Welcome to the fourth level! You’ve covered a lot of content. You have an A1 level in the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR).
By now you should be able to: «understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help».
No doubt you can do all that, and more!
The tests you have taken: the Starters, Movers & Flyers, are called Young Learners English, YLE for short. Those tests are designed for kids in elementary school. You probably knew it, because of the cartoonish pictures in the tests, and since many of the speakers in the tests were children.
The next test that awaits you, the KET (stands for Key English Test) is not for children anymore! It is designed for students in high school; kids around 15 years old.
As you probably expect, that test is going to be more difficult, but nothing that you can’t pass! Learn the grammar, listen to the audios, read the news etc., learn the vocabulary, and you’ll surely pass.
There are a lot of grammar topics included. Most of them are only reviews of topics covered before. Thus the twelve lessons will be more dense than previous levels—that is, they will include a lot of information—but not much more difficult.
Don’t forget to keep listening to songs of your liking, while reading the lyrics and singing along. Also watch again English movies you liked, but this time with English subtitles! Ask the teacher for help.
Don’t try to guess the meaning of new words! OK, guess, but then check with a dictionary or translator.
The teacher will help you get your goal.
Lesson 1
Future, revisited
We studied this in level 2. It probably gave you a hard time!
Remember, there are two ways to talk about the future in English: with the modal will, and with be + going to. For example:
The teacher will help me. El profesor me ayudará.
I will be in the office. Estaré en la oficina.
She will be the president of the class. Ella será la presidenta de la clase.
As you see, in the case of the future with the modal will, in Spanish the future is included in the verb form: ayudaré, ayudará clearly refer to the future.
The word “will,” as a modal, has no meaning in Spanish; it is just used for the future. But as a noun, “will” means “voluntad.”
Remember: to make the simple future in English, you just use the modal “will” before the base form of the verb.
The other form of the future, the one with be + going to requires three things: 1) a conjugated form of the verb “to be.” 2) “going to,” and then 3) the verb in base form:
John is going to come tomorrow. John va a venir mañana.
She is going to help me. Ella me va a ayudar.
We are going to be in the class. Vamos a estar en la clase.
This verb form also talks about the future; you can use either, with will or with be+going to. The only difference is that this form shows a stronger decision.
It shows a little more determination to say, “I am going to buy pizza,” than “I’ll buy pizza.”
Remember: you usually dont’t translate literally this tense; for example, “The teacher is going to take a test” is probably not translated to “La profesora está yendo a tomar un test”. Most probably it means: “La profesora va a tomar un test”.
You can also just use the continuous, without “going to,” to talk about the future:
I’m buying pizza. Want some? Voy a comprar pizza. ¿Quieres un poco?
You’re not doing homework?! I’m telling mom! ¿No estás haciendo los deberes? ¡Le voy a decir a mamá!
Tomorrow I’m going to the pool, come along. Mañana voy a ir a la piscina, ven conmigo.
That’s it! As usual, add a “not” to make negative sentences, and change the word order to make questions. Remember the structure? AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + VERB, in the case of the modal “will”; just change the world order to make questions:
Will you need anything else? ¿Necesitarás algo más?
Is John going to come, or what? ¿John va a venir, o qué?
Numbers: cardinal, ordinal
This is a review. Just remember that cardinal numbers tell the quantity or amount: one, two, three, etc. Ordinal numbers tell the order: first, second, third, etcetera.
Remember: besides first, second and third, all ordinal numbers just add ~th.
Exceptions: five becomes fifth, eight → eighth, nine → ninth, twelve → twelfth, and the numbers ended in ~y change it for ~ieth: fifty → fiftieth, etc.
Adverbs of probability
Remember what adverbs are? They give us more information about the verb. For example: run fast, or write quickly. Most adverbs, but not all, add ~ly at the end of an adjective.
(By now you should remember that adjectives give us more information about the noun: a tall boy, an interesting book, etc.)
Some adverbs of probability are:
certainly (ciertamente), definitely (definitivamente), doubtless (sin duda), maybe, perhaps, possibly, probably, obviously… They all show different degrees of probability.
Easy!
Finally, remember that the modal could is used as the past form of can:Sorry, I couldn’t come yesterday. Could you finish the test?
It also works as “podría”: Could you help me? ¿Podría Ud. ayudarme?
Now, remember that sometimes English saves a lot of words:
“Are you going to help me? “If I could, I would.” «¿Vas a ayudarme?» «Si pudiera, lo haría».
Do you see how English uses less words? The modal substitutes the verb.
Simple past
Remember lesson 1 from the second level? The past tense. Maybe it gave you a hard time.
If we are to review past tense, as usual, we should distinguish between the verb “to be” and other verbs.
Verb to be in the past: was/were. That’s it! I was in the class, We were friends, It was a problem, etc.
To make the negative, just add “not”: I was not in the class, We weren’t friends, It wasn’t a problem.
Remember: to make negative sentences with “to be”, just add “not” to the verb.
When asking questions, just change the word order: Was I in the class? Were we friends? Was it a problem?
All these you should know already! We are only reviewing, there’s nothing new yet.
Other verbs — not “to be” — change to show they are in the past tense. For example: I played soccer; We bought pizza.
It’s time to learn about regular and irregular verbs.
Regular verbs just add ~ed to make past tenses: I played soccer, She needed a pencil, We looked up the word in the dictionary. We call these verbs “regular” because they follow a rule: add ~ed in the past tense.
Irregular verbschange completely in the past tense; they don’t follow a rule, so we must memorize them one by one.
You already know many verbs, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Now we’re adding a little more information: The sound of the regular verbs in the past tense.
There are three final sounds: “t,” “d” and “~id”
Past tense verbs end in “t” sound when the base form ends in a “voiceless consonant,” that is, your vocal chords don’t vibrate.
These consonants are: p, f, k, s, sh, ch, th. Some verbs that end in “t” sound are: worked, dropped, finished, divorced, stopped, laughed, coughed, watched...
Past tense verbs end in “d” sound when the base form verb ends in a “voiced sound,” which means that your vocal chords vibrate.
Touch your throat when you pronounce these and you’ll notice the vibration: all vowels, and the consonants b, v, g, z, j, l, m, n, r. Example verbs: moved, returned, stayed, studied, married, widowed, raised, engaged, traveled...
Finally, past tense verbs end in ~id sound when the base form already ends in “t” or “d” sound. Some examples: started, graduated, visited, separated, attended, ended, unfolded...
Negatives and questions in past tense
If you are going to make a negative sentence in the past tense with a verb other than “to be,” remember to use the auxiliary did and the base form of the verb:
I didn’t play soccer; We didn’t buy pizza.
If you want to ask questions in the past tense, remember the structure: AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + VERB:
Did I play soccer? Did you buy pizza? The subject can be a name, not only a pronoun: Does John like rock?
Good!
See? The fourth level is easy — only reviews, so far! Why don’t you start with the KET vocabulary? It is considerably longer than the previous ones! Make sure you can either define the words, and use them in sentences.
Progressive tenses
Progressive tenses show that an action is in progress. Obviously! It is one of the aspects of verb tenses: it can be simple, progressive, perfect (finished action) and perfect progressive (we’ll study this later).
Present simple:I run every day. You add nothing to the verb. Present progressive:I am running now! As you see, you need to add: 1) a conjugated form of “to be,” and 2) add ~ing to the main verb.
To make the past progressive, just change the verb “to be” to the past; the main verb still needs ~ing at the end:
I was sleeping when the phone rang. While Jess and I were studying, Mike was sleeping!
When is used to show that an action interrupted another; while is used to show that both actions were taking place simultaneously.
Keep on! We’re covering content rather fast, but that’s the way it is.
Now, every lesson you should read a couple of the articles in NewsInLevels.com or some other resource, and learn a letter from the KET vocabulary. Don’t leave the vocabulary until the end, since it is quite big. Good luck!
“Geography class is going to end early this morning.”
“Are we going to leave early?”
“No, you aren’t. I have some news for you, so please listen. A special person is going to visit our school next week.”
“Who is it? Is it a singer? An actor?”
“I can’t tell you. I’m going to talk to Principal Bell this afternoon.”
“Is she going to talk to us tomorrow?”
“Yes, she is. She is going to talk to you tomorrow morning.”
“Are we going to have science class tomorrow?”
“Yes, you are. You are going to have Science class after Principal Bell talks to you; but we aren’t going to have P.E. tomorrow afternoon. OK! You can go now.”
Listen carefully to the conversation in a restaurant and
do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.
Waiter: Hello. Jamie: Hi. A
table for two, please. Waiter: Of course. Over
here, please. Here’s the menu. Sally: Thank
you. (pause) Waiter: Are you
ready to order? Sally: Yes, we are. Waiter:
What would you like for your starter? Jamie: I’d
like French onion soup, please. Sally: And I’ll
have a tomato salad, please. Waiter: And for
your main course? Jamie: Mmm, I’m not sure. I
don’t know whether to have the steak or Thai chicken. Sally:
Oh, I’d like the Thai chicken and rice please. Jamie:
OK, me too. Waiter: So that’s two
Thai chicken and rice. What would you like to drink? Jamie:
I’ll have a fresh orange juice and ... Sally:
I’d like some mineral water, please. Waiter:
OK, thank you.
“A special person is going to visit our school next week. We have a new schedule.”
“Really? Are we going to have Science on Wednesday next week?”
“No, we aren’t. We are going to have Science on Monday. We are going to have Math on Wednesday.”
“Math? Really? We usually have Math on Thursday. Are we going to have a class on Thursday?”
“Yes, we are. We are going to have Art.”
“OK, Art on Thursday. What about Geography?”
“We are going to have Geography on Friday.”
“I understand. So P.E. is going to be on Tuesday.”
“Yes, it is.” “Great!”
Lesson 2
Reflexive pronouns
You probably understand the word reflection: when light bounces from a surface, like a mirror or water. You look at the mirror, and it reflects your image back to you.
Reflexive pronouns do something similar. Normal pronouns only replace the noun: for example, instead of “Jessica”, you say “she.” But reflexive pronouns “reflect the action back to you.”
For example: You’re hurting yourself, “Te estás lastimando,” the person who hurts, is the same person who is hurt!
I’m teaching myself French. “Me estoy enseñando a mí mismo francés.” The teacher and the student are the same person!
These are the reflexive pronouns, compared with their respective personal pronouns:
Personal pronoun
Reflexive pronoun
I
myself
yo mismo
you
yourself
tú mismo
he
himself
él mismo
she
herself
ella misma
it
itself
sí mismo
we
ourselves
nosotros mismos
you
yourselves
ustedes mismos
they
themselves
ellos mismos
As you can see, reflexive pronouns are basically the possessive adjective and the ~self or ~selves ending. The ~selves ending is for the plural.
In some cases reflexive pronouns are used to show that the person doing the action needs no help: Do it yourself, “hazlo tú mismo”; I’ll figure it out myself, “lo averiguaré por mi cuenta”; She’s old enough to make herself dinner, “Es lo suficientemente mayor como para prepararse a sí misma la cena”.
It is also used to show that the person is alone, usually with the word “by”: She sits by herself and plays with her toys, “Se sienta sola y juega con sus juguetes”; I live by myself, “vivo solo”.
Reflexive pronouns are also used as intensives, that is, to express more emphasis or emotion: I myself found the dead man! “¡Yo mismo encontré al muerto!”; Jessica herself went and asked for a raise! “¡La propia Jessica fue y pidió un aumento!”
There are a few special cases. Some verbs change their meaning when you use a reflexive pronoun: “Help yourself” usually means “take some food”: Help yourself to the appetizers, “Sírvete aperitivos”. Want some cake? Help yourself. “¿Quieres un poco de pastel? Sírvete”.
“Help” also means “avoid,” so “I can’t help it” means “I can’t avoid it.” You ate all the bonbons?! I know, you can’t help yourself. “¿¡Te comiste todos los bombones?! Lo sé, no puedes evitarlo”.
“Enjoy oneself” means “to not get bored, to have fun”: This is a fine place to enjoy oneself, “Este es un buen lugar para pasarla bien”. Welcome to the party! Enjoy yourself, “¡Bienvenido a la fiesta! Pásala bien”. “Sorry, were you busy?” “No, I was just enjoying myself.” “Disculpa, ¿estabas ocupado?” “No, sólo estaba divirtiéndome/descansando”.
You’ll probably remember that modal verbs change the mode of the verb: it is different to say: “I study,” than “I should study.” In the first case, we have a real action; in the second case, there is no action!
can: to express ability should: to express a recommendation or advice must: to express an obligation shall: used to make a recommendation as a question: “Shall we continue?” will: Used for the simple future. “Will,” as a noun, also means voluntad or testamento in Spanish. may: similar to can, but asking or giving permission. could: To express past ability (past of “can”), or a polite way to ask permission. might: to express possibility. Similar to “maybe.” would: to express a wish or condition.
Though not properly a modal, “have to” is also used to express obligation: I have to take a test tomorrow.
“Ought to” is also used to express obligation, like “must”: We ought to follow the manual.
Remember: modal verbs always use the infinitive form of the verb: don’t add anything!
Showing agreement and disagreement.
We covered this topic in the lesson 9 of the last level, so you can click the link and review from there.
Intensifiers: so, such, too, enough
“Intensifiers” make adjectives and adverbs stronger.
(Remember that adjectives describe nouns, and that adverbs describe verbs.)
very: simple intensifier. Muy in Spanish. so: another simple intensifier. Tan in Spanish. too: this shows and excess of the adjective: “This is too difficult!” Demasiado in Spanish. absolutely: Means “completely.” at all: It is like “absolutely,” but used in negative sentences: “Are you worried?” “Not at all.”
Other intensifiers: really, extremely, amazingly, exceptionally, incredibly, remarkably, particularly, unusually, pretty, quite, rather, etc.
On the other hand, mitigators or “downtoners” do the opposite: they reduce the intensity of the adjective; they make it weaker.
Some mitigators are: a bit, a little bit, barely (apenas), slightly (ligeralmente), a little, somewhat.
"We're very excited. Next week, astronaut Jeremy Hale, the most famous student from Honeywell High, is going to talk to us."
"What is he going to talk about?"
"He's going to talk about space and the future."
"When are we going to meet him?"
"Thursday, March 31st."
"What is he going to do here?"
"Well, I am going to show him my office. Then he's going to see the teachers' lounge. Next, he's going to see the gym and the new books in the library. Then he's going to speak in the auditorium. Finally, he's going to see the lab next to the auditorium."
"Where is he going to have lunch?"
"In the cafeteria, with you."
Listen to Tyrone calling the staff at his local swimming pool and
do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.
Receptionist: Good
morning, Brownton swimming pool. Tyrone: Hello,
I’d like some information about the water polo club. Receptionist: Yes,
of course. We have an under 14s club, an under 16s club, an under 18s
club and an adults club. How old are you? Tyrone: I’m
15. Receptionist: OK,
so you want the under 16s club. Tyrone: Yes. Receptionist: Just
a moment ... yes, we have two places in the under 16s club. Tyrone: When do
they train? Receptionist: Let’s
see, the under 16s train two evenings a week, on Mondays, no sorry,
on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 – 8:00pm. And matches are on
Saturday mornings. Tyrone: When
does the training start? Receptionist: Training
starts next week, on September 2nd. Tyrone: OK. And
how much are the classes? Receptionist: Classes
are free for under 18s. Tyrone: Great!
What do I have to do to join? Receptionist: You
have to come to the swimming pool and complete a form. You need to
bring a photograph too. Tyrone: OK. Receptionist: Can
I take your name? Tyrone: Yes,
it’s Tyrone Williams. Receptionist: OK,
thanks. Tyrone. Tyrone: Thanks.
Bye.
"Is this the auditorium?" "No, it isn't. This is a special room for Science classes." Answer: ____________ .
