A-Level Grammar Packet

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Grammar Review Packet


A1 and A2 Curriculums

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Table of Contents
A1 CONTENT:
1. The Basics

2. Subject Pronouns and Sentence Structures

3. Verb Tense - Simple Present of “To Be"

4. There Is / There Are

5. Articles - Definite, Indefinite, and Zero

6. Verb Tense - Simple Present of Regular Verbs

7. Questions - Simple Present Tense (Yes/No, Open)



7a. Question Words

8. “-Es” Pronunciation

9. Adjective Order

10. Demonstrative Adjectives

11. Possessive Adjectives

12. Possessive Pronouns

13. Prepositions of Time and Place



12a. Prepositions of Place (Positions)

14. Adverbs of Frequency

15. Verb Tense - Present Continuous

16. Prepositions - “To” and “For”

17. Modal Verb - “Can” for Ability

18. Modal Verbs - “Can” and “Could” for Requests

19. Likes and Dislikes

20. Imperatives

21. Object Pronouns

22. Countable and Uncountable Nouns

23. Quantifiers

24. Comparatives and Superlatives

25. Modal Verb - “Should” for Advice

26. Verb Tense - Future Tense

27. Verb Tense - Simple Past of “To Be”

28. Verb Tense - Simple Past



28a. “-Ed” Pronunciation

28b. Irregulars

29. Questions - Past Simple Tense (Yes/No, Open) 



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A2 CONTENT:
30. Verb Tense - Present Perfect

30a. Past Participles

30b. Adverbs of Frequency and Prepositions of Time with Present Perfect

31. Modal Verbs

32. Time Clauses

33. Adverbs of Degree

34. Prepositions of Movement

35. Using the Present Continuous to Discuss the Future

36. Irregular Plurals

37. Good vs. Well

Glossary

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1. The Basics
Common Questions:
• How do you say ________? - “¿Cómo se dice…?”
• What does ________ mean? - “¿Qué significa…?”
• How do you spell ________? - “¿Cómo se escribe…?”

The Date:

Days of the Week Months Cardinal Numbers

Monday January July 1st 12th 23rd

Tuesday February August 2nd 13th 24th

Wednesday March September 3rd 14th 25th

Thursday April October 4th 15th 26th

Friday May November 5th 16th 27th

Saturday June December 6th 17th 28th

Sunday 7th 18th 29th

8th 19th 30th


“It/today is [Day, Month Cardinal Number]”.

9th 20th 31st


Ex. - “It is Monday, April 20th”.
10th 21st

The Time: 11th 22nd

“It is [hour, minutes, AM/PM]”.

Ex. - It is 6:15 PM. = “It is six fifteen PM.”

En punto = “O’clock”

Ex. - It is 6:00. = “It is 6 o’clock.”

Y cuarto = “A quarter after”

Ex. - It is 9:15. = “It is a quarter after 9.”

Cuarto para = “A quarter to”

Ex. - It is 8:45. = “It is a quarter to 9.”

The Weather:
“It is [type of weather]”.

Ex. - “It’s sunny and hot today! It’s so beautiful.”

Sunny Rainy Windy Chilly Warm Beautiful

Hot Cold Cloudy Nice Snowy Ugly


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2. Subject Pronouns and Sentence Structures


Subject Pronouns

I We ¿Qué es “it”?

“It” puede ser cualquier cosa singular!

You
Ej. - My company, a dog, a computer,
He
 They Santiago, coffee, Chile, the sky, a pen.

She
También usamos “it” cuando el sujeto es
It ambiguo. Ej. - “Es necesario” = “It is
necessary”, “It was a good movie”, “It’s 5:00”,
“It’s sunny”.

Ojo! En español, “la gente” se conjuga en la


forma singular. En inglés, “people” es plural

Sentence Structures in English


The most basic sentence structure in English is:

Subject + Verb + Rest of Sentence

S + V + Rest

Examples:

I walk to work.

S V

He goes to the cinema every week.

S V

It is cold outside. It’s rainy, too.

SV S V


Ojo! Esto es distinto del español por dos razones distintas.

1) NO se puede quitar el sujeto. Ej.- “Es buena persona” = “She is a good person”.

2) NO se puede cambiar el orden del sujeto y el verbo. Ej. - “Llegaron mis amigos” = “My friends arrived”
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3. Verb Tense - Simple Present of “To Be”

Conjugation:
I am We are

You are
Ojo!

He
 They are Usamos “to be” para ambos


She is
“ser” y “estar”
It

Contractions:
In the positive form, the subject and verb are often combined


I’m We’re

You’re

He’s
 They’re
She’s

It’s

Rule:
+ - ?

S + [To Be] + Rest S + [To Be] + Not + Rest [To Be] + S + Rest? Ojo!

En preguntas, el
She is a doctor. She is not a doctor. Is she a doctor? sujeto y el verbo
están al revés

Examples:

+ - ?

S + V + Rest S + V + Not + Rest V + S + Rest?

I am happy today. I’m not happy today. Am I happy today?

You are a great person. You're not a good person. Are you a good person?

The dog is brown. The dog is not brown. Is the dog brown?

My company is a start-up. My company is not a start-up. Is your company a start-up?

We’re good friends. We're not good friends. Are we good friends?

The students are smart. The students are not smart. Are the students smart?
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4. There is / There are


Rule:
To describe what exists or doesn’t exist in a situation, we use “there is” or “there are”.

This is the concept of “hay” in Spanish.

“Hay” is used for both singular and plural objects (Ex. - Hay una lápiz. Hay tres lápices).

In English, we differentiate between singular (There IS a pen) and plural (There ARE 3 pens).

+ - ?

Singular There is one There is not a Is there a doctor


person in this pencil in my bag. here?
class.

Plural There are two There are no Are there any


people in this pencils in my bag. doctors here?
class.

Examples:

In the bedroom,

There is a bed.

There’s only one pillow.

Ojo!

There is a window.

Se puede abreviar “there is”


There’s a ball.

como “there’s”, pero no se


There are many toys.

puede abreviar “there are”


There are books.

There are photos on the wall.



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5. Articles - Definite, Indefinite, and Zero

Rule:
Definite Indefinite Zero

Article “The” “A” (next word starts with a Nothing


consonant sound) or
“An” (next word starts with
a vowel sound)

When is it 1. When the object is 1. When the object is 1. When the object is
used? specific. singular and general. plural or uncountable.

Example The people who live in I have a dog. I need a new I love dogs. Apples are
Santiago. The car over job. He are an apple for delicious. People need
there. breakfast. water and air.

When is it 2. When the object is 2. When the object is 2. When the object is a
used? known. mentioned for the first concept or abstract
time. idea.

Example The woman I told you I met a woman. I got a new I don't like politics. I
about. car. don’t want to talk about
religion or taxes.

