Understanding English Grammar and Vocabulary

Posted on Feb 1, 2025 in English and Spanish Studies

Key English Vocabulary

Here is a list of useful English words and their translations:

  • Watchful: Vigilante
  • Evolves: Evolucionado
  • Speed Cameras: Cámaras de velocidad
  • Astounding: Asombroso
  • Rough: Peligroso
  • Brain: Cerebro
  • Conduct: Realizar
  • Put up: Colgar
  • Figure: Dato
  • Likely: Probable
  • It’s a pity: Es una lástima
  • Behave: Comportarse
  • Ensure: Asegurar
  • Tend to: Tienden a
  • Choice: Elección
  • Signals: Señales
  • Take place: Tener lugar
  • Worldwide: Mundial
  • Tempted: Tentado
  • White lie: Mentira piadosa
  • Cheated: Engañado
  • Trust: Confiar
  • Change my ways: Cambiar la manera de actuar
  • Stole: Robar
  • Got caught: Quedó atrapado
  • Liar: Mentiroso
  • Thief: Ladrón
  • Frank: Franco
  • Guilty: Culpable
  • Deceived: Engañado
  • Suspected: Sospechoso
  • Plagiarizing: Plagiar
  • Shoplifting: Hurto
  • Got into trouble: Se metió en problemas
  • Got away with it: Se salió con la suya
  • Caught him red-handed: Lo atraparon con las manos en la masa
  • Rip-off: Estafa
  • Sticky fingers: Dedos pegajosos
  • Spacecraft: Astronauta
  • Cockpit: Cabina de piloto
  • Hoax: Engaño
  • Greet: Saludar
  • Contestant: Concursante
  • High point: Momento crucial
  • Cut off: Cortar
  • Pinpoint: Identificar
  • Remarkable: Notable
  • Take up: Tomar
  • Moved: Se trasladó
  • Landed: Aterrizado
  • Disguised: Disfrazado
  • Light bulb: Bombilla
  • Take-off: Despegar
  • Heartbroken: El corazón roto
  • Kick-off: Empezar
  • Box-office hit: Éxito de taquilla
  • Soap opera: Telenovela
  • Viewers: Telespectador/a
  • Sequel: Secuela
  • To broadcast: Emitir
  • To screen: Emitir
  • Network: Cadena de TV
  • Sitcom: Comedia de situación
  • Review: Crítica
  • Cast: Reparto
  • Suspenseful: De suspense
  • Worth seeing: Merecer la pena verlo
  • Plot: Argumento
  • Dull: Aburrido
  • Stars: Protagonistas
  • Set in: Ambientado
  • Predictable: Previsible
  • Appeals to: Atraer
  • Let-down: Decepción
  • Tune in: Sintonizar
  • Comes on: Empezar
  • Sell out: Vender todas las entradas
  • Goes on: Durar
  • Putting on: Presentar

Connecting Words and Phrases

Connectors are essential for creating coherent and logical sentences. Here are some common connectors categorized by their function:

  • Addition: In addition, also, as well as, furthermore, moreover
  • Contrast: Despite, in spite of, however, even though, on the one hand/ on the other hand, but, nevertheless
  • Cause: As a result of, because of, due to, as, because, since
  • Result: As a result, consequently, for this reason, therefore, so
  • Purpose: So as to, so that, in order to, to
  • Sequence: At first, during, then, finally

Mastering Passive Voice in English

The passive voice is formed by using the appropriate form of the verb “to be” followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are some examples:

  • The police conduct an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment is conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police conducted an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment was conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police will conduct an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment will be conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police are conducting an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment is being conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police were conducting an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment was being conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police have conducted an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment has been conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police had conducted an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment had been conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police should conduct an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment should be conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police could have conducted an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment could have been conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police have to conduct an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment has to be conducted by the police. (Passive)
  • The police are going to conduct an experiment. (Active)
    An experiment is going to be conducted by the police. (Passive)

Reported Speech: Tense Changes

When reporting what someone said, we often need to change the tenses of the verbs. Here’s a summary of the tense changes in reported speech:

  • Eat (present simple) becomes ate (past simple)
  • Ate (past simple) becomes had eaten (past perfect)
  • Will eat (future simple) becomes would eat (conditional)
  • Are eating (present continuous) becomes were eating (past continuous)
  • Were eating (past continuous) becomes had been eating (past perfect continuous)
  • Have eaten (present perfect) becomes had eaten (past perfect)
  • Have been eating (present perfect continuous) becomes had been eating (past perfect continuous)
  • Had eaten (past perfect) remains had eaten (past perfect)
  • Had been eating (past perfect continuous) remains had been eating (past perfect continuous)

Modal Verb Changes in Reported Speech

Modal verbs also change in reported speech:

  • Can becomes could
  • May becomes might
  • Must/have to becomes must/had to
  • Will becomes would

Time and Place Expression Changes

Certain time and place expressions also change in reported speech:

  • Now becomes then
  • Today becomes that day
  • Tonight becomes that night
  • Yesterday becomes the previous day
  • Last week becomes the previous week
  • A month ago becomes the previous month
  • Tomorrow becomes the following day
  • Next week becomes the following week
  • Here becomes there
  • This/these becomes that/those