"Today, we are going to talk about grammar. We're going to talk about the difference between the simple present tense and the present progressive tense. Who can give me an example of a sentence in the simple present tense?" ________.
"What is the capital of the United States?" "I know. It's New York." "No, it isn't." "The capital of the United States is Los Angeles." "No, it isn't Los Angeles. They make a lot of movies there, but it isn't the capital." "Is it Washington?" "That's right. Very good! The capital of the United States is Washington D.C." ______________.
"Morning classes start at 9 o'clock and they end at 12:25. Then we come here and we have lunch. The chef makes amazing cheese and tomato sandwiches." ______________ .
Lesson 3
Adjectives – comparative
We already covered this topic in the Lesson 7 of the previous level. You can review it there.
Adjectives – superlative – use of definite article
We studied this topic in Lesson 8 of the previous level. Please click the link and review it there.
Adjectives: common and demonstrative
You remember from the first level (Lesson 4) that adjectives are words that describe or clarify a noun by giving more information about it: a tall boy, a difficult test. You’ve probably noticed that in English, adjectives go before the noun: an easy question, “una pregunta fácil”.
Demonstrative adjectives help us determine which specific person, animal or thing is mentioned.
For example: there are many books in the room, but I refer to that specific book, if it is far from me; or this book, if it is close to me.
Remember? We covered the topic in the very first level! Check Lesson 9.
The tricky part is that the demonstrative can be pronouns or adjectives! (Remember what a pronoun is? Is a word that replaces or substitutes a noun) Let’s see some examples.
This pencil is mine. “This” is the demonstrative adjective, because it gives more information about the noun “pencil.”
This is delicious! “This” is a demonstrative pronoun, because it doesn’t go with a noun; it is replacing a noun. Probably some food.
That guy is my uncle. “That” is a demonstrative adjective: the noun is “guy.”
That’s a problem. “That” is a pronoun; it is probably referring to a situation that is not mentioned.
These tests are OK. “These” is an adjective; clarifies that we’re talking about these tests, and not “those,” for example.
These are my friends. “These” is a pronoun: it is referring to some people.
Those answers are correct. “Those” is an adjective, gives more information about the answers: “those” and not others.
Those are the wrong ones. “Those” is substituting for “those answers,” so it is a pronoun.
That’s all!
Adverbial phrases of time, place and frequency – including word order
This is easy. Don’t think that fancy words like “adverbial phrases” mean something difficult.
You already know from the first level (lesson 4) that adverbs give more information about verbs. Ad-verbs, see? For example, to run fast, to jump high, to study well, to learn quickly.
Adverbs usually are a single word: fast, high, well, quickly. An “adverbial phrase” are simple two or more words that work together like an adverb. Instead of only one word, they are a phrase! Thus, an adverbial phrase.
For example: a simple adverb is: She jumps high. You know high is the adverb.
She jumps like a monkey. “Like a monkey” is the adverbial phrase.
I will sit quietly. “Quietly” is the adverb.
I will sit in silence. “In silence” is the adverbial phrase.
Depending on the type of information they provide, there are adverbs of time (they tell when something happened), place (they tell where it happened), manner (they tell how it happened), etcetera.
Adverbs of frequency tell how often something happens. They can tell it in definite terms (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly) or in indefinite terms: always, usually, frequently, often, rarely, never.
“Astronaut Jeremy Hale gives us his ideas about the future. Will people live in space?”
“Yes, they will. Some astronauts live for weeks or months on space stations now. In the future, space stations will be bigger. They will be as big as cities. We can’t make very large space stations now, but in the future, we will.”
“Will we live on other planets?”
“Yes, but it won’t be easy. The planets near the sun are very hot, and some planets are very cold. We will need special spacesuits. The moon will be a new home for people. Thousands of people will take rockets to the moon.”
Look at the map and listen to the
directions while you do the other exercises.
A.
Go straight on. Then take the first
left on to Green Street. Walk past the library and it’s the
building next to the library on the left.
B.
Go straight on. Go past the traffic
lights. You will see a shop on the right. Go past that and it’s on
the right next to the shop.
C.
Go straight on. Go past the traffic
lights and go straight on until you get to the roundabout. At the
roundabout turn left. Go past the theatre. It’s the building next
to the theatre, opposite the hospital.
D.
Go straight on. Go past the traffic
lights and take the second right on to King’s Road. Go past the
bookshop. It’s the building next to the bookshop opposite the café.
Lesson 4
Articles – with countable and uncountable nouns
We studied countable and uncountable nouns in lesson 7 of the second level. Let’s review it again.
You remember that nouns are persons, animals or things, right? And that they are countable if they can be counted by themselves: an apple, a cat, two apples, three cats. So they can go in singular or plural, and we use the indefinite article “a/an” * to talk about any apple or cat, and we use the definite article “the” to talk about specific apples or cats.
* Remember that we use the indefinite article “a” before a noun that begins with a vowel sound, not only with a vowel letter. For example, an orange, an intelligent student, but also an honest person, an “F” in a test (letter “F” sounds “eff”).
And we use the indefinite article “an” before a noun that begins with a consonant sound. For example, a dog, a pizza, but also a euro (sounds like “yuro”), a university, a one-time opportunity.
Uncountable nouns, like sugar, time, money etc., can’t be counted, since they are too abstract; they have to be turned into containers, weight, etc. in order to be counted. For example: sugar can be counted in spoons, cups, pounds, kilos; time can be counted in hours, minutes, seconds; money can be counted in dollars.
If we are talking about uncountable nouns in general, they must be in singular form, and you can’t use the articles “a/an” with them. For example:
I need some money. “Money” is singular. We don’t have enough time. “Time” is singular. Time is money. You don’t say “the time.”
But you can say: Pass me the salt. Put the sugar in the bowl.
You can’t say “a time,” “an oxygen.”
There are always exceptions! “Coffee” is uncountable, but you’ll hear “I want two coffees,” referring to two cups of coffee. The same: “two waters” probably are two bottles of water.
Remember! “Homework” is uncountable; “assignments” are countable. “Advice” is uncountable; but “pieces of advice” can be counted. “Candy” is usually uncountable, and people say “three pieces of candy.” The British word “sweets” is countable, though: one sweet, two sweets.
Comparatives and superlatives
We covered that topic in lesson 7 in the last level. Please go back and review it there.
Countables and Uncountables: much/many
We’ll use “much” and “many” to as synonyms of “a lot of,” which you know already.
As a rule, since countable nouns can be in singular or plural, “many” will be used for countable: many friends, many contacts.
And since uncountable nouns will be used in singular, we’ll use “much” with them: I don’t have much time, there isn’t much sugar.
Finally, as we studied in lesson 8 in the second level, to ask questions about amounts or quantity, follow the same rule. To ask about a number, use “How many” and to ask about uncountables use “How much.”
“How many tests do we have today?” “Three.” “How much time do we have for each test?” “An hour.”
Keep going!
Gerunds
This is easy, so pay attention.
Let’s study some Spanish grammar first, to compare it with English later.
In Spanish, if I say “corro,” you understand that I’m talking about an action I do; if I said, “corren,” you’d understand that I’m talking about “ellos.”
These are personal forms of verbs: you can easily understand what person is the verb referring to.
There are also three “non personal” forms of the verb: that is, the verb is not referring to any person in particular. These are the infinitivo, the participio and the gerundio. We’re still talking about Spanish, remember!
The infinitivo you know: is the verb that is not conjugated: correr, jugar, estudiar.
The gerundio is the verb finished in ~ando and ~iendo, for example: “Ella está corriendo“, “Estamos jugando“.
The participio is the verb finished in ~do: “Ella ha corrido“. “Los estudiantes han visitado Cuenca”.
Now, let’s turn to English!
The infinitive is the same: the verb that is not conjugated yet. For example, “to run,” “to go,” etc.
Now comes the complication: what in Spanish is called “gerundio”, in English is present participle:She is going to class, We are waiting.
It is used in the continuous tenses, to refer to an ongoing action, an action “in progress” (that’s why they are also called “progressive” tenses).
You’ll probably never be in a Spanish grammar class again, so just remember the English rule: in English, the present participle is the verb finished in ~ing, used in continuous tenses.
Now, another complication:
The gerund in English, is the verb finished in ~ing. “What?” you could be asking, “isn’t that the present participle you just explained?”.
Both finish in ~ing. The difference is, the present participle is used in continuous tenses, and the gerund is the action when it works as a noun.
For example: My sister and I are playing chess, “playing” is the present participle.
Playing chess is fun! In this case, “playing” is the gerund. The action is used as noun!
You could also use a noun: Comics are fun! Cartoons are fun! See how the action is used as a noun when you say: “Playing chess is fun”?
We now that there is a present participle, the English verb + ~ing in the continuous tenses. Finally, there is a past participle, used in the perfect tenses that you already know:
She has gone to Cuencia. It has been a difficult decision.
“Gone,” “been” are past participles, the usual third column in most lists of verbs.
So remember: if the verb finished in ~ing is next to a conjugated form of “to be,” it’s very probably a present participle. But if the verb in ~ing works as a noun, it probably is a gerund:
She was waiting in the hall. “waiting” is a present participle.
She said dancing was her first love. “Dancing” is a gerund; the verb of the sentence is “said” and you could substitute “dancing” with another noun: She said John was her first love, She said music was her first love.
So, summarizing:
Forget Spanish gerunds. Nobody is going to ever ask you about those, haha.
Infinitives in English are the non-conjugated verbs: “to be,” “to run.” Those are the Spanish verbs ended in ar, er, ir: correr, saltar, morir.
Participles in English, there are two: the present participles, which is the verb + ~ing used in continuous tenses; and the past participle, the verb form used in the perfect tenses, and is usually found in the third column of the verb lists.
Let’s study some more examples of gerunds:
I avoid going to that place. “Going” is the gerund. We enjoy listening to music. We’ve finished working in it. I feel like having a cup of coffee. “Feel like” is “feeling a desire for something.” This biography is worth reading.
Going to
This you already know so we’ll explain it briefly.
“Going to” can be the continuous form of the verb “to go”:
We’re going to the beach. It means that the action is happening in this moment. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to class.”
As we covered in lesson 2 in the Second level, “going to” can also be used for the future.
Tomorrow we’re going to the beach.
It’s the same sentence as before, but when we add the word “tomorrow,” then you’re not talking about something that happens now, but you’re talking about a decision you’ve taken! You’re talking about the future!
It’s even easier to see we’re talking about the future if you use another verb:
I’m going to talk to the teacher. Probably the action of “talking to the teacher” is going to happen in the near future.
You can also use “going to go” to make it more clear:
We’re going to go and ask the teacher for a new test.
Remember the saying: “Context is king!” It will help you determine the meaning quickly.
“Who will ask the first question?”
“Me! I have a question about food in space. Where will people grow plants for food?”
“That’s a great question. We’ll definitely grow food here on Earth, but some scientists are creating special plants. These plants won’t need water every day, and they will grow in very hot or cold weather. So these plants will probably grow in space.”
“Where will plants grow in space?”
“On space stations. We’ll build very large space stations, and thousands of people will live on them, so maybe they’ll bring their food plants with them.”
“When will we visit space for a school project?”
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll probably to a city on Earth first.”
“Norah is a terrific soccer player.” “But tennis is her favorite sport.” “Yes, she’s an excellent tennis player.” “She’ll probably be a tennis player in the future.” “She probably will.”
“Emily plays the piano very well.” “Yes, she’s fantastic.” “She’s a good actor, too!” “She loves movies. She’ll definitely be an actor.” “She’ll probably play piano, too.”
“Diana is the best soccer player in school.” “She’s the best in the city.” “She’s great at computers, too.” “She’ll definitely work with computers.” “Yes, and she’ll probably play soccer, too.”
“Betty is great at piano.” “Yes, she’s very good.” “She loves children, too.” “She’ll probably be a piano teacher in the future.” “That’s definitely a good job for her.”
Listen to Mario and Tamara talking about what film they want to see and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills.
Tamara: Hi,
Mario. Do you want to go and watch a film? Mario: Hi,
Tamara. Sure, what’s on? Tamara: Well,
there are two action films, Mr and Mrs Jones and War
Games, and they’re both in 3D. Mario:
I’ve already seen Mr and Mrs Jones. I haven’t seen
War Games, but I don’t really want to see an action film.
What else is on? Tamara: There’s that
science fiction film, Robot 2075, but I’ve already seen
it. Mario: Is it good? Tamara:
Yes, it is, but I don’t want to see it again.
There’s a romantic comedy called Forever. Mario:
Mmm, I’m not sure. Are there any horror films on? Tamara:
Yes, there’s Midnight Moon. It’s got
vampires in it. Mario: OK, sounds
good. Let’s go and watch Midnight Moon. What time is it
on? Tamara: It’s on at 12 o’clock or
at half past two. Mario: Is it on this
evening? Tamara: Yes, at 7:30. Mario:
Perfect. Let’s go at 7:30. Tamara: OK,
shall we meet at the cinema at 7:00? Mario: Great!
See you later. Tamara: Bye.
Unit 5
How much/how many and very
We covered this topic in Lesson 8 in the 2nd level. In Spanish, of course. Let's review it in English.
Countable and uncountable nouns we already studied above (check lesson 4).
Use “how much” to ask about uncountables, and “how many” to ask about countables. You’ll probably get a number as an answer, or a more vague answer such as “a little” (for uncountables), “a few” (for countables), “some” (for both countables and uncountables) etc.
Funny, both can be answered with a number! Even uncountable nouns will be measured by weight, volume, etc.
“How many eggs does the recipe need?” “Five.” “How much sugar do I add?” “Two cups.”
Questions with “How many” can be answered vaguely with “a few,” which indicates countable nouns; and questions with “how much” can be answered vaguely with “a little,” which indicates an uncountable:
“How many questions are left to answer?” “Only a few.” “How much salt do I add to the batter?” “Just a little.”
Finally, as you’ll probably remember from lesson 12 from the first level, you can use “How much” to ask about prices:
How much is a ticket to the concert? How much for a lunch?
You can ask in plural also (even if “much” is regularly used only for uncountable nouns, which are always singular): “How much are the earrings?” “They’re $20, the pair.”
“How much is a cup of coffee?” “Just 50¢.” “How much are those earrings?” “They are $10.”
“How” Questions
You can use other questions with “How” to ask about specific information.
How often: to ask about frequency. How long: to ask about length. How high: to ask about height. How far: to ask about distance. How old: to ask about age. How big: to ask about size.
As you see, we can combine “How” with many adjectives to ask questions.
There’s a British question: How do you do?, which is similar to asking How are you?, and an answer is usually not expected. You can reply with another How do you do?
Let's see some examples.
There’s “how often,” to ask about frequency; we covered it briefly in unit 8 last level.
“How often do you go to you aunt’s?” “Once or twice a month.”
You can ask about distance, using “How far…?”
“How far do you live from your office?” “Rather far! It takes me an hour to get there!” “How far is it from here to the beach?” “Not far, just a five-minute walk.”
To ask about height, use “How high…?”
“How high is the Chimborazo?” “It’s 6.310 meters high.”
To ask about length, use: “How long?” It can be used also to ask about duration:
“How long is the Amazonas river?” “It’s more than 6.000 km long.” How long is Mr. Richards’s class?” “It’s an hour long, but some days it seems eternal!”
Finally, let’s remember two different uses of “How” that can be confused.
You know that the verb “to be” has two meanings in Spanish: “ser” and “estar”.
So, in Spanish you can ask two different questions: ¿Cómo está…? and ¿Cómo es…? but in English both use the same verb!
That’s why en English we use two different structures.
When we ask: “¿Cómo es…?”, we are usually asking about permanent or stable attributes, such as height, personality, occupations, etc. In English, we ask about this using “What’s … like?”
When we ask: “¿Cómo está…¡
We studied this in the past level, in lesson 5, but it’s worth remembering.
