English Grammar Guide: Comparative Adjectives, Describing Appearances, and Future Tense

Posted on Aug 25, 2024 in Spanish

Unit 10: Communication

Comparative Adjectives

Adjective + -er / more + adjective / less + adjective / good -> better / bad -> worse

Example: Email is quickER than regular mail. It’s easIER, too. It’s niceR to get a real card than an e-card.

More examples: Slow -> slower / nice -> nicer. TOP ADJECTIVES: more, expensive, convenient, important, interesting, and fun.

Grammar: More, Less, Fewer

  • With countable nouns: – I get MORE calls than you (do). / You get FEWER (MENOS) calls than I do.
  • With uncountable nouns: – I spend MORE time on the phone. / You spend LESS time on the phone.
  • With verbs: – She talks MORE than he does. / He talks LESS than she does.

Strategy Plus: Just

You can use the word “just” to make the things you say softer. Example: (Just a minute) (I just need to switch phones).

Unit 11: Appearances

Grammar: Describing People; Have Got

  • What does Hayley look like? -> She’s tall and thin (Ella es alta y delgada).
  • Who does she look like? -> She looks like her father (Ella se parece a su padre).
  • How tall is her father? -> He’s two meters five (El mide 2.5 metros).
  • Do Hayley and Heather look alike? -> No, they look totally different.
  • Does she have curly hair? -> No, she has straight hair (No, ella tiene el pelo liso).

Have got = have.

Example: Who’S GOT curly hair (pelo rizado)? -> I do. I’VE GOT curly hair./ He’S GOT blond hair.

Notes: Who’s got = Who has got / I’ve got = I have got. / He’s got = He has got.

Features: Building Vocabulary

  • He has a beard and a mustache: Barba y bigote
  • She has pierced ears: Aros en orejas
  • He has a shaved head. He’s bald: Cabeza rapada y ser calvo
  • She wears braces: Frenillos
  • She has long fingernails: Dedos largos
  • He wears his hair in a ponytail: Cabello tomado
  • She’s got freckles on her nose: Pecas
  • She wears her hair in cornrows: Trenzas
  • She wears braids: Dos trenzas
  • He’s got spiked hair: Pelo parado

Example: My boss has a beard and a mustache. / My mother has pierced ears.

Grammar: Phrases with Verbs + -ing and Prepositions

  • She’s the woman standing by the table / wearing (the) black pants.
  • She’s the one by the table / with the long hair / in the black shirt.
  • Which one is your roommate? -> The woman with the long hair.
  • Who’s the guy talking to Rosa’s roommate? -> With the yellow pants? That’s her brother.
  • Who’s the guy in the blue shirt? -> Which one? The one with glasses? That’s Jason.

Example: Who’s the man in the blue shirt sitting next to Claudia? – That’s Marco.

Strategy Plus: You Mean

You can say “You mean..” or ask “Do you mean..?” to check what someone is talking about, or to suggest a word or name. (Se puede decir QUIERES DECIR .. o pregunte QUÉ DECIR ..? para comprobar lo que alguien está hablando, o sugerir una palabra o nombre.)

Unit 12: Looking Ahead

Grammar: Future with Will, May, and Might

You can use “will” to give facts or predictions about the future.

Examples: It’ll be expensive to travel around Europe. / The baby WILL keep us busy! / I’ll be 65 in June. / It WON’T be easy to find a job.

Notes: I’ll = I will. / Won’t = will not.

You can use “may” and “might” (or “will”) to show you are not 100% sure about the future.

Examples: I MAY go for a master’s degree. / I MIGHT NOT be able to afford it. / We’LL PROBABLY take some time off from work. / MAYBE we’LL move to Arizona.

Use “will” with expressions like “I guess,” “I think,” “maybe,” “probably.”

Avoid “will” to talk about plans or decisions already made. Use the present continuous or “going to.”

Example: I’M GOING to Europe next year. I’m GOING TO visit Paris.

Speaking Naturally: Reduction of Will

Example: – Do you think your best friend will always .. (friend’ll).

Jobs

  • “My neighbor is a firefighter. He loves his job”. Examples: Firefighter, paramedic, police officer, journalist.
  • “My cousin wants to be a dentist”. Examples: Sales representative, doctor, nurse, receptionist.
  • Office: Examples: Letter carrier, business executive, computer specialist, assistant.
  • Examples: Plumber, carpenter, architect, electrician.

Grammar: Present Tense Verbs with Future Meaning

Use “if,” “when,” “after,” “before.”

Examples:

  • What are you going to do when you graduate? (¿Qué vas a hacer cuando te gradúes?).
  • If I get good grades, I may go to law school. (SI RECIBO buenas calificaciones, puedo ir a la escuela de leyes.)
  • My parents will be disappointed if I don’t go into law. (Mis padres se sentirán decepcionados SI YO NO VOY).
  • After I graduate, I’ll be able to work in their firm. (DESPUÉS DE GRADUARME. Voy a ser capaz de trabajar en su empresa.)
  • I need to decide before I go home for the summer. (Tengo que decidir antes de ir a casa para el verano.)