A Guide to English Grammar and Vocabulary

Posted on Aug 3, 2024 in English

Appearance

  • Curly
  • Straight
  • Wavy
  • Beard
  • Moustache
  • Bald
  • Slim/thin
  • Tall
  • Short
  • Overweight
  • Medium height

Short straight dark hair

Personality

  • Boring
  • Exciting/interesting
  • Friendly
  • Unfriendly
  • Talkative
  • Quiet
  • Generous
  • Mean
  • Kind
  • Unkind
  • Lazy
  • Hard-working
  • Funny
  • Serious
  • Clever
  • Stupid
  • Shy
  • Extrovert/outgoing
  • Competitive
  • Aggressive
  • Charming
  • Sociable
  • Stubborn
  • Insecure

honest, imaginative, mature, patient, impatient, tidy, untidy

Informal email

19, Gran Via/Murcia 30004/Spain/7th february 2017
From: Raquel. To: Maria. Subject: thanks.

Hi Maria,

I’m really sorry for not writing earlier, but I’ve been very bussy since I got back!

I’m writing this email to say you thanks for a wonderful weekend with you in London. I loved being in that nice city, and I had a good time.

I’m very happy to meet your new English friend, Sophie, she’s intelligent and very friendly. I have really good memories

I’ve been living in Murcia for 3 weeks. I miss you a lot but I’m very happy in this city. I’ve been a bit stressed this week, because I’ve started studying at university and I’ve the exams soon. Also, I’m working in a private academy with primary students, they are very funny, hard-working and responsible. I love my job.

That’s all for now. Thanks again for everything. I hope you can visit me soon. You’ll like it here, the monuments, the museums.. Give my regards to Sophie

Best wishes,

Raquel.

PS I’ve attached a photo I took of me with my friends in London. I hope you like it

Saludo

  • Dear
  • Hello
  • Hi Jim,

Empezar

  • I’m writing this letter/email to…
  • Sorry I didn’t write before but…
  • Thanks so much for your last email
  • How’s it going?
  • How are you getting on?

Medio

  • By the way…
  • Did you hear about..
  • Did you see..
  • Tell me about..

Casi final

  • Write back soon and tell me about..
  • Drop me a line soon.
  • Hope to hear from you soon.
  • Look after yourself.

Terminar

  • love
  • lots of love
  • all my love
  • best wishes
  • all the best

ERASMUS MURCIA

19, Gran Vía/Murcia 30004/Spain/7th february 2017
From:Raquel To:Maria Subject: Erasmus in Spain

//Dear Maria,

How are you getting on?

I’m very happy that you’re going to stay with me next year. Now, I’m going to answer some of your questions about Spain and the Region of Murcia.

Spanish people are very friendly. To tell the truth, in general, they’re always happy and love so much going to the party.

Also, their diet is varied. There are Spanish who prefer to eat Mediterranean diet, others eat much meat, and others are vegetarians. The most typical food in Spain are: ham and paella. Although, each community autonomous has its typical food. For example, in my Region, are famous “paparajotes”, and “Meat Pie”.

In the Region, you should visit the Cathedral, the old buildings in Cartagena or the Roman Theatre. Likewise, you must go to my town, Totana.

The weather in my Region is good: winters are cold but summer are very hot. It sometimes rains in the spring and autumn. In other words, my Region is good place to live. Moreover, some important parties in the Region of Murcia are: “Carnival” and “Easter”. Many days I remember the wonderful days I spent in London. I loved being in that nice city, and I had a good time. I have really good memories. I visited London Eye, Tower of London, Big Ben… It’s a fantastic city which has many monuments, museums and big green parks. Also, I met many people who are my friends. I look forward to returning soon.Best wishes,Raquel.

