adverbs do, modify verbs.

Adjectives ending in ~y, change it for ~i: happy → happily, easy → easily:

The children play happily. Los niños juegan alegremente.
You can do it easily. Puedes hacerlo fácilmente.

Adverbs finished in CONSONANT + VOWEL + CONSONANT must repeat the last consonant, as usual: Listen carefully. Escucha cuidadosamente.

There are also a few irregulars:

good → well: The good student studies well. El buen estudiante estudia bien.
fast → fast, it doesn't change: Cheetas run fast. Los guepardos corren rápido.

Remember that the adjective "bad" changes in the comparative and superlative (worse, the worst)? But it is regular as an adverb: bad → badly, meaning "in a very bad manner": My team lost badly. Mi equipo perdió muy mal.

The basic operations are:

• addition, with the “plus,” sign: +
• substraction, with the “minus” sign: –
• multiplication, with the “times” sign: ×
• division, with the “divided by” sign: ÷

Audios lección 8:

Track 30:

“How often does Lola play volleyball?” “Twice a month.”
“Well, where’s the sports center?” “It’s past the bank, and… Hey! There’s a new wall.”
“Why don’t we fly over it?” “I don’t think so. It’s very big.”
“There’s a door with a keyboard. Why don’t we give your password?” “Good idea. This is the password.”
(robotic voice) “You can’t open me.”
“We have the password. Why can’t we open you?” “Because I prefer money. Give me three thousand dollars.”
“I don’t have three thousand dollars!” “I have one thousand five hundred dollars from the bank.”
“And I have one thousand eight hundred dollars.” “One thousand five hundred, plus one thousand eight hundred, equals… thre thousand three hundred!”
“Cool! We can open it.”

Track 31:

100; 200; 325; 1,000. 2,000. 3,250. +, –, ÷, ×, =.

Track 32:

“Look! I’m cleaning the door.” “What’s that? Are you talking right now, Mira?”
“No, I’m not. Oh! Who is talking with me right now? It’s the door. The door is talking with us again.”
“Thank you. Thousands of people open me every week. But they never clean me. I have money. But I never use it. I’m giving my money to you. Take it.”
“Really?” “Yes. You’re standing on a small box right now. Look. There are thousands of dollars in it. Take the money. It’s yours.”
“Thank you! Let’s count it. Five thousand, times four, equals twenty thousand.”
“Twenty thousand plus two thousand two hundred fifty, plus four thousand, equals…”

Lección 9: mostrar acuerdo / desacuerdo

Show agreement / disagreement

This topic is not difficult, but since there are many choices, it may look confusing.

Showing agreement

As you remember from the previous level, to agree is to express that you have the same idea as your interlocutor. («estar de acuerdo».)

We should distinguish if we are agreeing with an affirmative sentence, or if we are agreeing with a negative statement.

Agreeing with an affirmative sentence

The easiest way to show agreement is to say: "me, too." («yo también») It can be used with any verb:

"I am a student." "Me, too." "I like pizza." "Me, too." "I can do it." "Me, too."

As you see, the "me, too" can be used with the verb "to be," a modal, or any other verbs. It is informal.

More proper ways to show agreement is to use part of the sentence, with the words "too" or "so".

"I am a student." "So am I." "I am, too."
"She can speak English." "So can we." "We can, too."

As you see, if you agree with a sentence that used the verb "to be," you use the verb "to be" in your sentence of agreement. If the sentence used a modal, you use

Not only can you say that you agree; you can show that what was said applies to other people as well:

"John is French". "So is Lisa." / "Lisa is, too."

Of course, if you change the subject, you should use the correct form of "to be":

"They are in the class." "The teacher is, too." / "So is the teacher."

If you agree with a sentence that used another verb, not the verb "to be," and no modals, you have to use auxiliaries, and the auxiliary will replace the verb:

"They love pizza." "I do, too" "So do I." "I play tennis." "My brother does, too." "So does my brother."

Mind the tenses!

"We went to the party." "So did we." "We did, too."
"I loved the concert." "So did I." "I did, too."

So remember: if you agree with a sentence with the verb "to be" or a modal, use it to show agreement. If the sentence you agree with does not use the verb "to be" or modals, use auxiliaries.

Agreeing with a negative statement

In this case you will use the word either. If the word "too" means también, the word "either" means tampoco, showing that you agree with a negative statement, or that it applies to someone else.

"I am not a teacher." "I am not, either." "Neither am I."

