4

fourth edition

English File
POCKET BOOK
B2.1 for speakers of Spanish

Robin Walker
Christina Latham-Koenig
Clive Oxenden
Kate Chomacki
 Grammar
1A Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in English have the same form for singular and plural.
A ¿De quién es este reloj? A Whose watch is this?
B Es mío. B It’s mine.
A ¿De quién son estas gafas? A Whose glasses are these?
B Son mías. B They’re mine. NOT They’re mines.
Don’t confuse possessive pronouns (hers / theirs) with possessive adjectives
(her / their). Possessive adjectives don’t have an -s before a plural noun.
tus padres = your parents NOT yours parents
nuestros hijos = our children NOT ours children
Be careful with su; it can be his, her or their.
su mejor amigo (de él / de ella / de ellos / de ellas) = his / her / their best friend
sus mejores amigos (de él / de ella / de ellos / de ellas) = his / her / their best friends
You can’t use an article (a / the) before possessive pronouns.

A Vamos a organizar todas A Let’s sort out all these suitcases. This is mine.
estas maletas. Ésta es la mía. NOT This is the mine.
B Y éstas son las nuestras. B And these are ours. NOT And these are the ours.
A David, ¿es ésa la tuya? A David, is that one yours? NOT David, is that the yours?
With the structure verb + direct object + indirect object, when the direct
object is a pronoun, remember to put to or for before the indirect object.
David tiene mi dirección de = David’s got my email address. I gave it to him
correo electrónico. Se la di ayer. yesterday. NOT …I gave it him yesterday.
Si la agencia necesita tu pasaporte, = If the agency needs your passport, send it to them
mándaselo por mensajero. by courier. NOT …send it them by courier.
¿Te gusta mi corbata? Me la = Do you like my tie? My wife bought it for me.
compró mi mujer. NOT …My wife bought it me.
Estamos en un hotel precioso. = We’re staying in a lovely hotel. My daughter
Nos lo buscó mi hija en internet. found it for us online.
Remember to use each other, not the plural object pronoun, when you talk
about a reciprocal action between people.
Mi hermana y yo nos vemos casi = My sister and I see each other almost every day.
todos los días. NOT My sister and I see us almost every day.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of the endings of possessive pronouns.
my /maɪ/ your /jɔː/ her /hɜː/ their /ðeə/
mine /maɪn/ yours /jɔːz/ hers /hɜːz/ theirs /ðeəz/

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1B Adjectives

Adjectives normally go before the noun in English.

El chino es un idioma muy difícil. = Chinese is a very difficult language.
NOT Chinese is a language very difficult.
La iglesia es el edificio más = The church is the most important building in
importante del pueblo. the village. NOT The church is the building
most important…
Adjectives don’t change for singular and plural nouns.
Es una playa preciosa. = It’s a beautiful beach.
Hay unas playas preciosas = There are some beautiful beaches in Fuerteventura.
en Fuerteventura. NOT There are some beautifuls beaches…
Be careful with the spelling of comparative and superlative adjectives.
cloudier NOT cloudyer
easier NOT easyer
hottest NOT hotest
Be careful with irregular comparative and superlative adjectives.
better NOT more good
worse NOT badder
further NOT more far
the furthest NOT the most far
Be careful to use the comparative when comparing two things, and use the
superlative for one of a group.
Hay dos restaurantes italianos en el centro = There are two Italian restaurants in the
de la ciudad. Creo que la comida en city centre. I think the food in this one
éste es mejor. is better.
Hay muchos restaurantes italianos en el = There are lots of Italian restaurants in
centro de la ciudad. Creo que la comida the city centre. I think the food in this
en éste es la mejor. one is the best.
Remember to use than in comparisons.
Mis dos hermanas son mayores = Both my sisters are older than me.
que yo. NOT Both my sisters are older that me.
Viajar es más fácil ahora que = Travel is easier now than 50 years ago.
hace 50 años. NOT Travel is easier now that 50 years ago.
BUT
Spanish tan + adjective + como = English as + adjective + as.
Es tan alto como su padre. = He’s as tall as his father. NOT He’s so tall
as his father.
Hay compañías aéreas de bajo coste = There are low-cost airlines that are as
que son tan caras como las tradicionales. expensive as traditional ones. NOT There
are low cost airlines that are as expensive
like / how…
Remember to put one / ones after an adjective if you don’t repeat the noun.
No me gusta la camisa azul, pero me = I don’t like the blue shirt but I love the pink one.
encanta la rosa. NOT I don’t like the blue shirt but I love the pink.
Los teléfonos móviles inteligentes = Smartphones are more expensive than
son más caros que los normales. ordinary ones. NOT Smartphones are more
expensive than the ordinaries.
We don’t use one with uncountable nouns.
Querían vino blanco = They wanted white wine, but there was only red. NOT They
pero sólo había tinto. wanted white wine but there was only the red one.
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 Spanish un poco / mucho is similar to English a bit / a little / much.
Francia es un poco más grande que España. = France is a bit bigger than Spain.
Su coche es mucho más grande que el nuestro. = Their car is much bigger than ours.
Nuestro primer piso era mucho más pequeño = Our first flat was much smaller than
que el que tenemos ahora. the one we have now.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of comparatives and superlatives.
further /ˈfɜːðə/ much /mʌtʃ/ busier /ˈbɪziə/ easiest /ˈiːziɪst/
least /liːst/ worst /wɜːst/ happier /ˈhæpiə/ untidiest /ʌnˈtaɪdiɪst/

2A Present tenses

Remember the use of auxiliary do / does in questions and negatives in the

present simple.
A ¿Qué quieres hacer mañana? A What do you want to do tomorrow?
NOT What you want to do tomorrow?
B No quiero ir a la playa otra vez. B I don’t want to go to the beach again. NOT I
no want / not want to go to the beach again.
With the present simple remember to put adverbs of frequency directly before
the main verb but after be when it is the main verb.
Siempre me pongo casco cuando = I always wear a helmet when I go cycling.
voy en bicicleta. NOT Always I wear a helmet when I go cycling.
Los vuelos baratos suelen ser más = Low-cost flights are normally more expensive
caros que el precio anunciado. than the advertised price. NOT Low-cost
flights normally are more expensive than the
advertised price.
Longer expressions of frequency usually go at the end of the sentence or verb
phrase.
Voy a bucear dos o tres veces = I go diving two or three times a week.
a la semana. NOT I go two or three times a week diving.
Don’t forget to use the present continuous for actions now or around now.

A ¿Espera a alguien?
B Sí. Espero a mi hijo.
A Are you waiting for someone?
B Yes. I’m waiting for my son. NOT Yes. I wait
for my son.

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 A ¿Qué hace tu padre en el jardín?
B Está cortando el césped.
A What’s your father doing in the garden?
NOT What does your father do in the garden?
B He’s cutting the grass. NOT He cuts the grass.

Don’t use the present continuous with non-action verbs.

