English Grammar and Vocabulary: Tenses, Comparisons, and More
Present Perfect and Continuous
Present Perfect: S + have/has + past participle. Example: They have known each other for ten years.
- Action started in the past and continues to the present.
- Use ‘How long…?’ to ask about an unfinished period of time.
For + period of time: For two weeks
Since + point in time: Since 2016.
Present Perfect Continuous: S + have/has been + verb + -ing. Example: Nick has been working…
- Used with for or since with action verbs (learn, work, go…) for actions started in the past
Countries, Wars, and Historical Facts
Capitals and Languages
Capitals: Canada (Ottawa), New Zealand (Wellington), USA (Washington D.C.), Australia (Canberra).
Languages: Canada (English and French), New Zealand (English and Maori), USA and Australia (do not have any official language, although English is the de facto language).
Heads of State and Government
Presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, Taylor.
Head of State (New Zealand, Australia, Canada): Queen Elizabeth II
The Commonwealth
What is the
Read MoreThe Guitar’s Curse: A Tale of Obsession and Bad Luck
Summary
Tom is not a very good guitarist, but he and his pianist girlfriend Katy are happy together and enjoy playing in their band, Steel City. They are delighted to get a chance to compete in the ‘Battle of the Bands’, but then disaster strikes. Katy breaks Tom’s guitar and has to borrow money from her studious younger sister, Rachel, to get Tom a new one before the competition. They finally find an old guitar that they can afford, but as soon as Tom picks it up, he begins to change. Tom
Read MoreEnergy, Industry, and Global Trade: Key Concepts
Energy Sources
Renewable Sources: Hydroelectric, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal.
Non-Renewable Sources: Fossil fuels (gas, oil, and coal).
Factors Influencing Industrial Location
- Communication and Accessibility: Industries seek locations near bridges or highways to facilitate the movement of materials and workers.
- Land Availability and Price
- Market Proximity: Especially important for perishable goods, production should be close to processing or consumption points.
- Labor Cost and Quality
- Environmental Laws
- Financial
English Irregular Verbs: Infinitive, Past, and Meaning
English Irregular Verbs
| Infinitive | Past | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Be | was/were | ser, estar |
| Become | became | llegar a ser, convertirse |
| Begin | began | empezar, comenzar |
| Bring | brought | traer, llevar |
| Build | built | construir |
| Buy | bought | comprar |
| Can | could | poder, saber, ser capaz |
| Catch | caught | coger, atrapar |
| Choose | chose | elegir, escoger |
| Come | came | venir |
| Cost | cost | costar |
| Do | did | hacer |
| Draw | drew | dibujar |
| Drink | drank | beber |
| Drive | drove | conducir |
| Dwell | dwelt/dwelled | habitar |
| Eat | ate | comer |
| Fall | fell | caer |
| Feed | fed | alimentar |
| Find | found | encontrar |
| Fly | flew | volar, pilotar |
| Get | got | obtener, conseguir |
| Give | gave | dar |
| Go | went | ir |
| Have | had | tener, |
Essential Vocabulary: Time Out, Music, Reading, Health & More
UNIT 1
Time Out
- Afterwards – después de esto
- Be keen on – encantar
- Eat out – comer fuera
- Go out – salir
- Good at – bueno/a en
- Jog – hacer footing
- Laugh – reír
- Leisure – tiempo libre
- Spending time with – pasar el tiempo con
- Team games – juegos de equipo
UNIT 2
Music
- Bass – bajo
- Break up – separar
- Choir – coro
- Chorus – estribillo
- Format – soporte
- Live – en directo
- Music stand – atril
- Musician – músico
- Record – disco
- Recorder – flauta
- Recording – discográfica
- Record company – compañía discográfica
- Tune (noun) – melodía
- Tune