See how the word "either" becomes "neither"? It includes the negative; you can't use a negative twice in the same sentence in standard English.

"The teacher isn't in the class." "The students aren't, either." "Neither are the students."

The usual rules apply: use the verb "to be" or modals if they are present; use auxiliaries if another verb is used:

"I don't like this type of pizza." "Neither do I." "I don't either."
"She doesn't want to go." "Neither do we." "We don't either."

Good? Now we are going to study how to disagree.

Showing disagreement

This is easier: just say the opposite! If it is an affirmative sentence, use a negative; if you disagree with a negative, use an affirmative.

The other usual rules apply: use a verb "to be" if it was used, a modal if a modal, an auxiliary if neither was used.

"I like pizza." "I don't."
"She is a student." "He isn't."
"We will go." "They won't."

"We aren't going." "We are." "I don't need help." "We do." "They can't do anything about it." "But we can."

Audios lección 9:

Track 33:

“I don’t like art class. I’m awful at art!” “Me too. I can’t paint. This __ head is very small.”
“I can help you.” “How? I can’t correct it. I don’t understand. Can you show me?”
“Sure.” “What are you doing?”
“I’m adding some hair here. What do you think? Is it good?”
“It looks great! You’re fantastic. You paint beautiful pictures. I love that one.”
“Thanks, but it isn’t mine. I’m copying a painting by Vincent Van Gogh.”
“You’re amazing, Jonas.” “Not really. I love art, and I study different painters and I practice every day.”
“Great! Art class is ending now. It’s time for our Spanish class.”

Track 34:

1. End. 2. understand. 3. show. 4. study. 5. correct. 6. copy.

A good night’s sleep

Host: At exam time it is important to sleep well. Today we have Doctor Baker with us in the studio and he is going to give us five top tips for getting a good night’s sleep. Welcome to the show, Doctor Baker. 
Dr Baker: Thank you. It’s great to be here. Let’s start with tip one. Don’t go to bed with the television on. Some people think they can sleep well with the TV on, but the noise and lights mean you don’t really sleep well, so turn it off!
Tip two: Don’t think too much before bedtime. Do your hardest homework earlier in the evening. Do easier homework later. If your brain is too busy and full of ideas it takes longer to get to sleep.
Tip three: Don’t play video games for an hour before you go to sleep. They also make your brain too busy and active. 
Tip four: Turn off your cell phone when you go to bed. What is so important that it can’t wait until the morning? If possible, leave your phone in another room. 
Tip five: Play music if you like. But don’t play it too loud. Turn the sound down low.
Host: Thank you, Doctor. That is very useful advice for our young listeners.

At the library – Giving private information

Lucy: Hello.
School librarian: Hello, what’s your name?
Lucy: My name's Lucy.
School librarian: And what's your surname, Lucy?
Lucy: Moore.
School librarian: Can you spell that?
Lucy: M-O-O-R-E.
School librarian: Thank you. What class are you in?
Lucy: Class 1B.
School librarian: Class 1B. And how old are you, Lucy?
Lucy: I'm 13.
School librarian: Have you got a photo?
Lucy: Yes, here you are.
School librarian: Thank you ... OK, thank you, Lucy. Here's your school library card.
Lucy: Thanks. Bye.
School librarian: Goodbye.

Lección 10: presente perfecto vs. pasado simple

El tiempo presente perfecto tiene tres “trampas”.

Primero, este tiempo se llama “presente”, pero no es un tiempo del presente, sino del pasado.

Se llama “presente” perfecto porque el auxiliar que usa, have, va en presente.

(Si ese auxiliar estuviera en pasado, el tiempo sería el pasado perfecto, que veremos en la siguiente unidad.)

Apréndete el ejemplo típico de este tiempo: “Yo he ido a Cuenca”, I have gone to Cuenca.

Como ves, el auxiliar have está obviamente en presente. Usaremos “has” para tercera persona singular: he, she, it.

Recuerda: el “presente perfecto” es un tiempo verbal que se refiera al pasado.

En segundo lugar, se llama “perfecto” no porque sea «que tiene el mayor grado posible de bondad o excelencia», sino porque «expresa acción terminada», como explica el diccionario.

Recuerda: los tiempos “perfectos” se llaman así porque hacen referencia a acciones terminadas.

Por ejemplo, cuando dices: “Yo he ido a Cuenca”, I have gone to Cuenca, la acción de “ir a Cuenca” se entiende ya finalizada.

