Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar: Passive Voice, American vs British, Infinitives & Prepositions

Essential English Vocabulary and Grammar

Vocabulary

• Amazement, surprise = asombro, sorpresa
• Fool, idiot = tonto, idiota
• Figures, numbers = cifras, números
• Doubt, distrust = duda, desconfianza
• Range, variety = rango, variedad
• Funny story, joke = gracioso, broma
• Provide for, cater for = prever, dirigirse a
• Shown, broadcast = demostrado, emisión
• Show in a cinema, screen = mostrar en una sala de cine; pantalla, cine, trama, tablón, proteger, cubrir, tapar, proyectar
• Obstacles, barriers = obstáculos, barreras
• A way of doing something, a means = una manera de hacer algo, un medio
• Range of = rango de
• Means of = medios de
• Appeal to = gustar, atraer, llamar a
• Taste = sabor, gusto, gustar, probar, reconocer
• Brand = marca
• Shocking = espantoso
• Relaxing = relajado
• Amusement parks, funfairs = parque de atracciones, feria
• Average = mediana
• Avert = detener
• Be all ears = ser todo oídos
• Become aware of = enterarse de
• Bond = conectar con
• Deal = acuerdo
• Flight = vuelo
• Get something off your chest = desahogarse
• Go wrong = salir mal
• Have a heart of gold = tener buen corazón
• Have green fingers = tener maña para las plantas
• Healing = curativo
• Indeed = efectivamente
• Laugh one’s head off = partirse de risa
• Laughter = risa
• Pay through the nose = costar un ojo de la cara
• Pull faces = hacer caras
• Pull someone’s leg = tomar el pelo
• Relief = descanso, ayuda
• Relieve = calmar
• Rely on = depender de, contar con
• Scary = asusta
• Shine = brillar
• Silly = tonto
• Sporting events = acontecimientos deportivos
• Strike = vaga
• Union = sindicato
• Unpleasant = desagradable
• Widen = extender

The Passive Voice

Present Simple

Structure: are, is + past participle (or verb -ed)

1. Miki always tells us the funniest jokes.
2. The funniest jokes are always told by Miki.
3. We are always told the funniest jokes by Katie.

Past Simple

Structure: were, was + past participle (or verb -ed)

1. Sarai’s boyfriend gave a beautiful diamond ring.
2. A beautiful diamond ring was given to Sarai by her boyfriend.
3. Sarai was given a beautiful diamond ring by her boyfriend.
4. A policeman stopped us yesterday evening.
5. We were stopped by a policeman yesterday evening.

Future

Structure: will be + past participle (or verb -ed)

1. They will award the winner of the competition €10000.
2. €10000 will be awarded to the winner of the competition by them.
3. The winner of the competition will be awarded €10000 by them.
4. They will repair the roof next month.
5. The roof will be repaired next month.

Present Continuous

Structure: are/is + being + past participle (or verb -ed)

1. He is going to serve us dinner in an hour.
2. Dinner is going to be served to us in an hour.
3. We are going to be served dinner in an hour.
4. They are painting the wall now.
5. The wall is being painted now.

Present Perfect

Structure: have, has + been + past participle (or verb -ed)

1. The company has already sent letters to the customers.
2. Letters have already been sent to the customers by the company.
3. The customers have already been sent letters by the company.
4. The workers have asked for a pay rise.
5. A pay rise has been asked by the workers.

American and British English

• Diaper, nappy = pañal
• Elevator, lift = ascensor
• Fall, autumn = otoño
• Cab, taxi = taxi
• Faucet, tap = grifo
• Mad, angry = enfadado
• Panties, knickers = medias
• Round trip, return ticket = billete de ida y vuelta
• Store, shop = tienda
• Trunk, boot = bota
• Ax, axe = hacha
• Catalog, catalogue = catálogo
• Center, centre = centro
• Color, colour = color
• Program, programme = programa
• Gray, grey = gris
• Labor, labour = laboral
• Meter, metre = metro
• Mostache, moustache = bigote
• Theater, theatre = teatro
• Tire, tyre = neumático

Infinitive and Gerund (-ing) Usage

Verbs followed by 'to' + infinitive

• agree, arrange, ask, choose, decide, forget, hope, learn, manage, offer, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, want

Adjective + Adverb

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Verbs followed by verb + -ing (gerund)

• admit, avoid, consider, continue, deny, enjoy, finish, hate, give up, love, imagine, keep, like, dislike, miss, prefer, regret, stop, suggest

Verbs followed by verb + -ing (gerund)

• can’t help, can’t stand, don’t/doesn’t mind, feel like, it’s no use, look forward to, be used to, get used to

Prepositions

Place

• on/upon: sobre, en, encima de
• in: en, dentro de
• at: en
• inside: dentro de, en
• outside: afuera, fuera, fuera de
• above: encima de, sobre, arriba
• below: debajo de
• over: encima de, sobre
• under: debajo de, bajo
• by: al lado de, junto a
• near: cerca de
• close to: cerca de
• across: a lo ancho de, a través de, al otro lado de
• along: a lo largo de
• around: alrededor de, cerca de, por
• round: alrededor de, en torno a, por
• against: contra, en contra de
• in front of: enfrente de
• opposite: enfrente de, frente a
• behind: detrás, detrás de
• beside: al lado de, junto a
• next to: al lado de, junto a
• within: dentro de, a menos de
• between: entre
• before: delante de, ante
• after: después de, tras

Direction

• up: por, hacia arriba
• down: por, hacia abajo
• into: dentro de, al, hacia adentro
• out of: de, afuera de, fuera de
• on: sobre, al
• off: de, fuera de
• under: debajo de, bajo
• to: a, hacia
• along: a lo largo de, por
• across: a través de, cruzando
• through: a través de
• around: alrededor de, por
• by: por, cerca de, junto a
• past: más allá de, por delante de
• after: después de, detrás de, tras

Time

• about: aproximadamente, alrededor de
• around: aproximadamente, alrededor de
• before: antes de
• after: después de
• during: durante
• over: durante
• for: por
• since: desde
• until: hasta
• to: para, hacia
• by: para, antes de
• beyond: más allá de
• on: en (para los días)
• at: a (para las horas)
• in: en (para meses, estaciones, años y partes del día)

Gerunds as Nouns

Verbs ending in -ing can function as nouns. Example: Smoking is dangerous.

Infinitive + to / the + verb -ing

Used with verbs like remember, regret, forget, stop in the past.

Infinitive + to + verb -ing

Used with verbs like remember, regret, forget, stop in the present and future.