Key Concepts in English Grammar and Vocabulary
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countables: Use a few and many. Examples: a few hours, many people, many drops. You can use ‘a lot of’ at the end of a sentence.
Uncountables: Use a little and much. Examples: a little time, much sugar, much makeup, much money. You can use ‘a lot of’.
Prepositions of Place and Time
- AT: Specific places (at home), weekends (at the weekend), expressions with ‘about’ (at about…).
- IN: General places like cities or rooms (in a room), evenings (in the evening).
- ON: Surfaces (on the coast, on a hill, on an island), floors in a building (on the 2nd floor), months (on July).
Verb Patterns
Verbs followed by -ing (Gerund):
- enjoy
- admit
- suggest
- avoid
- fancy
- finish
- learn
- mind
- miss
- like
- start
- love
- prefer
- feel like
Verbs followed by ‘to’ + infinitive:
- afford (to)
- decide (to)
- expect (to)
- hope (to)
- manage (to)
- promise (to)
- would like (to)
- want (to)
- planning (to)
- forget (to)
- need (to)
- remember (to)
Enough means sufficient. Afford to means to have enough money for something.
Negative Prefixes
Common negative prefixes include: im-, un-, in-, dis-. Examples:
- impossible
- unfit
- unfair
- unpopular
- unhealthy
- informal
- impatient
- unsafe
- unnecessary
- inactive
- impolite
- dishonest
- unpleasant
- unreliable
Comparatives and Superlatives
Comparatives (+ THAN):
- One-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant: add -er (taller)
- One-syllable adjectives ending in ‘e’: add -r (nicer)
- One-syllable adjectives ending in ‘y’: change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add -er (happier)
- One-syllable adjectives with a vowel followed by a consonant: double the consonant and add -er (bigger)
- Adjectives with two or more syllables: use more + adjective (more beautiful)
Superlatives (THE + …):
- One-syllable adjectives: add -est (the tallest)
- Adjectives with two or more syllables: use the most + adjective (the most beautiful)
- Big – the biggest
Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives:
- good – better – the best
- bad – worse – the worst
- far – farther/further – the farthest/furthest
‘Since’ and ‘For’
- Since: Indicates a starting point (since 1985). Means “from a point in the past until now.”
- For: Indicates a duration of time (for 5 years). Means “during a period of time.”
‘Too’ and ‘Enough’
- Too: Means “excessively.” It often implies a negative result or complaint. It comes *before* an adjective, and *after* a verb.
- Enough: Means “sufficient.” It comes *after* an adjective and *before* a noun.
Conditionals
- Zero Conditional: If + present simple, present simple. Used for things that are always true.
- First Conditional: If + present simple, will + infinitive. Used for possible or likely future events.
- Second Conditional: If + past simple, would + infinitive. Used for hypothetical or unlikely situations.
Adverbs: ‘Already’, ‘Just’, ‘Still’, and ‘Yet’
- Already: Means “before now” or “sooner than expected.” Usually placed between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.
- Just: Means “a very short time ago.” Placed before the main verb or after the auxiliary verb.
- Still: Means “continuing up to now.” Placed before the main verb and auxiliary verb.
- Yet: Means “up to now” in questions and negatives. Placed at the end of the sentence.
Travel Vocabulary
- Travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
- Trip: A journey to a place and back again.
- Journey: The act of traveling from one place to another, especially by air.
- Cook: Chef
- To warn: To alert someone of danger
Phrasal Verbs
- Come over: To visit someone’s home. (e.g., “When are you going to come over?”)
- Set off: To start a journey.
- Set out: To start a journey; to explain or describe something.
- Get on: To board (a bus, train, plane, etc.).
- Get out of: To leave (a car, building, etc.).
- Get off: To leave (a bus, train, plane, etc.).
- Get in: To enter (a car, building, etc.).
- Take up: To start a new hobby or activity.
- Go on: To continue.
- Catch up with: To reach the same level as someone else.
- Looking forward to: To be excited about something in the future.
- Look after: To take care of someone or something.
- Give up: To stop trying; to quit.
- Usually: generally
‘Used to’
- Used to + infinitive: Describes a past habit or state that is no longer true. (e.g., “I used to play tennis.”)
- Didn’t use to + infinitive: The negative form. (e.g., “I didn’t use to like vegetables.”)
Note: If the sentence starts with a negative auxiliary verb, use “used to.” If the negative auxiliary verb is in the middle of the sentence, use “didn’t use to.”
Writing Tips and Phrases
Useful phrases for emails and letters:
- I recommend you watch the movie.
- As you know…
- In fact, …
- When are you going to come over?
- I am very excited about this journey.
- I think we’ll have a great time together.
- Thank you very much for your email/letter.
- It’s been such a long time since (we last saw each other).
- Do you remember the last time (we saw each other)?
- I was thinking it would be great if we could (meet, see each other).
- I’m thrilled to tell you that I have (finished my exams, studies).
Example Letter:
Dear Inge,
Thank you very much for your email and invitation. Of course, I want to go visit you in October! It will be a great pleasure since I have never been to Germany before. I want to know a couple of things before I pack my suitcase. What kind of clothes should I bring? I’d also like to know what I could bring for your parents and you. Do you like Spanish food? Any preferences? I’ve read a lot about the Black Forest, so I’m prepared to go hiking like you suggested. I would also love to visit the German Clock Museum in Furtwangen and see the Triberg Waterfalls. I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.
All the best,
Pablo
It is a mixture of two cultures, Christian and Arab. This city has many things to see, and the best way to see it is on foot because you can walk all over it in a short time. It is very hot here, *therefore* you must bring summer clothes like bathing suits.