When is it 3. When there is only 1 3. When describing a 3. When the object is a


used? of the object or it is person or quality. fixed name, sport, or
part of a fixed name. instrument.

Example The internet. The sun. She is a doctor. He’s a Let’s go to Parque
The moon. The wonderful person. It’s a Forestal. I play basketball
environment. The US. beautiful day. and I play piano.

Ojo! Algunos lugares no tienen artículo,


Examples: como “work”, “church”, “home”, “school”

Definite Indefinite Zero

We go to the park every day Mariah Carey is a very talented I speak English when I am at
after lunch. singer. work.

The Pope is visiting Chile. I want an orange today for snack. Global warming is very
important.

Can you believe the news? Costa Rica is an amazing country. He plays guitar and soccer.

The best ice cream flavor is A tomato is a fruit, not a Elephants are fascinating
vanilla. vegetable. animals.

The car I have is old. That is an ugly hat. Do you like cheese?

Do you remember the story I What a beautiful day! All we need is love. We talk
told you yesterday? about love at church.
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6. Verb Tense - Simple Present of Regular Verbs


Use:
The Simple Present Tense is used for:

• Facts - “Cheetahs run fast.”

• Opinions - “He sings well."

• Routines - “Every morning I walk 5 kilometers, then I take a shower.”

• Repeated actions - “My boss always writes very long emails.”

Rule:
+ - ?

S + [V] + Rest S + [Do / Does] + Not + Base V [Do / Does] + S + Base V +


+ Rest Rest?

She likes to run. He does not like to run. Do you like to run?

Conjugation:
In the positive (+), the present simple (for regular verbs) is formed like this,

I walk We walk

You walk

He
 They walk


She walks
It
Conjugation only occurs in the “3rd person singular”

In the negative (-), the present simple (for regular verbs) is formed like this,

I do not walk We do not walk


Ojo!

You do not walk Frecuentemente abreviamos “do
not” como “don’t”, y “does not”
He
 They do not walk como “doesn’t”
She does not walk
It
Conjugation only occurs in the “3rd person singular” of “do”, NOT of the verb


Examples: 

+ - ?

I go to yoga every Monday. I don't go to yoga on Tuesday. Do you go to yoga?

You write very well. You don't write very well. Do you write well?

My company loves money. My company doesn't love money. Does his company love money?

We always go to the mall. We don't always go to the mall. Do you go to the mall?

Children play at school. Adults don't play at work. Do they play?


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7. Questions - Simple Present Tense (Yes/No, Open)

Rule:
Yes / No Open

Formula [Do / Does] + S + Base V + Rest? Question Word + [Do / Does] + S + Base V +
Rest?

Answer Yes or no Depends on question

Example Do you want some water? Where does she go on vacation?

Ojo! - Use “do” con “I/you/we/they”, y “does” con “he/she/it”

Ojo!

Cuando hacemos preguntas con “to be”, usamos “V + S + Rest?” o “Question Word + V + S + Rest?”

(Repase #3). Ej. - “Are you okay?” o “Where is my car?”

7a. Question Words:


Who Quién(es) Who do you love?

What Qué / Cuál(es) What does he want for dinner?

Where Dónde Where do they run?

When Cuándo / A qué hora When does the party start?

Why Por qué Why do you work?

Which Cuál(es) Which do they want?

How Cómo How do you feel?

How much / many Cuánto(s) How much water does the dog want?

How often Con qué frecuencia How often do you dance?

Examples:

Sentence Yes / No Open

He is sad. Is he sad? How is he?

I read books. Do you read books? What do you read?

They go to the mall. Do they go to the mall? Where do they go?

Because I can’t sleep. - Why do you look so tired?

It starts at 4:00PM. Does the meeting start at 4? When does the meeting start?

They’re birds. Are they birds? What are they?

I want 2 apples. Do you want 2 apples? How many apples do you want?
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8. “-Es” Pronunciation
Most words that end in the letter “-s” and “-es” maintain the same number of syllables as the
base word. For example, “apple” has 2 syllables, and “apples” also has 2 syllables. “Rate” has
1 syllable, and so does “rates”. It is very important to pronounce the “s” at the end of words.

However, some consonant sounds at the end of the base word indicate that we must add a
syllable in order to pronounce the word correctly. These letters are:

“C”
• Experiences = “Ehx-pir-i-ehn-sehz”
Ojo! **Usamos esta regla de
• (“Experience” has 4 syllables, “experiences” has 5)
pronunciación no solo para
• Nieces = “ni-sehz”
sustantivos plurales (como
“churches”), pero también para
verbos conjugados en la tercera
“Ch” persona (he, she, it) en el presente
• Watches** = “ua-chehz”
simple (repase #6). E.j. - She watches
• (“Watch” has 1 syllable, “watches” has 2)
Netflix every night (“ua-chehz”).
• Churches = “chr-chehz”

“G”
Ojo! - Solo aplicamos esta regla
• Stages = “stei-jehz”
cuando la letra “g” se pronuncia
• (“Stage” has 1 syllable, “stages” has 2)
como “j”
• Colleges = “ka-leh-jehz”

“S”
• Buses = “buh-sehz”
• (“Bus” has 1 syllable, “buses” has 2)

“Sh”
• Finishes** = “fih-nih-shehz”

• (“Finish” has 2 syllables, “finishes” has 3)

• Washes* = “ua-shehz”

“Ss”
• Businesses = “bihz-neh-sehz”

• (“Business” has 2 syllables, “businesses” has 3)

• Glasses = “glah-sehz"

“X”
• Boxes = “bak-sehz”

• (“Box” has 1 syllable, “boxes” has 2)

• Fixes** = “fik-sehz”

“Z”
• Analyzes** = “ahn-uh-lai-sehz”

• (“Analyze” has 3 syllable, “analyzes” has 4)

• Sizes = “sai-zehz”

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9. Adjective Order
Sometimes we use multiple adjectives to describe a noun. There is a specific order.

For example, we don’t say “a red amazing house”, we say “an amazing red house”.

Rule:
The correct order of adjectives is:

Position Adjective Type Examples

1 Quantity Two, 100

2 Opinion or subjective quality Crazy, beautiful, funny

3 Size Big, short, small

4 Physical quality Thin, dirty, rough

5 Shape Square, rough, rectangular

6 Age Old, young, 54-year-old

7 Color Black, red, clear

8 Origin Chilean, Japanese, Spanish

9 Material Metal, wood, plastic

10 Purpose Cleaning, cooking

Examples:
The woman is wearing a long yellow dress.

4 7

He is a tall, thin, Egyptian man.

3 4 8

Let’s discuss the Chilean education system.

8 10

I have three wonderful, big, red, ceramic bowls that I use to cook.

2 3 7 9

The ticket costs ten US dollars.

1 8

Please recycle those three empty water bottles.

