Mastering English Vocabulary and Grammar Basics

Essential English Vocabulary

  • Amazing: Asombroso (astonishing, wonderful)
  • Arrest: Detener (to stop someone, usually by legal authority)
  • Brave: Valiente (courageous)
  • Break into: Entrar a la fuerza (to enter a building illegally, often with force)
  • Character: Personaje (a person in a story or play)
  • Chef: Chef (a professional cook)
  • Chewing gum: Chicle
  • Citizen: Ciudadano (an inhabitant of a city or town)
  • Clever: Listo (intelligent, quick-witted)
  • Crime: Crimen (an illegal act)
  • Crime Scene: Escena del crimen (the place where a crime occurred)
  • Dangerous Scenario: Escenario peligroso (a hazardous or risky situation)
  • Difficult: Difícil (hard to do or understand)
  • Evidence: Evidencia/Prueba (facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid)
  • Review: Examinar/Revisar (to examine or assess something formally)
  • Fine: Multa (a sum of money exacted as a penalty)
  • Fingerprints: Huellas dactilares (impressions of the friction ridges of the finger)
  • Illegal: Ilegal (against the law)
  • Interrogate: Interrogar (to question someone thoroughly, often in a formal setting)
  • Researcher: Investigador (a person who carries out academic or scientific research)
  • Jail: Cárcel (a place for the confinement of people accused or convicted of a crime)
  • Justice: Justicia (fairness in the way people are dealt with)
  • Law: Ley (the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes)
  • Murder: Asesinar (the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another)
  • Punishment: Castigo (the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense)
  • Orphan: Huérfano (a child whose parents are dead)
  • Scary: Aterrador (causing fear; frightening)
  • Solve: Resolver (to find an answer to, explanation for, or means of effectively dealing with a problem or mystery)
  • Steal: Robar (to take another person’s property without permission or legal right)
  • Stick: Pegar (to adhere or cause to adhere to a surface or substance)
  • Streetcar: Tranvía (a public transport vehicle running on rails in the street)
  • Thief: Ladrón (a person who steals another person’s property)
  • Unusual: Inusual (not common or ordinary)
  • Useful: Útil (able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways)
  • Violent: Violento (using or involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something)
  • Weapon: Arma (a thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage)
  • Witness: Testigo (a person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place)
  • Workhouse: Asilo/Orfanato (a public institution in which the poor were housed and required to work)

Understanding English Modal Verbs

Can: Ability and Permission

Can expresses ability or permission.

  • Example: They can speak English.
  • Question: Can they speak English?
  • Negative: They cannot speak English.

Could: Past Ability and Possibility

Could expresses past ability or possibility.

  • Example: She could run fast.
  • Question: Could she run fast?
  • Negative: She could not run fast.

Must: Obligation and Strong Necessity

Must expresses strong obligation or necessity.

  • Example: Students must do their homework.
  • Example: Students must not eat in the classroom.

Have to: Obligation (External)

Have to expresses obligation, often external.

  • Example: I have to study tonight.
  • Question: Do I have to study tonight?
  • Negative: He does not have to study tonight.

Should: Advice and Recommendation

Should expresses advice or recommendation.

  • Example: Peter should go to the doctor.
  • Question: Should Peter go to the doctor?
  • Negative: Peter shouldn’t go to the doctor.

May / Might: Possibility and Permission

May and Might express possibility or permission.

  • Example: I may/might go to the party.
  • Negative: I may/might not go to the party.
  • Question (Permission): May I visit your house?

Key English Verb Tenses

Present Simple

Used for habits, routines, and facts.

  • Example: I never play basketball.
  • Common Adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes, never.

Present Continuous

Used for actions happening now.

  • Example: She is studying English now.
  • Common Adverbs: now, right now, at the moment.

Past Continuous

Used for actions ongoing in the past.

  • Example: While she was studying English…

Past Simple

Used for completed actions in the past.

  • Example: I was studying English when he arrived.

Present Perfect Simple

Used for actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or past actions with present results.

  • Example: I have studied a lot for the exam.
  • Common Adverbs/Phrases: today, this morning, for, since, just, already, yet.

Future Simple (Will + Infinitive)

Used for predictions and spontaneous decisions.

  • Example: I think she will come tomorrow.

Relative Pronouns: Who, Which, Where

  • Who: Used for people.
  • Where: Used for places.
  • Which: Used for things and animals.

“Some” and “Any” Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns like someone, something, and somewhere refer to unspecified people, things, or places. They are generally used in affirmative sentences.

  • Someone: An unspecified person. Example: Someone is at the door.
  • Something: An unspecified thing. Example: I need something to eat.
  • Somewhere: An unspecified place. Example: Let’s go somewhere quiet.

Any and its compounds (anyone, anything, anywhere) are typically used in questions and negative sentences.

  • Anyone: An unspecified person. Example: Is anyone home? / I didn’t see anyone.
  • Anything: An unspecified thing. Example: Do you have anything to say? / I don’t have anything.
  • Anywhere: An unspecified place. Example: Are you going anywhere? / I’m not going anywhere.

Practice Phrases and Sentence Correction

  1. Original: I could not watch the show last night because I was studying. Did I helped you?

    Corrected: I could not watch the show last night because I was studying. Did you help me?

  2. Original: I do not go to the game on Thursday I have to study for the English exam.

    Corrected: I cannot go to the game on Thursday; I have to study for the English exam.

  3. Original: you should not leave this noche.tu should do your homework. Can you help?

    Corrected: You should not go out tonight. You should do your homework. Can you help me?

  4. Original: thieves broke into my house yesterday. They broke a window and stole the money.

    Corrected: The thieves broke into my house yesterday. They broke a window and stole the money.

  5. Original (from original document’s #6): Can you come to the beach this afternoon? I should not not go swimming.

    Corrected: Can you come to the beach this afternoon? I cannot go swimming.

  6. Original (from original document’s #7): the police must investigate the crime. They should examine evidence and arrest criminals.

    Corrected: The police must investigate the crime. They should examine the evidence and arrest the criminals.

  7. Original (from original document’s #8): Can you speak English? No, but I should be the know. I have to go to England next summer.

    Corrected: Can you speak English? No, but I should learn. I have to go to England next summer.