English Way's Students - Learning together

Future Tenses

2015-04-16T13:12:00.002-03:00

Collocations

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Job vs Work

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Prefixes

2015-04-16T13:09:00.002-03:00

Idioms: Walk on Eggs

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Modal Verb WOULD

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TELLING THE TIME

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Alphabet in English

2014-05-13T10:34:00.004-03:00

Prepositions (II)

2013-10-17T08:12:00.002-03:00

Prepositions (II)

Existen ciertas preposiciones que se usan luego de adjetivos o participios pasados. Estas expresiones con preposiciones deben aprenderse de memoria, ya que siempre se forman de la misma manera.

to be good at (ser bueno en)
Sheila is good at tennis.
Sheila es buena en el tenis.
to be bad at (ser malo en)
John is bad at skating.
John es malo en patinaje (patina mal).
to be fond of (ser fanático de)
Theo is fond of sports.
Theo es fanático de los deportes.
to be interested in (interesarse por)
Sue is interested in literature.
Sue se interesa por la literatura.
to be keen on (adorar)
Michael is keen on football.
Michael adora el fútbol.
to be afraid of (tener miedo de/a)
Ron is afraid of spiders.
Ron tiene miedo de/a las arañas.
to be sorry for (pedir disculpas por)
We are sorry for this inconvenience.
Pedimos disculpas por este inconveniente.

Prepositions of movement and direction

Hay ciertas preposiciones que presentan dificultades para los estudiantes de inglés, debido a que su uso es bastante distinto del español.

TO: La preposición to se usa para indicar el destino.

This plane is going to London.
Este avión va hacia Londres.

FROM: La preposición from indica la procedencia.

This plane is coming from London.
Este avión viene de Londres.

AT: Con la preposición at se indica un punto de permanencia.

The plane is now at London Airport.
El avión ahora está en el aeropuerto de Londres.

IN: La preposición in indica un área de permanencia. Con ciudades, países, estados, áreas grandes se usa siempre in.

This plane is in London now.
El avión está en Londres.

La confusión para los estudiantes surge en cómo saber cuando deben usar at o in. La diferencia es que at indica un punto en el espacio, mientras que in hace referencia a un área más grande.

Prepositions (I)

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Prepositions (I)

El uso de las preposiciones es uno de los puntos más difíciles de aprender, ya que se uso es bastante distinto que en castellano. Comenzaremos con las preposiciones más usuales.

Prepositions
in	en
on	sobre
under	debajo de
above	sobre
in front of	frente a
opposite	frente a
next to	al lado de

The computer is in my room, on the desk.
La computadora está en mi cuarto, sobre el escritorio.
The cat is under the chair.
El gato está debajo de la silla.
The satellite is above the Earth.
El satélite está sobre la Tierra.
The school is in front of the bank.
La escuela está frente al banco.
The school is opposite the bank.
La escuela está frente al banco.
The bank is next to the supermarket.
El banco está al lado del supermercado.

Countable nouns / Uncountable nouns - Contables e Incontables

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GRAMMAR

Contables e Incontables

Un sustantivo es contable cuando se puede contar en unidades. Por ejemplo, book es contable, porque se puede decir one book, two books, five books.
Un sustantivo es incontable cuando no se puede contar en unidades. Por ejemplo, milk es incontable porque no se puede decir one milk, two milks sino que se debe hacer alguna referencia, como por ejemplo al envase: two bottles of milk.

How much / How many

Se utilizan para preguntar por cantidades de algo.
Si se trata de sustantivos contables, se aplica How many.
Si se trata de sustantivos incontables, se usa How much.
Estas expresiones siempre van seguidas de un sustantivo; luego, el verbo y el resto de la oración.

How many cars do you have?
¿Cuántos autos tienes?
How much money do you have?
¿Cuánto dinero tienes?

How much se utiliza también para preguntar precios.

How much is this car?
¿Cuánto cuesta este auto?
How much are the potatoes?
¿Cuánto cuestan las papas?

También se usan en forma genérica para preguntar "cuánto hay". En este caso, van seguidas del sustantivo y luego, is / are there.

How many cars are there?
¿Cuántos autos hay?
How much money is there?
¿Cuánto dinero hay?

A estas preguntas se responde usando There is / are, dependiendo de si se trata de singular o plural, como ya hemos visto en lecciones anteriores.

There are nine cars.
Hay nueve autos.
There is one dollar.
Hay un dólar.

Para hacer referencia a los sustantivos incontables, se pueden utilizar los envases o las medidas de los envases que los contienen, los cuales sí son contables...

How much milk is there?
¿Cuánta leche hay?
There are three litres.
Hay tres litros.
There are three bottles.
Hay tres botellas.