A Creo que le gustas al jefe. A I think the boss likes you. NOT I think the boss
is liking you.
B ¿Por qué? B Why’s that?
A ¡Porque quiere verte otra vez! A Because he wants to see you again.
NOT Because he’s wanting to see you again.
Some verbs in English can have both action and non-action meanings.
¿Tiene algo de fruta fresca? = Do you have any fresh fruit?
Los estamos pasando muy bien. = We’re having a great time.
Spanish often uses the present simple for future arrangements when English
uses the present continuous.
¿Qué haces el sábado por la mañana? = What are you doing on Saturday morning?
NOT What do you do on Saturday morning?
A ¿Cuándo se casa Eva? A When is Eva getting married?
NOT When does Eva get married?
B El mes que viene. B Next month.
A ¿Vas a la boda? A Are you going to the wedding?
B Espero que sí. B I hope so.
Spanish and English both use the present simple for ‘timetable’ futures.
El vuelo sale a las 11.30 de la mañana. = The flight leaves at 11.30 in the morning.
¿A qué hora empieza la película? = What time does the film start?
Recuerda que los domingos el = Remember that the supermarket closes
supermercado cierra a las doce. at 12 o’clock on Sundays.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the rhythm of present tenses.
The train leaves at three. Are they thinking of driving?
The boss wants to see us. Are you waiting for someone?
I don’t want to watch the film. What are you thinking about?
They don’t need to live in the city. What do you want to do?
Is he going to come? What does it smell of?
Is she going to the wedding? What time does the film start?

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 2B Possessives

Remember to use ’s to show possession.

Me gusta el coche de tu hermano. = I like your brother’s car. NOT I like the car of
your brother.
¿Tienes los juguetes de los niños? = Have you got the children’s toys? NOT Have
you got the toys of the children?
¿Dónde está la comida del gato? = Where is the cat’s food? NOT Where is the
food of the cat?
Remember to use ‘s to refer to certain shops or businesses.
Vivo en frente de la farmacia. = I live opposite the chemist’s.
¿Teneís una carnicería en el pueblo? = Do you a have a butcher’s in your village?
Don’t put ’s after a plural noun ending in -s.
La casa de mis padres es muy antigua. = My parents’ house is very old.
NOT My parents’s house is very old.
We only use ’s with the possessions of people, animals, countries, and
organizations.
Las diferentes posiciones de las orejas = The different positions of a dog’s ears
de un perro tienen diferentes significados. have different meanings.
Las principales exportaciones de España = Spain’s main exports include cars,
incluyen coches, maquinaria, machinery, fruit, wine, and food products.
fruta, vino y productos alimenticios. NOT The main exports of Spain include…
¿Cómo es el uniforme nuevo del equipo? = What’s the team’s new strip like?
Don’t use ’s to show possession with things.
La puerta del garaje se cierra de = The garage door closes automatically.
forma automática. NOT The garage’s door closes automatically.
¿Tienes el cargador del teléfono? = Have you got the charger for the telephone?
NOT Have you got the telephone’s charger?
¿Dónde están las llaves del coche? = Where are the car keys? NOT Where are
the car’s keys?
Use noun + of + possessive pronoun to show possession after a / an / this / that.
Terry es un buen amigo mío. = Terry’s a good friend of mine.
Cuéntanos esa fantástica idea tuya. = Tell us about that fantastic idea of yours.
Spanish adjetivo posesivo + propio is similar to possessive adjective + own in
English.
Quiero abrir mi propio negocio. = I want to start my own business. OR I want to
start a business of my own.
La mayoría de la gente quiere poder = Most people want to be able to control
controlar sus propias vidas. their own lives.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of ’s after ch, ce, ge, sh, s.
the coach’s assistant = /ˈkəʊtʃɪz/ the boss’s car = /ˈbɒsəz/
Greece’s economy = /ˈɡriːsəz/ Tess’s daughter = /ˈtəsəz/
George’s house = /ˈdʒɔːdʒəz/

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3A Past simple, past continuous, or used to?

Be careful with the spelling of the past simple of regular verbs.

studied NOT studyed
worried NOT worryed
fitted NOT fited
planned NOT planed
preferred NOT prefered
Remember to use the auxiliary did and didn’t in the past simple of questions
and negatives.
¿Cuándo llegaste? = When did you arrive? NOT When you arrived?
No terminaron la reunión = They didn’t finish the meeting until after
hasta pasada la medianoche. midnight. NOT They not finished the meeting
until after midnight.
¿Adónde fuisteis de vacaciones? = Where did you go for your holidays? NOT Where
you went for your holidays?
Spanish pretérito is similar to English past simple. We use them for finished
past actions or states.
Estuve con Pablo la semana pasada. = I was with Pablo last week.
No volvió de Alemania hasta ayer. = He didn’t get back from Germany until yesterday.
¿Quién ganó el partido anoche? = Who won the match last night?
Spanish has two tenses, pasado continuo and pretérito imperfecto, for actions
and situations in progress in the past. Sometimes they correspond to the past
continuous in English.
Estábamos preparando la cena = We were making supper when there was
cuando hubo un apagón. a power cut.
Vieron el Mont Blanc desde el avión = They saw Mont Blanc from the plane as
cuando estaban bajando a Milán. they were descending towards Milan.
Trabajaba en un instituto cuando = He was working in a secondary school when
conoció a su mujer. he met his wife.
Choqué con un coche mal aparcado = I hit a badly-parked car when I was cycling
cuando iba al colegio en bicicleta. to school.
The Spanish pretérito imperfecto often corresponds to the past simple in
English.
Antes llovía mucho menos. = In the past it rained a lot less. NOT In the past
it was raining a lot less.
Cuando era pequeño, Rafa Nadal = When he was small, Rafa Nadal played tennis
jugaba más al fútbol que al tenis. more than football. NOT When he was small,
Rafa Nadal was playing tennis more than
football.
Sometimes the pretérito imperfecto corresponds to used to, when it describes a
habit or state that was true in the past but has now finished.
Antes eran muy amigos. = In the past they used to be good friends.
De niños jugábamos en la = As children we used to play in the street a lot.
calle muchísimo. NOT As children we were playing in the street
a lot.
Antes creía que la tecnología = I used to think that technology would solve all
resolvería todos nuestros problemas. our problems. NOT I was thinking that…

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 PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of regular past tenses.
/t/ /d/ /ɪd/
danced climbed ended
laughed failed hated
looked learned sounded
stopped played wanted
used studied
watched waved
wished wondered

3B Prepositions

Some prepositions that describe place have an independent meaning that is the
same in Spanish and English.
Guardo las maletas debajo de la cama. = I keep our suitcases under the bed.

Ana, ponte entre Miguel y Mar.

= Ana, stand between Miguel and Mar.

Dejé el coche delante de la farmacia. = I left the car in front of the chemist’s.
Don’t use of after behind and opposite.
El aparcamiento está detrás de la = The car park is behind the railway station. NOT
estación de trenes. The car park is behind of the railway station.
Hay un parque enfrente de mi casa. = There’s a park opposite my house. NOT There’s
a park opposite of my house.
Be careful with in and on.
Cuando éramos niños, jugábamos = When we were kids we played in the street a lot.
en la calle muchísimo. NOT When we were kids we played on the street
a lot.
A nuestro gato le gusta dormir = Our cat likes to sleep in the kitchen.
en la cocina. NOT Our cat likes to sleep on the kitchen.
Es mejor guardar la comida fresca = It’s best to keep fresh food in the fridge.
en la nevera. NOT It’s best to keep fresh food on the fridge.
Dejó los libros en la mesa. = He left the books on the table.
NOT He left the books in the table.
Había un mapa del mundo = There was a map of the world on the wall.
en la pared. NOT There was a map of the world in the wall.
Some prepositions that describe movement have an independent meaning that
is the same in Spanish and English.
Volamos sobre los Pirineos viniendo = We flew over the Pyrenees coming
de París. from Paris.
El niño corrió hacia su madre. = The child ran towards its mother.
Vamos a la playa. ¿Vienes? = We’re going to the beach. Are you coming?