Remember: to ask about how a person is feeling now, you use: “How are you?” “How is your sister?” etc. They’ll answer: “I’m fine,” “She’s been sick,” etc.
But if you want to ask for more permanent characteristics, you ask: “What’s your brother like?” You’ll get an answer that describe stable traits: “He’s very kind, but sometimes he can be really stubborn,” etc.
The list of grammar needed to pass the KET test continually asks us to review topics you already know. Isn’t that great?
Would, as you already know, is a modal; in Spanish it adds ~ía to the verb.
It is used to make polite requests.
You know that the modal like, when used in contraction, becomes: ~’d: I’d like a pizza, She’d like to wait.
It is used to ask politely for something. Instead of giving an order to the person, you “express a desire.”
“I’d like to buy a ticket, please.” Me gustaría comprar una entrada. It is a polite way to say: “Sell me a ticket.” No “a” in the Spanish translation.
“I’d like a burger with fries, please.” Me gustaría una hamburguesa con papas. It is a polite way of saying, “I want to buy a burger with fries.”
I’d like a slice of apple pie, please. For example, when ordering in a restaurant. It is more polite than giving the server/waiter/waitress a command: “Bring me a slice of pie!”
Imperatives (+/-)
Imperatives are commands, orders you give.
As we studied in lesson 6, to make a command you simply say the verb. No subject is needed:
Go to class! Come here!
For additional emphasis, you can add “You,” and only “you,” because commands are always given to “you.” Ha ha.
“You go to class immediately!” “Tell her.” “No, you tell her.”
Don’t use commands very often, or you’ll sound like a sergeant!
Make your commands polite. To make a command more polite, you can simply use “please”:
“Help me.” It is a command! You’ll probably motivate people to help you if you say: Please, help me.
Modals are also used to soften a command:
Can you help me? Could you come and show me? Will you give me a hand?
As mentioned in the previous chapter, you can use I’d like:
“Bring me a beer!” is a command, and could even sound rude! It will probably get you bad service at the bar! You could rather say: “I’d like a beer, please.”
Remember from the first level the “Let’s”? If you include yourself in your command, you would use it.
Let’s ask the teacher. Means you are also going to go and ask the teacher.
Depending on the group, it could sound “bossy.” Better to give a suggestion than a command:
We should ask the teacher. Maybe we should ask the teacher. Shall we ask the teacher? Why not go and ask the teacher?
As you can see, to express a command as a question makes it sound more polite.
May I ask you a favor? instead of the imperative “Do me a favor.”
Of course context, tone of voice, facial expression, body language etc. can do a lot to soften a command.
You can also “give a command” by expressing it as a thought, focusing on you, not the person you are asking to do something:
I wonder if you could help me finish this report. I’d appreciate it a lot if you came tomorrow to help with the paperwork.
Remember: indirect is polite!
Do you think it would be possible for you to come and help us tomorrow? Would you tell her I’m here? Could I ask you to go and tell her I’m here? Could you possible tell her I’m here? Do you mind telling her I’m here? Would you mind telling her I’m here?
Finally, remember there is no single English! Customs vary a lot from country to country and even in different regions inside a country. So be aware of the manners of the locals; some peoples are more formal; for others, something that is considered polite and good manners, can come across (that is, sound) as old-fashioned or ridiculous. Some people prefer a direct, down-to-business tone, but others expect a lot of pleasantries.
Remember the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” and when in doubt, ask!
I was forgetting! Negative imperatives can be made using “Don’t.” Instead of commanding somebody to do something, you are asking them not to do something:
“Don’t go!”
“How was your day?” “Don’t ask me. It was horrible!”
“Don’t you dare!”
If you include yourself in the action, you can use Let’s not:
Let’s not go to class today. Let’s go to my place instead.
Intensifiers
We covered something about intensifiers above in lesson 2.
They add strength, or force, or more emotion to the meaning of an adjective:
Kate is really beautiful.
Michael can run very fast.
Sharks are extremely dangerous.
The restaurant was remarkably empty for a Saturday.
It’s incredibly kind of you to help.
You can also use strong adjectives instead of an intensifier. Examples of “strong adjectives” are: enormous, terrible, tiny, excellent, brilliant, perfect, marvelous, etc.
If you want to use a strong adjective and an intensifier, consider these: absolutely, exceptionally, particularly, really, quite, etc. But try not to sound hyperbolic!
Examples:
This pie is tasty. We use no intensifier here.
This pie is really tasty! There’s an intensifier.
This pie is delicious! We are using a strong adjective.
This pie is absolutely delicious! It must be a very good pie, if you describe it with an intensifier and a strong adjective!
“Where are you? Are you at work? I need to talk to you.”
“Eva? Dad and I are coming home now. What’s the problem?”
“Someone was in our house! My guitar was on the sofa this morning, but it isn’t there now.”
“Look behind the sofa, next to the curtains. It was there yesterday. Where’s Tony?”
“I don’t know. My guitar was definitely on the sofa this morning. And the window wasn’t broken. There’s glass on the rug, in the flowers and in the grass!”
“Call your brother’s cell phone. He was at home an hour ago.”
“His cell phone and his mp3 player are next to your vase on the table, under the mirror. They were there last night, too.”
“This isn’t good. Leave the house now! Maybe there is someone in the house! Wait in the yard.”
Listen to the conversation between a customer and a shop assistant.
Shop assistant: Can
I help you? Customer: Yes,
have you got this T-shirt in other colours? Shop assistant: We’ve
got it in white, black, red and purple. What size do you want? Customer: Medium. Shop assistant: OK,
in medium we’ve got black and red. Customer: And in
purple? Shop assistant: No,
just black and red. Customer: OK,
red. Can I try it on? Shop assistant: Yes,
of course. The changing rooms are over there. (pause) Shop assistant: Is
it OK? Customer: Yes,
I’ll take it. Shop assistant:
That’s £10.95. Would you like to pay by credit card or with cash? Customer: Cash
please. Here’s twenty. Shop assistant: OK,
thanks, that’s nine pounds, 5 p change and here’s your receipt. Customer: Thanks.
Bye.
Unit 6
Modals – can/could, have to, should
We covered a few modal verbs back in the lesson 10 of the second level.
Let me quote a good definition of what modals verbs are:
A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or obligation.
Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary verbs and the preposition to. These are: ought to, have to, need to.
Modal verbs are only used in combination with ordinary verbs. A modal verb changes the other verb’s meaning to something different from simple fact. Modals may express permission, ability, prediction, possibility, or necessity.
The modal verbs are different from ordinary verbs in several ways: 1) they have no inflections at all; that is, they lack an -ing form, an -ed form, and even an -s form for the third-person singular; 2) a modal verb is always followed by the infinitive form of a verb (unless that verb has already been stated) but never follows another verb; 3) modal verbs do not follow “to” and are not followed by “to.” (Ought to, like the near-modal verb have to, is a special case.)
Easy for you and for me! (since I didn’t have to explain anything, ha ha)
That’s all with modals. Please refer to lesson 10 of the second level for additional review, before the oral test. Remember that “might” is very similar to “may be” and you’ll do well in the lesson.
Past continuous
We covered it for the first time in the first lesson above. Instead of using the verb “to be” in the present tense, you use it in the past, and of course add ~ing to the main verb:
I was waiting in the lobby. Weren’t you reading the newspaper when I arrived?
It’s really simple.
Did you know you can use continuous tenses with the verb “to be” as the main verb? It’s not common, but it’s possible:
Don’t take me seriously. I was just being ironic.
Do you see the verb “being” is the main verb?
The past continuous, also called past progressive, is very useful when you use it to express an action that was interrupted by another, both in the past, usually with “when”:
The children were doing their homework when I got home.
You can see the action in the past progressive, that was interrupted by the other action in the simple past.
Since this tense uses the verb “to be,” it will follow the usual rules: to make a negative, just add “not”; to make a question, change the word order, don’t use an auxiliary:
I wasn’t sleeping. I was meditating. What were you thinking?
Past simple
Do we really need to revisit this topic, after you learned 100 verbs in the past tense?
In case you need to refresh your knowledge, refer to the first lesson of the second level.
There, we studied the past tense of “to be,” and in the following lessons there are explanations about how to make negative sentences in the past tense, and questions in the past, too.
“Are you OK? Where were you, Tony?”
“I’m fine. I was at Ron’s house.”
“Where you there a long time?”
“About fifteen minutes.”
“Really? I was here twenty minutes ago. Were you here?”
“No, I wasn’t. I remember now. I was there for thirty minutes.”
“Look, there’s a black mark to the right of the curtain in the center of the wall. It wasn’t there yesterday.”
“And there’s a blue mark above it, to the left. It’s the color of Eva’s guitar.”
“And there’s a third smaller mark below the other two marks. Can I speak to you in the kitchen, Carl?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Hi, Alex. Where were you on Saturday? Where you at home?”
“No, I wasn’t at home on Saturday. I was in the city.”
“Wow! In the city? Where you with anyone?”
“Yes, I was. I was with my mom and dad.”
“Sorry, who?”
“With my mom and dad.”
“Oh, right. Was it good?”
“Yes, it was. The city is always fun. There was a band in the shopping mall.”
“What was the name of the band? Were they famous?”
“No, they weren’t famous. But their songs were amazing.”
“How long was the band there?”
“I don’t know. Our last train was at 10:30.”
Listen to the conversation about how to study better.
Tom: I don't know what
to do. I start off studying but I always end up doing something
else. Mum: I’ll help you but please listen to
me. Tom: Of course! Go on! Mum: Now
first, you need to take away all of the things that stop you
working. Tom: What do you mean? Mum:
First, turn off your music. Music doesn’t help you study. Tom:
OK. No music. Mum: And put the dog
outside! Tom: What? Mum: Well,
every time the dog goes into your room, you stop studying to pat it.
Spot stops you working! Tom: OK. Bye,
Spot! Mum: Have an apple and a glass of water
on your desk before you start. Here you are. Tom:
Why? Mum: Because then you don’t need to go
to the kitchen for something to eat or drink. Tom:
OK. Mum: Turn off your phone. Tom:
No way! Mum: Yes. It stops you working. If you
turn it off, it’s easier to concentrate. You can read your messages
later. Tom: OK, but I can’t turn off the
internet on my computer. I need it to look up information. Mum:
OK, but you can turn off your instant messages. Tom:
I know! Mum? Mum: Yes? Tom:
Thanks.
Unit 7.
Phrasal verbs – common
Simply put, phrasal verbs are verbs that are made with more than one word. A single word is not a phrase, right? A phrase is a group of words. So a “phrasal” verb needs more than one word.
You know the meaning of, for example, the verb “run.” It is to walk really fast!
But you probably don’t remember that “run out” means “to use all of something and not have any more left,” as the Longman dictionary explains. For example, “We ran out of time” means: there was no more time left. “Dad always runs out of gas in the middle of the road” means: “Dad’s car often has no more gasoline when in the road, and can no longer move.” It is a different meaning from “to walk very, very fast”!
Another common example: “pass away,” means “to die”: Uncle Max passed away ten years ago. You can’t usually infer the meaning from the phrasal verb words.
So phrasal verbs need: 1) more than one word, and 2) a different meaning from the usual.
Here is a useful list of very common phrasal verbs one should know, courtesy of Connecticut Community Colleges: grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/phrasals.htm They are many, but since they are rather common, you should be familiar with them.
We’ll be learning a few each lesson. Refer to it frequently.
A final note: many phrasal verbs are used only in informal contexts. In more formal settings —such as academic, business etc.— try to use other expressions. That’s why becoming familiar with different registers (for example, language used by students )
Separable phrasal verbs
When substituting the object with a pronoun, you separate it: Please do over the homework → Do it over.
Verb
Meaning
Example
Significado
blow up
explode
The terrorists tried to blow up the railroad station.
explotar
bring up
mention a topic
My mother brought up that little matter of my prison record again.
traer a colación un tema
bring up
raise children
It isn't easy to bring up children nowadays.
criar
call off
cancel
They called off this afternoon's meeting
cancelar
do over
repeat a job
Do this homework over.
repetir
fill out
complete a form
Fill out this application form and mail it in.
llenar un formulario
find out
discover
My sister found out that her husband had been planning a surprise party for her.
averiguar, descubrir
give away
give something to someone else for free
The filling station was giving away free gas.
regalar
give back
return an object
My brother borrowed my car. I have a feeling he's not about to give it back.
devolver, regresar a su dueño
hand in
submit something (assignment)
The students handed in their papers and left the room.
entregar al profesor una tarea
hang up
put something on hook or receiver
She hung up the phone before she hung up her clothes.
colgar, ropa o teléfono
hold up
delay
I hate to hold up the meeting, but I have to go to the bathroom.
demorar, atrasar
hold up (2)
rob
Three masked gunmen held up the Security Bank this afternoon.
asaltar a mano armada
leave out
omit
You left out the part about the police chase down Asylum Avenue.
Dejar fuera
look over
examine, check
The lawyers looked over the papers carefully before questioning the witness. (They looked them over carefully.)
revisar, examinar con detenimiento
look up
search in a list
You've misspelled this word again. You'd better look it up.
buscar en un diccionario o lista
make up
invent a story or lie
She knew she was in trouble, so she made up a story about going to the movies with her friends.
inventarse una excusa
make out
hear, understand
He was so far away, we really couldn't make out what he was saying.
entender lo que dicen, besarse o tener sexo (Am.En.)
pick out
choose
There were three men in the line-up. She picked out the guy she thought had stolen her purse.
elegir, escoger
pick up
lift something off something else
The crane picked up the entire house. (Watch them pick it up.)
recoger del suelo
point out
call attention to
As we drove through Paris, Francoise pointed out the major historical sites.
señalar, llamar la atención sobre
put away
save or store
We put away money for our retirement. She put away the cereal boxes.
poner en su sitio, ordenar
put off
postpone
We asked the boss to put off the meeting until tomorrow. (Please put it off for another day.)
aplazar, posponer
put on
put clothing on the body
I put on a sweater and a jacket. (I put them on quickly.)
ponerse (ropa, etc.)
put out
extinguish
The firefighters put out the house fire before it could spread. (They put it out quickly.)
extinguir el fuego
read over
peruse
I read over the homework, but couldn't make any sense of it.
leer y releer con atención
set up
to arrange, begin
My wife set up the living room exactly the way she wanted it. She set it up.
preparar, disponer, arreglar
take down
make a written note
These are your instructions. Write them down before you forget.
anotar, tomar nota
take off
remove clothing
It was so hot that I had to take off my shirt.
sacarse (prenda)
talk over
discuss
We have serious problems here. Let's talk them over like adults.
discutir, analizar (no peleando)
throw away
discard
That's a lot of money! Don't just throw it away.
tirar a la basura, descartar
try on
put clothing on to see if it fits
She tried on fifteen dresses before she found one she liked.
probarse ropa
try out
test
I tried out four cars before I could find one that pleased me.
intentar, probar
turn down
lower volume
Your radio is driving me crazy! Please turn it down.
bajar el volumen
turn down (2)
reject
He applied for a promotion twice this year, but he was turned down both times.
rechazar, negársele algo a alguien
turn up
raise the volume
Grandpa couldn't hear, so he turned up his hearing aid.
subir el volumen
turn off
switch off electricity
We turned off the lights before anyone could see us.
apagar
turn off (2)
repulse
It was a disgusting movie. It really turned me off.
extinguir el entusiasmo de alguien, decepcionar, quitar ganas de
turn on
switch on the electricity
Turn on the CD player so we can dance.
encender (fuego o interés sexual)
use up
exhaust, use completely
The gang members used up all the money and went out to rob some more banks.
agotar un recurso
Inseparable phrasal verbs
These can not be split (separated) by a pronoun: Please look after your brother. → Please look after him.