1 4 10

I love to wear my beautiful, crazy, old winter sweater from the 80’s.

2 2 6 10

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10. Demonstrative Adjectives


Demonstrative Adjectives are used to indicate which noun the speaker is referring to. They are
relevant to the position of the speaker (depends on whether they are close to the noun or far).

Rule:
Singular Plural

Near This
These

(Esto/e/a) (Estos/es/as)

Far That
Those

(Eso/e/a, Aquello/a) (Esos/es/as, Aquellos/as)

Examples:
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11. Possessive Adjectives


Possessive Adjectives come before nouns to indicate possession.

Rule:
My Our
Ojo! - En español, se usa “su”
Your para ambos géneros. En inglés,
usamos “his” para hombres”,
His
Their
“her” para mujeres, y “his or her”
Her

o “their” cuando no lo sabemos


Its

Ojo!

Al usar un “Proper Noun” (el nombre de alguien o algo), agregamos “ ’s ” al fin para indicar la posesión.
E,. - “That is Juan’s office”, “I live in my mom’s house”, “She is my friend’s sister”, “This is the
company’s pen”

Examples:
HER

MY

OUR

YOUR

Two students didn’t do THEIR homework.

I need to walk MY dog.

We have a cat. ITS name is Cleo.

Nancy is from England. HER husband is from Chile.

John makes music. He performs HIS music at shows.

We go to university. OUR university is the best.

Mary and Tom love THEIR grandma.

SARAH’S boss is very friendly.



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12. Possessive Pronouns


Possessive Pronouns indicate possession, but they replace the noun.

Rule:
Mine Ours

Yours

His
Theirs
Hers

Its

Ojo!

Para “Proper Nouns” (el nombre de alguien o algo), también ocupamos el “ ’s ”.

Ej. - “That office is Juan’s”, “That pen is the company’s”

Examples:
The chair next to the window is HERS.

Is that pen YOURS?

No, it is HIS.

The house on the corner belongs to my husband and I. It is OURS.

This house is THE NEIGHBOR’S. It is THEIRS.

I think that bag is HIS.

Stop touching that! It’s MINE.

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13. Prepositions of Time and Place


To specify time and place, we use IN (least specific), ON (more specific), and AT (most specific).

Examples:
I was born ON March 15 IN Santiago. I live IN La Florida. I live ON Vicuña Mackenna.

Don’t call me now. I am AT a soccer game AT Estadio Nacional, which is IN Ñuñoa. The game
started AT 7:15PM.

I have English class ON Mondays and Fridays AT 9am. The class is AT my office, ON the 9th
floor, IN Conference Room 9C.

The Beatles were famous IN the 60’s, especially IN England. I first heard them ON the radio AT
a store IN the U.S. IN 1964 ON Christmas Day. 

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13a. Prepositions of Place (Position)

Examples:
Come here under the umbrella, it’s dry here.

There are many papers on his desk.

My office is next to a Subway.

My house is across the street from McDonalds.

The stars above us are so beautiful.

I sit between my boss and my manager - it’s stressful!

She couldn’t see the concert because she was behind a tall person.

There is beauty all around us!

I am in front of you in the line - I will receive my coffee first.



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14. Adverbs of Frequency


Adverbs of Frequency tell us how often something happens.

Placement:
If the verb is a normal verb (not “to be”), like the examples above, the adverb is normally after
the subject and before the verb.

** “Always”, “never”, and “rarely” MUST be in this position.

Ex. - “I rarely wake up after 12pm.”, “I never go to the movies.”, “He always lies.”

If the verb is “to be”, the adverb is normally after the verb “to be”.

** “Always”, “never”, and “rarely” MUST be in this position.

Ex. - “I am always happy.”, “She is sometimes late”, “We are never invited to parties.”

The adverbs “usually”, “generally”, “normally”, “often”, “frequently”, “sometimes”, and


“occasionally” can ALSO be at the beginning or end of a sentence.

Ex. - “I read often.”, “Normally I don’t eat seafood.”, “Sometimes I hate him.”

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15. Verb Tense - Present Continuous


Use:
The Present Continuous Tense is used for:

• Unfinished actions happening now - “I’m reading in English right now.”

• Temporary situations - “I’m working at a bank.”

• Temporary or consistent habits - “You’re always losing your keys.”

• Planned situations in the near future - “My parents are traveling to Chile next week.”

Ojo! A veces usamos el presente continuo cuando en español usan el presente simple.

Ej.- “Voy!” = “I’m coming!” Or “I’m going!”, “Te escribo para…” = “I’m writing to…”,

“Como te sientes?” = “How are you feeling?”

Rule:
+ - ?

S + [To Be] + V+ing + Rest S + [To Be] + not + V+ing + Rest [To Be] + S + V+ing + rest?

I am studying English. He is not learning the Are you liking your


guitar. job?

Ojo! - Visite #3 para repasar las conjugaciones de “to be”

Examples:
Please don’t call me right now. I am playing poker with my friends.

He is having an operation today.

What are you doing?

It’s very cold, so I’m turning on the heater.

Tonight we are making dinner for some colleagues.

He’s always working. He never stops!

Next month my grandson is coming to stay with me.

What’s happening over there?

They’re playing soccer.


Ojo! - “What’s happening?” (con presente
continuo) es como decimos “Qué pasa?”
Why are you living in Chile?

I am working here. I am teaching English.

I am in great shape because I’m running a lot these days!



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16. Prepositions - “To” and “For”


For:
• Purpose or reason - “Let’s go out for dinner.”

• Duration - “I lived in France for 2 years.”

• Advantages / Disadvantages - “Yogurt is good for your digestive system.”

• Agree / Disagree - “I am for free education, but I’m not for higher taxes”

• Actions done in place of someone - “Can you please carry these books for me?”

• Recipient (without action) - “This gift is for him.”

• Function (+gerund) - “Scissors are used for cutting things.”

• Exchanges - “These carrots are $2.00 for 10, $1.00 for 6.”

To:
• Destination - “How do I get to Costanera Center?”

• Time - “It’s a quarter to 10:00.”

• Distance - “How far is it from here to La Serena?”

• Comparisons - “I prefer watching Netflix to running outside”.

• Recipients (with action) - “I gave a book to my brother.”

• Motive or reason (+verb) - “I work to make money.”

Ojo! - Cuándo pasa algo para un propósito, en español se usa “para” (Ej. - “Fui a la
biblioteca para estudiar”). En inglés, simplemente usamos “to”. Ej. - “I went to the
library to study”, “I opened my laptop to read my emails”, “I eat salad to be healthy”.

Examples:
What did you do to him?

I didn’t do anything to him, I promise!

Sometimes we use computers for research.

Sometimes we use computers to do research.

This package is for Mr. Kim.

This package is on its way to Mr. Kim.

I am so happy for you!

I studied my major for 6 years.