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 In general, Spanish uses a verb indicating movement and direction where
English uses a verb of movement and a preposition of direction.
Entraron en el aula. = They went into the classroom.
Cruzamos el parque corriendo. = We ran across the park.
En la hora punta es más rápido = In rush hour it’s quicker to drive around Madrid
rodear Madrid que atravesarlo. than to go across it.
Viven en una casa preciosa, pero = They live in a lovely house, but they spend all
se pasan el día subiendo y bajando day going up and down stairs.
escaleras.
Be careful with dependent prepositions after verbs and adjectives.
Nos reímos de él. = We laughed at him. NOT We laughed of him.
Están preocupados por los = They’re worried about their exam results.
resultados de sus exámenes. NOT They’re worried for their exam results.
Le interesan los deportes = He’s interested in adventure sports.
de aventura. NOT He’s interested adventure sports.
Remember to use the -ing form of the verb if it comes after a dependent
preposition.
No se me da muy bien trabajar = I’m not much good at working in groups.
en grupo. NOT I’m not much good at work in groups.
Los jefes insisten en tomar decisiones = Bosses insist on making decisions without
sin consultar a sus empleados. consulting their employees.
NOT Bosses insist on make decisions…

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the rhythm of preposition phrases. The prepositions are not normally
stressed.
There’s a cat under the car. We walked around the square.
He stood between his parents. They laughed at the kids.
The car’s in the garage. She’s worried about her job.
There was a map on the wall. I’m good at solving problems.
They went to the beach.

4A Future forms: will / shall and be going to

Use will + infinitive when you make predictions when you think or believe
something will happen, to make promises, and for future facts.
A Vamos a Florencia el mes que viene. A We’re going to Florence next month.
B Estoy segura de que te va a encantar. B I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s perfect for an
Es perfecta para un apasionado del art enthusiast like you. (prediction)
arte como tú.
A Todavía no has reservado los vuelos. A You haven’t booked the flights yet.
B Lo haré pronto, te lo prometo. B I’ll do it soon, I promise. I’ve been
He estado muy ocupado. really busy. (promise)
El juicio se celebrará el 26 de febrero. = The trial will be held on February 26th.

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 Be careful with instant decisions and offers. Spanish uses the present simple
where English uses will.
A Los autobuses no funcionan hoy porque A The buses aren’t running today
los conductores están de huelga. because the drivers are on strike.
B ¿Ah sí? Entonces pido un taxi. B Really? I’ll order a taxi then. (instant
decision)
A Necesito a alguien que me cuide a los A I need someone to look after the kids
niños el jueves por la tarde. on Thursday afternoon.
B ¿Ah sí? Ya lo hago yo si no puedes B Really? I’ll do it if you can’t find
encontrar a nadie más. anyone else. (offer)
A ¿Cuándo me vas a mandar las fotos A When are you going to send me the
que sacaste el otro día? photos you took the other day?
B ¡Perdona! Se me olvidó por completo. B Sorry! I completely forgot about them.
Te las mando en cuanto llegue a casa. I’ll send them to you as soon as I get
home. (promise)
Use shall with I and we for offers and suggestions that are questions.

A No veo dónde va la tarjeta de memoria.

B ¿Te la pongo yo?
A I can’t see where the memory card goes.
B Shall I put it in for you? (offer)

A El año que viene es el 50 aniversario A It’s Mum and Dad’s 50th wedding
de boda de mamá y papá. anniversary next year.
B ¿Les compramos un crucero por B Shall we get them a cruise around the
las islas griegas? Greek islands? (suggestion)
Remember to use be going to + infinitive for future plans and intentions.
A ¿Qué vas a hacer este verano? A What are you going to do this summer?
B Vamos a quedarnos en casa de mi B We’re going to stay at my sister’s house
hermana en Jávea. in Javea.
A Veo que te has comprado unas zapatillas A I see you’ve bought some running shoes.
de deporte.
B Sí. Voy a empezar a entrenar en serio. B Yes. I’m going to start training seriously.
Remember to use be going to + infinitive for predictions when you have some
evidence.
Acabo de mirar la previsión = I’ve just had a look at the weather forecast.
meteorológica. Va a llover. It’s going to rain.
Va a sacar buenas notas al final del año. = He’s going to get good marks at the end of
Nunca falta a clase y hace todos the year. He never misses a class and he
los trabajos. does all his assignments.
Spanish often uses the present simple for future arrangements when English
uses the present continuous.
¿Qué haces este fin de semana? = What are you doing this weekend?
NOT What do you do this weekend?
Mis padres vienen a cenar mañana. = My parents are coming for supper
tomorrow. NOT My parents come for
supper tomorrow.

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 PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with contractions with will.
I’ll do it. He’ll be late. It’ll fall off. They’ll pay for it.
You’ll get it. She’ll go back. We’ll keep going. What’ll happen next?

4B First and second conditionals

First conditionals are similar in Spanish and English, but remember to use a
present tense in the if clause.
Si trabajamos en equipo, = If we work as a team, we’ll be more effective.
seremos más efectivos. NOT If we will work as a team, we’ll be more effective.
Si no nos marchamos ahora, no = If we don’t go now, we won’t get there on time.
llegaremos a tiempo. NOT If we won’t go now, we won’t get there on time.
First conditionals can use modal verbs in the same way in Spanish and English.
Si no tienes la titulación adecuada, = If you don’t have the right qualifications,
no puedes entrenar un equipo de fútbol. you can’t train a football team.
Si no saco buenas notas, puede que me = If I don’t get good marks, I might resit my
vuelva a presentar a los exámenes el exams next year.
año que viene.
Si quieres trabajar como traductor en la = If you want to work as a translator at the UN,
ONU, tienes que hablar al menos tres you must speak at least three languages.
idiomas.
Si te está costando leer el periódico, = If you’re having problems reading the
deberías ir al oculista. paper, you should go to the optician’s.
The second conditional is similar in English and Spanish, but where Spanish
uses the subjunctive in the if clause, remember to use the past simple in English.
Si cogiera el tren de las 6, estaría = If I got the 6 o’clock train, I’d be in Madrid by 9.
en Madrid para las 9. NOT If I would get the 6 o’clock train…
Si mi marido no me ayudara con = If my husband didn’t help me with the kids, I
los niños, no tendría tiempo para wouldn’t have time to see my friends. NOT If
ver a las amigas. my husband wouldn’t help me with the kids…
The difference between first and second conditional is the same in Spanish
and English.
Si necesitas un coche, te dejaré el mío. = If you need a car, I’ll lend you mine.
Si necesitaras un coche, te dejaría el mío. = If you needed a car, I’d lend you mine.
Si vienes este fin de semana, podemos ir = If you come this weekend, we can go to
al museo de los dinosaurios. the dinosaur museum.
Si vinieses este fin de semana, podríamos = If you came this weekend, we could go to
ir al museo de los dinosaurios. the dinosaur museum.
Spanish a no ser que / salvo que / a menos que / como no is similar to unless, but
remember to use unless with the present simple in first conditionals and the
past simple in second conditionals.
Como no lleguen pronto, se perderán = Unless they arrive soon, they’ll miss the
la ceremonia de inauguración. opening ceremony. NOT Unless they
arrived soon…
El paro va a seguir siendo alto a no ser = Unemployment is going to remain high
que se produzca un milagro. unless there is a miracle.
NOT …unless there was a miracle.
Salvo que entrenes mucho más, no vas = Unless you train a lot harder, you’re not
a poder hacer cumbre. going to reach the summit. NOT Unless
you trained a lot harder…