Verb
Meaning
Example
Significado
call on
ask to recite in class
The teacher called on students in the back row.
pedir que alguien del público pase al frente
call on (2)
visit
The old minister continued to call on his sick parishioners.
hacer visitas a domicilio
get over
recover from sickness or disappointment
I got over the flu, but I don't know if I'll ever get over my broken heart.
superar una decepción
go over
review
The students went over the material before the exam. They should have gone over it twice.
revisar, repasar
go through
use up; consume
They country went through most of its coal reserves in one year. Did he go through all his money already?
consumir, acabar un recurso
look after
take care of
My mother promised to look after my dog while I was gone.
cuidar, supervisar
look into
investigate
The police will look into the possibilities of embezzlement.
analizar un problema
run across
find by chance
I ran across my old roommate at the college reunion.
toparse, encontrarse con alguien por casualidad
run into
meet
Carlos ran into his English professor in the hallway.
encontrarse con alguien
take after
resemble
My second son seems to take after his mother.
parecerse a un ancestro
wait on
serve
It seemed strange to see my old boss wait on tables.
servir como mesero
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs
These are not separated, either.
Verb
Meaning
Example
Significado
break in on
interrupt (a conversation)
I was talking to Mom on the phone when the operator broke in on our call.
interrumpir, meterse en una conversación.
catch up with
keep abreast
After our month-long trip, it was time to catch up with the neighbors and the news around town.
ponerse al día
check up on
examine, investigate
The boys promised to check up on the condition of the summer house from time to time.
revisar, estar pendiente de
come up with
to contribute (suggestion, money)
After years of giving nothing, the old parishioner was able to come up with a thousand-dollar donation.
contribuir, aportar
cut down on
curtail (expenses)
We tried to cut down on the money we were spending on entertainment.
reducir gastos
drop out of
leave school
I hope none of my students drop out of school this semester.
abandonar los estudios
get along with
have a good relationship with
I found it very hard to get along with my brother when we were young.
llevarse bien con alguien
get away with
escape blame
Janik cheated on the exam and then tried to get away with it.
salirse con la suya
get rid of
eliminate
The citizens tried to get rid of their corrupt mayor in the recent election.
librarse, deshacerse de
get through with
finish
When will you ever get through with that program?
terminar, llevar a término
keep up with
maintain pace with
It's hard to keep up with the Joneses when you lose your job!
mantenerse el mismo nivel de vida de alguien
look forward to
anticipate with pleasure
I always look forward to the beginning of a new semester.
esperar con ansias
look down on
despise
It's typical of a jingoistic country that the citizens look down on their geographical neighbors.
menospreciar
look in on
visit (somebody)
We were going to look in on my brother-in-law, but he wasn't home.
visitar (drop by, come over)
look out for
be careful, anticipate
Good instructors will look out for early signs of failure in their students
estar pendiente, alerta de problemas
look up to
respect
First-graders really look up to their teachers.
admirar, respetar
make sure of
verify
Make sure of the student's identity before you let him into the classroom.
asegurarse
put up with
tolerate
The teacher had to put up with a great deal of nonsense from the new students.
soportar, aguantar
run out of
exhaust supply
The runners ran out of energy before the end of the race.
quedarse sin, agotar un recurso
take care of
be responsible for
My oldest sister took care of us younger children after Mom died.
cuidar, ser responsable de
talk back to
answer impolitely
The star player talked back to the coach and was thrown off the team.
responder groseramente
think back on
recall
I often think back on my childhood with great pleasure.
recordar
walk out on
abandon
Her husband walked out on her and their three children.
abandonar
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
The following phrasal verbs are not followed by an object: "Once you leave home, you can never really go back again."
Verb
Meaning
Example
break down
stop functioning
That old Jeep had a tendency to break down just when I needed it the most.
dañarse, dejar de funcionar
catch on
become popular
Popular songs seem to catch on in California first and then spread eastward.
volverse popular, “pegar” con el público
come back
return to a place
Father promised that we would never come back to this horrible place.
volver, regresar
come in
enter
They tried to come in through the back door, but it was locked.
entrar
come to
regain consciousness
He was hit on the head very hard, but after several minutes, he started to come to again.
volver en sí, recuperarse del desmayo
come over
to visit
The children promised to come over, but they never do.
visitar, “caerle” a alguien en casa
drop by
visit without appointment
We used to just drop by, but they were never home, so we stopped doing that.
visitar, “caerle” a alguien en casa
eat out
dine in a restaurant
When we visited Paris, we loved eating out in the sidewalk cafes.
comer fuera de casa, en restaurante
get by
survive
Uncle Heine didn't have much money, but he always seemed to get by without borrowing money from relatives.
sobrevivir, vivir ajustado
get up
arise
Grandmother tried to get up, but the couch was too low, and she couldn't make it on her own.
levantarse, ponerse de pie
go back
return to a place
It's hard to imagine that we will ever go back to Lithuania.
regresar, volver
go on
continue
He would finish one Dickens novel and then just go on to the next.
continuar
go on (2)
happen
The cops heard all the noise and stopped to see what was going on.
suceder, ocurrir, pasar
grow up
get older
Charles grew up to be a lot like his father.
crecer
keep away
remain at a distance
The judge warned the stalker to keep away from his victim's home.
mantenerse lejos
keep on (with gerund)
continue with the same
He tried to keep onsinging long after his voice was ruined.
continuar haciendo algo
pass out
lose consciousness, faint
He had drunk too much; he passed out on the sidewalk outside the bar.
desmayarse, perder el sentido
show off
demonstrate haughtily
Whenever he sat down at the piano, we knew he was going to show off.
lucirse ante un público, alardear
show up
arrive
Day after day, Efrain showed up for class twenty minutes late.
acudir, llegar
wake up
arouse from sleep
I woke up when the rooster crowed.
despertarse
Possessive adjectives
We studied the possessive adjectives back in level 1, in lesson 7. Talk about a coincidence!
Briefly, as they are adjectives, they must accompany a noun; and per the usual rules of English, they go before the noun. And they denote possession:
“Her name is Jessica.” That is, the name “Jessica” belongs to this woman.
These possessive adjectives can go in the subject or predicate; anywhere a noun is found.
“His reply came fast.” Here, the possessive adjective is in the subject.
“I bought a case for your phone.” Here the possessive is in the predicate.
Possessive adjective
Corresponding personal pronoun
my
I
your
you
his
he
her
she
its
it
our
we
your
you
their
they
You probably know it already, but remember: subject pronouns go… well, in the subject, duh: “I am pleased,” “It is easy,” etc. They are also called personal pronouns.
Finally, do not confuse these possessive adjectives with the possessive pronouns. Adjectives must precede the noun they modify; pronouns don’t, because they substitute the noun. Refer to lesson 4 of the first level, where we study the different types of words.
A few examples of possessive pronouns, just to confuse you a little more ha ha: “The pencil is mine.” Mine is a possessive pronoun; it does not go next to pencil, and can substitute it: “Is this John’s pencil” “No, it’s mine.”
You know what? This is a good time to review our pronouns.
So far we have studied these different kinds of pronouns and similar short words:
Personal pronouns.
They are the subject of a sentence. We studied them first thing in the very first level! As pronouns, they substitute a noun, usually a name. They also go in the subject; that’s why they are also called subject pronouns. Don’t use them in the predicate; use an object pronoun — explained below — instead.
Pronombres personales
Pronombre
Sonido
Significado
I
ay
yo
You
yu
tú
He
ji
él
She
shi
ella
It
it
No tiene equivalente en español. Se usa para un animal o una cosa. No significa “esto”.
We
ui
nosotros
You
yu
ustedes
They
dey
ellos
Object pronouns.
Object pronouns go in the predicate. They are the “object” that receive the action of the verb: “I called him,” “The boss was looking for them,” etc.
They go only in the predicate, and they are pronouns, so they substitute a name or person. They work as objects, that is, they are the “object” of the action of the verb; they “receive” the action.
Llámame. Call me.
Esto es para ti. This is for you.
Llámalo. Call him.
Llámala. Call her.
Tráelo. Bring it.
Invítanos. Invite us.
Esto es para ustedes. This is for you.
Llámalos. Call them.
Possessive pronouns
They are pronouns, so they can’t go next to a noun. They sometimes are confused with the possessive adjectives.
El lápiz es mío. The pencil is mine.
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.
As you see, sometimes you find in the same sentence the noun the possessive pronoun refer to, but not next to it. If it has to go next to the noun, use a possessive adjective,not a possessive pronoun.
Basically, it shows possession; it tells who’s the owner of something.
It follows a few simple rules:
1) It is not a contraction of anything; it’s not “is” or “has” contracted, so don’t confuse them. You probably understood this clearly from the beginning, didn’t you?
2) In the case of singular nouns ended in “s,” add the “‘s” anyway. For example: Charles’s pencil, the bus’s tires. Both “s” have to be pronounced.
3) Plural nouns ended in ~s just add the apostrophe at the end: The students’ grades will be uploaded soon. That is the kids’ computer.
4) Irregular plural add an ~s after the apostrophe: This is the men’s restroom. Those are the children’s lockers.
5) You can use two possessives together, but it quickly becomes confusing, so maybe it is better to avoid them: This is my father’s partner’s car.
You can use the possessive to refer to a place: We’re going to Jim’s after class, wanna come? This means they are going to Jim’s house.
Finally, there is a peculiar construction: Hello, I am a friend of your brother’s. It is very similar to: Hello, I am your brother’s friend. But since “your brother” probably doesn’t have only this friend, the first structure is used, to say: I am one of your brother’s friends.
Carry on!
Prepositional phrases (place, time and movement)
Remember the prepositions from the “8 types of words” lesson back in level 1?
They are words that express relations between the different parts of the sentence. For example, I come from my class, the relation between “I” and “class” is explained by the preposition.
Don’t overthink it, or you’ll get confused ha ha.
As their name suggests, pre-positions go before nouns. So, a “prepositional phrase” is simply the preposition with the noun it precedes. That’s it.
Grammar loves fancy words, eh?
Example: I left the money in the bottom drawer of the desk. “The bottom drawer” is the prepositional phrase. It contains the preposition “in,” the object “drawer,” and finally the adjective “bottom,” that modifies the noun.
Here is a good list of prepositions from EnglishGrammar101.com. Just review it orally and you’ll be set.
Some Common Prepositions
Prepositions of time:
after, around, at, before, between, during, from, on, until, at, in, from, since, for, during, within
Prepositions of place:
above, across, against, along, among, around, at, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, in, inside, into, near, off, on, opposite, out, over, past, through, to, toward, under, underneath
Prepositions of direction/movement:
at, for, on, to, in, into, onto, between
Now, let’s get confused ha ha.
These prepositional phrases work as adjectives or adverbs.
I can imagine dear reader’s reaction: “Whaaaa…?”
Don’t worry, it’s very simple.
Thanks to the good folks of ChompChomp.com, it is easy to understand:
“As an adjective, the prepositional phrase will answer the question: “Which one?” For example: The book on the bathroom floor is wet. Which book? The one on the bathroom floor!”
Another example: The pizza in the fridge is for you. Which pizza? The one in the fridge.
A last one: The student in the lobby is asking for you. Which student? The one in the lobby.
Now, as an adverb, the prepositional phrase will answer questions such as: “How?” “When?” or “Where?”
For example: I got a headache from the smoke.How did you get a headache? From the smoke.
I figured out the solution after taking a walk.When did you figure out the solution? After taking a walk.
John called his girlfriend from my house.Where did John call his girlfriend from? From my house.
That’s it. Don’t give this topic too much thought; it isn’t worth it. Prepositional phrases provide details about the words they modify, and that’s all there is to it.
Hi, Taylor. Guess what? Someone was in our house today and took my guitar! I got home, opened the door, but I didn’t see my guitar on the sofa. Then I saw the broken window. There was glass outside in the flowers and in the grass. The broken window scared me, so I texted my mom. She called, and then I left the house and I stood in the yard. Mom came home quickly with dad, and we went inside. After five minutes, Tony came home. Then mom noticed some marks on the wall. Mom and dad are checking the house now. The person didn’t take the computer, or Tony’s cell phone, or mp3 player. Something is very strange, but I’m not worried. ~Eva
Mark: What’s
the matter? Clare: I’ve got a history exam on
Friday and I’m worried I’ll fail it. Mark: Why?
You’re brilliant at history. Clare: It
isn’t difficult but I have to remember a lot of information. These
are my notes from today. Mark: Can I
see? Clare: Yes. Mark: These
aren’t notes! This is a full text! Clare: What
do you mean? Mark: You don’t have to
copy everything! ‘Notes’ are just a few words. You have to write
the important words. You don’t need to write the extra bits. Look.
King Henry the Eighth was married six times. Clare: That’s
important information. Mark: But you don’t
need to write all of those words. You can draw little pictures too.
Pictures can help you to remember things and then you don’t need to
write so many words. Look. Clare: That’s
so good! The crown is for ‘King’ and the ‘H’ is for Henry.
That’s cool. Then the heart is ‘love’ and a number six … well
that is ehm … six. Mark: Yes. So look at
these notes. Let’s test your memory. Clare: King
Henry the Eighth was married six times. Mark: Exactly!
Write notes like this, Clare. Then you won’t have six pages of
notes, you’ll only have two or three!
Unit 8.
I can assure you, no more complicated grammar for the rest of the level. Just some topics to review, and you’re set!
Prepositions of time, including in/on/at
The same in, on, at we saw last lesson, but this time we’re talking about time. We covered this in lesson 9 of the second level.
in
on
at
Months: in January / in April Seasons: in spring / in winter Years: in 1984 / in 2015 Centuries: in the 20th century Times of day: in the morning / in the evening Longer periods of time: in the past / in the 1990s / in the holidays
Days of the week: on Monday Days + parts of days: on Tuesday afternoon / on Saturday mornings Dates: on November 22nd Special days: on my birthday / on New Year’s Eve
Clock times: at 7.30 a.m. / at 5 o’clock Festivals: at Christmas / at Easter Exceptions: at night / at the weekend
The oral lesson will make sure you have understood this.
Prepositions, common
I know what you’re thinking: “What?! More prepositions?!” Just make sure you know them, and we’ll move on.
about
above
across
after
against
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
by
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
out
outside
over
since
through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
until
up
upon
with
without
according to
because of
by way of
in addition to
in front of
in place of
in regard to
in spite of
instead of
on account of
out of
Present continuous
We saw a little of this topic in lesson 12 of the first level, and also in the first lesson of level 3. Talk about strange arranging of topics!
Nothing to be said more than you already know. It’s also called present “progressive,” expresses an action “in progress,” that is, something happening now; and requires a conjugated form of “to be,” and the main verb adds ~ing. That’s all!
We are making pizza. John is waiting for you in the lobby.
Since we are using a conjugated form of “to be” to make this tense, we’ll apply the usual rules of “to be” to make negatives and questions.
To make negative sentences, just add “not:”
We are not making pizza. / We aren’t making pizza. John is not waiting for you. / John isn’t waiting.
As per the usual rules of “to be,” in order to make questions just change the word order:
Are we making Margherita pizza? We only change the subject and the auxiliary verb “to be,” the main verb stays where it is. Is John waiting for me?
Basically, you have two choices. Either use the same continuous tense to talk about plans for the future — allowing the context to make clear it’s about the future, not something that happens now — or use the “be + going to” form:
I’m asking tomorrow the girl I love. This means he’s going to ask the girl he loves to marry him. I’m going to ask the teacher for an extension of the deadline.
Present perfect
Level 4 was basically all review, wasn’t it?
We studied the present perfect in lesson 10 last level.
As usual, memorize one sentence for every grammar topic or tense, in order to quickly remember the grammar involved.
I have gone to Cuenca.
The word “perfect” refers to “a verb tense that is used to refer to an action or state that is completed at the time of speaking or at a time spoken of,” says the Merriam-Webster Learner’s dictionary.
