Mastering English Basics: Essential Vocabulary & Grammar for Beginners

English Language Essentials: A Quick Reference

Grammar Fundamentals

Possessive Adjectives

• I → my
• You → your
• He → his
• She → her
• We → our
• They → their
• It → its

Asking About Objects

Singular Objects

• What is this? (¿Qué es esto?)
• It is a... / It is an...

Plural Objects

• What are these? (¿Qué son estos?)
• They are keys.

Questions Without Content (Yes/No Questions)

• Is this your wallet? (¿Es esta tu billetera?)
  • Yes, it is. / No, it's not.
• Are these your keys?
  • Yes, they are. / No, they're not.

Questions With Content (Wh- Questions)

• Where is your wallet?
  • It is in my pocket. (Está en mi bolsillo.)
• Where are my keys?
  • They're on the table. (Están encima de la mesa.)

Prepositions of Place

• on: sobre
• next to: al lado de
• in: dentro de
• under: debajo de
• behind: detrás de
• in front of: delante de

Basic Personal Questions

• How old are you? (¿Qué edad tienes?)
  • I am 22 years old.
• Where are you from?
  • I am from Chile.
• What is your nationality?
  • I am Chilean.
• What is your first language?
  • My first language is Spanish.

The Verb "To Be"

• I: am
• You: are
• He, She, It: is
• We, You (plural), They: are

Describing People: What are you like?

• What are you like? (¿Cómo eres tú?)
• I am...
  • beautiful: linda
  • quiet: callado/a
  • talkative: conversador/a
  • shy: tímido/a
  • pretty: bonita
  • thin: delgado/a
  • friendly: amigable
  • serious: serio/a
  • really tall: realmente alto/a
  • short: bajo/a
  • handsome: atractivo (for men)
  • a little heavy: pasadito/a de kilos
  • funny: gracioso/a

Essential Vocabulary

Common Objects

• hairbrush: cepillo de pelo
• sunglasses: lentes de sol
• wallet: billetera
• briefcase: maletín
• newspaper: periódico
• purse: cartera
• bag: bolso
• umbrella: paraguas
• desk: escritorio

Common Phrases

• Who's that? (¿Quién es?)
• How are you today? (¿Cómo estás hoy?)

Clothes for Work

• shirt: camisa
• tie: corbata
• belt: cinturón
• jacket: chaqueta
• pants: pantalones
• suit coat: abrigo de traje
• shoes: zapatos
• raincoat: impermeable
• blouse: blusa
• scarf: pañuelo/bufanda
• skirt: falda
• high heels: zapatos con tacón
• dress: vestido

Clothes for Leisure

• hat: gorro
• sweater: chaleco
• jeans
• gloves: guantes
• boots: botas
• pajamas
• cap: gorra/jockey
• t-shirt: polera
• shorts
• socks: calcetines
• sneakers: zapatillas
• swimsuits: trajes de baño

Possessive Pronouns & Adjectives

• Mine: mío
• My: mi

Example Sentence

• Is Marta wearing sneakers?
  • No, she isn't. She is wearing high heels.

Seasons

• Winter: invierno
• Fall: otoño (also known as Autumn)
• Spring: primavera
• Summer: verano

Time Expressions

• In the morning: hasta la 1 PM
• In the afternoon: hasta las 5 o 6 PM
• In the evening: de 5 PM a 9 PM
• At night: de 7 PM a 1 AM
• Noon: 12 PM (mediodía)
• Midnight: 12 AM (medianoche)

Examples of Telling Time

• 11:00 AM: It's eleven o'clock in the morning.
• 06:30 PM: It's six thirty in the evening.
• 12:00 AM: It's midnight, or it's twelve o'clock.
• 01:05 PM: It's one five in the afternoon, or it's five after one in the afternoon.
• 10:20 AM: It's twenty after ten in the morning.
• 05:10 PM: It's ten after five in the afternoon.
• 10:15 AM: It's a quarter after ten in the morning.
• 09:50 PM: It's ten to ten at night, or it's nine fifty at night.
• 07:45 AM: It's a quarter to eight in the morning.
• 08:25 PM: It's twenty-five after eight at night.