Essential English Reference: Modals, Phrasals, Vocabulary & More

Modal Verbs

Ability

• can
• could
• be able to

Possibility and Certainty

• could
• might
• may
• must not
• can't

Obligation

• need to
• needn't
• have to
• must not (Indicates prohibition, often grouped separately)

Prohibition

• mustn't

Advice / Suggestion

• should
• ought to

Past Certainty

must have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)

Criticism of a Past Action

• should have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)
• ought to have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)

Past Impossibility

can't have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)

Past Possibility

• might have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)
• may have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)

Past Suggestion (Unfulfilled)

could have + past participle (tercera columna o -ed)

Collocations (Health & Feeling)

Taking Action

I'm going to take:

• my temperature
• some medicine
• a tablet
• a pill

Describing Problems

I've got:

• a headache
• a stomach ache
• a cold
• food poisoning

Describing Injuries

I've hurt:

• my ankle
• my wrist
• myself

Describing Feelings

I feel:

• well
• bad
• ill
• sick
• stressed
• tired

Phrasal Verbs (Health Related)

• Recover from an illness: get over
• Have less / reduce consumption: cut down on
• Start a new habit/sport: take up
• Gain weight: put on
• Become ill with: come down with
• Resist an illness: fight off

Vocabulary List (Health & General)

• accident: accidente
• beautiful: precioso
• careful: cuidadoso, prudente
• careless: descuidado
• cold: resfriado / frío
• come down with: contraer, coger (una enfermedad)
• cut down on: reducir (el consumo de)
• dangerous: peligroso
• do (some) exercise: hacer (algo de) ejercicio
• do (someone) a favour: hacer un favor a alguien
• do (your) best: hacer todo lo posible
• do (your) homework: hacer los deberes
• enjoyable: agradable
• famous: famoso
• fashionable: moderno, de moda
• fight off: combatir (una enfermedad)
• food poisoning: intoxicación alimentaria
• get over: sobreponerse, superar, recuperarse de
• headache: dolor de cabeza
• ill: enfermo
• illness: enfermedad
• make an effort: hacer un esfuerzo
• make a mess: manchar, desordenar
• make a mistake: cometer un error
• make a phone call: hacer una llamada telefónica
• make friends: hacer amigos
• medicine: medicina
• painful: doloroso
• pill: píldora, pastilla
• put on: coger peso / ponerse (ropa)
• sick: enfermo / con náuseas (con ganas de vomitar)
• sneeze: estornudar
• sore: dolorido (e.g., sore throat - dolor de garganta)
• sporty: deportista
• stomach ache: dolor de estómago
• stressed: estresado
• tablet: comprimido, pastilla
• take up: empezar (una actividad), ocupar (espacio/tiempo)
• temperature: temperatura / fiebre
• thoughtful: atento, amable, considerado
• thoughtless: desconsiderado
• tired: cansado, fatigado
• unconscious: inconsciente

Do vs Make

Expressions with DO

• do exercise
• do your homework
• do your best
• do a favour
• do business
• do the dishes

Expressions with MAKE

• make a mess
• make a mistake
• make a (phone) call
• make friends
• make an effort
• make a decision
• make money

Adjective Suffixes

• enjoy -> enjoyable
• fame -> famous
• beauty -> beautiful
• thought -> thoughtful / thoughtless
• sport -> sporty
• danger -> dangerous
• fashion -> fashionable
• care -> careful / careless

Themed Sections

Phrasal Verbs (Relationships)

• break up with: romper con alguien
• fall out with: pelearse / enfadarse con alguien
• get on with: llevarse bien con alguien
• go out with: salir con alguien (en plan pareja)
• sort out: solucionar (un problema)

Travel & General

False Friends and Cognates

• acceptable: aceptable
• culture: cultura
• describe: describir
• exit: salida (Not 'éxito' which is 'success')
• important: importante
• library: biblioteca (Not 'librería' which is 'bookshop')
• possible: posible
• realize: darse cuenta (Not 'realizar' which is 'carry out' or 'make')
• sympathetic: compasivo, comprensivo (Not 'simpático' which is 'nice' or 'friendly')
• terrible: fatal, terrible

Phrasal Verbs (Travel)

• check in: facturar / registrarse (hotel)
• get back: volver, regresar
• get on: subir a (bus, train, plane)
• pick up: recoger (a alguien o algo)
• set off: salir (de viaje), ponerse en camino
• take off: despegar (avión)

Free Time Verbs / Phrasals

• get on (with someone): llevarse bien
• get started: empezar
• hang out: pasar el rato, salir (con amigos)
• take part (in something): participar