English Language Key Concepts: Vocabulary and Grammar
Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar
Idioms and Expressions
I put my foot in it, he is burning the candle at both ends (trabajando sin descanso), by the skin of my teeth, actions speak louder than words, don’t judge a book by its cover.
Communication and Language Skills
Get in touch (poner en contacto), keep up to date (mantenerte al día), speak fluently, use mainly slang, become bilingual, have a strong accent, false friends, cognates, native speaker, mother tongue, second language.
Emotions and Feelings
Isolated, frustrated, delighted, empathic, annoyed, odd (extraño), confused, enthusiastic, hopeful, jealous, relieved.
Technology and Communication
Get through to (contactar), ringtone, on speakerphone, swipe, lose signal, tag, predictive text function, instant messaging, offline, follow, spam messages, stream, charger, run out of battery, hands-free, cut off (se corta la conexión), noise from users themselves (speak loudly), listening in (cont ignore), crunchy calls, overposting, public speakerphoning, pocket dialling.
Health and Fitness
Active, sedentary, moderate physical activity, motivated, wellbeing, competitive, sporty/non-sporty people, championship, trophy, teammates, events, spectators, balanced diet, be mindful (ser consciente), immunity, positive focus, rested, train, enrol (inscribir), enrolment (inscripción), stretch, take a nap, get in shape, keep fit.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs: sign up to (inscribirse en algo), take part in, drop out of, get through to (the final), cheer up, take care of myself, go ahead, ended up, come up with, take over from (tomar el control), keep track of (mantenerse al corriente), work out, cut out bad habits, take up something, gain perspective, set goals.
Writing Connectors
Writing: Nowadays, it’s generally accepted (frecuente). Despite this (a pesar de). First and foremost. For instance (de hecho). Therefore (por ello/por consiguiente). Likely to (más propenso a). In addition to this (además de esto). As well as this (asimismo/también). As a result (como resultado). Gain confidence (ganar confi). In conclusion. Consequently.
Verb Tenses
Present Perfect Continuous: has been playing (situación que se ha desarrollado en un tiempo determinado en el pasado y sigue en el momento que se expresa). Conditional Simple: (situaciones hipotéticas en el presente) I would have a burger if I wasn’t vegetarian. Past Perfect Simple: (secuencias de eventos en el pasado para identificar qué pasó primero) They had done their homework before they went out. Past Perfect Continuous: (acción continua en el pasado que sucedió anterior a otra) you had + been (ver + ing) playing games when I asked you for help. Conditional Perfect: (algo que podría haber ocurrido pero no ha pasado por algo) I would have gone to the doctor if I was feeling sick. Future Continuous: (acciones que tendrán progreso) I will be watching series all day. Future Perfect: (acciones que serán completadas en algún momento del futuro) We will have finished university next year. Future Perfect Continuous: (conclusiones que ocurrirán en un futuro) They will have been dancing until sunrise.
Past Tenses Comparison
Past Simple and Continuous: Past Simple and Continuous
- Past Simple (It fell): Past Perfect Simple (it had fallen)
- Past Continuous (was working): Past Perfect Continuous (he had been working)
- Present Perfect Simple (she has arrived): Past Perfect Simple (she had arrived)
- Present Perfect Continuous (it has been snowing): Past Perfect Continuous (it had been snowing)
Reporting Verbs
Reporting verbs:
- Verb + object + that + subject + verb: tell (sb), say, announce, deny, admit, suggest, recommend
- Verb + to + verb: offer, promise, agree (we can help you) (they offered to help me)
- Verb + object + to + infinitive: tell, ask, advise, order, warn (sit down) (he told us to sit down)
- Verb (+obj) + prep + verb + ing: apologize for, accuse sb of, congratulate sb on (I’m sorry I forgot your birthday) (she apologised for forgetting my birth)
- Verb + ing: suggest, admit, deny (I took the money) (Gina admitted taking the money)