I did all of my work for the day.

Are you going to school tomorrow?

I work from 10am to 8pm every day.

This space is used for exhibitions and shows.

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17. Modal Verb - “Can” for Ability


Modal verbs are a different type of verb that work in conjunction with another verb.

Modal verbs include can, could, should, may, might, etc.

Most modal verbs are NOT conjugated. The verb after a modal is NOT conjugated either.

“Can” is the modal verb used to describe an ability (like “poder”).

Rule:
+ - ?

S + Can + Base V + Rest S + Can + not + Base V + Rest Can + S + Base V + rest?

I can speak English She can not play tennis. Can you help me?

Ojo! - Normalmente decimos “can’t”


Examples:
I can write very well.

He can’t come to the party.

The email can be in English or Spanish.

Can you hurry please?

I can’t arrive on time.

She can’t eat peanuts.

Ojo! El pasado de “can” para habilidades es “could”.



Ej. - When I was a child, I could run very fast. Now I can’t.

Yesterday I went to the presentation but I couldn’t hear anything.

I couldn’t believe what I saw!


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18. Modal Verbs - “Can” and “Could” for Requests

“Can” is the modal verb used to request something from someone.

“Could” is also a modal verb used to request something from someone, but it is more polite.

Since this is a request, it is in the question form.

Rule:

Can / Could + S + Base V + rest?

Could you help me?

Examples:
Can you pass me the salt?

When can you send me the report?

Could you please get me some water?

Could you tell me where the bathroom is?

Can you please send me an email to confirm?



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19. Likes and Dislikes

To express likes and dislikes, we use the regular verb “to like”.

Ojo! Los verbos “to love” y “to hate” tienen las mismas reglas.

Rules:
To express that you like or don’t like a noun (a person, place, or thing):

+ - ?

S + [like] + rest S + [do/does] + not + like + rest [Do/Does] + S + like + rest?

I like coffee. She doesn’t like salad. Do they like their jobs?

To express that you like or don’t like an activity, use the infinitive OR the gerund.

+ - ? + - ?

S + [like] + S + [do/does] [Do/Does] + S + [like] + S + [do/does] [Do/Does] +


infinitive + not + like + S + like + gerund + not + like + S + like +
Infinitive infinitive gerund gerund

He likes to They don’t like Do you like to He likes They don’t like Do you like
play soccer. to dance. sing? playing dancing. singing?
soccer.

Examples:
I like my job a lot.

She loves working here.

He hates to be late.

People like attention, and they don’t like being ignored.

Dogs like food.

My boss doesn’t like bad presentations.

Do you like eating at restaurants, or eating at home?

Does she like living here?



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20. Imperatives
To tell someone to do something, or not to do something, we use imperatives.

Imperatives are used for instructions, advice, orders, and commands.

Rule:
Because imperatives are directed at the listener, the “you” conjugation of the verb is used.
However, we do not include a subject.

Examples:
Enjoy your vacation!

Ojo! - Para los angloparlantes,


Stop talking and open your books.
esta forma es muy directa. Por
eso, frecuentemente usamos
Listen to me.
“just” y “please” para ser más
educados.
Don’t be late to your appointment.

Close the door please.

Please open the window.

Just give me a minute.


Ojo! Para decir el dicho“pásalo
bien”, decimos “have fun!”, y para
Tell me what he said.
“cuídate”, decimos “take care!”

Ask me anything!

Don’t go! Stay here with me.

Please don’t tell anyone.

Just help me with one more thing please.


Ojo! Para sugerir lo que debería hacer un grupo, use “let’s”.

Ej. - “Let’s go to a movie tonight!”, “Let’s make a cake for his birthday”,
“Let’s have a meeting to discuss this”
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21. Object Pronouns


Object pronouns are used as the direct or indirect object of a verb or as the object of a
preposition. Unlike the subject, which is an actor, the object pronoun is what is acted upon.

They are:

Me Us

You

Him
 Them
Her

It

Examples:
My mother told me to call more.

Our grandparents gave us candy because we were polite.

Don’t tell them what happened.

Mary wants to talk to you about the test.

Where are Sarah and Karen? Didn’t you invite them?

The politician lied to them about what he could do.

Harry wrote a love poem for her.

You sing much better than me!

Please take your shoes off and put them in the closet.

I promise you, I will never lie to you.

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22. Countable and Uncountable Nouns


Nouns in English are either “countable” or “uncountable”.

Rule:
Countable Nouns are nouns that we can count or that naturally separate into different units.
They can be singular or plural (ending in “-s” or “-es”). In the singular form, they are used with
articles (Ex. - “a book”). In plural they can be used with “some”, a number, “a lot of”, or “many”
(Ex. - “I have three pens”).

Ojo! Algunos sustantivos son irregulares en su forma plural. Ej. - person —> people,

tooth —> teeth, foot —> feet, fish —> fish

Uncountable (or Non-Count) Nouns are nouns that we cannot count or that do not naturally

separate into different units. They are not attached to a quantity, so they cannot be made
plural. We generally do not use articles with them (Ex. - “Music is important”). They are used
with “a piece of” or another form of measurement (Ex. - “Can I please have a piece of paper?”).
Alternatively, “some”, or “a lot of” can be used.

Countable Uncountable Ojo! - Algunos sustantivos


Apple(s) Happiness pueden ser countable y
uncountable, según el
Hamburger(s) Homework contexto (como “chicken”,
“coffee”, “yogurt”, “pizza”).
Tomato(es) Art Ej., “Today I drank a lot of
coffee” (uncountable), “How
Dog(s) Money
many coffees did you
Chair(s) Gasoline
drink?” (countable).

Job(s) Knowledge

Computer(s) Work Ojo! - Solo podemos


usar el “indefinite
Pen(s) Music article” (repase #5) con
“uncountable nouns” si
Pillow(s) Advice agregamos una cantidad.
Ej. - “a piece of pizza”, “a
Phone(s) Yogurt
piece of paper”.

Examples:
Can I please have some coffee? Sure, do you want a banana too?

Money is not important. However, I need it to buy art. There is one piece of art I really want.

I really need some advice from you. It would be great to have your help.

I have many pens, but I don’t have a lot of paper. I only have one piece!

27

23. Quantifiers
Quantifiers are words that come before nouns to indicate the quantity of something.

The quantifier that we use depends on if the noun is countable or uncountable (#22).

Countable Nouns Quantifier Uncountable Nouns

I have a few problems at work. A few

A little I only have a little olive oil at


home.

I need some new shoes. Some I want some water.

She has many dogs. Several / Many

I have a lot of emails to read. A lot of My boss makes a lot of money.

Too much,
 I ate too much food yesterday.



so much,
 I have so much love in my life.
how much How much rice do you want?