Some / Any

Para referirse a sustantivos incontables directamente, se usan las palabras some y any.
Como norma general, some se aplica en las oraciones afirmativas, mientras que any se usa en las oraciones interrogativas y negativas.

Is there any sugar?
¿Hay azúcar?
Yes, there is some sugar.
Sí, hay algo de azúcar.
No, there isn't any sugar.
No, no hay nada de azúcar.

EXCEPCION: Se usa some en preguntas cuando se está ofreciendo o pidiendo alguna cosa:

Would you like some sugar in your tea?
¿Desearías azúcar en tu té?
Could I have some water, please?
¿Podría traerme agua, por favor?

Estas palabras también pueden usarse con sustantivos contables...

Is there any pencil?
Hay algún lápiz?
Yes, there are some pencils.
Sí, hay algunos lápices.
No, there isn't any pencil.
No, no hay ningún lápiz.

Any questions? Leave us your comments

Video: Tokio

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Everyday life

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Video: The Notting Hill Carnival

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10 Idioms in 10 Minutes

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free and easy = relaxed, friendly. She knew that life wouldn't be so free and easy at work.
in dribs and drabs = in small amounts or numbers. The public arrived in dribs and drabs.
in leaps and bounds = very quickly. My English is improving in leaps and bounds.
prim and proper = correct and very formal. She's a very prim and proper lady.
ranting and raving = shouting in an angry way. Please stop ranting and raving and listen to me!
skin and bone = extremely thin. She's really skin and bone, she doesn't need to go on a diet anymore.
spick and span = completely clean and tidy. Her room is always spick and span.
the length and breadth of some place = all over the place. Police searched the length and breadth of the town.
thick and fast = happening very frequently, in large amounts. Letters for the contest arrived thick and fast.
to be at somebody's beck and call = be ready to do what somebody wants. She got tired of being at his beck and call.
to blow hot and cold = keep changing one's attitude towards something. Now he agrees but I'm sure that later he'll disagree; he always blows hot and cold.

Aficiones e intereses

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Aficiones e intereses

Aquí tienes algunas frases que pueden ser útiles cuando
hables sobre intereses y aficiones.

what do you like doing in your spare time?	¿qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?

I like ...	me gusta ...
watching TV	ver la television
listening to music	escuchar música
walking	pasear
jogging	hacer jogging

I quite like ...	me gusta bastante ...
cooking	cocinar
playing chess	jugar al ajedrez
yoga	el yoga

I really like ...	me gusta mucho ...
swimming	nadar
dancing	bailar

I love ...	me encanta ...
the theatre	el teatro
the cinema	el cine
going out	salir por ahí
clubbing	ir a la discoteca

I enjoy travelling	me gusta viajar

I don't like ...	no me gustan ...
pubs	los pubs
noisy bars	los bares ruidosos
nightclubs	las discotecas

I hate ...	odio ...
shopping	ir de compras

I can't stand ...	no soporto ...
football	el fútbol

I'm interested in ...	me interesa ...
photography	la fotografía
history	la historia
languages	los idiomas

I read a lot	leo mucho

have you read any good books lately?	¿has leído algún buen libro últimamente?
have you seen any good films recently?	¿has visto alguna buena película últimamente?

do you play any sports?	¿practicas algún deporte?

yes, I play ...	sí, juego ...
football	al fútbol
tennis	al tenis
golf	al golf

I'm a member of a gym	estoy apuntado a un gimnasio

no, I'm not particularly sporty	no, no soy muy deportista

I like watching football	me gusta ver el fútbol

which team do you support?	¿cúal es tu equipo favorito?

I support ...	soy seguidor del ...
Manchester United	Manchester United
Chelsea	Chelsea

I'm not interested in football	no me interesa el fútbol

do you play any instruments?	¿sabes tocar algun instrumento?

yes, I play ...	sí, sé tocar ...
the guitar	la guitarra

yes, I've played the piano for ... years	sí, he tocado el piano durante ... años
five	cinco

I'm in a band	estoy en una banda de música
I sing in a choir	canto en un coro

what sort of music do you like?	¿qué tipo de música te gusta?
what sort of music do you listen to?	¿qué tipo de música escuchas?

pop	pop
rock	rock
dance	música dance
classical	música clásica
anything, really	escucho de todo
lots of different stuff	escucho mucha música diferente

have you got any favourite bands?	¿tienes alguna banda favorita?