“Yo he estado enfermo”: I have been sick, se entiende que ya no se está enfermo.

Algunos profesores afirman que “el presente perfecto habla de una acción que empieza en el pasado y continúa hasta el presente”: por ejemplo, Yo he vivido aquí por años: I have lived here for years. Pero no siempre es así. Eso de que la acción continúa hasta el presente es propio del presente perfecto continuo, que veremos en el próximo nivel.

Tercero, el mencionado auxiliar have que utilizamos en este tiempo, no significa “tener” como es habitual, sino “haber“: yo he ido, tú has ido, él ha ido, nosotros hemos ido, etc.

Recuerda: have en el presente perfecto es verbo auxiliar, y significa “haber”, no “tener”.

La diferencia del pasado perfecto con el pasado simple, es que el pasado simple sí se puede indicar el momento en que ocurrió la acción; el presente perfecto, no. Por ejemplo:

Ayer fui a Cuenca: I went to Cuenca yesterday.

Pero no es correcto decir: I have gone to Cuenca yesterday.

Recuerda: con el presente perfecto no se indica cuándo ocurrió la acción. Con el pasado simple, sí se puede especificar cuándo ocurrió la acción.

Finalmente, como te habrás dado ya cuenta, los tiempos perfectos se construyen con el participio del verbo; por eso en la lista de cien verbos que ya conoces, hemos añadido la columna de los participios.

Veamos unos ejemplos:

Ella ha comprado pizza: She has bought pizza.
Ha habido algunos problemas: There have been some problems presente perfecto con “there are”.
No he podido terminar: usaremos en vez de “podido”, “sido capaz de”, been able to: I haven’t been able to finish. Como ves, para negar sólo es necesario añadir “not” al auxiliar.
La clase ha empezado: The class has begun.
Has roto mi corazón: You have broken my heart.
Hemos tenido problemas: We have had problems.

Para hacer preguntas, basta invertir el orden; como ya sabes: AUXILIAR + SUJETO + VERBO:

¿Has tú estado en Cuenca? Have you been to Cuenca?
¿Han (ustedes) comido sushi? Have you eaten sushi?
¿Ha (ella) dormido bien? Has she slept well?

Audios lección 10:

Track 35:

“This painting looks like your painting from art class. Is it the Van Gogh painting?”
“Yes, it is, and this is a Picasso painting.” “Picasso and Van Gogh are very famous painters.”
“Their paintings are very expensive. Whose paintings are more expensive?”
“I don’t know.” “I like Picasso’s painting. It’s more colorful than the Van Gogh painting.”
“Oh! Picasso’s painting is ugly! I like this painting. It’s as large as the Picasso painting, but the girl is younger and more attractive than the woman. Her clothes are beautiful.”
“Whose painting is this, Jonas?” “It’s mine.” “Wow! Your painting is better than Picasso’s!”
“Thanks, but I don’t think so.”

Track 36:

1. Attractive. 2. Colorful. 3. young. 4. expensive. 5. large. 6. famous. 7. ugly.

Track 37:

“Let’s complete this chart. I’m 14 years old. How old are you, David?”
“I’m 15 years old.” “OK… 15 years old. How heavy are you?”
“I think I’m 48 kilograms.” “You’re 48 kilograms. And I’m 42. You’re heavier than me.”
“Yes, and I’m taller. I’m 165 centimetres. How tall are you?”
“I’m 153 cm. And you’re 165 cm. That’s 12 cm. taller than me! But your hair isn’t as long as mine. My hair is the longest in the class. But you have really short hair.”
“Yeah, short hair is cool. I don’t like long hair, thank you.”

Band auditions

Boy: Ah, band auditions. Great! I’d love to be in a band! ... Hi. Is this the band audition?
Girl: Hello. Yes. So, you'd like to be in our band?
Boy: Yes, I love music.
Girl: Well, we need a singer, a guitarist and a drummer.
Boy: Oh, I love singing!
Girl: OK, so you can sing. Let’s sing the beginning of this song.

Boy: (singing) Tonight I'm going to have myself a real good time. I feel alive ...

Girl: Right, OK, mmm, maybe not. Can you play an instrument?
Boy: Er, well, I can play the guitar a little.
Girl: OK, let's hear you. What can you play? ... That's it?
Boy: Er, yeah. I can't remember any more.
Girl: Erm, can you play the drums?
Boy: Yeah, sure.
Girl: OK! OK! STOP! That's enough. Erm, what about the maracas? Can you play the maracas?
Boy: Yes, I can. (singing) Young and strong and ... er ...
Girl: Great, great! Hmm ... thanks for coming. I’ll call you next week.