There are too many cookies.
 Too many,



I have so many pens on my desk.
so many,

How many beers did you drink? how many

Examples:
“Let’s get some pizza tonight for the party!”

-“Good idea! How many pizzas should I buy?”


Ojo! - En esta conversación
“I don’t know.. How many people are coming?”
se usa “pizza” ambos como
-“10 people are coming. How much pizza will 10 people eat?”
un sustantivo “countable” y
“Each person will probably eat 2 pieces. So, let’s buy 2 pizzas.”
“uncountable”. Depende de si
-“Do you have any soda?”
hablamos de pizza como la
“No, I don’t have any soda at home, so we will need to buy some.”
comida en general
-“How much soda should we buy?”
(uncountable), o una pizza
“We should buy 2 bottles.”
 como unidad (countable).
(Repase el ojo en pag. 26).
28

24. Comparatives and Superlatives


Comparatives

Comparatives are used to talk about two things in relation to each other.

Ex. - Santiago is bigger and more vibrant than Concepcion.

Conjugation: Ojo! Después


de un
1-syllable adjectives 2-syllable adj.s ending in -y 2+-syllable adjectives comparativo,
usamos “than”
Adj. + -er Adj. + [change y to i] + -er More / Less + Adj.

Bigger Funnier More interesting

Taller Earlier Less beautiful Ojo!


Para “good”
Stronger Crazier More honest y “bad”,
usamos
Greener Easier Less advanced “better” y
Nicer Sunnier More original “worse”

Ojo! Para verbos que terminan en -y,


también se puede usar “more” o “less”
Superlatives
Superlatives are used to distinguish one thing from a group of three or more things.

Ex. - Santiago is the biggest and most exciting city in Chile.

Conjugation: Ojo! Antes de


1-syllable adjectives 2-syllable adj.s ending in -y 2+-syllable adjectives los superlativos,
usamos “the”
Adj. + -est Adj. + [change y to i] + -est Most / Least + Adj.

Slowest Ugliest Most talented

Oldest Prettiest Least intelligent Ojo! Para


“good” y
Youngest Laziest Most successful “bad”,
usamos “the
Cleanest Happiest Least popular best” y “the
Coldest Busiest Most incredible worst”

Ojo! Para verbos que terminan en -y,


Examples: también se puede usar “most” o “least”

Lisa is more intelligent than Bart, but Bart is the funniest character. Homer is the laziest of the
family, while Marge is the most responsible.

I am the youngest of my siblings. My sister is shorter and more serious than me. My brother is
the best salesman. I am the most original of the three of us.

Choripanes are better than completos, but pastel de choclo is the best Chilean food.

McDonalds is the most famous and biggest chain in the U.S., but I think Wendy’s is better.

29

25. Modal Verb - “Should” for Advice


Modal verbs are a different type of verb that work in conjunction with another verb.

Modal verbs include can, could, should, may, might, etc.

Modal verbs do NOT need to be conjugated.

“Should” is the modal verb used to suggest something (like “debería or debe”).

Ojo! - “Deber” también puede ser “must”, pero en inglés


usamos “should” cuando la sugerencia es opcional
Rule:
+ - ?

S + Should + Base V + Rest S + Should + Not + Base V + Rest Should + S + Base V + rest?

You should come home. You shouldn’t do that. Should I quit smoking?

Ojo! - Normalmente decimos “shouldn’t”


Examples:
I should exercise more to reduce my risk for diabetes.

It’s cold outside! You should wear a jacket.

You shouldn’t disrespect your parents.

He’s always tired. He should sleep more.

They’re always confused about the material. Maybe they shouldn’t miss class so much.

We should leave now if we want to arrive on time.

Should I buy more eggs? Or do we have enough?

30

26. Verb Tense - Simple Future


There are two ways to speak about the future - “will” and “to be going to”.

“Will” Rule:
+ - ?

S + Will + BV + Rest S + Will + Not + BV + Rest Will + S + BV + Rest?

I will go to the beach. She won’t be there. Will you come with me?

Ojo! - Normalmente Ojo! - Normalmente decimos “won’t”


decimos “I’ll”, “you’ll”, etc.


“To Be Going To” Rule:


+ - ?

S + [To Be] + Going To + BV + S + [To Be] + Not + Going To + [To Be] + S + Going To + BV +
Rest BV + Rest Rest

I am going to dance at the party She is not going to sing at the Are you going to come to the
tonight. party tonight. party?

Ojo! Cuando el verbo es “go”, no hay que usarlo con “going to”

Ej. - I’m going to the bank tonight. Then, I’m going to the mall.

Use:
Use “Will” for…

• Decisions you make in that exact moment

• I’m hungry. I think I will eat lunch soon.

• I forgot to send the email! I’ll go send it now.

• Offers, promises, and requests


Ojo! - Esto es muy distinto del
• Will you help me please? Sure, I’ll help you.
español. Cuando quiere ofrecer algo,
• Will you marry me? No, I won’t.
use el futuro. Ej., “Te llamo después” =
“I’ll call you later”.
Use “To Be Going To” for…

• Planned actions

• I’m going to Brasil this summer.

• My mom is going to visit me soon.

Use EITHER for…

• Predictions

• I think it will rain tomorrow. It’s going to rain tomorrow.

• Chile will win the Copa America. Chile is going to win the Copa America.

31

27. Verb Tense - Simple Past of “To Be”

Conjugation:
I was We were

You were
Ojo!

He
 They were Usamos “to be” para ambos


She was
“ser” y “estar”
It

Rule:

+ - ? Ojo!

S + V + Rest S + V + Not + Rest V + S + Rest? En preguntas, el


sujeto y el verbo
She was a doctor. She was not a doctor. Was she a doctor? están al revés

Use:
The Simple Past of “To Be” is used for BOTH:

• “Pretérito” - I was at the meeting yesterday.


• “Imperfecto” - When I was young, I was shy.

Examples:

+ - ?

S + V + Rest S + V + Not + Rest V + S + Rest?

I was happy last week. I wasn’t happy last week. Were you happy last week?

You were a bad person, now you You weren’t a bad person, now Were you a good person?
are great. you are.

She was blonde as a baby. She wasn’t blonde as a baby. Was she blonde as a baby?

My company was a start-up. My company wasn’t a start-up. Was your company a start-up?

We were good friends as kids. We weren’t good friends as kids. Were they good friends as kids?

The students in my old class The students in my old class Were the students from your old
were smart. were not very smart. class smart?
32

28. Verb Tense - Past Simple


Use:
The Past Simple Tense is used for:

• Completed action in the past - “I ran 5 kilometers yesterday.”

• A series of completed actions - “I left work then I drove home.”

• Duration in the past - “I lived in Brazil for 2 years.”

• Past habits, facts, or generalizations - “When I was young, I played the piano.”

Rule:
+ - ?

S + V + Rest S + Did + Not + Base V + Rest Did + S + Base V + Rest?