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 PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the difference between ’ll and ’d.
I’ll do it. /aɪl/ It’ll do it. /ˈɪtəl/ They’ll do it. /ðeɪl/
I’d do it. /aɪd/ It’d do it. /ˈɪtəd/ They’d do it. /ðeɪd/
He’ll do it. /hiːl/ We’ll do it. /wiːl/
He’d do it. /hiːd/ We’d do it. /wiːd/

5A Present perfect simple

The Spanish pretérito perfecto compuesto is similar to the present perfect

simple. We use the present perfect to talk about an experience when we don’t
say when it happened.
He estado en Gran Bretaña muchas veces. = I’ve been to Britain many times.
Ha trabajado en más de treinta países. = She’s worked in over thirty countries.
If we say when an experience happened, we use the past simple.
Mi sobrina se ha casado. = My niece has got married.
Mi sobrina se casó el año pasado. = My niece got married last year.
We often use the present perfect with ever (alguna vez) in [?] or with never
(nunca) to express a negative. Remember to put ever / never before the main verb.
¿Alguna vez has viajado en = Have you ever been in a helicopter?
helicóptero? NOT Have you been ever in a helicopter?
Nunca antes he visto llover tanto = I’ve never seen it rain as hard as this before.
como ahora. NOT I never have seen rain as hard as this before.
We can use just + present perfect for something that has happened recently. We
put just before the main verb. Spanish acabar de + infinitivo is similar to just +
present perfect.
El precio de la gasolina acaba de = The price of petrol has just gone up again.
subir de nuevo. NOT The price of petrol just has gone up again.
Acabo de recibir una muy = I’ve just had some very good news.
buena noticia. NOT I have just to have some very good news.
Spanish todavía or aún is similar to yet in questions and [-], but we put yet at the
end of the phrase.
Usamos Amazon Prime desde hace = We’ve used Amazon Prime for over a year, but
más de un año pero todavía no we still haven’t opened a Netflix account.
abierto una cuenta en Netflix.
A ¿Qué quieres hacer para tu A What do you want to do for your birthday?
cumpleaños?
B No lo sé. No lo he pensado todavía. B I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet.
Spanish ya is similar to already. It shows that something has happened earlier
than the speaker expected. We normally put already before the main verb.
Ya han terminado los ejercicios. = They’ve already finished the exercises.
NOT Already they’ve finished the exercises.
¿Han llegado ya? ¡Qué temprano! = Have they arrived already? They’re early!
NOT Already have they arrived?
A ¿Preparo la cena? A Shall I make supper?
B No hace falta. Ya la he hecho. B No need to. I’ve already done it.

12
Don’t use the present tense to talk about situations that started in the past and
have continued to the present.
Viven en Santiago desde hace años. = They’ve lived in Santiago for years.
NOT They live in Santiago for years.
Trabaja en la industria pesquera = He’s worked in the fishing industry since he
desde que era muy joven. was very young. NOT He works…
Remember to use for with the present perfect to talk about a period of time.
Los Martínez son nuestros = The Martínez have been our neighbours for
vecinos desde hace más de over 20 years. NOT The Martínez have been
20 años. our neighbours since more than 20 years.
Remember to use since with the present perfect to refer back to a point in time
in the past.
Ha habido un mercado aquí desde el = There’s been a market here since 1650.
año 1650.
A ¿Qué tal Alex? A How’s Alex?
B No lo sé. No hemos hablado desde B I don’t know. We haven’t spoken since he
que volvió de Lisboa. came back from Lisbon.
Remember not to use for when you use all and the present perfect to express a
period of time.
Su abuela ha vivido en esa casa = Her grandmother has lived in that house
toda su vida. all her life. NOT has lived in that house for
all of her life.
Llevan toda la mañana en la playa. = They’ve been on the beach all morning.
¡Se van a quemar! They’re going to get sunburnt! NOT They’ve
been on the beach for all the morning.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
ever /ˈevə/ yet /jet/ for /fɔː/ /fə/
never /ˈnevə/ already /ɔːlˈredi/ since /sɪns/
just /dʒʌst/
Be careful with the difference between the past simple and the present perfect.
I lived here. /aɪ/ She’s lived here. /ʃiːz/ They lived here. /ðeɪ/
I’ve lived here. /aɪv/ We lived here. /wiː/ They’ve lived here. /ðeɪv/
She lived here. /ʃiː/ We’ve lived here. /wiːv/

13
 5B Present perfect continuous

Use the present perfect continuous for actions which started in the past and
are still happening now.
Lleva cinco años aprendiendo = She’s been learning Spanish for five years.
español. NOT She’s learning Spanish for five years.
Lleva todo el día nevando. No sé si = It’s been snowing all day. I don’t know if I’m going
voy a poder ir en coche. to be able to go by car. NOT It is snowing all day.
Exportamos a China ya desde = We’ve been exporting to China for some time
hace tiempo. now. NOT We are exporting to China for some
time now.
Ultimamente hemos estado = We’ve been training hard recently.
entrenando duro.
Use the present perfect continuous for actions which have just finished and
have a present result.
A Tienes los ojos rojos. ¿Has A Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?
estado llorando?
B No, he estado cortando cebollas. B No, I’ve been chopping onions.

A ¡Mírate! ¿Cómo es que estás tan sucio?

B He estado recogiendo el garaje.
A Look at you! How come you’re so dirty?
B I’ve been tidying up the garage.

Use the present perfect continuous for repeated actions that started in the past
and are still happening in the present.
Lleva participando en maratones = He’s been taking part in fun runs since 2000.
populares desde el 2000.
He tenido algunos problemas con la = I’ve been having a few problems with my
banda ancha desde que me cambié broadband since I changed companies.
de compañía. NOT I have a few problems with my
broadband since I changed companies.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation rhythm of phrases with the present perfect
continuous.
I’ve been training. She’s been learning.
I’ve been training hard. She’s been learning French.
I’ve been training hard for months. She’s been learning French for years.
I’ve been training hard since March. She’s been learning French for five years.