Phrasal Verbs

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grow up

to develop from a child into an adult.

look after

to take care of someone or something

bring up

to take care of a child until it is fully grown and able to
care for itself; to train and prepare a child for adult life.

do up

to repair; to improve the condition and appearance of
something.
a house / a room / a flat / an old car etc.

look back

to remember and think about the past.

put through

to connect a telephone caller to the number he or she
wants.

speak up

to speak louder.
often used in the imperative

cut off

to disconnect, interrupt or discontinue something or
someone.

hold on

to wait (especially on the telephone).

get through

to contact someone (usually by telephone).

stand for

to represent or mean; to be a sign or short form of
something else.

break down

to stop working (of machinery)

break up

to end; to separate.
(of a marriage / a family / a relationship etc.)

English Language

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English Language

English is a West Germanic language originating in England, and the first language for most people in Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (also commonly known as the Anglosphere). It is used extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the world, especially in Commonwealth countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, and in many international organisations.

Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca. English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. The influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the British Isles. Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States has significantly accelerated the spread of the language. On an average school day approximately one billion people are learning English in one form or another.

A working knowledge of English is required in certain fields, professions, and occupations. As a result over a billion people speak English at least at a basic level. English is one of six official languages of the United Nations.

Questions about the text

BEAUTIFUL, PRETTY OR HANDSOME?

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BEAUTIFUL, PRETTY OR HANDSOME?

Key

Beautiful is used to refer to a woman or a child, who are attractive in a noticeable way.

Pretty is used to refer to a woman or a girl, who have a nice, attractive face.

Handsome is used to refer to a man or a boy, who are good-looking, attractive.

Beautiful se usa para referirse a una mujer o un niño pequeño, que son atractivos de forma evidente.

Pretty se usa para referirse a una mujer o una niña, que tienen una cara bonita, atractiva.

Handsome se usa para referirse a un hombre o un niño, que son bonitos, atractivos.

beautiful
She was more beautiful than I had remembered.
What a beautiful child!
Julia Roberts is really beautiful.
pretty
She looks pretty with that new haircut.
They have a pretty little girl.
Julia Roberts is really pretty.
handsome
He is tall, blond and handsome.
They have a handsome young boy.
George Clooney is really handsome.

Conditionals Type 2

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Conditionals Type 2

Las oraciones condicionales del segundo tipo sirven para expresar situaciones que podrían ocurrir si se cumpliera una determinada condición hipotética.

Por ejemplo:

If I had a million dollars, I would buy a big house.Si tuviera un millón de dólares, compraría una casa grande.

A esta oración se la denomina oración condicional del segundo tipo. Expresa que pasaría si se cumpliera una condición imaginaria, hipotética (que es poco probable que se cumpla). En realidad, no tengo un millón de dólares, solamente estoy imaginando qué haría si los tuviera.

If + condición + consecuencia
If + Past + would

Estas oraciones se forman comenzando con IF y agregando la condición, expresada en tiempopasado. Luego, se agrega lo que ocurriría si se cumple esa condición, expresado con wouldseguido del verbo.

If I had a calculator, I would do this homework quicker (but I don't have a calculator).Si tuviera una calculadora, haría esta tarea más rápido (pero no tengo una calculadora).

If you lost your keys, you would have a big problem.Si perdieras las llaves, tendrías un gran problema.

If I worked less, I would have more free time.Si trabajara menos, tendría más tiempo libre.

Siempre debe utilizarse el tiempo pasado en la parte de la oración que tiene el if y el verbo modal would en la parte de la oración que contiene la consecuencia. Es incorrecto decir:

~~If I would work less, I would have more free time.~~If I worked less, I would have more free time.

El verbo modal would puede usarse también en su forma contracta 'd.

If I worked less, I'd have more free time.

El verbo modal would puede usarse también en su forma contracta 'd.

If I worked less, I'd have more free time.

La condición tambén puede ser negativa.

If you didn't eat so much, you would be slim.Si no comieras tanto, estarías en forma.

La consecuencia tambén puede ser negativa.

If you didn't eat so much, you wouldn't be so fat.Si no comieras tanto, no estarías tan gordo.

También es posible realizar preguntas con las oraciones condicionales.

What would you do if you won the lottery?¿Qué harías si ganaras la lotería?

Veamos la diferencia con las oraciones condicionales del primer tipo:

Type 1: If we take a bus, it will be cheaper.Si tomamos un autobús, será más barato.

Type 2: If we took a bus, it would be cheaper.Si tomáramos un autobús, sería más barato.

En la primera oración se trata de una condición general, se expresa algo que sucederá en el futuro. En cambio, en la segunda oración se trata de una condición irreal, estamos hablando de la posibilidad de tomar un autobús. Es una situación hipotética, que puede suceder o no, pero que solamente estamos imaginando que pasaría.