I went on vacation. She did not go on vacation. Did you go on vacation?

Conjugation:
In the positive (+), the past simple is formed like this,

Regular Irregular

I walked We walked I said We said

You walked You said

He
 They walked He
 They said


She walked She said
It It

All conjugations are the same!

In the negative (-), the past simple is formed like this, 



Regular Irregular

I did not walk We did not walk I did not say We did not say

You did not walk You did not say

He
 They did not walk He
 They did not say
She did not walk She did not say
It It

All conjugations are the same!

Examples: 

+ - ?

I went to yoga often last year. I didn’t go to yoga often last Did you go to yoga last year?
year.

You played soccer as a child. I didn’t play soccer as a child. Did you play soccer as a child?

At my old job, I had a desk. At my old job, I didn’t have a Did you have a desk at your old
desk. job?

I studied 1 year in the USA. I didn’t study in the USA. Did you study in the USA?

We watched a movie last night. We didn’t watch Netflix. Did you watch Netflix last night?
33

28a. “-Ed” Pronunciation


In the positive (+), the past simple of regular verbs ends in the letters “-ed”. However, there are
three different ways to pronounce these letters. The pronunciation depends on the last
consonant before the “-ed”.
“id” “d” “t”

If the last consonant is “t”, or If the last consonant vibrates If the last consonant is hard,
“d”, add a syllable and or is soft, pronounce the past pronounce the past with a
pronounce “id” with a soft “d” hard “t”

# of syllables: +1 # of syllables: same as base # of syllables: same as base

Needed (“ni-ded”) Traveled (“trah-vld”) Walked (“wakt”)

Wanted (“wan-ted”) Snowed (“snod”) Cooked (“kukt”)

Requested (“ruh-kwes-ted”) Rained (“reind”) Escaped (“ehs-keipt”)

Visited (“vih-sih-ted”) Lived (“lihvd”) Danced (“danst”)

Recommended (“reh-ko-mehn- Loved (“luhvd”) Asked (“ahskt”)


ded”)

Decided (“duh-sai-ded”) Cried (“kraid”) Wished (“wihsht”)

Accepted (“ahk-sehp-ted”) Answered (“ahn-swrd”) Developed (“duh-veh-


luhpt”)

Added (“ah-ded”) Remembered (“ruh-mehm- Helped (“hehlpt”)


brd”)

Collected (“kuh-lek-ted”) Owned (“ond”) Introduced (“ihn-truh-dust”)

Created (“kri-ei-ted”) Reserved (“ruh-zrvd”) Missed (“mist”)

Participated (“Par-tih-sih-pei- Returned (“ruh-trnd”) Practiced (“prahk-tihst”)


ted”)

Ended (“ehn-ded”) Arrived (“uh-raivd”) Shopped (“shapt”)

Waited (“uei-ted”) Changed (“cheinjd”) Finished (“fih-nihsht”)

Invited (“ihn-vai-ted”) Happened (“hah-pehnd”) Attacked (“uh-tahkt”)

Celebrated (“sehl-eh-brei-ted”) Required (“ruh-kuai-rd”) Liked (“laikt”)

Ojo! Usamos esta regla de pronunciación no solo para los verbos en pasado, pero también para
adjetivos que terminan en “ed”. Ej. - “Complicated” (“kamp-lih-kei-ted”), “stressed” (“strehst”)
34

28b. Verb Tense - Past Simple - Irregulars


In the positive (+) past simple, there are many irregular conjugations. Below is a list of 50 of the
most common past simple irregulars, although there are many more.


Base Verb Simple Past Base Verb Simple Past

Become Became Say Said

Sing Sang Make Made

Leave Left Go Went

Put Put Take Took

Bring Brought Come Came

Keep Kept See Saw

Hold Held Know Knew

Stand Stood Get Got

Let Let Give Gave

Mean Meant Find Found

Set Set Think Thought

Meet Met Tell Told

Sit Sat Feel Felt

Speak Spoke Begin Began

Sleep Slept Write Wrote

Wake Up Woke Up Hear Heard

Lead Led Run Ran

Grow Grew Pay Paid

Lose Lost Read Read (“rehd”, como el color)

Fall Fell Send Sent

Build Built Understand Understood

Break Broke Buy Bought

Spend Spent Choose Chose

Cut Cut Wear Wore

Draw Drew Drive Drove


35

29. Questions - Simple Past Tense (Yes/No, Open)


Rule:

Yes / No Open

Formula [Did] + S + Base V + Rest? Question Word + [Did] + S + Base V + Rest?

Answer Yes or no Depends on question

Example Did you enjoy your vacation? When did you live in France?

Ojo! Cuando hacemos preguntas con “to be”, usamos “V + S + Rest?” o “Question Word + V + S +
Rest?”

(Repase # 26). Ej. - “How old were you?” Or “Where was he?”

Examples:
Sentence Yes / No Open

He was sad. Was he sad? How was he?

I played soccer. Did you play basketball? What sport did you play?

I went to the bank. Did you go to the bank? What did you do at lunch?

Because I didn’t sleep. - Why did you clean last night?

It started at 4:00PM. Did the meeting start at 3:00? When did the meeting start?

It was okay. Was it okay? How was it?

I wanted a pony. Did you want a pony? What did you want as a child?
36

30. Verb Tense - Present Perfect


Use:
The Present Perfect Tense is used for:

• Something that started in the past and continues in the present.


“Alexis Sanchez has played in many championships.”

“I have been tired all week.”


• Something that happened in an unspecified, indefinite, or unknown time before now.


“Your son has grown a lot recently.”

“I’ve met only 2 famous people in my entire life.”


Rule:

+ - ?

S + [Have / Has] + Past S + [Have / Has] + Not + Past [Have / Has] + S + Past
Participle+ Rest Participle + Rest Participle + Rest?

I have seen The Lion King. I have not seen The Lion King. Have you seen the Lion King?

Conjugation:
In the positive (+), the present perfect is formed like this,

I have … We have …
Ojo! Frecuentemente
+ Past
 abreviamos como “I’ve”,
You have … Participle
“You’ve”, “He’s”, “She’s”,
He
 They have … “We’ve”, “They’ve”
She has …
It
Conjugation only occurs in the “3rd person singular”

In the negative (-), the present perfect is formed like this,

Ojo! Frecuentemente
I have not … We have not abreviamos “have not” como
“haven’t”, y “has not” como
You have not … + Past
 “hasn’t”
Participle
He
 They have not
She has not …
It
Revise los participios en la
Conjugation only occurs in the “3rd person singular”

siguiente página
Examples: 


+ - ?

I’ve been to Mexico many times. I haven’t been to India. Have you been to The U.S.?

She’s written a lot of great books. I haven’t read a book in a while. Has your mom read The Bible?

