Useful English Phrases, Grammar, and Vocabulary for Writing

Posted on Aug 14, 2024 in Spanish

Useful English Phrases for Writing

Common Phrases

  • Many people / Some people argue…: Mucha gente, alguna gente argumenta….
  • It is often said…: Se dice frecuentemente que….
  • However, in my opinion / view…: No obstante, en mi opinión….
  • Firstly, it is true (clear) that…: En primer lugar, es verdad (está claro) que….
  • While it is true that…: Aunque es verdad que….
  • On the one hand, and on the other hand. For example: On the one hand it is true that most teenagers watch videos all day, but on the other hand they learn many new skills through those videos. Por un lado, es verdad que la mayoría de los adolescentes ven vídeos todo el día, pero por otro lado, aprenden nuevas habilidades a través de esos vídeos.
  • Finally, it is important to take into account that…: Finalmente es importante tener en cuenta que….

Essay Writing Structure

Introduction

In today’s world, many teenagers have access to the internet and therefore they have a chance to watch free videos and films online.

Development

While watching online films or videos is not a bad activity per se, doing it all the time is. If parents at home supervise their screen hours, it is perfectly possible to keep a balance between watching online films and videos and reading.

Conclusion

In my opinion, therefore, teenagers can watch videos or films online and continue to have the habit of reading if they have the discipline to organize their time well.

English Grammar Overview

Modal Verbs

  • Ability: Can – Be able to – Could
  • Possibility: Could – May – Might
  • Positive Deduction: Must
  • Negative Deduction: Can’t
  • Obligation: Must – Have to
  • Necessity: Need to
  • Positive Recommendation: Should / Ought to
  • Prohibition: Mustn’t – Can’t
  • Not Obligatory: Don’t have to – Don’t need to – Needn’t
  • Negative Recommendation: Oughtn’t
  • Permission: Can – Could – May
  • Recommendation for Something That Could Be Negative: Had better – Had better not

Modal Verbs + Have

  • Positive Deduction About the Past: Must have + -ed
  • Negative Deduction About a Past Event: Can’t have + -ed
  • Speculation About the Past: May, Might + have + -ed
  • Hypothetical Ability: Could + have + -ed
  • Criticism: Should, Ought to + have + -ed
  • Not Necessary in the Past: Needn’t + have + -ed

Passive Voice

  • Makes – Are made
  • Made – Were made
  • Will make – Will be made
  • Would make – Would be made
  • Has made – Has been made
  • Had made – Had been made
  • Will have made – Will have been made
  • Would have made – Would have been made
  • Is making – Are being made
  • Was making – Were being made
  • Modals – Be made
  • Modals + Have – Have been made
  • Be going to – Going to be made

Two Objects

Active: He gave me a 3D TV = Passive: It was given to me.

Impersonal Passive

  • It + verb to be + past participle + that (verbs: accept, believe, calculate, estimate, hope, predict, say, suggest, think)
  • Subject + verb to be + past participle + infinitive (verbs: believe, calculate, consider, estimate, hope, judge, predict, say, show, think)

Reported Speech

  • Talk – Talked
  • Talked – Had talked
  • Have talked – Had talked
  • Will talk – Would talk
  • Will have talked – Would have talked
  • ‘m talking – Was talking
  • Was talking – Had been talking
  • Have been talking – Had been talking
  • Will be talking – Would be talking
  • Can – Could
  • May – Might
  • Must, Have to – Had to

(Universal truths do not change tense)

  • Today – That day
  • Yesterday – The day before
  • Tomorrow – The next day
  • Tonight – In the evening
  • Last night – The previous evening
  • Last year – The year before
  • Next week – The following week
  • Now – At the moment
  • Here – There
  • This – That
  • These – Those
  • That, Those – The

Requests or Recommendations

Ask or tell + indirect object (me, him) + infinitive. Negative: Don’t = Not to

Conditional Sentences

  • Zero Conditional: If + present simple + present simple (universal truths)
  • Imperative: If + present simple + imperative (recommendations or commands)
  • First Conditional: If + present simple + will + infinitive (certain or probable things in the future)
  • Second Conditional: If + past simple + would + infinitive (advice, unlikely events)
  • Third Conditional: If + had + past perfect + would have + past participle (events that could have happened in the past but no longer have a solution)

Conditional Conjunctions

  • With the first conditional: Unless (at least)
  • With the zero, first, and second conditional: As long as, provided (that), providing (that) = only if

Questions

  • Yes/No Questions: If or Whether
  • Questions with WH- words: (She asked me what time are you leaving – She asked me what time it was leaving)

Gerunds and Infinitives

Verbs + Gerund (-ing)

Avoid, can’t stand, consider, deny, detest, discuss, dislike, don’t mind, enjoy, give up, imagine, miss, recommend, risk, stop, suggest.

Verbs + Infinitive (to + base form)

Agree, appear, arrange, choose, decide, demand, fail, hope, learn, manage, prepare, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, want, would like.

Useful Vocabulary for Work and Study

Achieve goals: Alcanzar, lograr
Agree with: Estar de acuerdo con
Applicant: Candidato, aspirante
Application form: Impreso de solicitud
Application: Solicitud
Apply yourself: Aplicarse
Be aware of: Darse cuenta de
Bear in mind: Tener en cuenta
Being a team player: Ser colaborador
Broad: Amplio, extenso
Building good relationships: Construir buenas relaciones
Call for: Requerir
Command: Dominio, control
Communication skills: Habilidades de comunicación
Creative thinking: Pensamiento creativo
Deadlines: Fecha límite
Decision-making: Toma de decisiones
Degree: Grado (estudios universitarios)
Depend on: Depender de
Eager (to…): Ansioso (por…)
Face: Hacer frente
Fairly: Razonable, aceptable
Familiar with: Familiarizado con, al tanto de
Feel comfortable (+ gerund): Sentirse seguro con, manejarse con
Find out: Conocer detalles sobre
Get on well with: Llevarse bien con
Grade: Nota (estudios)
Hand in: Entregar
Highlight: Resaltar
Look for: Buscar
Meet deadlines: Cumplir a su debido tiempo
Networking: Red de contactos
Overall: Global
Pretty: Bastante
Proficient in: Competente en, idóneo para
Qualified: Cualificado, capaz
Quite: Muy, bastante
Range: Variedad, gama
Rather: Bastante
Relevant: Pertiente, relevante
Rule out: Descartar, excluir
Selfish: Egoísta
Self-starter: Emprendedor
Set goals: Establecer objetivos
Skillful: Habilidoso
Skill: Habilidad, destreza, talento
Skill set: Habilidades requeridas
Skilled (worker): Cualificado (trabajador)
Skilled at + noun + gerund: Bueno en
Stand out: Destacarse, sobresalir
Time management: Administración del tiempo
Tough: Duro
Trained: Preparado
Trustworthy: De confianza
Wish: Desear
Working under pressure: Trabajar bajo presión