Video: 10 Great Adventures

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Idioms!

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on and off = not all the time, at irregular intervals. It's been raining on and off all day, I hate this kind of weather.
over and out = message used to end a radio communication. Understood. Over and out.
sink or swim = be successful or fail. This a very difficult job, you have to be careful. It's really sink or swim.
up and about = in good health. After the accident, he recovered very well, he's now up and about.
wait and see = wait patiently. We don't know if this government will be able to put his plans into practice. We have to wait and see.
by and by = soon, in a while from now. By and by they came to an enchanted place.
chapter and verse = with a lot of details. The teacher gave them chapter and verse about where to find the information.
cheap and cheerful = simple, not expensive and of reasonable quality. This is really a cheap and cheerful Greek restaurant.
cloak-and-dagger = secret and mysterious. It was a cloak-and-dagger operation in which several spies were involved.
down-and-out = having no money. He's a down-and-out actor now.

Familia y relaciones sociales

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Familia y relaciones sociales

Aquí tienes algunas frases útiles para hablar sobre la familia y relaciones sociales.
Aprende cómo hablar sobre hermanos y hermanas, hijos y otros miembros de la familia,
así como describir tu estado personal.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?	¿tienes algún hermano o hermana?

yes, I've got ...	sí, tengo ...
a brother	un hermano
a sister	una hermana
an elder brother	un hermano mayor
a younger sister	una hermana más joven
two brothers	dos hermanos
two sisters	dos hermanas
one brother and two sisters	un hermano y dos hermanas

no, I'm an only child	no, soy hijo único

have you got any kids?	¿tienes hijos?
do you have any children?	¿tienes hijos?

yes, I've got ...	sí, tengo ...
a boy and a girl	un chico y una chica
a young baby	un bebé
three kids	tres niños

I don't have any children	no, no tengo hijos

do you have any grandchildren?	¿tiene usted nietos?

are your parents still alive?	¿están tus padres todavía vivos?
where do your parents live?	¿dónde viven tus padres?

what do your parents do?	¿qué hacen tus padres?
what does your father do?	¿a qué se dedica tu padre?
what does your mother do?	¿a qué se dedica tu madre?

are your grandparents still alive?	¿están tus abuelos aún vivos?
where do they live?	¿dónde viven?

do you have a boyfriend?	¿tienes novio?
do you have a girlfriend?	¿tienes novia?

are you married?	¿estás casado?, ¿estás casada?
are you single?	¿estás soltero?, ¿estás soltera?
are you seeing anyone?	¿estás saliendo con alguien?

I'm ...	estoy ...
single	soltero/a
engaged	comprometido/a
married	casado/a
divorced	divorciado/a
separated	separado/a
a widow	viuda
a widower	viudo

I'm seeing someone	estoy saliendo con alguien

have you got any pets?	¿tienes alguna mascota?
I've got ...	sí, tengo ...
a dog and two cats	un perro y dos gatos
a Labrador	un perro Labrador

what's his name?¿cómo se llama?
he's called ...se llama ...
what's her name?¿cómo se llama?
she's called ...se llama ...
what are their names?¿cómo se llaman?
they're called ...se llaman ...
how old is he?¿cuántos años tiene?
he's ...tiene ...twelve doce años
how old is she?¿cuántos años tiene?
she's ...tiene ...fifteen quince años
how old are they?¿cuántos años tienen?
they're ...tienen ...six and eight seis y ocho años

Phrasal Verbs

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find out

to make an effort to discover or get to know (something).
the truth / a secret / an address / the time /

take after

to look or be like an older relative.

look into

to investigate; to carefully examine a situation or event
and try to discover the reasons for it.

look round

to visit and tour round a place.
a house / a shop / a town / a factory / an
exhibition etc.

look over

to examine (someone or something) carefully and fully.
some work / a car / a house / a document / a

suggestion / an applicant etc.

look up

to find (or try to find) something (e.g. a telephone

number) in a book (e.g. a telephone directory).

look for

to try to find (something or someone), often a thing or
person that is lost.

University of Cambridge

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University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after Oxford).

It is situated in the town of Cambridge, England. According to legend, the university was founded in 1209 by scholars escaping from Oxford after a fight with locals there.

Cambridge has produced more Nobel prize winners than any other university in the world, having 80 associated with it, about 70 of whom were students there.

It regularly heads league tables ranking British universities, and a recent league table by the Times Higher Education Supplement rated it sixth in the world overall and first for science.

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, often referred to together as Oxbridge, compete to be seen as the strongest overall university in the UK. Historically, they have produced a significant proportion of Britain's prominent scientists, writers and politicians.

Questions about the text