DESCRIBIR FLAT

: Beautiful and comfortable beach apartment in La Manga (2.5 km)/It’s an apartment situated in a good place in La Manga. It’s in second line of Mar Menor beach. /It’s a cosy 100-square-metre flat on the 9th floor of a beautiful building with two lifts. It has two big double bedrooms, a very bright dining room, a large balcony, a modern kitchen and a bathroom. All the rooms have air conditioning. And you can also enjoy the communal25-square-metre swimming pool./This apartment is located in 2.5km, in La Gola community. It’s a family area where there are many supermarkets, cafés and different types of shops. The flat is walking distance from two beaches (“Mar Mayor” and “Mar Menor”). In addition, it is a five-minute walk from a bus stop. A few kilometres away, near La Manga there are other beautiful towns and villages such as Portmán, La Unión, Los Belones…/It’s a very comfortable apartment and the perfect place to live with your family. It has wonderful views of both beaches and it’s a good place to rest. This is a no-smoking house.

JOURNEY:We were lost and sick. The journey took place ten years ago, when I was 12. I lived in Totana with my parents and my sister, and we decided to go to Málaga for our summer holiday, because we wanted to go to a place with a beach where we had never been yet. We went there by car and we stopped in a lot of cities that we passed on the way to Málaga./The first part of the journey was fine. We visited Almería and Granada, as well as other small towns. We used a map to know where we were and how to get to Málaga. We stopped for lunch in a bar in Granada but we forgot our map there. When we realized we didn’t have the map with us, we went back to the bar, but it had mysteriously disappeared. We continued the journey without using a map to guide us. We just followed the road signs. We were heading to the beach, but after travelling for hours, we couldn’t see any water. We were surrounded by mointains and we didn’t know in which city we were. Immediately my sister and my mother began to feel ill and got a headache./We had been travelling for one hour when we found a petrol station. We were in Córdoba. So, we decided to buy some food, many drugs and a new map to follow our route. That day, we visited Córdoba and spent the night in a hotel in the city centre. The next day, we went to Málaga, where we spent seven days. Although the journey was very long and a bit disastrous, we visited many cities and it was unforgettable for us.


Personal:My name’s Raquel. I’m 21 years old and I’m from Spain. I was born in Cartagena but now,I’m living in Totana with my parents, my sister and two little dogs. I’m a student: I’m studying to be a teacher at university, and I’m also working in a private academy in Totana. I’m not married, but I have a boyfriend. His name is Alfonso. He works in the country, but he’s preparing the state exams to become a Guardia Civil. I don’t have much free time, because I both study and work very hard. I love sports. My favourite sport is badminton, but I like others too. When I was young, I won many championships in the Region of Murcia and all around Spain. I can’t play badminton currently, because last April I had a very strong car accident that left me with long term physical demages in my eyesight and my back./I’m learning English because I love travelling around the world and I need it for my job. I make some grammar mistakes when I speak and write in Englishm but I’m sure I’ll make progress little by little./Next summer, my sister and I are going to London to learn more English, because this year my father is working in that city.


My town:I live in Totana. It’s a small city in the south-east of Spain and in the Regipn of Murcia. Totana is a big town that has a population of over 35.000 people and is near other important cities: Murcia, Cartagena or orca. In these, there are more people, because they are bigger./Totana is a nice and quiet place which has many shops, parks and monuments, but there aren’t any places of liesure. In this town, there are five churches and a famous monastery where is the Virgin of Totana, Santa Eulalia./The weather in Totana is good. Winters are cold and it rarely snows. Summers are very hot, as the temperatura reaches 43ºC or more. It sometimes rains in the spring and autumn./Totana is very famous for its mountains which form a Protected Nature Reserve, Sierra Espuña. It’s also famous for its parties, for example: “Carnival” and “Easter”. Totana has some famous typical food and many local specialities like “ground pepper pie”./Although in Totana there isn’t a beach, we hace many public swimming pools./This town is perfect to live and also for a visit, because in this, you have everything you need to live well.


Transport:In the Region of Murcia there are many means of transport you can use to go to the capital city and ifs nearby towns. Some means of transport you can use are: the tram, buses, the train, bicycles or taxis./The tram is a fast and safe means of transport. It runs through a some areas that are located throughout the city and the shopping centres. It is used by students because they have special prices./There are different types of buses in Murcia: buses Ray, Latbus, etc. depending on the place you want to go, you must use one or the other. They have many different lines and frequent timetables. Normally, buses that go to Espinardo Campus are full. You can get a tram+bus pass./The train takes you to other towns in the Region of Murcia and other Spanish cities and towns./Bicycles can be rented by citizens. They are a less safe means of transport, but they are a cheap service./There are many taxi ranks all around Murcia. There are different rates, depending on the day, time and number of people using this means of transport. Many young people get back home by taxi, when they go out at night.


