Key Vocabulary and Grammar Points
Essential Vocabulary
Unit 1: Technology
- Charging a mobile phone
- Uploading photos
- Checking messages
- Designing software
- Using a landline phone
- Accessing the internet
- Search engine
- Social networking site
- Mobile network
- Power
- Crashes
- Social media
- Post updates
- Account
- Post comments
- Tweets
- Wireless technology
- Develop
- Delete
- Out-of-date
- Gadget
- User-friendly
- Save
- Up-to-date
- Device
- Store information
- Do a search
- Go viral
- Download apps
- Solve a problem
- Go online
- Laptop
- Screen
- Digital camera
- Webcam
- Headphones
- Keyboard
- Scanner
- Printer
- Tablet
Unit 2: Crime and Media
- Masked (mask)
- Attacked (attack)
- Grabs (grab)
- Gets away (get away)
- Witness (witness)
- Thief (thief)
- Evidence (evidence)
- Suspect (suspect)
- Robbery (robbery)
- Prevent (prevent)
- Goes off (go off)
- Lock (lock)
- Safe (safe)
- Break the law (break the law)
- Burglar alarm (burglar alarm)
- The press (the press)
- Headline (headline)
- News source (news source)
- Scoop (scoop)
- Breaking news (breaking news)
- Tabloid (tabloid)
- Cover the news (cover the news)
- News bulletins (news bulletins)
- Hold a press conference (hold a press conference)
- Live broadcast (live broadcast)
- Published (published)
Unit 3: Nature and Adventure
- Scenery (scenery)
- Breathtaking (breathtaking)
- Awesome (awesome)
- Huge (huge)
- Stunts (stunts)
- Mountainous (mountainous)
- Steep (steep)
- Risky (risky)
- Wild (wild)
- Trails (trails)
- Unforgettable (unforgettable)
- Overcome fear (overcome fear)
- Go trekking (go trekking)
- Make a reservation (make a reservation)
- Book a session (book a session)
- Make my way (make my way)
- Face (face)
- Danger (danger)
- Lost my way (lost my way)
- Seriously injured (seriously injured)
- Survival skills (survival skills)
- Give me a thrill (give me a thrill)
- Run out of (run out of)
- Rescue (rescue)
- Adventurous (adventurous)
- Brave (brave)
- Hurt oneself (hurt oneself)
- Challenging (challenging)
- Survive (survive)
- Fit (get fit)
- Set off (set off)
- Ground (ground)
- Coast (coast)
- Ocean (ocean)
- Field (field)
- Lake (lake)
- Waterfall (waterfall)
- Desert (desert)
- Stream (stream)
Grammar Points
Adverbs
Examples of adverbs and their typical positions in a sentence:
- Happily (final)
- Quickly (final)
- Rather (before the main verb or adjective)
- Almost (before the main verb or adjective)
- Clearly (beginning)
- Fortunately (beginning)
- Extremely (before the main verb or adjective)
- Not at all (before the main verb or adjective)
- Beautifully (final)
- Correctly (final)
- Really (before the main verb or adjective)
- Quietly (final)
- Fairly (before the main verb or adjective)
- Carefully (final)
- Easily (final)
- Unfortunately (beginning/final)
Adjective Suffixes
Adjectives can be formed using the suffixes -ful (meaning “with”) and -less (meaning “without”).
- Care (careful, careless)
- Help (helpful, helpless)
- Harm (harmful, harmless)
- Use (useful, useless)
- Pain (painful, painless)
- Hope (hopeful, hopeless)
- Thought (thoughtful, thoughtless)
Action/Person Nouns
Verb and related noun forms:
- To mug (a mugger)
- To burgle (a burglar)
- To rob (a robber)
- To steal (a thief)
- To shoplift (a shoplifter)
- To murder (a murderer)
Connectors of Purpose
Use in order to and to followed by a verb. Use so that followed by a subject + will/would (when the subject changes).
-ed/-ing Adjectives
-ed adjectives describe a feeling or state (how someone feels). -ing adjectives describe the cause of the feeling (what something is like).
- Bored/Boring
- Fascinated/Fascinating
- Thrilled/Thrilling
- Exhausted/Exhausting
- Worried/Worrying
- Amazed/Amazing
- Frightened/Frightening
- Terrible/Terrifying
Reported Speech
Changes to make when reporting speech:
- Today → that day
- Yesterday → the day before
- Tomorrow → the following day/the next day
- Here → there
- Now → then
Statements:
- Said to me → told me that
- Said → said that
Questions:
- Said to me → asked + if/whether (for yes/no questions) or question word + subject + verb in past simple.
- If the direct question uses *did*, change to past perfect in reported question.
- Remove question marks.
Imperatives:
- Said to me → told me to + verb.
- For negative imperatives: not to + verb.