We’ve had many problems today. My company hasn’t paid me yet. Have you received your check?

You’ve been sick for weeks! They haven’t gone to the doctor. Have they gotten the flu vaccine?

It has been a very long day. The baby hasn’t eaten today. Has Sarah fed the dog today?
37

30a. Past Participles


The past participle is a conjugation of a verb. It is often used as the adjective form of a verb, in
the passive voice (“voz pasiva”), and in the present perfect and past perfect verb tenses.

Regular past participles end in “ed” and follow the same pronunciation rules explained in 27a.

Ex. - “I have walked 3 kilometers today”. “Christmas is celebrated in December”.

However, there are many irregular past participles. Below is a list of 50 common irregular past
participles, although there are many more.


Base Verb Past Participle Base Verb Past Participle

Be Been Lend Lent

Become Become Let Let

Begin Begun Lose Lost

Bring Brought Make Made

Buy Bought Meet Met

Choose Chosen Pay Paid

Come Come Put Put

Do Done Read Read

Drink Drunk Run Run

Drive Driven Say Said

Eat Eaten See Seen

Fall Fallen Sell Sold

Feel Felt Send Sent

Find Found Sing Sung

Fly Flown Sit Sat

Forget Forgotten Sleep Slept

Get Gotten Speak Spoken

Give Given Stand Stood

Go Gone Swim Swum

Have Had Take Taken

Hear Heard Teach Taught

Keep Kept Tell Told

Write Written Think Thought

Know Known Understand Understood

Leave Left Wear Worn


38

30b. Adverbs of Frequency and Prepositions of Time


with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect, we often add modifications to be more specific.

Never Nunca
“Never” refers to an instance that does not exist, or something you have not done in your life.

Placement: “Never” is placed after have/has and before the past participle.
Ojo! No
Ex. - I have never been to Russia. I have never seen Forrest Gump.
podemos usar “no”
y “nunca” juntos.
Always Siempre
“Always” is the opposite of “never”, and refers to something that is true for your life or all of
existence.

Placement: “Always” is placed after have/has and before the past participle.

Ex. - She has always been adventurous. I have always loved broccoli.

Ever
“Ever” is used in questions and positive and negative statements to express an unidentified
time before now. We use it to talk about experience in a person’s life.

Placement: “Ever” is placed after have/has and before the past participle.

Ex. - Have you ever eaten kangaroo? This is the first time she’s ever danced cumbia.

Already Ya
“Already” is used in positive sentences and questions. It expresses that an action has
happened before now. It indicates that there is no need to continue with the action, or that the
action happened earlier than expected.

Placement: “Already” is placed after have/has and before the past participle OR at the end of a
sentence.

Ex. - I’ve eaten dinner already. Have you already done the assignment?

Yet Aún
“Yet” is usually used in negative sentences and questions. It is used to talk about something
that is expected to happen, and it means “at any time up to now” or “already”.

Placement: “Yet” is placed at the end of a sentence.

Ex. - Have you met James yet? I haven’t finished yet. Has Angela arrived yet?

Todavía
Still
“Still” is usually used in negative sentences. It is also used to talk about something that started
in the past and continues to now, or something that you expected to happen earlier.

Placement: “Still” is placed after the subject and before have/has.

Ex. - I still haven’t tried the new restaurant.


Ojo! - Estas
traducciones no
Just Justo son exactas.
“Just” means “a short time ago”.
Según el
Placement: “Just” is placed after have/has and before the past participle.
contexto, pueden
Ex. - I have just finished my homework. He has just changed jobs.
 ser diferentes.
39

31. Modal Verbs


This packet has already introduced some modal verbs.

• #17 presented “Can for Abilities”

• #18 presented “Can and Could for Polite Requests”

• #25 presented “Should for Advice”

• #26 presented “Future Tense”

Modal verbs are different than other verbs for three reasons.

1. They are auxiliary, so they can't be used alone. They help give meaning to other verbs.

2. After a modal verb, you use a base verb. Ex. - “I can run”, NOT “I can to run”.

3. Modal verbs never need to be conjugated. They are the same for all subjects.


Rule:
+ - ?

S + Modal + Base Verb + Rest S + Modal + Base Verb + Not + Modal + S + Base Verb + Rest?
Rest

You should exercise more. You shouldn’t say that. Should I go to the meeting?

Examples:

Modal Verb Spanish Use Example

Can “Puedo (e, es, emos, Abilities, real possibilities, She can sing well. I can go
en)” permission, informal requests to the party. Can you
repeat that?

Will “-é”, “-ás”, “-á”,
 Future actions, promises and I will run tonight. Will you
“-emos”, “-án” intentions marry me?

Could “Podría (s, mos, n)” Hypothetical possibilities, polite She could quit, but she
requests won’t. Could you please
speak slower?

“Pude (iste, o, imos, Past tense of “can” When I was young, I could
ieron)”, “podía, (s, run fast. I couldn’t come to
mos, n) class yesterday.

Must “Debo (e, emos, en)” Obligations, logical You must be home by
assumptions 11pm. She must be very
tired.

Should “Debería (s, mos, n)” Suggestions, advice, likely You should wear a jacket.
predictions The party should be fun.

Would “-ía (s, mos, n)” Hypothetical situations, polite I would not do that if I were
requests or offers you. Would you like some
water?

May / Might “Podría (s, mos, n)” Hypothetical possibilities, It may rain tonight. I might
O “Puede que…” formal request for permission run tonight, but I might not.
May I use the restroom?
40

32. Time Clauses


There are many words that help us specify when something happens in relation to when
something else happens. When we use these words, we must pay attention to the verb tense.

When Cuándo
Ojo! Frecuentemente el
Ex. - When he returns from the store, we will watch a movie.
 uso de “when” requiere
I will hug my mom when I see her.
el uso del futuro (“will”) o
When we finish, we should buy ice cream.
de un “modal”.

While Mientras
Ex. - While I clean my room, my husband washes the dishes.

I waited while he finished getting ready.

As Mientras
Ex. - The police arrived as the robbers were getting away.

As I did my homework, my friend told me a story.

Since Desde
Ojo! No podemos usar
Ex. - Since I was 10 years old, I have loved to dance.
“llevar” con el tiempo.
I have wanted a dog since I was a little boy.
Normalmente ocupamos el
presente perfecto con
For Por “since” o “for”. Ej. - “Llevo
2 años en Chile” = “I have
Ex. - I have gone to the library every day for 10 years.
lived in Chile for 2 years.”
She’s been waiting for 10 minutes.

Before / After Antes / Después


Ex. - Before I went to the party, I bought a bottle of wine.

I fell asleep immediately after I brushed my teeth.

Until Hasta
Ex. - Until I was an adult, I never understood what love was.