WHO WHERE:Paco de Lucía was an important composer and Spanish guitarist of “flamenco”, who was born in Algeciras (Cádiz) in 1947 and he died in México in 2014, where he lived most of the time./Paco only learned to play the guitar at home when he was ten. Many people think he was the best guitarist in the world. His family is very famous and they call themselves “Los Lucía”./One of his more famous songs is “Entre dos aguas” which was published in 1973. He is a person who has received a lot of important national and international awards./He has married twice. The first time, he married with Casilda and then he married with Gabriela. In total, he had five children who were born in both marriages.


FILM:The film The Notebookis based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film was directed by Nick Cassavetes. It stars Ryan Gosling as young Noah and Rachel McAdams as young Allie Hamilton, and they are a young couple who fall in love with each other in the 1940s. The film received a lot of award nominations and won eight Teen Choice Awards, a Satellite Award and an MTV Movie Award./This film is set in the United States in 2004. It was filmed on location in South Carolina, Virginia, Atlanta and Charleston./The film is about a love story of a young couple who belong to two different social classes. The story is narrated from the present day by a man, who is Noah, to his wife,Allie Hamilton,who has Alzheimer and lives in a nursing home. Noah reads their romantic storyevery day, because it is written in a notebook. This begins when Allie Hamilton, who is 17 years old, is spending her summer holidays in Seabrook, a small town in South Carolina, in the 1940s, and meets Noah at a fun fair. At first, they fight with each other all the time, but soon, they fall in love. Allie’s parents don’t approve of their romance, since Noah belongs to a lower social class. Thus Allie’s parents move to New York with their daughter. Noah, who is very much in love with Allie, writes her a letter every day, but Allie’s mother doesn’t give the letters to Allie. Three years later, Allie starts to work as an army nurse in the World War II and meets an injured soldier, Lon Hammond, who is very handsome and rich. So, Allie forgets Noah with his new boyfriend. One day, by accident, she sees Noah’s house in a newspaper and she begins to think about tracking Noah down rather than her boyfriend marrying. In the end, she returns to Seabrook with Noah and cancels her wedding with Lon, because she prefers to be happy with her true love./I strongly recommend The Notebook because it is a real story that can happen to anyone. A rich girl falls in love with a poor boy, and although her parents want her to have a boyfriend of the same socio-economic level as her, love wins. My favourite scene is when Noah and Allie are on a boat in a big lake, because it is a very nice place and they talk about their future together.


FORMAL EMAIL:From:Raquel@.To:Golfin@.Subject:information about the courseX/Dear Sir or Madam,/I am writing to ask for information about the courseX. I am ver interested in this course. I would like to realice it in one week in Florida in summer. I am 21 years old and I study in the University of Murcia, because I want to be a teacher, also, I work in an academy. I can read and speak English quite well. I study currently at the School of Languages to earn more English/I have looked at your website,but there isn’t any information about the dates and the Price of this course.Could you please send me more information about the course?I would also like to know the Price and the dates. In my stay in Florida, I think I will be accommodated in a hotel near the golf course, but already I will look here in after at nearby places and will reserve./I look forward to hearing from you/Yours faithfully./Raquel.


COMPLAINT:Pa quien:Lora Adams/Head of Department/John Leavis Customer Service/PO Box 098/Swindon/May 19th2013/Dear Ms Adams,/Last month, 25 April, I ordered a coffee machine from your online store(order reference #CE234).Before placing the order I read the conditions carefully, and the ítem was in stock.Your website says that ítems in stock are delivered in 48hours./Two weeks passed, and nothing arrived.However,I noticed the payment had been taken from my credit card.I phoned your customer service line, and the person that I spoke to,Mery,was rude and unhelpful.She said that the ítem was not in stock,and thar she didn’t know when they would arrive.She could not explain whay money had been taken from my card./I have bought many things from you over the years,both from your London shop and the online store,and I have always had good service.I can only imagine that this is a departure from your usual high standards,and I am sure you will be abe to resolve the situation in a satisfactory way./I look forward to hearing from way/Yours sincerely,/Raq.