14
6A Obligation, necessity, prohibition, advice

Spanish tener que / necesitar + infinitivo is similar to have to / must / need to +

infinitive.
En España todos los perros tienen que = In Spain all dogs have to have a pet
tener un microchip de identificación identification microchip.
para mascotas.
Tenemos que invitar a los vecinos = We must ask the neighbours round for
a cenar la semana que viene. supper next week.
A El domingo vienen mis padres. A My parents are coming on Sunday.
Necesitamos comprar más vino. We need to buy more wine.
B No te preocupes. Tengo que recoger B Don’t worry. I have to pick something up
una cosa de la oficina, así que lo from the office, so I’ll buy it on the way
compro yo a la vuelta. back.
Remember to use have to for external obligations and must for personal
obligations.
Tienes que apagar todos los dispositivos = You have to switch off all electronic devices
electrónicos durante el despegue during take-off and landing.
y el aterrizaje. (external obligation = airline rule)
Tengo que comprarme unas gafas nuevas. = I must get some new glasses. I’m beginning
Empiezo a ver las cosas un poco borrosas. to see things a bit blurred.
(personal obligation = I really think I need to)
no hace falta que + subjuntivo is similar to not have to / not need to + infinitive.
En los coches modernos no hace falta = In modern cars you don’t have to switch on the
que enciendas los faros. headlights. They switch on automatically.
Se encienden solos.
No hace falta que me lleves el = You don’t need to take me to the airport.
aeropuerto. Me ponen un taxi. They’re sending me a taxi.
¿Todavía necesitamos apagar el = Do we still need to switch off roaming in
roaming en la UE? the EU?
Don’t confuse don’t have to and mustn’t. They have very different meanings.
No hace falta que vayas tan rápido. = You won’t have to drive so fast. We’ve got
Tenemos tiempo de sobra. loads of time.
No debes conducir si has tomado = You mustn’t drive if you’ve been drinking.
alcohol. Es ilegal. It’s illegal.

No tiene que hacer nada. El teléfono se

sincronizará automáticamente con su ordenador.
= You don’t have to do anything. The phone will
synchronize automatically with your computer.

debería + infinitivo is similar to ought to / should + infinitive.

Deberíamos comer menos carne = We ought to / should eat less meat and more
y más fruta y verdura. fruit and vegetables.
Los niños no deberían llevar = Children shouldn’t carry heavy backpacks
mochilas pesadas al colegio. to school.
¿Crees que deberíamos seguir = Do you think we should continue to cut
recortando el gasto público? public spending?

15
 You can use must and have to to give strong advice.
Si vas a Paris, tienes que subir a la = If you go to Paris, you must / have to go up the
Torre de Eiffel. Eiffel Tower.
Remember when to use the infinitive with or without to.
Tengo que cambiar la bombilla = I’ve got to change the light bulb in the study.
del estudio. NOT I’ve got change…
No hace falta que vengas antes = You don’t need to come before ten. NOT You
de las diez. don’t need come before ten.
No hace falta que te preocupes = You needn’t worry about the cost – Jeff will pay for
del coste – Jeff lo pagará todo. it all. NOT You needn’t to worry about the cost.
Deberías hacer más ejercicio. = You ought to do more exercise. NOT You ought do
more exercise.
Tengo que ir al dentista. = I must go to the dentist’s. NOT I must to go to the
dentist’s.
No deberías pasar tanto tiempo = You shouldn’t spend so long at the computer.
delante del ordenador. NOT You shouldn’t to spend so long at the computer.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of verbs expressing advice and obligation.
You have to go. /hæftə/ You should go. /ʃʊdgəʊ/ You mustn’t go. /mʌsngəʊ/
You’ve got to go. /gɒtə/ You ought to go. /ɔːtə/ You shouldn’t go. /ʃʊdəngəʊ/
You must go. /mʌsgəʊ/

6B Can, could and be able to

In Spanish we normally use saber for ability and poder for possibility and
permission. English uses can / could for all three.
Yo no me meto en el agua nunca. No sé nadar. = I never go in the water. I can’t swim.
¿Sabes escribir a máquina? = Can you type?
Sabe hablar con fluidez tanto chino = She can speak both Chinese and
como árabe. Arabic fluently.
¿Me puedes revisar esto antes de mañana? = Can you check this for me before
¿Te da tiempo? tomorrow? Have you got time?
Pablo y Ana no pueden venir a cenar = Pablo and Ana can’t come for supper
mañana. Todavía están de viaje. tomorrow. They’re still away.
¿Puedo probarme estas sandalias, por favor? = Can I try these sandals on, please?
Perdone. ¿Podría indicarme cómo llegar = Excuse me. Could you tell me how
al hotel Manacor? to get to the Hotel Manacor?
Remember that can does not have an infinitive or gerund form. Use be able to +
infinitive instead.
Me encantaría saber tocar la guitarra. = I’d love to be able to play the guitar. NOT
I’d love to can play the guitar.
Ya no lo hay en tiendas, pero podrás = You can’t find it any more in the shops,
conseguirlo en eBay. but you’ll be able to get it on eBay.
NOT …you will can to get it on eBay.
Me gusta poder ayudar a mis padres = I like being able to help my parents now
ahora que lo necesitan. that they need it. NOT I like can help my
parents…

16
The pretérito indefinido of poder is similar to was able to / managed to when we
talk about ability on one specific occasion in the past.
Conseguí sacarme el carné de = I was able to / managed to pass my driving test
conducir al cuarto intento. on my fourth attempt. NOT I could pass my
driving test…
Consiguió superar su miedo = She was able to / managed to overcome her fear
a volar con la ayuda de un psicólogo. of flying with the aid of a psychologist.
NOT She could overcome…
Spanish no poder + infinitivo is similar to can’t + infinitive for something that
we deduce is not true.

A Hay un paquete para ti encima de la mesa.

B Debe de ser la raqueta de tenis que pedí.
A No puede ser una raqueta de tenis. No tiene esa forma.
A There’s a parcel for you on the table.
B It must be the tennis racquet I ordered.
A It can’t be a tennis racquet. It’s not that shape.

A Acabo de sentir una gota de A I just felt a drop of rain on my face.

lluvia en la cara.
B No puede ser lluvia. No hay ni una B It can’t be rain. There isn’t a cloud in
nube en el cielo. the sky.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the rhythm of phrases with can, could and be able to.
Can I help you? He was able to help us.
Could you help me? He wasn’t able to help us.
She can speak French. We’ve been able to warn them.
She can’t speak French. We haven’t been able to warn them.
They could go by train. I’d like to be able to speak to them.
They couldn’t go by train.

17
 7A Phrasal verbs

Normally a one-word Spanish verb corresponds to an English phrasal verb.

El avión despegó tarde. = The plane took off late.
Voy a salir a dar un paseo. = I’m going out for a walk.
Sometimes you can guess the meaning of a phrasal verb from the meaning of
the verb and the particle.
Mañana salimos para Madrid. = We’re off to Madrid tomorrow.
¿Cuándo vuelves? = When are you coming back?
Se me ha caído un botón de la camisa. = A button has come off my shirt.
El sol salió después de la tormenta. = The sun came out after the storm.
Often it is impossible to guess the meaning of phrasal verbs.
Se les ocurrió una idea genial. = They came up with a great idea.
Esperamos a Robert y al final = We waited for Robert and he finally
apareció a las 8.20 p. m. turned up at 8.20 p.m.
¿Por qué sigues preguntándome? = Why do you keep on asking me? I’ve
¡Te he dicho que no sé la respuesta! told you I don’t know the answer!
Remember not to separate the verb and the particle with Type 1 phrasal verbs
(with no object).
Había poco tráfico, así que = The traffic was light so they got back early.
llegaron a casa temprano. NOT The traffic was light so they got early back.
Me llevo bien con mis suegros. = I get on well with my parents-in-law.
With Type 2 phrasal verbs, the object can come before or after the particle.
¿Me puede completar este = Could you fill in this form, please? OR Could
formulario? you fill this form in , please?
Un segundo. Tengo que apagar = Just a second. I have to switch off the computer. OR
el ordenador. Just a second. I have to switch the computer off.
With Type 2 phrasal verbs, remember to put the object between the verb and
the particle when it is a pronoun.

