Mastering English: Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Conditionals & Passive Voice

English Idioms

• Steer clear of - mantenerse alejado
• Poking their nose into - meter las narices
• Scribble them down - garabatear
• Right as rain - correcto como la lluvia
• Bad shape - mala forma
• Up and about - no podrás estar buena…
• Runs in the family - venir de familia
• See eye-to-eye - mantener el contacto visualmente
• Get myself in shape - ponerse en forma
• A walk in the park - dar un paseo en el parque
• Kill two birds with one stone - matar a dos pájaros de un tiro
• I couldn't care less about - no me puede importar menos
• Suit me down to the ground - venir de lujo
• Fit for purpose - adecuado para algo
• I treated myself - darse el capricho
• Have got their eye on you - te vigila continuamente
• Cost an arm and a leg - costar un riñón
• Lining their own pockets - llevarse los bolsillos
• Keep some of these kids on the straight and narrow - ir por el buen camino
• Beyond a shadow of a doubt - más allá de la sombra de la duda
• Get to grips - llegarse a enfrentarse
• Keep - mantener
• Sick and tired of - enfermo y cansado de...
• Blow your mind - volar tu imaginación
• Take your word for it - tomar la palabra para ti
• Go to pieces - hacer pedazos
• On the spot - con el tema
• Over the moon - estar en la luna
• Fingers crossed - cruzar los dedos

Phrasal Verbs

• Throw away - tirar algo
• Turn up - subir, aparecer
• End up - terminar
• Put on - ponerse
• Try on - probarse
• Shut down - apagar
• Check out - echar un vistazo
• Set out - exponer
• Run out of - quedarse sin
• Give up - rendirse
• Come across - cruzar
• Bring up - criar a un niño
• Split up - terminar con
• Get on well - llevarse bien con
• Drop by - entrar o visitar
• Go down - bajar
• Add up to - sumar
• Break down - estropearse
• Put up with - soportar
• Pay out - pagar algo
• Call out - llamar
• Switch off - apagar
• Put off - posponer
• Go out - irse a fuera
• Go with - ir con
• Dress up - vestirse
• Get away with - salirse con la suya
• Show up - aparecer
• Turn out - resultar
• Hold onto - aferrarse a
• Get rid of - deshacerse de
• Hang out - colgar
• Get away from - alejarse de
• Go about - continuar hablando
• Build on - construir sobre
• Pay off - pagar
• Go back - regresar

Conditional Sentences

Zero Conditional (General Truths)

If + subject + present simple, subject + present simple

Example: If it rains, you are wet.

First Conditional (Real or Possible Situations)

If/Unless + subject + present simple, subject + will/won't + verb (future simple)

Example: If you study, you will pass the exam. Unless you study, you won't pass the exam.

Second Conditional (Impossible or Unlikely Situations in the Present or Future)

If + subject + past simple (didn't/did), subject + would/wouldn't + verb (conditional simple)

Example: If you studied, you would pass.

Third Conditional (Situations That Did Not Happen in the Past and Their Possible Consequences)

If + subject + past perfect (had), subject + wouldn't + have + past participle (conditional perfect)

Example: If you had studied, you would have passed.

Passive Voice

Subject + to be (conjugated) + past participle (3rd column or -ed) + rest of sentence

• Present simple - is
• Present continuous - is being
• Past simple - was
• Past continuous - was being
• Present perfect - has been
• Past perfect - had been
• Future continuous - will be being
• Present conditional - would be
• Past conditional - would have/has been
• Modal verbs (must, might, can, could, should...) - must be

Relative Clauses

• Who (people) - que, quien
• Which (things) - que/cual
• Whose (person/things) - cuyo/a
• Where (places)