What does this mean? It means that the action probably is completed and finished. Sometimes it can have effects to the present, or the action still continues to the present:
Thanks, we have already done the test. The action is finished. I have lost my keys. This action still influences the present. We have lived here for two years now. The action still goes on!
The main difference with the simple past, is that with the simple past you can tell when did the action happened, but not with the present perfect:
I visited my aunt yesterday. This is OK. I have visited my aunt yesterday. NOT OK!
As a rule, don’t be specific when using the present perfect. If you want to be specific, use the simple past.
Present perfect doesn’t like specificity, but these words are welcome in the present perfect: just, yet, never, already, ever, so far, up to now, recently, since, for.
I haven’t yet finished. We’ve lived here since 2010.
The present perfect tense uses the auxiliary verb “have” or “has,” but not in the usual sense of “possess.”
Also, remember to use the past participle form of the verb! The usual “third column” in verb lists.
Remember the rule we set in the second level for the negatives? Verb “to be” and modals (and other auxiliaries), just add “not;” other verbs, use an auxiliary proper. (do, does, did.)
Since we are using the verb “have” as an auxiliary, to make negative sentences with the present perfect, just add “not:”
We have not spoken yet. You can contract: We haven’t spoken yet. Up to now, the researchers haven’t found a solution.
Don’t forget to avoid the double negative!:
I have never been here before. “Never” is a negative. I haven’t ever set foot here. “Haven’t” is a negative, so you won’t use “never” but “ever.”
“Did the person take anything else?”
“No, he didn’t. Tony, where did you put Eva’s guitar?”
“Tony? What did Tony do?”
“I’m sorry, Eva! I picked up your guitar and then my phone rang. I turned and I hit the wall. Then I fell and I broke the window with your guitar.”
“Where did you put the guitar?”
“I hid it at Rob’s house.”
“Did you break my guitar? Why is it at Rob’s house?”
“No, your guitar is fine. I was scared, so I ran to Rob’s house with the guitar.”
“That’s good. But the window and wall aren’t fine.”
“How did you know it was Tony?”
“Well, there is glass outside of the house, so someone broke the window from the inside.”
“Tony, we’re going to talk about the window and the wall tonight. First, go and pick up the glass.”
“So, did your parents get angry?”
“Of course they did. But they aren’t angry now because I helped them. First, I picked up the glass and put it in a bin. Then I cleaned the wall. There were three marks from the guitar on the wall.”
“Did you paint the wall?”
“No, I didn’t. Mom and dad painted it.”
“Did you buy the new glass for the window?”
“No, I didn’t. My mom and dad bought it.”
“Did you do anything else?”
“Yes, I did. I mopped the floor, and I vacuumed the rug. I was very tired.”
Take a tour of London by listening to this tour guide.
Tour guide: Good
afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this fantastic tour of
London by bus. My name’s Greg and I’m your guide this afternoon
on our tour of London. As you can see, we’re on an open-top bus, so
you can see all the attractions from your seat and you don’t need
to walk anywhere. And please don’t worry about the rain, I’m sure
it’ll stop soon. A-a-and please ask any questions at any
time. Tourist 1: I have a question. Tour
guide: Yes? Tourist 1: Do
you have extra umbrellas? I mean, if it rains a lot. Tour
guide: Err, no, we don’t have any extra umbrellas,
but don’t worry, I’m sure the rain will stop soon. Right, OK, so
where are we going on our wonderful tour? Well, the tour takes two
hours and we are going to visit all the famous sites. First we’ll
see Madame Tussauds, the museum with wax models of famous people and
celebrities, then we’ll drive along the most famous shopping street
in the world, Oxford Street. After that we’ll see the famous clock
Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament. As we drive along the river
you’ll see the popular attraction, the London Eye, from which you
can see the whole city on a sunny day. Then we’ll see Tower Bridge
and the famous Tower of London before arriving at Buckingham Palace,
just in time for a cup of tea with the Queen. Tourist
2: Is that included in the tour? A cup of tea with the
Queen? Tour guide: Err, well, no, not
exactly, but there’s a lovely café near the palace where you can
get a cup of tea. (Sound of a storm right overhead, loud
thunder and very heavy downpour) Tourist 1: I
have another question. Tour guide: Yes? Tourist
1: Can we have our money back? We’re getting off the
bus. Tour guide: Err, well, you see ...
Quick! Run! Everyone off the bus! ...
Unit 9:
Seriously, the list of grammar topics to cover for the includes:
Present simple
Pronouns: simple, personal
Questions
There is/are
To be, including question+negatives
You already know all those! We covered them in the first lessons of the first level, and also in the first lesson of the past level.
So, to make it a little more challenging, you will explain these topics to the tutor! Refer to these lessons or to any grammar website and you’ll be ready.
Listen to five different conversations at a train station.
A. Passenger: Excuse
me? Which platform does the train to Cambridge leave from? Train station attendant: The
10:15 train or the 10:40? Passenger: The
10:15. Train station attendant: The
10:15 train leaves from platform 3. Passenger: Thanks.
B. Passenger: Hi.
Could I have a ticket for the next train to Manchester, please? Train ticket vendor: Single
or return? Passenger: Errr,
single please. Train ticket vendor: The
next train is at 12:30pm, leaving from platform 2. Passenger: And
how much is it? Train ticket vendor: £13:50
C. Ticket inspector:
Tickets, please. Can I see your ticket, please? Passenger: Yes,
here you are. Ticket inspector: This
ticket is for Oxford. Passenger: Yes,
that’s right. Ticket inspector: But
this train doesn’t go to Oxford, it goes to Liverpool. Passenger: What?
Liverpool? Oh no!
D. Train station announcement:
The next train arriving at platform 1 is the 15:45 train to
Exeter, stopping at Bristol Temple Meads and arriving at Exeter St
David’s at 18:30.
E. Harry: What time
is our train back to London? Angel: It leaves
at 4:30. We’ve only got 5 minutes. Harry: What
platform does it leave from? Angel: Platform
2. Look, over there. Harry: I can’t
see our train anywhere. Let me see the ticket. Look, it says 4:20,
not 4:30! Angel: Oh no,
we’ve missed it. Harry: No we
haven’t, it’s late. Look, here it is now. Angel: Phew,
that was lucky!
A.
Good morning. This is an announcement
for all passengers travelling on the 9:25 flight TOM1223 to Rome.
This flight is delayed by two hours because of bad weather.
B.
Would all passengers travelling to
Tokyo on flight FR3421 please have your boarding passes and passports
ready for boarding. Flight FR3421 now boarding at gate 21.
C.
This is the final boarding call for
passengers Gemma and Ryan Grey flying to Athens on flight EZ9753.
Your flight is ready to leave. Please go to gate 14 immediately. The
doors of the plane will close in five minutes. Final boarding call
for passengers Gemma and Ryan Grey.
D.
This is an announcement for passengers
travelling to Amsterdam on flight KL1050. Will all passengers with
express boarding tickets and passengers travelling with young
children please go to gate 6 for boarding. That’s all passengers
with express boarding tickets and passengers travelling with young
children go to gate 6 for boarding. Thank you.
E.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We
have landed at JFK airport in New York where the local time is 18:30
and the temperature is 76º. We hope you have enjoyed your flight
with American Airlines this evening and wish you a very safe journey
to your final destination.
Listen to the presentation about using colours to organise homework.
Girl: My presentation
is about how you can use colour coding to organise your homework.
To start you need a few things from the stationery shop. This
photo shows the things I use. They aren’t expensive. They are all
cheap. I’ve got coloured pens and pencils, sticky notes, page
markers, glue and folders.
First, I choose a different colour for each school subject. The
colour I choose has to be easy to remember so I make sure it means
something to me. Maths is green because my ruler is green. PE is
yellow because my trainers are yellow.
Here is a photo of my folders. I use the cheapest kind and I add a
coloured sticky note to the top and to the front. I keep all my notes
inside the different folders.
This is a photo of some more sticky notes. I wrote them in the
library when I was studying. The blue notes are for history. My
history teacher has got a blue car! The black notes are for
geography. One day I want to visit the Black Sea.
This photo shows the pages I need to read for homework. I use two
coloured page markers to mark where it starts and ends. Those blue
ones mark the pages I need to read for history.
Finally, this last photo shows my wall calendar. This green star
shows I have a maths test on Friday. This pink circle shows I’ve
got French homework for Monday. It’s pink because ‘pink’ is
‘rose’ in French … and the rose is my favourite flower.
Has anyone got any questions?
Unit 10:
Zero and 1st conditional
This is one of those grammar topics that at first can look complicated, but it’s not.
As usual, memorize a few example sentences to make it easier for you to do the exercises.
Conditionals “are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen.” (ef.com)
They are made with a condition and the result. If the condition happens, the result will, too. The result depends on the condition.
Zero conditional
Expresses some result that usually happens if the condition is present. Something that is generally considered true.
If it rains, the street gets wet. It you heat ice, it melts.
One follows the other under normal circumstances.
Both are in the simple present tense.
You can also use negatives:
If you don’t eat, you die.
You can also invert the terms, and begin with the result:
You die if you don’t eat. Ice melts if you heat it. The streets get wet when it rains.
Some teachers don’t consider the so-called “zero” conditional a real conditional, since the result usually happens after the condition.
So, to recap:
Zero conditional:
probability: 100%
structure: condition and result are both in simple present.
First conditional
If the condition is present, the result may happen, or not.
Example:
If I see John, I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.
That means that if I don’t see him, obviously I won’t tell him!
If we pass the test, we’ll be able to start the next level. If it rains, we could stay at home and play board games.
The structure is: the condition is in present simple, and the result uses a modal. Will is the most used in this conditional.
As usual you can invert the terms:
I’ll tell John you’re looking for him, if I see him. We could stay at home, if it rains. We’ll be able to start the next level if we pass the test.
Recap:
Zero conditional:
both condition and result are in present simple.
Probability: 100%. First conditional:
condition is in present simple; result, uses will or some other modal.
probability: 50%.
Weather reporter:
Welcome to the weather forecast. Now, let’s see what the weather is
like today. In the north of the country it’s very windy and cold.
There is a chance of some rain too, so don’t leave home without
your umbrella! The temperature is around 10º centigrade. In the east
it’s rainy all day today, I’m afraid. There may be a thunderstorm
in the afternoon. The temperature is a bit higher, at around 13º. In
the west and middle of the country the weather is dry, but cloudy. So
no rain for you, but it is quite windy and the temperature is just
10º. The south of the country has the best weather today. It’s
cloudy most of the time but sunny this afternoon. The temperature is
around 15º.
Listen to five different people talking about their jobs.
A.
I work on Saturdays and in the school
holidays. Saturdays are busy because that’s when everyone goes
shopping. Our shop sells clothes and accessories for men, women and
children. I work in the children’s department. It can be
crazy sometimes, but it’s fun.
B.
I work during my summer holidays when
I’m not at university. Oxford has thousands of tourists in the
summer, so it’s easy to find a job as a tour guide. I take tourists
to visit the university colleges and then we go down to the river. We
go along the river on a boat. The tourists love the boat trip, but
last summer one tourist fell in the river! I love meeting people from
all over the world.
C.
I like my job, but lots of people don’t
like coming to see me because they hate dentists. Sometimes it’s
very hard work, but it’s great to help people when they have a
problem. It’s so important to look after your teeth.
D.
My job is very difficult, but I like it
because I love flying. I fly planes that take people to different
places on holiday. Most of the time I fly in Europe to places like
Spain, Greece and Italy. The most difficult thing about my job is
when the weather is bad. Snow and thunderstorms are the worst. The
best thing is visiting different places.
E.
I work in a hospital in the city
centre. It’s a very big hospital. I help the doctors with the
patients. I give them their medicine and look after them when they
feel ill. I love my job but I don’t like the uniform and sometimes
I have to work at night.
There you are! Now the teacher will make a thorough review of the topics covered. You should have been studying the KET vocabulary already!
Once you learn it, you’ll probably be ready to assess your A2 competence, which shows «An ability to deal with simple, straightforward information and begin to express oneself in familiar contexts.»
In more detail, as a basic user of English, the A2 level shows than you probably can «take part in a routine conversation on simple predictable topics. Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.»
Take the test and prove it!
KET Vocabulary
The KET vocabulary includes over 1,600 words! Most of them, you know already, so it shouldn't be too difficult to learn the new ones.
We'll underline the words that you should be able to define in English. Refer to the dictionary for the definitions, but be able to explain them in your own words!
We are using slightly longer sentences in the flashcards in order to help you speak more fluently. Good luck!
A
a/anindefinite article. un, uno, una. able ser capaz de about acerca de, sobre, alrededor, aproximadamente above por encima (sin apoyarse) accident acrossExamples: The bank’s across the road, He walked across the bridge. al frente de act acto, actuar, ley activity actividad actor actually de hecho; no significa “actualmente”, eso es nowadays. adan ad on TV anuncio add añadir, sumar address dirección, dirigirse a un público adult advanced avanzado adventure aventura advertisement anuncio advice consejo. Como verbo es con “s”: advise aeroplane avión, aeroplano afraid miedo, asustado after después afternoon tarde afterwards posteriormente, luego again de nuevo, otra vez againstWe watched England play against France. contra ageI don’t know his age. edad aged de edad, de edad avanzada ago hace: “hace 5 años”: 5 years ago. agreeYes, I agree with you. Don’t you agree, Sam? Estar e acuerdo air to travel by air aire airport aeropuerto alarm clock reloj con alarma album álbum de fotos all todo all right/alright bien almost casi alone solo along a lo largo de already ya (en afirmaciones) alright bien, OK also también always siempre a.m. por la mañana, antes del mediodía amazing asombroso ambulance ambulancia among entre varios items no especificados; si están especificados, usar between: “estamos entre amigos”: we are among friends. an un, uno, una, si la palabra empieza con sonido de vocal and y angry enojado animal another otro, uno más adicional answer respuesta any alguno, ninguno (en pregunta y negativa) anybody cualquiera, nadie (en pregunta y negativa) anymore no más (ídem) anyone cualquiera, nadie anything algo, nada (íd.) anyway de todas maneras, sea como fuere anywhere en cualquier parte, en ninguna parte apartment departamento apartment building edificio de departamentos apple manzana appointmentan appointment with the doctor cita con el doctor area área arm brazo, arma armchair sillón aroundto travel around, to sit around the table alrededor arrive llegar art arte articlean article about skiing artículo artist artista as:as good as, as soon as possible, the same as, as well as tan...como; lo mismo que, mientras, así como ask preguntar, pedir assistant asistente at a las... (hora), al pie de at, @ My email address is [email protected] arroba attractive atractivo aunt tía autumn otoño available disponible awayHe’s gone away. It’s two kilometres away. lejos awful horrible
Test your knowledge of these words with this set of flashcards: KET A hablar.