¿Dónde se enciende?
= Where do you turn it on? NOT Where do
you turn on it?

A No sé dónde está la Cámara de A I don’t know where the Chamber of

Comercio en Bilbao. Commerce is in Bilbao.
B Búscalo en Internet. B Look it up on the internet. NOT Look up it
on the internet.
With Type 3 phrasal verbs, remember not to separate the verb and the particle.
Me llevo bien con mis suegros. = I get on with my parents-in-law.
¿Has visto las llaves del coche. = Have you seen the car keys? I’m looking for them.
Las estoy buscando. NOT … I’m looking them for.

18
 PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with stress with phrasal verbs.
With some phrasal verbs only the verb is stressed.
What are you looking at? Do you agree with me?
They asked for the bill. Would you care for a drink?
Normally both the verb and the particle are stressed.
Come in. He didn’t get up in time. When do you get up?
Sit down, please. She looked up the meaning. Their plane’s just taken off.
Sometimes only the verb is stressed.
Switch the computer on. He wants his car back!
Can I take my coat off? What’s your book about?

7B Verb patterns

Spanish verbo + infinitivo is often the same as English verb + to + infinitive.

Aceptaron ayudarnos. = They agreed to help us.
Esperamos llegar antes de las seis. = We expect to arrive before six.
Se me ha olvidado cerrar el coche con llave. = I’ve forgotten to lock the car.
Necesito tomar el aire. = I need to get some fresh air.
Deberías descansar un poco. = You ought to rest a little.
NOT You ought rest a little.
However, sometimes Spanish verbo + infinitivo is the same as English verb +
infinitive without to.
Deberías descansar un poco. = You should rest a little. NOT You should to rest a little.
No pueden venir. = They can’t come. NOT They can’t to come.
Podríamos ir mañana. = We could go tomorrow. NOT We could to go tomorrow.
Me hicieron repetir = They made me repeat the exam.
el examen. NOT They made me to repeat the exam.
Sus padres le dejaron ir = His parents let him go to the match with his friends.
al partido con sus amigos. NOT His parents let him to go to the match…
At other times, Spanish verbo + infinitivo is expressed by verb + gerund in
English.
Le encanta viajar solo. = He loves travelling on his own.
NOT He loves travel on his own.
Odiamos viajar con gente que = We hate travelling with people we don’t know.
no conocemos. NOT We hate travel with people we don’t know.
Terminaron de pintar la casa = They finished painting the house last week.
la semana pasada. NOT They finished to paint the house last week.
Por fin ha dejado de llover. = It’s stopped raining at last. NOT It’s stopped from
to rain at last.
No podemos correr el riesgo = We can’t risk being late. NOT We can’t risk be late.
de llegar tarde.
Han dejado de trabajar los fines = They’ve given up working at the weekend. NOT
de semana. They’ve given up to work at the weekend.

19
 Be careful – English often uses verb + person + infinitive where Spanish uses
verbo + que + subjuntivo.
Quiero que te pienses esto bien. = I want you to think about this carefully.
NOT I want that you think about this carefully.
Le dije que esperara. = I told him to wait. NOT I told him that he waits.
La profesora nos deja usar = Our teacher lets us use online dictionaries. NOT
diccionarios en línea. Our teacher lets us to use online dictionaries.

8A Have something done

Be careful. There are a number of different structures in Spanish that are

similar to have something done.
Te has cortado el pelo. = You’ve had your hair cut.
Tendré que llevar el portátil a arreglar. = I’ll have to have my laptop repaired. It’s
Pierde la señal de wifi constantemente. constantly losing the Wi-fi signal.
Mandamos subir las maletas a = We had our suitcases sent up to our room.
nuestra habitación. NOT We ordered to send our suitcases up
to our room.
Hemos mandado que revisen = We’ve had the central heating checked.
la calefacción. NOT We have ordered that they check the
central heating.
No tires la bicicleta. La puedes = Don’t throw your bike away. You can have it
hacer reparar. repaired. NOT You can make it to repair.
Necesitas hacerte una revisión de la vista. = You need to get your eyes tested. NOT You
need to go that they test your eyes.

PRONUNCIATION
Remember to stress have in this structure because it is the main verb.
We can have it repaired. He’s had his phone stolen.
We can have it repaired. He hasn’t had his phone stolen.
Can we have it repaired? Has he had his phone stolen?
She’s had her hair cut. You need to have it updated.
She didn’t have her hair cut. You don’t need to have it updated.
Has she had her hair cut? Do I need to have it updated?

8B The passive

Spanish often uses a ref lexive verb when we don’t know or it’s not important
who does an action. English uses the passive.
¡Me han robado la cámara! = My camera’s been stolen!
Los Juegos Olímpicos se celebran = The Olympic Games are celebrated every
cada cuatro años. four years.

Se construyó el puente en el siglo XIX.

= The bridge was built in the 16th century.

20
 Spanish often uses an impersonal active where English uses the passive.
Cerraron las calles al tráfico el = The streets were closed to traffic on the day
día de la ceremonia. of the ceremony.
Spanish does have the passive form, but it is less common than in English.
El coche fue reparado rápidamente. = The car was quickly repaired.
El incendio forestal ha sido apagado. = The forest fire has been put out.
Remember that the subject of a passive sentence can be the indirect or the
direct object of the active sentence.
Nos van a dar los resultados de las = We‘re going to be given the results of the tests
pruebas mañana. tomorrow. OR The results of the tests
are going to be given to us tomorrow.
Remember to use by to say who did the action.
La catedral de San Pablo fue = St Paul’s Cathedral was designed by
diseñada por Sir Christopher Sir Christopher Wren. NOT …was designed for
Wren. Sir Christopher Wren.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of irregular past participles.
begun /bɪˈɡʌn/ dreamt /dremt/ ridden /ˈrɪdn/
broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ driven /ˈdrɪvn/ rung /rʌŋ/
brought /brɔːt/ heard /hɜːd/ stolen /ˈstəʊlən/
built /bɪlt/ meant /ment/ worn /wɔːn/
caught /kɔːt/ paid /peɪd/ written /ˈrɪtn/

9A Reported speech

Tense changes in reported speech are similar in Spanish and English.

‘Tengo prisa.’ = ‘I’m in a hurry.’
Dijo que tenía prisa. = She said (that) she was in a hurry.
‘No queremos ir.’ = ‘We don’t want to go.’
Dijeron que no querían ir. = They said (that) they didn’t want to go.
‘Acabamos de estar en Inglaterra.’ = ‘We’ve just been to England.’
Dijeron que acababan de estar = They said (that) they had just been
en Inglaterra. to England.
‘No soy capaz de recordar los nombres = ‘I can’t remember people’s names.’
de las personas.’
Dijo que no era capaz de recordar = She said (that) she couldn’t remember
los nombres de las personas. people’s names.
‘Tengo que ir al dentista.’ = ‘I must go to the dentist’s.’
Dijo que tenía que ir al dentista. = He said (that) he had to go to the dentist’s.
Changes in pronouns, possessive adjectives, time expressions, here and this are
similar in Spanish and English.
‘Nos quedamos hasta mañana.’ = ‘We’re staying until tomorrow.’
Dijeron que se iban a quedar hasta = They said (that) they were staying until
el día siguiente. the next day.
‘Terminé mi libro anoche.’ = ‘I finished my book last night.’
Dijo que había terminado su libro = She said (that) she’d finished her book
la noche anterior. the night before.

