Key English Grammar and Vocabulary Topics
Posted on May 2, 2025 in Administration and Management
Work Vocabulary
Verb Collocations
- Work: from 8 to 4 (De 8 a 4); flexitime (horario flexible); full-time (tiempo completo); part-time (tiempo parcial)
- Have: a discussion (una discusión); a holiday (un día de fiesta); a meeting (una reunión); lunch (almuerzo)
- Do: some work (un poco de trabajo); some research (algunas investigaciones); a job (un puesto de trabajo); a good job (un buen trabajo)
- Make: a decision (una decisión); an appointment (una cita); a business trip (un viaje de negocios); a phone call (una llamada telefónica)
Work Status and Time Off
- Not in work: out of work (sin trabajo); retired (jubilado); unemployed (desempleado)
- Time away from work: holidays (días de fiesta); maternity leave (permiso de maternidad); paternity leave (permiso de paternidad); sick leave (permiso por enfermedad)
- Working hours: flexitime (horario flexible); full-time (tiempo completo); part-time (tiempo parcial)
- Work activities: emails (correos electrónicos); meetings (reuniones); reports (informes); phone calls (llamadas telefónicas)
- Pay: sick pay (pago por enfermedad); wages (salario por hora/semana); salary (sueldo mensual/anual)
Work Definitions
- Has a job: In work / In employment
- Doesn’t have a job: out of work / unemployed
- Works independently, not for an employer: self-employed
- Doesn’t work any more because of age: a pensioner / retired
- Is away from work because of illness: on sick leave
- Is away from work for the birth of a baby: on maternity/paternity leave
- Refuses to work because they want more money, better working conditions, etc.: on strike
Hotel Vocabulary
- A double room has a double bed; a twin room has two single beds.
- You sit or lie in a bath but stand under a shower.
- A suitcase is one item of luggage and is a count noun. Luggage refers to several suitcases and is a mass noun.
- Half-board is bed, breakfast, and evening meal. Full-board is bed, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- A keycard is like a credit card; you put it into a slot to open the door.
- A bill shows the amount you have to pay. A receipt shows you have paid.
- Lift = British English; Elevator = American English.
Hotel Facilities
- restaurant
- cocktail bar
- lounge
- sauna
- fitness room
- car park
- business centre
Guest Room Amenities
- satellite TV
- multi-line phone
- computer and fax point
- air-conditioning
- minibar
- 24-hour room service
- hairdryer
Hotel Item Locations
- in a guest room
- over a door
- by a fire alarm
- hanging on the door of a guest room
- hanging on the door of a guest room
- by a phone in a guest room
- by a phone in a guest room
Conditional Sentences (Grammar)
- First Conditional: If + Present Simple, Will + Verb in Infinitive
- Second Conditional: Past Simple, Would/Could + Infinitive
- Third Conditional: Past Perfect, Would have + Past Participle
Exercises
Comparatives and Superlatives
- big – bigger – biggest
- easy – easier – easiest
- near – nearer – nearest
- good – better – best
- efficient – more efficient – most efficient
- much/many – more – most
- bad – worse – worst
- far – farther/further – farthest/furthest
- early – earlier – earliest
- crowded – more crowded – most crowded
- flexible – more flexible – most flexible
- little – less – least
Past Simple / Present Perfect Simple
Complete the sentences:
- in 1998 prices… increased
- … has improved
- … did you finish?
- … went
- … have they visited?
- … has grown
- … did you spend?
- … started
- … have gone up
- … have had
Travel and Airport Vocabulary
Documents
- Passport (pasaporte)
- Ticket (billete)
- Landing card (tarjeta de aterrizaje)
Terminal Areas and Services
- Check-in desk (mostrador de facturación)
- Arrivals screen (pantalla de llegadas)
- Information desk (mostrador de información)
- Passport control (control de pasaportes)
- Duty-free shop (tienda libre de impuestos)
- Security check (control de seguridad)
- Customs (aduanas)
On Board the Aircraft
- Window seat (asiento de ventanilla)
- Safety instructions (instrucciones de seguridad)
- Flight attendant (auxiliar de vuelo)
- Seat belt (cinturón de seguridad)
- Aisle seat (asiento del pasillo)
- Overhead locker (compartimento superior)
Luggage
- Suitcase (maleta)
- Trolley (carro)
- Label (etiqueta)
- Briefcase (maletín)
- Hand luggage (equipaje de mano)
Vocabulary Collocations
- Customs / security: officer
- Arrivals / departures: screen
- Boarding / landing: card
- Check-in / information: desk
- Aisle / window: seat
- Label / trolley: luggage
- Check / announcement: security
- Control / number: passport
Comparatives and Superlatives (Grammar)
- Comparatives: Bigger than / Easier than (-er) / as…as
- Superlatives: The silliest / The most important
Modal Verbs (Grammar)
- Obligation: Have/has to (tener que…)
- Lack of obligation: don’t/doesn’t have to (no hace falta / no es necesario)
- Possibility: May (puede que / quizás) / Might (podría ser que)
- Advice: Should / Shouldn’t (debería / no debería)
Trends Vocabulary
Verbs for Describing Trends
| Infinitive | Past Simple |
|---|
| Go up | Went Up |
| Improve | Improved |
| Increase | Increased |
| Rise | Rose |
| Decrease | Decreased |
| Fall | Fell |
| Go down | Went down |
Noun Collocations (with ‘an’ or ‘a’)
- Go up: a rise
- Improve: an improvement
- Increase: an increase
- Rise: a rise
- Decrease: a decrease
- Fall: a fall
- Go down: a fall
Adverbs for Describing Trends
- Slightly: ligeramente
- Steadily: constante / de forma constante
- Sharply: rápidamente / bruscamente
- Dramatically: drásticamente
Present Perfect (Grammar)
- Positive (+): I/You/We/They have played… / He/She/It has played…
- Negative (-): I/You/We/They haven’t met… / He/She/It hasn’t met…
- Question (?): Have you/they finished? / Has he/she finished?
Time Adverbs and Prepositions
- For: durante (a period of time)
- Since: desde (a point in time)
- Already: ya (+)
- Yet: ya (?) / todavía (-)
- Just: acabar de… (+)
- Never: nunca (+)
- Ever: alguna vez? (?)
Count and Mass Nouns & Quantifiers (Grammar)
Mass Nouns (Uncountable)
- relaxation, stress, alcohol, coffee, butter, research, energy, traffic, information, news, money, advice
Count Nouns (Countable)
- hours, computer, office, sandwich, parks, vegetables, meeting, business trip, article
Both Count and Mass Nouns
- exercise/exercises, time/times, wine/wines, fruit/fruits, cheese/cheeses, sport/sports
Quantifiers Usage Table
| some | any | a lot of / lots of | much | many | a little | a few |
|---|
| Count Nouns | x | x | x | | x | | x |
| Mass Nouns | x | x | x | x | | x | |
| Positive (+) | x | | x | | x | x | x |
| Negative (-) / Question (?) | | x | x | x | x | | |