B
baby (n) back (n, adv & adj) espalda, parte de atrás backpack (n) mochila (rucksack, en inglés británico) bad (adj) malo badly (adv) de una forma mala (en el sentido de “malévolo”, emplear evil) badminton (n) deporte de raqueta jugado con un “gallito” en vez de pelota, googléalo. bag (n) bolso, funda bake (v) hornear ball (n) pelota, baile de gala balloon (n) globo banana (n) band (n) banda, cinta bandage (n) vendaje bank (n) banco. example: I changed my money in the bank. barbecue (n) barbacoa, asado. baseball (n) béisbol basketball (n) bat (n) bate, murciélago bath (n) baño de tina bathing suit (n) traje de baño bathroom (n) baño bathtub (n) la tina de baño battery (n) batería (el instrumento musical se llama drums, no battery) be (av & v) ser o estar beach (n) playa, vararse una ballena en la arena bean (n) frijol bear (n) oso, soportar, aguantar beard (n) baraa beautiful (adj) hermosa because (conj) porque (dando razón a una pregunta con why) become (v) convertirse, llegar a ser bed (n) cama bedroom (n) dormitorio, recámara bee (n) abeja before (adv, conj & prep) antes begin (v) empezar, comenzar beginner (n) principiante beginning (n) principio, comienzo behind (adv & prep) detrás, parte posterior, trasera believe (v) creer belong (v) pertenecer below (adv & prep) debajo belt (n) cinturón beside (prep) junto a, al lado de best (adj & adv) el mejor (superlativo de good) better (adj & adv) mejor (comparativo de good between (prep) en medio, entre bicycle (n) bicicleta big (adj) grande bike (n) bici bill (n) cuenta, billete, pico de ave. example: Can I have my bill, please? Also means: a money paper note, and the "mouth" of a bird. biology (n) biología bird (n) pájaro, ave birth (n) nacimiento (nacer es born) birthday (n) cumpleaños biscuit (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: cookie) galleta bit (n) un poco, poquito example: Just a small bit of cake, please. black (adj & n) negro blackboard (n) pizarrón blanket (n) manta, sábana block (n) cuadra example: Shall we walk round the block? blond(e) (adj) rubio (el femenino termina en “e”) blood (n) sangre blouse (n) blusa blue (adj & n) azul board (n) example: The teacher's writing on the (black/white) board. Pizarrón board game (n) juego de tablero boat (n) bote body (n) cuerpo boil (v) hervir boiled (adj) hervido. boiled eggs: huevos duros. book (n & v) libro, reservar (un hotel, una cita) bookcase (n) librero, repisa de libros bookshelf (n) librero, repisa de libros bookshop (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: bookstore) librería bookstore (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: bookshop) librería boot (n) example: a pair of boots botas bored (adj) aburrido (cómo se siente una persona) boring (adj) aburrido (la causa externa) born (v) example: I was born in Manchester. Nacer borrow (v) example: She borrowed a book from the library. Tomar prestado boss (n) jefe both (pron & det) ambos bother (v) molestar, tomarse la molestia bottle (n) botella bottom (n) example: at the bottom of the stairs. El fondo bowl (n) Tazón, plato hondo, bolos box (n) caja boy (n) niño boyfriend (n) novio brain (n) cerebro brave (adj) valiente bread (n) pan break (n & v) example: a break for lunch (n) example: Someone's broken the window. (v) romper, descanso breakfast (n) desayuno bridge (n) puente bright (adj) brillante brilliant (adj) example: I thought the film was brilliant! Brillante bring (v) Traer broken (adj) Roto, dañado brother (n) Hermano brown (adj & n) Café (color) brush (n & v) Cepillo, cepillar build (v) construir building (n) Edificio burger (n) Hamburguesa bus (n) bus business (n) negocio businessman (n) hombre de negocios businesswoman (n) mujer de negocios bus station (n) estación de bus bus stop (n) parada de bus busy (adj) ocupado but (conj) pero butter (n) mantequilla buy (v) comprar by (prep) por, junto a bye (exclam) chao
Test your knowledge of these words with this set of flashcards: KET B hablar.
C
cabinet (n) gabinete, alacena, pequeños armarios cafe/café (n) It's not the drink, but the place. Café (el lugar) cafeteria (n) Cafetería cake (n) torta, pastel calendar (n) calendario call (n & v) example: I'll call (phone) again later this afternoon. example: He's called John. example: I'm waiting for a call from Anna. Llamar camel camello camera (n) cámara camp (v) acampar camping (n) campamento campsite (n) campamento (el lugar) cap (n) gorra, tapa de botella capital (n) capital can (n & mv) poder, lata candy (n) caramelo cannot (mv) no puedo car (n) auto card (n) example: birthday card example: credit card. Tarjeta career (n) Carrera profesional careful (adj) example: Be careful! Cuidadoso carefully (adv) Cuidadosamente car park (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: parking lot) Parqueo carpet (n) Alfombra (de pared a pared; una alfombra más pequeña es rug, y un tapete, mat) carrot (n) zanahoria carry (v) cargar cartoon (n) dibujo animado, caricatura case (n) envase, caja, estuche cash (n & v) efectivo, cambiar un cheque castle (n) castillo cat (n) gato catch (v) atrapar cathedral (n) catedral CD (n) disco compacto CD player (n) tocadiscos compactos ceiling (n) techo (interior; el exterior es roof) cell phone (n) teléfono celular cent (n) centavo centre/center (n) centro (el centro de la ciudad es downtown) centimetre/centimeter (cm) (n) centímetro century (n) siglo cereal (n) cereal certainly (not) (adv) ciertamente chain (n) cadena chair (n) silla change (v & n) cambiar channel (n) canal chat (n) conversación informal chatroom (n) sala de chat en línea cheap (adj) barato check (v) cheque, chequear, poner un visto cheese (n) queso chef (n) cocinero jefe chemist (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: drugstore) farmacia, farmacéutico chemistry (n) química cheque (n) cheque chess (n) ajedrez chicken (n) pollo child (n) niño, sin especificar sexo chilli (n) pimiento, ají chips (n pl) example: egg and chips. Papas fritas. En EEUU chips son las papas empacadas crujientes, que los británicos llaman crisps; para los británicos, chips son las papas fritas frescas que acompañan la hamburguesa. chocolate (n) choose (v) elegir, escoger cinema (n) cine circle (n) círculo circus (n) circo city (n) ciudad class (n) example: a language class example: a first-class ticket. Clase classical (adj) Clásico classmate (n) compañero de clase classroom (n) salón de clase clean (adj & v) limpio, limpiar cleaner (n) Conserje (en inglés americano, janitor). The cleaners: el lavado en seco de la ropa clear (adj) example: It's not clear to me. Transparente, claro, limpio clearly (adv) claramente clever (adj) inteligente click (n & v) example: Click here to go to our website. Hacer clic climb (v) Escalar, trepar climbing (n) Practicar escalada clock (n) reloj (el de pulsera, es watch) close (adj & v) cerrar, cerca close to (prep phr) cerca closed (adj) cerrado clothes (n pl) ropa (cloth es trapo) cloud (n) nube cloudy (adj) nublado clown (n) payaso club (n) example: to join a club. Club, o garrote coach (n) example: a coach trip example: a tennis coach. Entrenador. Asientos clase económica en un avión coat (n) Abrigo coffee (n) Café (la bebida) cola (n) Cola, refresco gaseoso (según los lugares, se usa también soda, o pop) cold (adj & n) frío colleague (n) colega, compañero collect (v) recoger, coleccionar college (n) universidad, facultad colour (n & v) color, colorear comb (n) peinar come (v) venir comfortable (adj) cómodo comic (n) historietas, tiras cómicas, caricaturas company (n) example: What's the name of your company? Compañía competition (n) competencia complete (v) completo, completar computer (n) computadora, ordenador concert (n) concierto congratulations! (exclam) Felicitaciones contact (n & v) contacto conversation (n) conversación cook (n & v) cocinar, cocinero cooker (n) el electrodoméstico “cocina”; en inglés americano, stove. cookie (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: biscuit) galleta cooking (n) de cocina, p.ej. cooking oil cool (adj & exclam) example: That's a cool bike! (adj) frío, chévere, genial copy (v) copia, copiar (copiar en un examen es “hacer trampa”, cheat) corner (n) example: the corner of the street. Esquina correct (adj) correcto cost (n & v) costo costume (n) example: I forgot my swimming costume. Traje, disfraz could (mv) Pude, podría country (n) País, campo countryside (n) campo course (n) example: a university course example: a main course example: of course (not) Curso, of course: por supuesto. cousin (n) primo cover (v) cubierta cow (n) vaca crazy (adj) loco cream (adj & n) crema credit card (n) tarjeta de crédito cricket (n) grillo, deporte similar al béisbol cross (n & v) example: Don't cross the road here! (v) cruz, cruzar crossing (n) example: Use the crossing to cross the street. El cruce peatonal crowd (n) La muchedumbre crowded (adj) Lleno de gente cry (v) example: The baby's crying. Gritar, llorar cup (n) taza. Plastic cup: vaso de plástico cupboard (n) Alacena, armario de cocina curry (n) plato de arroz picante con vegetales, carne etc. de la India curtain (n) cortina customer (n) cliente cut (v) cortar cycle (v) andar en bicicleta, ciclo cycling (n) andar en bicicleta
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET C entender.
D
dad (n) papá daily (adj & adv) diariamente. No confundir con dairy, productos lácteos dance (n & v) bailar dancer (n) bailarín dancing (n) danger (n) peligro dangerous (adj) peligroso dark (adj) oscuro date (n) fecha, cita romántica: What’s the date today? daughter (n) hija day (n) día dead (adj) muerto dear (adj) querido, caro: Dear Anne, decide (v) decidir deep (adj) profundo degree (n) grado: The temperature’s 30 degrees today. delay (n & v) demora: There will be a delay of two hours. The flight is delayed.dentist (n) dentista department (n) departamento de una compañía o negocio; el departamento donde uno vive, es en inglés americano apartment, y en inglés británico flat:department store (n) describe (v) describir desert (n) desierto /désert/ desk (n) escritorio dessert (n) postre /disért/ detail (n) detalle diary (n) diario dictionary (n) diccionario die (v) morir, dado difference (n) diferencia different (adj) diferente difficult (adj) difícil digital (adj) digital camera (n) cámara digital dining room (n) sala comedor dinner (n) cena dinosaur (n) dinosaurio diploma (n) dirty (adj) sucio disco (n) discoteca. Un disco de vinilo es record otros discos son disc discount (n) descuento discuss (v) discutir, analizar una idea. Discutir peleando es argue dish (n) plato: Chicken and chips is my favourite dish. do (av & v) hacer doctor (n) document (n) documento dog (n) perro doll (n) muñeca. La “muñeca” que una la mano con el brazo, es wrist dollar (n) dólar dolphin (n) delfín door (n) puerta dot (n) punto: dot com double (adj) doble: a double room down (adv & prep) abajo download (n & v) descargar: I downloaded the songs from the internet downstairs (adv) abajo, el piso de abajo Dr (n) doctor draw (v) dibujar, sacar, jalar drawer (n) cajón drawing (n) dibujo dream (n & v) soñar, sueño dress (n & v) vestido dressed (adj) ej. dressed in black, vestida de negro drink (n & v) beber, bebida drive (v) conducir driver (n) conductor driving licence (n) licencia de conducir drugstore (n)(Am Eng)(Br Eng: chemist) farmacia drum (n) tambor, batería dry (adj & v) seco duck (n) pato, agacharse during (prep) durante DVD (n) DVD player (n)
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET D entender.
E
each (det & pron) cada ear (n) oreja early (adj & adv) temprano earn (v) ganar dinero a través del trabajo earring (n) arete easily (adv) fácilmente east (n, adj & adv) este easy (adj) fácil eat (v) comer egg (n) huevo electric (adj) eléctrico electricity (n) electricidad elephant (n) elefante elevator (n)(Am Eng)(Br Eng: lift) ascensor else (adv) Anything else? ¿algo más? What else? ¿Qué más? email (n & v) correo electrónico empty (adj) vacío end (v & n) fin engine (n) motor engineer (n) ingeniero enjoy (v) disfrutar enough (adv, det & pron) suficiente enter (v) Are you going to enter the poster competition? Please enter through the side door. Entrar, ingresar entrance (n) entrada (las entradas para un concierto, son tickets envelope (n) sobre de carta o documento eraser (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: rubber) borrador especially (adv) especialmente euro (n) euro, moneda de la Unión Europea even (adv) incluso, aun evening (n) noche, temprano por la noche ever (adv) alguna vez every (det) cada everybody (pron) todos everyone (pron) todos everything (pron) todo (cosas) everywhere (adv) por todas partes exactly (adv) exactamente examination/exam (n) examen, evaluación example (n) Look at the example first. for example ejemplo excellent (adj) excelente except (conj & prep) excepto excited (adj) emocionado exciting (adj) emocionante excuse (v) Excuse me! disculpe exercise (n & v) ejercicio exhibition (n) exhibición art exhibition exit (n) salida expensive (adj) caro, costoso explain (v) explicar explore (v) explorar explorer (n) This book’s about famous explorers. explorador extra (adj) extra, adicional eye (n) ojo
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET E entender.
F
face (n) cara, rostro fact (n) hecho (en oposición a opinión) factory (n) fábrica fail (v) fallar, fracasar fair (adj)remember it has many meanings. feria, justo, claro: She has fair hair. Ella tiene cabellos claros fall (n & v) caer, otoño in the fall (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: autumn) he fell and hurt his leg (v) family (n) familia famous (adj) famoso fan (n) ventilador, fanático fantastic (adj) fantástico far (adv) lejos How far is the next garage? farm (n) granja farmer (n) granjero fashion (n) moda, elegante fast (adj & adv) rápido, ajustar, ayunar fast food (n) comida rápida fat (adj) gordo, grasa father (n) padre favourite (adj) favorito feel (v) sentir to feel well festival (n) festival few (det & adj) pocos field (n) campo file (n) archivo fill (v) llenar fill in (phr v) llenar to fill in a form llenar un formulario film (n & v) filme, película final (adj) finally (adv) finalmente find (v) encontrar find out (phr v) averiguar fine (adj) bien, multa That’s fine. I’m fine, thank you. The weather is fine. finger (n) dedo finish (v) terminar fire (n) fuego first (adv & adj) primero First... then... John came first. (adv) first prize (adj) primer premio first name (n) primer nombre, nombre propio: José, Jessica etc. fish (n & v) pez, pescado, pescar fishing (n) pesca fit (adj) en forma, caber flat (n) plano, departamento flight (n) vuelo floor (n) piso, suelo The bedrooms are on the first floor. Don’t leave your clothes on the floor. flower (n) flor fly (v) volar fog (n) niebla foggy (adj) con neblina follow (v) seguir food (n) comida foot (n) pie my right foot football (n) fútbol footballer (n) futbolista (soccer player en Am.Eng. for (prep) por, para foreign (adj) extranjero forest (n) bosque forget (v) olvidar fork (n) tenedor (para comer) knife and fork form (n) formulario Fill in this form. free (adj & adv) gratis, libre French fries (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: chips) papas fritas fresh (adj) fresco fresh fruit fridge (n) “refri” (de refrigeradora) fried (adj) frito friend (n) amigo friendly (adj) amigable from (prep) de, desde front (n) frente in the front of the train. Stand in front of me. fruit (n) fruta full (adj) lleno fun (adj & n) divertido, diversión funny (adj) divertido, gracioso furniture (n) muebles further (adj) adicional, más lejos. También farther future (n) futuro
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET F entender.
G
game (n) juego garage (n) garden (n) jardín garlic (n) ajo gas (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: petrol) gasolina gas station (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: petrol station) gasolinera gate (n) puerta de reja, verja geography (n) geografía get (v) conseguir, obtener, llegar get fit (v) ponerse en forma get off (phr v) to get off the bus bajarse get on (phr v) to get on the bus subirse get up (phr v) to get up in the morning levantarse gift (n) regalo girl (n) niña girlfriend (n) novia give (v) dar glad (adj) contento, feliz, complacido glass (n) vaso, vidrio. Si es un vaso de plástico se dice plastic cup glasses (n pl) lentes glove (n) guante go (v) ir goal (n) meta, gol gold (n & adj) oro golden (adj) dorado, de oro golf (n) good (adj) bien, bueno good afternoon (exclam) buenas tardes goodbye (exclam) adiós good evening (exclam) buenas noches good-looking (adj) guapo, apuesto good morning (exclam) buenos días good night (exclam) buenas noches go out (phr v) Are you going out this evening? salir grade (n) grado, calificación gram(me)(n) gramo grandchild (n) nieto (sin especificar género) grand(d)ad (n) abuelo (de cariño) granddaughter (n) nieta grandfather (n) abuelo grandma (n) abuela (de cariño) grandmother (n) abuela grandpa (n) abuelo (cariño) grandparent (n) abuelos grandson (n) nieto granny (n) abuelita grape (n) uva grass (n) césped, pasto great (adj) genial, bisa~ (great-grandfather, bisabuelo, etc.) green (adj) verde grey (adj & n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: gray) gris grilled (adj) asado a la parrilla grocery store (n) (Am Eng) tienda de comestibles group (n) grupo grow (v) crecer, cultivar grow up (phr v) crecer guess (v) adivinar guest (n) invitado, huésped guest-house (n) pensión, hostal guide (n) guía guidebook (n) libro guía guitar (n) guitarra guy (n) He’s a really nice guy. tipo, chico gym (n) gimnasio
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET G entender.