I will love you until the day I die,

As soon as Tan pronto como


Ex. - As soon as I finish work, I will call you.
Ojo! - Estas
I went home as soon as I could.
traducciones no
son exactas.
Once Una vez que Según el
Ex. - Once I turned 18, I began to buy cigarettes.
contexto, pueden
I will tell you once I see you.
ser diferentes.
41

33. Adverbs of Degree


Adverbs of Degree are used to indicate the severity or intensity of something.

In most cases, they are placed immediately before the word they are modifying.

Almost Casi

“Almost” is used before an adjective, noun, or verb to mean “close, but not exactly”

Ex. - I am almost there, wait for me! Let’s eat soon, I’m almost hungry. I almost finished.

Just Solo o Justo

“Just” has many meanings. Depending on context, before an adjective, verb, or adverb it
reduces the intensity, meaning “only”.

Ex. - I’m not doing much, just reading. I’m not angry, I’m just tired. I just want to eat.

“Just” can also be used before a verb to mean “right before”.

Ex. - Come in, I just finished working. She just got a new job last week.

Enough (Lo) Suficiente

“Enough” can be used as a determiner before a noun to mean “as much/many as necessary”.

Ex. - We have enough bread. We don’t have enough ice, please buy more.

“Enough” can also be used after verbs or adjectives to mean “to the necessary degree”.

Ex. - I missed the meeting because I didn’t arrive early enough. I’m not energetic

enough to be an exercise coach. I’m not experienced enough for that job.

Quite Bastante Ojo! En este caso, también usamos “pretty” en vez de “quite”.

“Quite” is used before adjectives or adverbs to make it stronger, but not as strong as “very”.

Ex. - The movie was boring, but it was quite funny. I’m quite tired, I think I’ll go to sleep.

“Quite” is used before verbs to mean “not exactly”.

Ex. - I don’t quite know what I’ll do after university. I quite want to go to the beach.

Very Muy Ojo! En este caso, también usamos “extremely” en vez de “very”.

“Very” is used before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger, or more intense.

Ex. - The house was very big. She worked very quickly. I was not very happy yesterday.

Too También O Demasiado Ojo! En inglés, este “too” implica un


problema, o que sea algo malo.
“Too” can be used at the end of a phrase to mean “also”.

Ex. - I like coffee, but I like tea too. I’m not going to clean my room and yours too.

“Too” can also be used before an adjective to mean “excessively”.

Ex. - The tea is too hot to drink. I am too tired to exercise today. He is too young for me.

42

34. Prepositions of Movement

ward

of

Examples:
Children, please get off of the tables and into your seats!

To arrive to my house, you must go across a bridge and through a tunnel.

I walked slowly up the stairs.

Oh no! He’s walking right toward the fire!

I need to go away from here. I might travel out of the city.

I like to walk along the beach.

To find my desk in the office, you need to walk past the receptionist and around the corner.

The birds flew over my head.



43

35. Using the Present Continuous to Discuss the


Future
In #14, we learned the Present Continuous verb tense. We learned that it is primarily used to
discuss what is happening at that moment.

However, we can also use the Present Continuous in the same form to discuss plans for the
future. When we do this, we know from context that the event will happen in the future.

Examples:
My parents are coming to Chile next month!

(We have discussed this and they have bought their tickets)

I’m not working next week because I will be in Jamaica.

(I will be on vacation, so it is my plan not to work)

We’re having a meeting on Monday.

(It has been decided and communicated to the staff)

I’m leaving Chile in a year.

(My plan is to leave Chile in one year)

Is she staying in a hotel when she goes to New York? No, she’s staying with her family.

(Her plan for her future trip to New York is to stay at her family’s house)

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36. Irregular Plurals


As mentioned in #21, some nouns do not end in “s” or “es”. These are called irregular plurals.

One rule to remember is that most nouns that end in “f” change to “ves” in the plural form.

Singular Noun Plural Noun

Wife (“Esposa”) Wives (“Esposas”)

Life (“Vida”) Lives (“Vidas”)

Knife (“Cuchillo”) Knives (“Cuchillos”)

Shelf (“Repisa”) Shelves (“Repisas”)

Wolf (“Lobo”) Wolves (“Lobos”)

Leaf (“Hoja”) Leaves (“Hojas”)


Some nouns change their vowels in their plural form.

Singular Noun Plural Noun

Man (“Hombre”) Men (“Hombres”)

Woman (“Mujer”) Women (“Mujeres”) Ojo! Para decir “women” más


claro, intente cambiar el
Foot (“Pie”) Feet (“Pies”)
sonido del primer vocal a “ih”.
Tooth (“Diente”) Teeth (“Dientes”) (Woman = “wuh-mihn”,
Women = “wih-mihn”)

A few nouns change significantly in their plural form.

Singular Noun Plural Noun

Child (“Niño, Hijo”) Children (“Niños, Hijos”)

Person (“Persona") People (“Personas”)

Mouse (“Ratón”) Mice (“Ratones”)

Some nouns do not change at all in their plural form.


Singular Noun Plural Noun

Fish (“pez”) Fish (“Peces”)

Sheep (“Oveja”) Sheep (“Ovejas”)

Deer (“Ciervo”) Deer (“Ciervos”)

Shrimp (“Camaron") Shrimp (“Camarones”)


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37. Good vs. Well


Good
“Good” is an adjective, so it modifies a noun. We use it when something is or seems good.

Ex. - How was the party? It was good!

This is good fruit. The cheese is good, too.

Relax! Life is good.

I love a good glass of wine.

Well
“Well” is an adverb, so it modifies a verb. We use it when an action is done well.

Ex. - She sings well.

I wish I could dance well..

How was the test? It was okay, I think I did well.

I want to do well at work, but it’s difficult because I don’t like my boss.

He cooks very well. Everything he makes is good!

Ojo! Existe una excepción a esta regla. Cuando hablamos de la salud, se puede usar
“well” como adjetivo. Por eso, frecuentemente respondemos la pregunta “How are
you?” con “I am well”. Sin embargo, en contextos coloquiales también se puede decir
“I am good”.
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Glossary


Abbreviation Abreviación

Adjective Adjetivo

Advice Consejos

Answer Respuesta

Base Verb (Base V) El verbo sin “to”, ej. “walk”

Consonant Consonante

Example (Ex.) Ejemplo

Expression Dicho

Fact Hecho

Imperative Imperativo

Modal Verb Un verbo auxiliar usado


en conjunto con otro verbo
(como “should” y “can”)

Noun Sustantivo (persona, lugar, o


cosa)

Polite Educado, formal

Preposition Preposición

Pronoun Pronombre

Question Pregunta

Rest El resto (de una frase)

Rule Regla

Sentence Oración

Subject Sujeto (lo que hace la


acción en una frase)

Suggest Sugerir

Syllable Sílaba

Verb Verbo (la acción de una


frase)

Verb Tense Tiempo verbal

Vowel Vocal

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