English Language Mastery: Key Vocabulary & Core Grammar Concepts

English Language Essentials: Vocabulary and Grammar Foundations

I. Culinary Vocabulary and Kitchen Roles

Kitchen Brigade Roles

• Head Chef: Has overall responsibility.
• Sous Chef: Is the deputy to the Head Chef.
• Chef de Partie: Is in charge of a specific section.
• Commis Chef: A junior chef.
• Apprentice: Similar to a Commis Chef.
• Kitchen Porter: Is in charge of doing basic tasks.

Kitchen Tools

• Strainer (Colador / Iragazkailua)
• Grater (Rallador / Birrindugailua)
• Soup Ladle (Cazo de sopa / Burruntzia)
• Sieve (Tamiz)
• Whisk (Varilla)
• Meat Slicer (Cortadora de carne)

Adjectives for Describing People

• Humble (Humilde)
• Scruffy (Desaliñado / Desordenado)
• Bold (Audaz)
• Committed (Comprometido)
• Shortlist (Preseleccionar)
• Thorough (Concienzudo)
• Demanding (Exigente)
• Shy (Tímido)
• Reliable (Confiable)
• Clumsy (Torpe / Baldarra)
• Resourceful (Ingenioso)

Food Items and Culinary Verbs

• Fruity (Afrutado)
• Red Currants (Grosellas rojas)
• Eggplant (Berenjena)
• Puff Pastry (Hojaldre)
• Basil (Albahaca)
• Lobster (Langosta / Itsas-otarra)
• Blueberries (Arándanos)
• Blackberries (Moras / Masustak)
• Celery (Apio)
• Walnut (Nuez)
• Sirloin Steak (Entrecot)
• To Whisk (Batir)
• To Steam (Cocinar al vapor / Lurrunetan egosi)
• To Stew (Estofar / Guisatu)

II. Essential English Grammar Concepts

Prepositions of Time and Place

• IN:
  • Used for: adentro (inside).
  • Time: Months, years, decades, centuries, seasons.
  • Duration: Permanent situations, long periods.
• ON:
  • Used for: sobre (on top of).
  • Time: Specific days.
  • Duration: Permanent situations, long periods (less common than 'in' for duration, usually for specific dates/days).
• AT:
  • Used for: Specific places.
  • Time: Specific hours.
  • Actions: Visiting, frequenting.

Common Time Expressions

• Before: Antes
• While: Mientras
• During: Durante un evento.
• For: Durante un tiempo determinado.
• After: Después
• Since: Desde un punto en el pasado hasta ahora.
• Ago: Hace X tiempo.

Verb Tenses Overview

1. Present Continuous (Presente Continuo)

Used to talk about:

• Actions happening at this moment.
• Temporary actions.
• Future plans.

Structure:

Subject + verb "to be" (am/are/is) + verb with "-ing"

• I am reading.
• You are eating.
• He/She/It is playing.
• We are watching.
• They are studying.

Negative Form:

Subject + verb "to be" (am/are/is) + not + verb with "-ing"

• I am not reading right now.

Interrogative Form:

Verb "to be" (am/are/is) + subject + verb with "-ing"?

• Am I reading a book?

2. Present Simple (Presente Simple)

Used to talk about:

• Habitual or recurrent actions.
• General facts or situations that are always true.
• Feelings, thoughts, and permanent states.

Affirmative Form:

Subject + verb in base form (no changes) + complement

• I play tennis.
• You work hard.
• He/She/It plays tennis. (Remember that with he, she, it, an "s" is added to the verb.)
• We like coffee.
• They study English.

Negative Form:

Subject + "do not" (don’t) / "does not" (doesn't) + verb in base form

• He/She/It does not (doesn't) play tennis. (Here we use "doesn't" because it's he, she, it.)
• We do not (don’t) like coffee.

Interrogative Form:

Do/Does + subject + verb in base form + complement?

• Use "Do" for I, you, we, they.
• Use "Does" for he, she, it.

3. Past Simple (Pasado Simple)

Used for: Actions that occurred in the past and have already finished.

• For example: I visited Paris last year.

Affirmative Form:

Subject + verb in past form (regular or irregular) (+ED) + complement.

• I worked yesterday.
• He visited his grandmother last weekend.
• They ate pizza last night.

Negative Form:

Subject + did + not + verb in base form

• I didn’t work yesterday.

Interrogative Form:

Did + subject + verb in base form + complement?

• Did I work yesterday?

4. Past Continuous (Pasado Continuo)

Structure:

Subject + was/were + verb with "-ing" + complement

• (I, He, She, It) was
• (You, We, They) were

• I was reading a book.
• He was playing football.
• We were watching a movie.

Negative Form:

Subject + was/were + not + verb with "-ing" + complement

• I wasn't reading a book.
• She wasn't playing football.
• We weren't watching a movie.

Interrogative Form:

Was/Were + subject + verb with "-ing" + complement?

• Was I reading a book?
• Was she playing football?
• Were we watching a movie?