H
hair (n) cabello, pelo half (det, n & pron) mitad half-price (adj) mitad de precio hall (n) vestíbulo, salón recibidor hand (n) mano handbag (n) bolso de mano happen (v) suceder, ocurrir happy (adj) feliz hard (adj & adv) duro, difícil
hard wood (adj) madera dura the homework was hard (adj) las tareas estaban difíciles to work hard (adv) trabajar duro hat (n) sombrero hate (v) odiar have (av & v) tener have got to (mv) tener que (forma británica) have to (mv) tener que he (pron) él head (n) My head hurts. Me duele la cabeza headache (n) dolor de cabeza headteacher (n) director (en Am.Eng.: principal health (n) salud healthy (adj) saludable hear (v) oír, escuchar heart (n) corazón heating (n) Can you turn the heating on? calefacción heavy (adj) a heavy blanket una manta pesada helicopter (n) hello (exclam) hola help (v) ayuda her (det & pron) su (de ella) here (adv) aquí hers (pron) suyo (de ella) herself (pron) by herself por sí misma, ella misma hey (exclam) ¡oye! hi (exclam) hola high (adj) alto hill (n) colina, cerro him (pron) a él himself (pron) by himself por sí mismo, él mismo hip hop (n) tipo de música popular rítmica his (det & pron) su (de él) history (n) historia hit (v) golpear, éxito musical hobby (n) pasatiempo hockey (n) hold (v) sostener holiday (n) día feriado home (n & adv) hogar homework (n) deberes escolares honey (n) miel hope (v) esperanza, espero horrible (adj) horse (n) caballo hospital (n) hot (adj) caliente hotel (n) hour (n) hora house (n) casa housewife (n) ama de casa how (adv) cómo however (adv) sin embargo hungry (adj) hambriento hurry (v) apresurarse hurt (v) lastimar, doler husband (n) esposo, marido
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET H entender.
I
I (pron) yo ice (n) hielo ice cream (n) helado ice skating (n) patinaje en hielo ID (n) identificación ID card (n) tarjeta de identificación idea (n) identification (n) if (conj) si (condicional, sin tilde: “si quieres, te ayudo”) ill (adj) enfermo immediately (adv) inmediatamente important (adj) improve (v) mejorar in (adv & prep) include (v) incluir including (prep) incluyendo indoor (adj) bajo techo: an indoor swimming pool. indoors (adv) bajo techo: We stayed indoors because of the rain. information (n) in front of (prep phr) insect (n) inside (adv & prep) dentro instead (adv) en vez de instructions (n pl) instrument (n) interested (adj) interesado en interesting (adj) interesante (la causa del interés) international (adj) internet (n) into (prep) dentro (idea de movimento) invitation (n) invite (v) invitar island (n) isla it (pron) pronombre que indica un animal o cosa; no tiene equivalente en español. No significa “esto”; esa palabra es this IT (n) Information Technology, tecnología de la información, informática, computación its (det) su (algo que pertenece a un animal o cosa) itself (pron) sí mismo, por sí mismo
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET I entender.
J, K
jacket (n) chaqueta, leva jam (n)has three relevant meanings. fruit jam atasco, mermelada, fiesta improvisada jazz (n) jeans (n pl) jewellery (n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: jewelry) joyas job (n) trabajo join (v) unirse journalist (n) periodista journey (n) viaje juice (n) jugo jump (v) saltar jumper (n) suéter (Brit.) just (adv) I’ve just seen Tom. Just a moment. sólo, recién, solamente, justo keep (v) May I keep this? Keep right! mantener, conservar key (n) llave, clave keyboard (n) I play the keyboard in a band. The keyboard for my computer is broken. teclado kick (n & v) patear kilogramme (kg)(n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: kilogram) kilogramo kilometre (km)(n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: kilometer) kilómetro kind (adj & n) That’s very kind of you. What kind of book do you want? tipo/clase, amable king (n) rey kiss (n & v) besar kit (n) equipo kitchen (n) cocina. El aparato es stove kite (n) cometa knife (n) cuchillo know (v) saber, conocer
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET JK entender.
L
lake (n) lago lamp (n) lámpara language (n) lenguaje, idioma laptop (computer)(n)include the word “lap,” e.g. “lap dog.” computadora “de regazo”, es decir, que puede ponerse en el regazo, “la falda”, es decir, sobre los muslos cuando uno está sentado large (adj) grande. No significa “largo”, de longitud; eso es long. last (adj & det) durar, último late (adv & adj) The train is going to be late. (adj) tarde later (adv) I’ll see you later. más tarde latest (adj) el último, el más nuevo laugh (v) reír, risa lazy (adj) perezoso learn (v) aprender least (adv) at least al menos, el menos leather (n & adj) cuero leave (v) The train leaves at 10 o’clock. I left my bag in the cinema. There isn’t any milk left. irse, dejar un lugar, dejar una cosa left (adj, adv & n) Go to the left. (n) left hand (adj) Turn left. (adv) izquierdo, pasado de leave left-hand (adj) zurdo leg (n) pierna lemon (n) limón lemonade (n) limonada lend (v) prestar, en el sentido de dar en préstamo less (adj, det & pron) menos lesson (n) lección let (v) dejar, permitir letter (n) carta, letra level (n) language level nivel library (n) biblioteca. No confundir con “librería”, bookshop, bookstore. licence (n) driving licence licencia, permiso lie down (phr v) recostarse. Lie También significa mentir life (n) vida /laif/ “Vivir” es live, /liif/ y “en vivo” es live /laif/ lift (n) Take the lift to the third floor. levantar, ascensor light (n & adj) luz, ligero, liviano like (adv, prep & v) What’s the weather like? (adv) It’s like an orange but bigger. (prep) I’d like a drink. (v) gustar, como line (n) draw a line. the next line línea lion (n) león list (n) lista, una enumeración de cosas. Para “estar listo” es ready. listen (v) escuchar litre (n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: liter) litro little (adj) pequeño live (v) vivir living room (n) sala long (adj) largo (de longitud) look (v) You look happy. Don’t look now! mirar, lucir, verse look after (phr v) cuidar look at (phr v) mirar look for (phr v) buscar look out (phr v) Look out – it’s going to fall! ¡cuidado! lorry (n) camión, truck en Am.Eng. lose (v) We lost the game. I’ve lost my passport. perder lost (adj) perdido lots / a lot (n) a lot of homework. mucho loud (adj) ruidoso, de volumen muy alto love (n & v) amor, amar lovely (adj) adorable low (adj) bajo (de poca altura) luck (n) suerte lucky (adj) afortunado, sortudo luggage (n) equipaje lunch (n) almuerzo lunchtime (n) hora del almuerzo
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET L entender.
M
machine (n) máquina mad (adj) loco, enojado magazine (n) revista mail (n) correo main course (n) plato fuerte, plato principal make (v) hacer make up, make sth. up, make-up (n)three meanings: inventarse, compensar; makeup: maquillaje. man (n) hombre manager (n) administrador mango (n) many (det & pron) muchos (contable) map (n) mapa mark (n) marca, calificación market (n) mercado married (adj) casado match (n) football match partido maths/mathematics (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: math) matemáticas matter (n & v) asunto, cuestión: It doesn’t matter. “No importa” What’s the matter? “¿Qué sucede?” may (mv) modal para “poder”, pidiendo permiso: May I ask you a favor? “¿Puedo pedirte un favor?”. May, con mayúscula, el mes de mayo. maybe (adv) tal vez, puede ser me (pron) mí (en el predicado) meal (n) comidas (desayuno, alumerzo, cena) mean (v)(adj)two meanings. Cruel, malo, significar meat (n) carne mechanic (n) mecánico medicine (n) medicina meet (v) conocer, encontrarse meeting (n) reunión melon (n) member (n) a member of a club miembro memory (n) memoria menu (n) menú message (n) mensaje metre (n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: meter) metro midday (n) mediodía, noon middle (n) in the middle mitad midnight (n) medianoche might (mv) modal: tal vez, podría: she might be angry, “ella tal vez esté enojada” mile (n) milla (1,6 km) milk (n) leche, ordeñar million (n) millón mind (v) Do you mind if I close the window? “¿Te importa si cierro la ventana?” Never mind. “No importa”. Mind your head! “¡Cuidado te golpeas la cabeza!” mente, importar mine (pron) mío mineral water (n) agua mineral minus (prep) menos minute (n) minuto, pequeño mirror (n) espejo Miss (n) señorita miss (v) extrañar, perderse, desaparecer, dejar pasar: I miss my friends. My brother is missing. I missed the bus. mistake (n) error mix (v) mezclar, mezcla mobile (phone)(n) móvil, portátil model (n) modelo modern (adj) moderno moment (n) Just a moment. momento money (n) dinero monkey (n) mono month (n) mes monthly (adj & adv) mensual moon (n) luna more (adj, adv, det & pron) más morning (n) la mañana most (adj, adv, det & pron) la mayoría mother (n) mamá motorbike (n) moto motorway (n) autopista mountain (n) montaña mouse (n) ratón mouth (n) boca move (v) mudarse, mover movie (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: film) película movie theater (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: cinema) cine movie star (n) (Am Eng) (Br Eng: film star) estrella de cine MP3 player (n) reproductor mp3 Mr (n) señor Mrs (n) señora, suena: /missus/ Ms (n) señorita much (adj, adv, det & pron) mucho (incontable) mug (n) jarro de café mum (n) mamá museum (n) museo mushroom (n) hongo, seta music (n) música musical (adj) musical musician (n) músico must (mv) modal que expresa obligación: “debes” my (det) mi (adj. posesivo) myself (pron) by myself yo mismo, por mí mismo
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET M entender.
N, O
name (n) nombre national (adj) nacional nationality (n) nacionaldad nature (n) naturaleza near (adv & prep) cerca nearly (adv) casi, alrededor neck (n) cuello necklace (n) collar need (v) necesitar, necesidad neighbour (n) vecino net (n) I found a great website on the net. red, internet never (adv) nunca new (adj) nuevo news (n) noticias newspaper (n) periódico next (adj & adv) al lado, junto a, siguiente next to al lado de, junto a nice (adj) agradable, bonito night (n) noche no (adv, det & pron) nobody (pron) nadie noise (n) ruido noisy (adj) ruidoso noon (n) mediodía no one (pron) nadie normal (adj) north (n, adj & adv) norte nose (n) nariz /nous/ not (adv) note (n & v) nota notebook (n) cuaderno nothing (pron) nada notice (n) anuncio, aviso, darse cuenta now (adv) ahora number (n) número nurse (n) enfermera occupation (n) ocupación o'clock (adv) hora en punto of (prep) de of course (not)(adv) por supuesto off (adv) fuera de offer (n & v) ofrecer office (n) oficina often (adv) frecuentemente, a menudo oh (exclam) oil (n) car oil, cooking oil aceite OK/okay (exclam) está bien, bueno old (adj) viejo omelette (n) tortilla de huevo on (prep & adv) en, encima once (adv) only once una vez one (det & pron) uno onion (n) cebolla online (adj & adv) en línea only (adv & adj) I only wanted to help. the only one sólo, único. “Solo” en el sentido de “sin compañía” es alone open (adj & v) abrir opera (n) opposite (prep) frente a, al frente de, lo opuesto or (conj) o orange (adj & n) naranja order (n) ordenar other (det & pron) otro our (det) nuestro, como adj. ours (pron) nuestro, como pron. ourselves (pron) nosotros mismos out (adv) afuera outdoors (adv) al aire libre out of (prep) fuera de outside (prep & adv) afuera over (prep & adv) over 60 people (adv) to travel all over the world (prep) más de, por encima own (adj) They cook their own meals. propio
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET N, O entender.
P
pack (v) pack a suitcase empaque, empacar, paquete page (n) página pain (n) dolor paint (v & n) pintura, pintar painter (n) pintor painting (n) pintura pale (adj) pálido pair (n) a pair of shoes par paper (n & adj) papel pardon (exclam) Pardon? perdón parent (n) padres (papá y mamá) park (n & v) parque, parquear parking lot (n)(Am Eng)(Br Eng: car park) parqueadero part (n) the best part of the day parte partner (n) socio party (n) fiesta pass (v) You pass the station on the left. to pass a driving test pasar passenger (n) pasajero passport (n) pasaporte past (prep) pasado, pasando: walk past the bank, there’s my house. “camina pasando el banco, ahí está mi casa”. pasta (n) pasta (comida italiana) path (n) camino, sendero pay (v) pagar PC (personal computer)(n) pear (n) pera pen (n) pluma, bolígrafo pence (n) plural de pennies, centavos pencil (n) lápiz pencil case (n) estuche de lápices penfriend (n) amigo por correspondencia penny (n) penique, centavo people (n pl) gente, pueblo pepper (n) pimienta per (prep) por cada: It’s $2 per gallon. perfect (adj) perfume (n) perhaps (adv) tal vez, quizá person (n) pet (n) mascota petrol (n) gasolina (gas en Am.Eng.) petrol station (n) gasolinera pharmacy (n) farmacia (drugstore) phone (v & n) teléfono, llamar por teléfono photo(graph)(n) foto photographer (n) fotógrafo photography (n) fotografía physics (n) física piano (n) pick up (phr v) recoger, levantar picnic (n) picture (n) foto, figura, imagen piece (n) a piece of cake pieza, pedazo, trozo pillow (n) almohada pilot (n) piloto pink (adj) rosado pity (n) What a pity! lástima pizza (n) place (n) lugar, colocar plan (n & v) plan, planear plane (n) The plane was late. avión plant (n) planta, plantar plastic (n & adj) plástico plate (n) plato platform (n) Your train leaves from Platform 8. plataforma, andén play (v & n) jugar, tocar (instrumento musical), obra de teatro: to play football, to play the guitar, a play at the theatre (n) player (n) jugador playground (n) patio de juegos pleasant (adj) agradable please (v & exclam) I’m very pleased for you. Please be quiet! complacer, por favor pleased (adj) complacido plus (prep) más p.m. (adv) después del mediodía pocket (n) bolsillo point (v) señalar, apuntar, punta police (n) la policía police car (n) patrullero police officer (n) oficial de policía police station (n) estación de policía polite (adj) cortés, educado, amable pool (n) swimming pool piscina, reunir (recursos, cosas) poor (adj) pobre pop (n) pop music popular popular (adj) possible (adj) posible possibly (adv) posiblemente post (v & n) to post a letter. What’s in the post today? correo, enviar por correo postcard (n) tarjeta postal poster (n) post office (n) oficina de correos potato (n) papa pound (£)(n) libra (moneda de Inglaterra) practice (n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: practise) football practice práctica, entrenar practise (v) You must practise if you want to play well. practicar prefer (v) preferir prepare (v) preparar present (n) a birthday present regalo pretty (adj) bonita, bastante price (n) precio print (v) imprimir printer (n) impresora prize (n) premio probably (adv) probablemente problem (n) program (n) a computer program programa, programar programme (n) a TV programme programa de TV project (n) a school project proyecto pull (v) jalar, halar pupil (n) pupila, pupilo, estudiante purple (adj) color morado purse (n) cartera push (v) empujar put (v) poner put on (phr v) ponerse (ropa) puzzle (n) rompecabezas, acertijo
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET P entender.