Describing people

Aurelia: Who’s that boy over there, Hannah?
Hannah: That? Er, that’s my brother, Jem.
Aurelia: Your brother?
Hannah: Yes, and that’s his girlfriend Lucy. The pretty girl with the long, brown hair.
Aurelia: Oh right. So, you’ve got a brother?
Hannah: No, I’ve got two brothers. Jem and Alex.
Aurelia: Really? ... and ... how old is Alex?
Hannah: Alex and Jem are twins, they’re both 15.
Aurelia: 15, mmm ... and does Alex look like Jem?
Hannah: They’re exactly the same! They’re both tall and thin. They’ve both got short brown hair, green eyes and big ears!
Aurelia: They’re not big, I think they’re cute. And ... has Alex got a girlfriend?

Lección 11: pasado perfecto

As you remember, the present perfect was a tense for the past, but was called “present” because the auxiliary was in the present: “I have gone to Cuenca,” He ido a Cuenca.

The past perfect is used to talk about the past, too; but in this case, the auxiliary “have” needs to be in the past: “had.”

“I had seen this movie before”: Yo había visto antes esta película.

As you see, the past perfect talks about an action that happened before some other action, both in the past.

As all perfect tenses, the past perfect uses the verb in past participle.

“We had had problems before learning the new method.” Habíamos tenido problemas antes de aprender el nuevo método.

Audios lección 11:

Track 38:

“This museum is incredible! Where’s the exhibition of new paintings?”
“It’s up these stairs. But first let’s look at this mask. It’s the biggest mask in the museum. It’s the most beautiful mask, too. It’s from Africa.”
“Beautiful? It’s the most unusual mask.” “I prefer the sculptures. They are more interesting than the masks. They look like people!”
“What’s that on the wall? Is it a drawing?” “Yes, it’s a drawing in pen by Leonardo Da Vinci.”
“Let’s go to the exhibition now. The best paintings in the museum are in the exhibition. There are many paintings by young people, too.”
“Great! Let’s go.”

Track 39:

1. drawing. 2. exhibition. 3. mask 4. museum. 5. sculpture. 6. stairs.

Track 40:

1. “I’m Barbara, and my favorite mask has plastic and metal on it. It’s the most interesting. It’s also very unusual. It’s cool.”
2. “I’m Victor, and these masks are great! I love the Asian mask. It’s brown, pink, and yellow. It’s the angriest mask.”
3. “I’m Gloria, and I love colorful things. The most colorful mask is my favorite. It’s yellow, green, orange and red. It looks happy, and it’s fun.”
4. “I’m Pablo, and I like African things. The African mask is my favorite. It’s brown, and it’s the oldest mask. It’s amazing!”
5. “I’m Ugi, and the smallest mask is my favorite. It’s beautiful! The mask is blue, and orange. Blue is my favorite color.

First day at school

Tania: Hi. I’m Tania. What’s your name?

Jing: Hello. My name’s Jing.
Tania: Nice to meet you, Jing. What class are you in?
Jing: I’m in class 1B. And you?
Tania: Me too. I’m in Class 1B too.
Jing: Who’s our teacher?
Tania: Mr Smith.
Jing: And where’s our classroom?
Tania: This way. Come with me.
Jing: OK. Great.

Getting an ID card

Admin worker: International Student ID card?

Student: Yes, that’s right.

Admin worker: Have you got the form?

Student: Yes, here it is.

Admin worker: OK, let’s see. Name – Ahmed, surname – Saeed, age 14, address ... (pause) ... oh, what’s your address?

Student: 14 Spring Avenue …

Admin worker: 14 Spring Avenue ...

Student: Leicester.

Admin worker: Can you spell that, please?

Student: L-E-I-C-E-S-T-E-R.

Admin worker: What’s your postcode?

Student: LE 14 2GZ.

Admin worker: LE 14 2GS.

Student: No, 2GZ.

Admin worker: OK, 2GZ. And what’s your nationality?

Student: I’m British.

Admin worker: What’s your school?

Student: Newtown Secondary School. N-E-W-T-O-W-N.

Admin worker: And what’s your date of birth?

Student: The 2nd of June 1998.

Admin worker: 02/06/1998 (the second of the sixth, 1998). Have you got a photo?

Student: Yes, here you are.

Admin worker: Thank you. One moment, please ... (pause) ... and here’s your card.