21
 ‘Mi hermana está muy a gusto aquí.’ = ‘My sister really likes it here.’
Dijo que su hermana estaba muy = He said (that) his sister really liked it there.
a gusto allí.
‘Sé que me lo dijisteis.’ = ‘I know you told me.’
Dijo que sabía que se lo habíamos dicho. = He said (that) he knew we’d told him.
Remember that you can leave out that in reported statements.
Dijo que iba a llover. = He said that it was going to rain. OR He
said it was going to rain.
Nos dijeron que no querían marcharse. = They told us that they didn’t want to leave.
OR They told us they didn’t want to leave.
Don’t confuse say and tell. Use told with an object.
Dijo que no tenía hambre. = He said (that) he wasn’t hungry.
NOT He told (that) he wasn’t hungry.
Me dijo que no tenía hambre. = He told me (that) he wasn’t hungry.
NOT He said me (that) he wasn’t hungry.
Dijeron que llegarían tarde. = They said (that) they would be late.
Nos dijeron que llegarían tarde. = They told us (that) they would be late.
Reported questions are very similar in Spanish and English.
Me preguntaron dónde había estado = They asked me where I’d been on the night of
la noche del crimen. the crime. NOT They asked me where had I
been on the night of the crime.
Me preguntó si había estado alguna = He asked me if I’d ever been to South
vez en Sudamérica. America. NOT He asked me had I ever been
to South America.
Les pregunté si querían venir = I asked them if they wanted to come for
a cenar el viernes. supper on Friday. NOT I asked them did
they want to come for supper on Friday.
Be careful with reported imperatives and requests. Spanish uses que +
subjuntivo where English uses object + infinitive.
Le dije que dejara de fumar. = I told him to stop smoking.
NOT I told him that he stop smoking.
Le dijimos que no fuera en tren. = We told her not to go by train. NOT We told
her that she not go by train.
Nos pidieron que esperáramos = They asked us to wait in the car. NOT They
en el coche. asked us that we wait in the car.
Me pidió que no se lo dijera a nadie. = She asked me not to tell anyone. NOT She
asked me that I didn’t tell anyone.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the rhythm of reported speech phrases.
He said he was late. I said I had to go.
He told them he was late. I told him I had to go.
They said they had to go. She asked us where he’d gone.
They told her they had to go. I told them to go.
She said she couldn’t go. I told them not to go.
She told me she couldn’t go. I asked them if I could go.

22
9B Third conditional and other uses of the past perfect

In narratives the Spanish pretérito pluscuamperfecto is expressed by the past

perfect in English.
Cogió un taxi, pero cuando llegó = He took a taxi, but when he got to the station, he
a la estación, vio que ya se había saw that the train had already gone.
ido el tren.
Habían preparado la candidatura = They had prepared their bid as well as possible,
lo mejor posible, pero al final but in the end they didn’t win.
no ganaron.

Ni siquiera habíamos tenido tiempo de extender

las toallas cuando empezó a llover.
= We hadn’t even had time to put our towels
down when it began to rain.

In the third conditional Spanish uses a subjunctive in the if clause where

English uses the past perfect.
Si hubiera sabido que el inglés era = If I’d known that English was so hard, I’d have
tan difícil, habría aprendido learned French. NOT If I have known that…
francés.
Si el vuelo de Tokio no hubiera = If the flight from Tokyo hadn’t been late, we
llegado con retraso, no habríamos wouldn’t have missed our connection for Valencia.
perdido la conexión para Valencia. NOT If the flight from Tokyo hasn’t been late…
Si me hubieses dicho que venías a = If you had told me that you were coming
cenar, habría preparado algo for dinner, I would have prepared
especial. something special.
No lo habría comprado si no = She wouldn’t have bought it if it hadn’t been in
hubiera estado de rebajas. the sales. NOT …if it wasn’t in the sales.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of the contracted form of had and would.
They’d already left. /ðeɪd/
They’ve already left. /ðeɪv/
We’d never eaten Thai food before. /wiːd ˈnevə/
We’ve never eaten Thai food before. /wiːv ˈnevə/
She said she’d been away. /ʃiːd biːn/
She says she’s been away. /ʃiːz biːn/
The flight’d already landed. /ˈflaɪtɪd/
The flight’s already landed. /flaɪts/
They told us they’d been to Paris before. /ðeɪd biːn/
They tell us they’ve been to Paris before. /ðeɪv biːn/
He wanted to know if she’d gone. /ʃiːd/
He wants to know if she’s gone. /ʃiːz/
If I’d known, I’d have learned Chinese. /aɪd/ /ˈaɪdəv/
If we’d never met, I’d have stayed in England. /wiːd/ /ˈaɪdəv/
If you’d come, you’d have seen for yourself. /juːd/ /ˈjuːdəv/

23
 10A Be, do, and have: auxiliary and main verbs

Spanish ser and estar are used in similar ways to how English uses be as a
main verb.
Es inglés. = He’s English.
No son tontos. = They’re not stupid.
Fueron felices. = They were happy.
¿Estáis contentos? = Are you pleased?
Ya hemos estado aquí. = We’ve already been here.
Sometimes, where English uses be as an auxiliary verb, Spanish uses other
structures.
Llevo cuatro años corriendo = I’ve been doing fun runs for four years.
maratones populares.
La mayoría de los teléfonos = Most smartphones are made in China or
inteligentes se hacen en China South Korea.
o en Corea del Sur.
The Spanish verb hacer is often do as a main verb in English.
Hago las tareas creativas mejor = I do creative tasks better in the morning.
por la mañana.
Todavía no ha hecho los deberes. = He still hasn’t done his homework.
¿Qué han hecho ahora? = What have they done now?
BUT
¿En qué trabajas? = What do you do? NOT In what do you work?
Be careful. The Spanish main verb hacer can also be make in English.
Algunas casas del centro de España = Some houses in central Spain are made of adobe.
están hechas de adobe.

Los niños están haciendo mucho ruido. = The children are making a lot of noise!
¿Te hago el desayuno? = Should I make breakfast for you?