Q
quarter (n) a quarter of an hour la cuarta parte, veinticinco centavos queen (n) reina question (n) pregunta quick (adj) rápido quickly (adv) rápidamente quiet (adj) silencioso quite (adv) Are you quite sure? quite old bastante quiz (n) prueba, examen
R
rabbit (n) conejo race (n & v) a running race. She raced her brother to the bus stop. (v) carrera, raza (raza de perros es breed) racket (n) raqueta, negocio sucio radio (n) railway (n) ferrocarril rain (n & v) lluvia raincoat (n) impermeable rap (n) golpear, ritmo rap read (v) leer reading (n) lectura ready (adj) When will it be ready? listo, preparado real (adj) real, no ficticio. Para algo relativo a la realeza, usar royal. En otros casos se usa actual: the actual results, “los resultados reales, verdaderos”. Actualno significa “relativo al presente”, para eso usar nowadays. really (adv) reason (n) razón receipt (n) recibo receive (v) recibir receptionist (n) recepcionista record (v) récord, registro, disco de vinilo red (adj) rojo refrigerator (n) refrigeradora remember (v) recordar rent (v) rentar, alquilar repair (v) reparar repeat (v) repetir rest (n & v) descansar: to have a rest. “Try to rest”, the doctor said. restaurant (n) return (n & v) my return from holiday. He returned home late. She returned her library books. regresar, devolver rice (n) arroz rich (adj) rico, abundante, sabroso, grasoso ride (n & v) montar, un aventón, un viaje corto right (n, adj & adv) He swam to the right. Your right hand. That’s the right answer. Turn right here. correcto, derecha ring (n) anillo river (n) río road (n) calle, carretera roast (v & adj) asar rock (n) rock concert roof (n) techo exterior. El interior es ceiling. room (n) a double room cuarto round (adj) redondo roundabout (n) redondel (tráfico) rubber (n) caucho, borrador de goma rugby (n) deporte similar al fútbol americano ruler (n) regla, rey run (v) correr runner (n) corredor. Para corredor de bienes raíces, se usa broker
Test your knowledge of many (but not all) of these words with this set of flashcards: KET Q, R entender.
S
sad (adj) triste safe (adj) seguro, a salvo sail (v) navegar, vela de barco sailing (n) navegar salad (n) ensalada sale (n) for sale a la venta, en oferta salt (n) sal same (adj & pron) at the same time. Your watch is the same as mine. lo mismo, igual sandwich (n) sánduche sauce (n) salsa sausage (n) salchicha save (v) to save money. To save time ahorrar, salvar say (v) decir (intransitivo, no usa complemento directo. Si desea añadir complemento directo, usar tell: Para decir: “dile al profesor”, no puede decirse Say the teacher, se dice: tell the teacher.) scarf (n) bufanda school (n) escuela schoolchild (n) estudiante, escolar science (n) ciencia scissors (n pl) tijeras scooter (n) motoneta, patinete screen (n) pantalla sea (n) mar seat (n) asiento second (adj, det & n) segundo secretary (n) secretaria see (v) ver. Holy See: Santa Sede sell (v) vender send (v) enviar sentence (n) oración, sentencia de juez serve (v) servir, cumplir una condena set (n) poner, arreglar, preparar several (det & pron) varios shall (mv) usado para dar sugerencias en forma de pregunta: Shall we continue? “¿Continuamos?” Shall we begin? “¿Empezamos?” shame (n) What a shame! vergüenza, lástima shampoo (n & v) champú share (v) compartir, acción de empresa she (pron) ella sheep (n) oveja sheet (n) a bed sheet hoja de papel, sábanas shelf (n) repisa ship (n) barco shirt (n) camisa shoe (n) zapato shop (n & v) tienda shop assistant (n) asistente de compras, dependiente de tienda; clerk shopping (n) de compras short (adj) a short time corto shorts (n pl) pantalones cortos should (mv) deberías shout (v) gritar show (v & n) Show me your photos. A film show espectáculo, mostrar shower (n) ducha shut (v) cerrar sick (adj) enfermo, harto side (n) this side of the room lado, ponerse del lado de sightseeing (n) ir a ver paisajes sign (n) signo, firmar, firma silver (n & adj) plata simple (adj) since (prep) desde, ya que sing (v) cantar singer (n) cantante single (adj) solo, soltero, uno solo sink (n) lavadero, lavabo sister (n) hermana sit (v) sentarse sit down (phr v) sentarse site (n) lugar, sitio sitting room (n) sala size (n) tamaño skate (v) patinar skateboard (n) patineta skateboarding (n) andar en patineta skating (n) patinar ski (v) esquiar skiing (n) skirt (n) falda sky (n) cielo. El cielo del más allá es heaven. sleep (v) dormir slice (n) rebanada slim (adj) delgado slow (adj) lento slowly (adv) lentamente small (adj) pequeño smoke (v) fumar smoking (n) snack (n) bocadillo snow (n & v) nieve snowboard (n) tabla de nieve snowboarding (n) so (conj & adv) So, I think it’s right. He ate too much, so he felt ill. He wanted to go but he didn’t say so. entonces, por lo tanto, tan, eso, ¿y? soap (n) jabón soccer (n) fútbol sock (n) media, calcetín sofa (n) sofá soft (adj) suave software (n) programas de computadora some (det & pron) algunos somebody (pron) alguien someone (pron) alguien something (pron) algo sometimes (adv) a veces somewhere (adv) en alguna parte son (n) hijo song (n) canción soon (adv) pronto sorry (adj) I’m sorry I’m late. Sorry, I don’t understand that. lo siento sort (n) ordenar, tipo, clase sound (v) That sounds nice. sonido soup (n) sopa south (n, adj & adv) sur space (n) espacio spare (adj) libre, sin usar, adicional, de repuesto, de sobra, regalar speak (v) hablar speaker (n) conferencista special (adj) especial spell (v)two relevant meanings: deletrear, hechizo spelling (n) ortografía, forma correcta de escribir una palabra spend (v) gastar, pasar spoon (n) cuchara sport (n) deporte sports centre (n) centro deportivo spring (n) I hate winter but I love spring. primavera square (n & adj) cuadrado, plaza stadium (n) estadio staff (n) el personal, un bastón stage (n) escenario, etapa stairs (n pl) escaleras stamp (n) Put a stamp on the envelope. estampilla, sello stand (v) She was standing at the bus stop. pararse, aguantar, soportar star (n & v) estrella start (v) empezar, saltar de sorpresa station (n) estación stay (v) quedarse, permanecer; no es estar, eso es to be. steak (n) filete steal (v) Someone’s stolen my bag! robar still (adv) quieto, aún, todavía stomach (n) estómago stomach ache (n) dolor de estómago stop (n & v) parar, detenerse store (n) tienda, almacenar storm (n) tormenta story (n) historia, piso: a three-story building. straight (adj & adv) a straight line. Go straight on. recto, lacio, heterosexual strange (adj) That’s a strange story! extraño, raro street (n) calle strong (adj) fuerte student (n) estudiante studies (n pl) estudios study (v) estudiar subject (n) What’s your favourite subject at school? The subject of a talk materia, tema such (det) tal como, tan suddenly (adv) de repente sugar (n) azúcar suit (n) He was wearing a grey suit. traje, terno suitcase (n) maleta de ropa summer (n) verano sun (n) sol sunglasses (n pl) gafas de sol sunny (adj) soleado supermarket (n) supermercado supper (n) merienda, cena suppose (v) I suppose so. I suppose you’re right. suponer sure (adj) seguro surf (v) surfear surfboard (n) tabla de surf surname (n) apellido, last name en Am.Eng. surprise (n) sorpresa surprised (adj) sorprendido sweater (n) suéter sweet (n & adj) dulce, caramelo swim (v) nadar swimming costume (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: bathing suit) traje de baño swimming pool (n) piscina swimsuit (n) traje de baño
Find many of these words in this set of flashcards: KET S entender.
T
table (n) mesa table tennis (n) ping-pong, tenis de mesa take (v) tomar, coger, llevar: I’ll take it to your room. It takes three hours. take off (phr v)She took off her shoes. Sacarse una prenda talk (n & v) hablar tall (adj) alto (de altura) taxi (n) tea (n) té teach (v) enseñar teacher (n) profesor team (n) equipo teenager (n) adolescente (de 13-19 años) telephone (n & v) teléfono television (TV)(n) tell (v) contar, decir temperature (n) The temperature was below zero. tennis (n) tenis tent (n) tienda de campaña, carpa term (n) término, plazo, período escolar, examen de mediados (midterms) o fin de curso terrible (adj) No confundir con terrific, que significa “genial, fabuloso” test (n) examen, prueba text (n & v) texto textbook (n) manual, libro académico text message (n) mensaje de texto than (prep & conj) “que”, usado en comparativos: “Soy más alto que...” thank (v) agradecer thanks (exclam) gracias (informal) thank you (exclam) gracias (formal) that (conj & pron) que, eso, aquello the (det) el/la/los/las theatre (n)(Br Eng)(Am Eng: theater) teatro their (det) sus (de ellos, possessive adjective): Their names are Mike and Jessica. theirs (pron) suyos, de ellos (possessive pronoun: Los lápices son suyos: The pencils are theirs. them (pron) a ellos, en el predicado (object pronoun): Call them. themselves (pron) Ellos mismos (reflexive pronoun): They can figure it out by themselves, Pueden darse cuenta por sí mismos. then (adv) entonces, luego there (adv) allí. Recuerda: There is: “hay”, cambia un poco el significado, aunque suena igual. these (det & pron) estos they (pron) ellos (pronombre personal) thin (adj) delgado thing (n) cosa think (v) pensar thirsty (adj) sediento this (det & pron) esto those (det & pron) esos, aquellos through (prep) a través throw (v) lanzar thunderstorm (n) tormenta eléctrica ticket (n) entrada tidy (adj & v) limpiar, ordenar, limpio tidy up (v) limpiar tie (n)2 meanings: corbata, anudar, empate. Nudo es knot tiger (n) tigre tights (n pl) licra, pantalón ajustado till (prep) caja (punto de pago, checkout en inglés americano) time (n) tiempo, hora timetable (n) horario tired (adj) cansado to (prep) para (no tiene significado si va entre dos verbos: I want to buy pizza) toast (n)two meanings. Hacer un brindis, tostada today (n & adv) hoy toe (n) dedo del pie together (adv) juntos toilet (n) baño tomato (n) tomate tomorrow (n & adv) mañana (el día; recuerda “de mañana”, la primera parte del día, es morning) tonight (n & adv) esta noche too (adv) demasiado, también tooth (n) diente toothbrush (n) cepillo de dientes top (n) la parte de arriba, lo más alto: the top of the page. total (adj & n) tour (n) paseo, turismo tour guide (n) guía turística tourist (n) turista tourist information centre (n) centro de información turística towel (n) toalla town (n) pueblo, ciudad toy (n) juguete traffic (n) tráfico traffic light (n) semáforo train (n) tren, entrenar trainer (n) a pair of trainers: zapatos deportivos, sneakers en inglés americano tram (n) tranvía travel (v) viajar tree (n) árbol trip (n) viaje, tropezar trouble (n) problema trousers (n pl) pantalones pants en inglés americano true (adj) verdadero (la verdad: the truth) try (v) intentar, probar try on (phr v) probarse ropa T-shirt (n) camiseta turn (v) turno, girar turn off (phr v) apagar: Turn the gas off. turn on (phr v) encender: Turn the heating on. twice (adv) dos veces type (n) tipo, tipear tyre (n)(Am Eng: tire) llanta
umbrella (n) paraguas uncle (n) tío under (prep) debajo underground (n & adj) subterráneo, tren subterráneo, también llamado tube en Inglaterra understand (v) entender unfortunately (adj) desafortunadamente unhappy (n) triste uniform (n) uniforme university (n) universidad until (prep) hasta: until nine o’clock. “hasta las nueve en punto” unusual (adj) inusual up (prep & adv) arriba, hasta. En muchos phrasal verbs no significa nada. upset (adj) molesto upstairs (adv) arriba, el piso de arriba us (pron) nosotros (object pronoun, va en el predicado) use (v) usar. Para “usar ropa” emplear wear. useful (adj) útil usual (adj) usual usually (adv) usualmente
V
v/versus (prep) Manchester United v Liverpool contra variety (n) variedad various (adj) various vegetable (n) vegetal very (adv) muy video (n) video game (n) videojuego view (n) vista village (n) pueblo, aldea violin (n) visit (v) visitar visitor (n) visitante vocabulary (n) vocabulary volleyball (n) vóleybol
Review some of these words with these set of flashcards: KET U,V entender.
W
wait (v) esperar, servir (como mesero) waiter (n) mesero waitress (n) mesera. En ciertos lugares prefieren decir server, para hombre y mujer. wake (v) despertar, velorio, las olas que hace un bote wake up (phr v) despertarse walk (v) caminar wall (n) pared wallet (n) billetera want (v) querer, falta de warm (adj) tibio wash (v) lavar washing machine (n) máquina lavadora washing-up (n) “el lavado”: you do the washing-up and I’ll do the drying. wash up (phr v) watch (n & v) reloj de pulsera, observar, cuidar water (n) agua way (n) camino, modo, manera, forma: Do it this way. “hazlo de esta manera”. one-way street “calle de una vía” Is this the quickest way home? “¿Es éste el camino más rápido a casa?” we (pron) nosotros wear (v) usar (ropa), desgastar, desgaste weather (n) clima, soportar web (n) tela de araña, red web page (n) página web website (n) sitio web week (n) semana weekday (n) día entre semana: de lunes a viernes weekend (n) fin de semana: sábado y domingo weekly (adj & adv) semanalmente welcome (adj & exclam) bienvenido, de nada: You’re welcome. Welcome to London! well (adv & adj) pozo, bueno well known (adj) bien conocido west (n, adj & adv) oeste wet (adj) mojado, húmedo what (det & pron) qué, lo que, cuál (si no hay opciones) wheel (n) rueda when (adv) cuándo where (adv) dónde which (det & pron) cuál (cuando hay opciones: cuál color te gusta, etc.) while (conj) mientras, cuando white (adj) blanco who (pron) quién whole (adj & n) entero, completo: whole bread, whole milk, the whole world, the whole of July why (adv) por qué wide (adj) ancho wife (n) esposa wild (adj) salvaje: wild animals will ('ll)(mv) modal para el futuro; también significa voluntad, testamento. win (v) ganar wind (n) viento window (n) ventana windsurfing (n) windy (adj) con mucho viento winner (n) ganador winter (n) invierno wish (n) deseo: Best wishes. with (prep) con without (prep) sin woman (n) mujer wonderful (adj) maravilloso wood (n) madera wooden (adj) de madera wool (n) lana word (n) palabra work (n & v) trabajo worker (n) trabajador world (n) mundo worried (adj) preocupado worry (v) preocupar worse (adj) peor (comparativo) worst (adj) el peor (superlativo) would (mv) ~ía: me gustaría, iría, etc. (modal) wow (exclam) ¡vaya! write (v) escribir write down (phr v) anotar: write down my number. “Anota mi número” writer (n) escritor writing (n) escritura wrong (adj) equivocado
X
No words at this level.
Y
yeah (exclam) sí (informal) year (n) año yellow (adj) amarillo yes (adv) sí yesterday (adv) ayer yet (adv) ya o aún, en preguntas o negaciones: Have you finished yet? No, not yet. “¿Ya terminaste?” “No, aún no”. yog(h)urt (n) yogurt you (pron) tú, usted, ustedes young (adj) joven your (det) tu (tu lápiz, etc.) yours (pron) tuyo (es tuyo) yourself (pron) tú mismo