Student: Thanks. Bye.

Interview with a swimmer

Interviewer:  Hello, Dan.
Dan:  Hi.
Interviewer:  Can you tell me about a typical day in your life for the school magazine?
Dan:  Yeah, sure.
Interviewer:  So, what time do you get up?
Dan:  Oh, I get up very early. I get up every day at 5 o’clock and go to the pool. Then I swim from 6 o’clock to 8 o’clock.
Interviewer:  You get up at 5 o’clock? Wow, that’s early!
Dan:  Yeah. Then at 8 o’clock I have a shower, I get dressed and I have breakfast. I have a big breakfast: cereals, toast, bacon and eggs and orange juice.
Interviewer:  What do you do after breakfast?
Dan:  At 11 o’clock I go to university. I’m studying sports science and I have classes from 11 o’clock to 4 o’clock.
Interviewer:  When do you have lunch?
Dan:  I have lunch at about 2 o’clock at the university.
Interviewer:  What do you do after classes?
Dan:  Sometimes I go to the gym and sometimes I meet my friends at a café.
Interviewer:  What time do you have dinner?
Dan:  I have dinner at 7 o’clock, then I watch TV or go online and I usually go to bed at 10 o’clock.
Interviewer:  Thanks, Dan. That’s a busy day!

Lección 12: Vocabulario Flyers.

As you see, there are no more grammar topics to cover.

Learn the vocabulary, and take the Flyers test!

Audios lección 12:

Track 41:

Young students are running up the stairs of the city museum. They’re talking loudly because they are excited. They’re here for the exhibition of paintings by young painters. One of the young painters is their friend, Jonas Clements. Jonas is a brilliant painter, and he is a student at Carlson School. Jonas is fifteen, and he can paint beautifully. His painting Popular shows a girl in white. Jonas is confident, but he’s calm and he speaks quietly. Jonas says, “I paint well, but I’m not wonderful. There are better painters in the world than me. I’m practising.”

Track 42: Listen & repeat.

1. brilliant. 2. excited. 3. calm. 4. wonderful. 5. confident.

Track 43: Listen to Lucy.

“Jack Black is my favorite actor. He is fantastic! My favorite Jack Black movie is School of Rock. It’s a movie about kids in an expensive school. The kids play classical music. They play well, but they aren’t very happy. One day, the kids’ teacher has a problem with her leg, and she leaves. Then Jack Black gets a job as a teacher in the school. He is an awful teacher! He comes to class late, and he talks to the kids about rock music. Then, Jack Black makes a band with the kids. They play some songs in a competition; they play fantastically, but they don’t win. How does it end? I can’t tell you, but the movie ends happily. It’s great! Go see it!”

Introducing a friend

Sumi: Hi, Pablo. How are you?

Pablo: Hi, Sumi. I'm fine, thanks.
Sumi: Pablo, this is Greta.
Pablo: Hi, Greta, I'm Pablo.
Greta: Hi. How are you?.
Pablo: I'm fine, thanks. Where are you from, Greta?
Greta: I'm from Germany. Where are you from?
Pablo: I'm from Argentina. Nice to meet you.
Greta: Nice to meet you too.

Inviting someone to the cinema

Jack: Hi, Ismael. How are you?

Ismael: Hi, Jack. I'm OK but I’ve got loads of homework.
Jack: Me too, but would you like to come with us to the cinema tonight?
Ismael: Who's 'us'?
Jack: Me, Jamie, Nicola and Selina.
Ismael: OK, and what's the film?
Jack: We don't know. We can't decide. There's that new horror film, 'Light and Dark'.
Ismael: No, no, no! I don't like horror films.
Jack: OK, well, there's a comedy about a school.
Ismael: Oh, no more school, please! What about a romcom?
Jack: Romcom?
Ismael: You know, romantic comedy, boy meets girl ...
Jack: What? Really? No, I hate romantic films. I like action.
Ismael: Well, there's a new science fiction film, 'Alien attacks'.
Jack: OK, I like science fiction. Let's see that.
Ismael: OK, I'll ask the others if they like sci-fi.
Jack: What time is the film?
Ismael: At 8 o'clock. Let’s meet at 7:30 outside the cinema.
Jack: OK. See you later.
Ismael: Bye.

100 verbos más comunes

Ya deberías saberte las formas bases y pasados; ahora aprenderemos los participios.

1-33

34-66

66-100

Flyers Alphabetic Vocabulary List

Grammatical Key