CV:From:Raq@.To:Mery@.Subject:Job application/Dear Sir/Madam,//I am writing to apply for a job with the medical support staff at the Olympic Games./I am a qualified physiotherapist and I have been working at a Rehabilitation Centre here since January 2016.I speak English fluently(level B1)/I enclose my CV./I look forward to hearing from you./Yours faithfully,/Raq.


Vntajas-inconv TV:Living without a TV.Almost every family today have a TV, in fact probably more than one,and people everywhere spend hours watching it.But a few families choose to live without a TV because they think there are advantages./The first advantage is that families spend more time to talk to each other.Secondly,they spend more time doing more creative things like Reading or painting.Thirdly,they spend more time outdoors,and are usually more healthier./But on the other hand,there are also disadvantages.For example,children who don’t have a TV may feel different from their school friends,and often won’t know what they are talking about.Also,it is not true that all TV programs are bad.There are good ones,like documentaries, and people who live without a TV may know less about what is happening in the world./In conclusion,althought living without a TV has some advantages,I think today it’s unrealistic and that we should just try to turn TV off when there’s nothing good on.


Vntajas-inconv movils:Living with a Smartphone:Currently, we are in the 21st century which is characterized by the inclusión of Information Technology (IT) in our daily life. One of the most important technological advances is the smarthphone which is a mobile phone that has a camera, radio, Internet connection…Almost every member of a family today have a Smartphone, in fact probably more than one, to comunicate with other peope in the world. But a few families choose to live with a smarthphone, these mobile phones have advantages and disadvantages./The first advantage is that families can communicate with people who live far away at a cheap price. Secondly,they have everything they need in one device(music,camera,internet..)/But on the other hand,there are also disadvantages.For example,a child who has a mobile pone is dangeorus beause he hasn’t control in which websites he gets. Also, they are all day connected to the mobile pone and don’t play or don’t make new friends./In conclusion,althought living with a smarthphone has some advantages,I think that it is very important to une only when it is necessary and safely.


Prsnt simpl:I live,He works..cosas q pasan siempre o nrmalmnt.cn advrbios frcuencia.Prsnt cntinu:I’am eating..accions n progreso a la vz q se abla.plans futurs q se van a acr cn crteza.Vb action:learn work go live cook,make..se usan n prsnt simpl y cntinuo;No action:love like live have know be need..se usan n prsnt simpl.Futur:Be going to+infinitiv:I’m going to work on Saturday..predicciones d futuro o cuand sabs q vas a acr alg cncreto(dcision).Prsnt cntinu:She is getting married in December.Cosas cncretas n futuro(preparación d cosas).Will/Shall+infinitiv:pa dcisiones promesas sugerencias ofertas(I think she will/won’t win..)Shall solo para I o We para ofertas o sugerencias n frma d prgunta.Prsnt prfect:have/has+participio pasad.Acciones pasadas q no sabes exactamnt cuand pasaron.Acciones pasads rcients q nrmalmnt llevan just.Cuand se pon already(+)o yet(-¿).Past simpl:v-ed o lista final.Accions trminadas n l pasado y dics l momnt(I got married last year).Prsnt prfct o past simpl:PP acciones pasadas y acciones rcients n pasad q no espcifica l tiempo.PS:accions trminadas n l pasad q se mnciona l tiempo o se sobrntiend(last week,yestrday).Prsnt prfct simpl:acción q mpiez n pasad y cntinua.cn vrbs no action.How long…?+prsnt prft priod tiempo no trminad.For (2weeks)Since(2120)no action verb.Prsnt prfcto cntinuo:have/has been+v-ing(she has been working here since april).For y since action verb.Accions q acaban d trminar.Past simpl:accions trminads n pasad(v-ed o lista).Past cntinu🙁I was driving)accions n progreso n 1mmnt spcific dl pasad.accion n progrs n pasad intrrumpid x otra acción.cn while cuand 2accions pasan a la vz.dscribir lo q pasa n 1istori o anécdota.Past prfct:había(I had finished).accion pasada ac poc(already).Cntar narrativ:1ºpast cntinuo pa dscribir scena(was raining)2ºpast simpl pa dcir q pasa(Heard)3ºpast prfct pa dcir q pasa ants d la acción pasada.Habitos:Habits prsnt:usually or normally+prsnt simpl.Habits pasad:used to/didn’t use to+infinitiv.Pasiva:be+past participl.The car is being repaired today.The film was directed by..Cndicionals:1º:if+prsnt simpl,will/won’t+infinitv(if I work hard,I’ll pass my exam).posibl situación dl futur+cnscuencia.2º:if+past simpl,would/wouldn’t+infinitv.(If I had a job,I’d buy a flat)situación ipotetic o imaginaria n prsnt o futur y su cnsecuencia.3º:if+past prfct,would have+past participl.(If I’d known about the meeting,I would have gone)cosas podrían abr sid difrnts n pasad,ipotetic o imaginario.


