English Language Essentials: Vocabulary, Grammar, and Practical Usage

English Vocabulary: Verbs, Nouns, and Adjectives

This section provides a comprehensive list of essential English words with their Spanish equivalents, covering various aspects of daily life and communication.

• accept - aceptar
• comfort - consolar
• compromise - comprometerse
• appreciate - apreciar
• stand up for - defender
• make fun of - burlarse de
• trust - confiar en
• ignore - no hacer caso
• promise - prometer
• boast - presumir
• chat room - sala de chat
• social life - vida social
• fit in - congeniar
• slim - delgado
• go on a date - salir con alguien
• instead of - en vez de...
• vanish - desaparecer
• spoon - cuchara
• napkin - servilleta
• saucepan - cazuela
• bowl - bol
• mix - mezclar
• roast - asar
• bake - hornear
• fry - freír
• boil - cocer
• squeeze - exprimir
• sprinkle - espolvorear
• bite - morder
• chew - masticar
• stranded - perdido
• wilderness - naturaleza salvaje
• dew - rocío
• store - almacenar
• container - recipiente
• avoid - evitar
• curious - curioso
• distressed - preocupado
• miserable - muy triste
• overjoyed - muy contento
• enthusiastic - entusiasmado
• indifferent - indiferente
• grateful - agradecido
• suffer - sufrir
• experience - experiencia
• preserve memories - conservar recuerdos
• express - expresar
• confront - afrontar
• as far as I can see - por lo que puedo ver / hasta donde yo sé
• hazard - peligro
• single - soltero
• as regards - en lo que se refiere a
• grown up - adulto
• get rid of - deshacerse
• weapon - arma
• trace - rastrear
• on the throne - en el trono
• wealthy - rico
• sorcerer - hechicero
• curious - curioso
• drawer - cajón
• distraught - disgustado
• minor - minoritario / de menor importancia
• poverty - pobreza
• support - apoyar / soportar
• acquire - tener, adquirir

Key Definitions

Understand the meaning of these common English expressions:

• pull a face: To make an exaggerated expression to show dislike or disgust.
• make a scene: To publicly show your anger about something.
• bug someone: To bother a person.
• weigh your words: To think carefully before you say or write something.
• is all ears: To be very interested in hearing about something.

Practical Translations

Practice translating common Spanish phrases into correct English:

• Deberías hervir el agua: You should boil the water.
• ¿Puedo coger la servilleta, por favor?: Can I have the napkin, please?
• Nosotros podemos asar el pollo: We can roast the chicken.

Synonyms for Enhanced Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary by learning these synonyms:

• have no interest - indifferent
• extremely happy - overjoyed
• want to know more - curious
• experience pain - suffer
• not married - single
• very unhappy - miserable
• thankful - grateful
• deal with - confront
• danger - hazard

English Grammar: Reported Speech and Modals

Reported Speech (Indirect Style)

Learn how tenses change when converting direct speech to reported speech:

• Present Simple → Past Simple
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous
• Past Simple and Present Perfect Simple → Past Perfect Simple
• Will → Would
• Can → Could
• Must → Had to

Time and place expressions also change:

• Tomorrow, next week/month/year → the following day/week/month/year
• Last night/week/month/year → the night/week/month/year before
• Here → there
• This → that
• These → those

Understanding Modal Verbs

Modal verbs add specific meanings like ability, obligation, or possibility:

• Can: Expresses ability or possibility (e.g., I can swim).
• Could: Expresses past ability, possibility, or polite requests (e.g., I could swim when I was young; Could you help me?).
• Must: Expresses strong obligation or certainty (e.g., You must study).
• Mustn't: Expresses prohibition (e.g., You mustn't smoke here).
• Should: Expresses advice or recommendation (e.g., You should rest).
• Shouldn't: Expresses negative advice (e.g., You shouldn't worry).
• Have to: Expresses obligation, often external (e.g., I have to work tomorrow).
• Don't have to: Expresses lack of obligation (e.g., You don't have to come).
• May: Expresses possibility or polite permission (e.g., It may rain; May I come in?).
• Might: Expresses weaker possibility (e.g., It might be true).

Narrative Practice: A Perfect Day

Read this short narrative to see vocabulary and grammar in context:

Today was a perfect day. The sun was shining. I had my breakfast and a shower. Later, I went to school, and I was very happy because we had a trip. We went to a zoo. I saw a lot of different animals; they were very cute. When we had to go, I was very sad.