Cmparativ(-er.more/less):Adjtivs:Older bigger easier higher lower safer nicer more modern more difficult better worse further(far) more bored more tired more stressed.The same as..Advrb:faster than..more quickly thant.. As well as..Suprlativ(-est.most/least):the tallest the most expensive the best the worst..Articuls:A/AN:1ºvz q mnciona algo o prsona(an old man);cuand dics cm es algo o alguien(a nice house).xclamacions cn What..!(What an awful day!)exprsions d fcuencia(three times a week).THE:ablas sbr alg q acabas d mncionar(a man with a dog.the dog was..)djar claro a q te refieres(the children)Solo exist 1(the moon,the earth)Lugars dl puebl(the cinema)Suprlativs(the best)No artc:hablar n gnral cn nombrs plurl e incontabl(flowers)dspues d at/to/from(at home).Ants d comidas días y meses.ants d next/last+dia semana..Can/Could:prsnt o pasad.poder/podría.Be able to:futur,prest prfct,infinitiv,grundio..pa abilidad y posibilidad.se usa n prsnt y pasad pa+formal.(she has been able to swim since he was..I’d like to be able to ski.I love being able to stay..You’ll be able to practise..I’m able to accept.They weren’t able to..).Have to:obligación o alg q s ncsario d acr.n todas las frmas vrbals.reglas o lys gnral.Must:obligcion o alg q ay q acr n prsnt o futur.obligcions prsonals spcifics.Don’t have to:no s ncsario acr alg n cncrt.Mustn’t:prohibicionCan’t:no siempr s prohibcion.Should:rcomndacion opinion.Modals:Might/May:alg q piensas q es posible q pase(50%).Can`t:algo q stas sguro q s imposibl q pase.Must:alg q stas segur q va a pasar.Dcir lo q dic otr:I like..-she said she liked..;I’m leaving tomorrow-He was leaving the next day.I’ll love you..-He would love me;I passed-She had passed;I’ve forgotten my..-He had forgotthen his..;I can’t come-She couldn’t come;I may be late-He might be late;I must go-She had to go.Are you married?-She asked him if he was married;Did she phoned?-He asked me if she had phoned;What’syour name?-I asked him what his name is;Where do you live?-They asked me where I lived.Cuantificadors:A lot of:singular(+)money.Lots of:plural(+)clothes.Much/many:plural(-¿).Plenty of:incontabls o plurals(+)time.A little:incntbl.A few:plural cntabl(cinemas).Too:+adj(too big);Too much:incontabl(too much traffic);Too many:plural cntabl(tourists).Enough:ants d nombr(enough parks),dspues d adj(fast enough).Any:nada(-)cntablNo🙁+)have no eggs.None:frass cortas(How many eggs do we have?none)Relativs:Who/that:prson.Which/that:cosas animl.Where:lugars.Whose:cuyo.d qien(of who, of which).