24
Remember to use do / did as an auxiliary verb in negatives and questions in the
present and past simple.
No me gusta el invierno. = I don’t like the winter.
NOT I not like the winter.
No quiso ver el partido. = He didn’t want to watch the match.
NOT He no wanted to watch the match.
¿Fuiste a escalar el fin de = Did you go climbing last weekend?
semana pasado? NOT You went climbing last weekend?
¿Cuándo pisaron la luna por = When did they stand on the moon for the first
primera vez? time? NOT When they stood on the moon for
the first time?
Spanish and English use have as a main verb and as an auxiliary verb in similar
ways.
Tenemos dos perros y un gato. = We have two dogs and a cat.
Últimamente España no está = Spain isn’t having a lot of luck these days.
teniendo mucha suerte.
Se ha comprado un traje. = He’s bought himself a suit.
¿Has hablado de este problema = Have you spoken to your teachers about
con tus profesores? this problem?
Tuve que esperar en el garaje = I had to wait in the garage because I’d left my
porque me había dejado las llaves keys at work.
en el trabajo.
No se habían inventado palabras = Words like fax or internet hadn’t been invented
como fax o Internet cuando when I started teaching English.
empecé a dar clase de inglés.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the rhythm of be, do and have as auxiliary and main verbs.
He’s busy. Are you going? Do you like it?
Is he busy? Yes, I am. He’s been to London.
He isn’t busy. I did it. She hasn’t been to London.
Yes, he is. I didn’t do it. Have you been to London?
They were French. Who did it? We’d been.
They weren’t French. Why did they do it? We hadn’t been.
Yes, they were. Why didn’t they do it? Had you been?
I’m going. What do you do? Where had you been?
I’m not going. How do you do?

25
 Vocabulary
1B Adjective suffixes

Spelling
beautiful NOT beautifull
cheerful NOT cheerfull
aggressive NOT agresive
possessive NOT posesive OR possesive
responsible NOT responsable
Describing people, places and things
Sometimes adjective suffixes are similar in Spanish and English.
Cori siempre ha sido muy creativa. = Cori has always been very creative.
Buscamos una persona responsable para = We are looking for a responsible person
liderar nuestro equipo de investigación. to lead our research team.
El nuevo presidente es muy impulsivo. = The new president is very impulsive.
Viven en una de las zonas más deseables = They live in one of the most desirable
de la ciudad. areas of the city.
Es un piso bastante espacioso. = It’s a fairly spacious flat.
Be careful with these false friends.
Pablo es un niño muy sensible. = Pablo is a very sensitive child. It’s easy to
Es fácil herir sus sentimientos. hurt his feelings. NOT Pablo is a very
sensible child.
Emma es una jefa muy sensata. = Emma is a very sensible boss. She doesn’t
No impone objetivos que no se set goals that can’t be achieved.
pueden alcanzar.
Procura no ser tan energético en las = Try not to be so assertive in our meetings.
reuniones.
Dejaron de operar el vuelo directo = They stopped operating the direct flight
a Londres porque ya no era rentable. to London because it was no longer
profitable.
En los años noventa la construcción era = In the 90s, building was a profitable sector.
un sector lucrativo.
Many different adjective endings in Spanish correspond to the English
ending -ful.
poderoso = powerful
estresante = stressful
colorido = colourful
útil = helpful
de éxito = successful
considerado = thoughtful
sin + sustantivo in Spanish is similar to noun + -less in English.
sin esperanza = hopeless
sin miedo = fearless
sin fin = endless
sin sentido = pointless
sin hogar = homeless
BUT
descuidado = careless
26
 PRONUNCIATION
Remember not to put the word stress on the suffix.
addictive powerful /ˈpaʊəfl/
affordable profitable
assertive rebellious
creative reliable
glamorous responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəbl/
impressive sensible
impulsive /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/ sensitive
possessive
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
comfortable /ˈkʌmftəbl/ sociable /ˈsəʊʃəbl/
desirable /dɪˈzaɪərəbl/ spacious /ˈspeɪʃəs/
envious /ˈenviəs/ successful /səkˈsesfl/
luxurious /lʌɡˈʒʊəriəs/ suitable /ˈsuːtəbl/

2A Packing

Be careful with these things to take on holiday.

pilas = batteries
auriculares = earphones OR headphones
maquinilla de afeitar = razor
tijeras para las uñas = nail scissors
crema solar = sunscreen
neceser = wash bag
albornoz = bathrobe
bañador de hombre = swimming trunks NOT swimming trunk
bañador de mujer = swimsuit
ropa interior = underwear
botiquín = first aid kit
baraja de cartas = pack of cards
visado = visa
carnet de conducir = driving license
Be careful with these packing verbs.
doblar (la ropa) = fold (clothes)
hacer (la maleta) = pack (a suitcase)
deshacer la maleta = unpack

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
brush /brʌʃ/ guidebook /ˈgaɪdbʊk/ scissors /ˈsɪzəz/
charger /ˈtʃɑːdʒə/ iron /ˈaɪən/ swimsuit /ˈswɪmsuːt/
climb /klaɪm/ pyjamas /pəˈdʒɑːməz/ towel /ˈtaʊəl/
comb /kəʊm/ razor /ˈreɪzə/

27
 2B Shops and services

Many shops and services have direct equivalents in Spanish and English.
panadería = baker’s
una barbería = a barber’s
carnicería = butcher’s
una farmacia = a chemist’s
una tienda gourmet = a delicatessen
feria de artesania = craft fair
pescadería = fishmonger’s
peluquería = hairdresser’s
una joyería = a jeweller’s
todo a un euro = pound shop
zapatería = shoe shop
papelería = stationer’s
There is no exact equivalent in Spain to some British shops.
an off-licence = a shop where you can buy beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks.
a charity shop = a shop that sells clothes and other goods given by people to raise
money for charity
Be careful with these phrasal verbs related to shops and shopping.
Fuera de las grandes ciudades las = Outside the big cities the shops close at
tiendas cierran a la 1.30 p. m. 1.30 p.m. on Saturdays. NOT …the shops
los sábados. close down at 1.30 p.m. on Saturdays.
Varias tiendas han cerrado en esta = Several shops have closed down in this street
calle por culpa de la recesión. because of the recession.
Vendieron todas las existencias del = They sold out of the new model in less than
nuevo modelo en menos de un día. a day.
El restaurante no abre hasta = The restaurant doesn’t open until 8.30 p.m.
las 8.30 p. m. NOT The restaurant doesn’t open up until
8.30 p.m.
Sólo voy a echar un vistazo. = I’m only going to have a look round. NOT
I’m only going to throw a glance.
¿Puedo probarme este jersey? = Can I try on this sweater? NOT Can I try
this sweater? OR Can I try out this sweater?

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
chain /tʃeɪn/ fishmonger’s /ˈfɪʃmʌŋɡəz/ off-licence /ˈɒf laɪsns/
butcher’s /ˈbʊtʃəz/ greengrocer’s /ˈɡriːnɡrəʊsəz/ stationer’s /ˈsteɪʃnəz/
DIY store /ˌdiː aɪ ˈwaɪ/ jeweller’s /ˈdʒuːələz/ travel agent’s /ˈtrævl/

Be careful with the ’s in these words.

/s/ /z/
agent’s baker’s
chemist’s butcher’s
florist’s cleaner’s
etc. fishmonger’s
etc.

28
3B Photography

Be careful with these terms for describing a photo.

en primer plano = in the foreground
al fondo = in the background
abajo a la derecha = in the bottom right-hand corner
a lo lejos = in the distance
delante de = in front of
frente a / enfrente de = opposite

La chica del pelo negro sentada delante de mí

es Clara. Martín es el de la barba que está de
pie detrás de mí.
= The woman with black hair sitting
in front of me is Clara. Martín is the one with
a beard standing behind me. NOT behind
of me

En la cena de gala estaba sentada enfrente

del capitán.
= I was sitting opposite the captain at the
gala dinner. NOT I was sitting in front of
the captain at the gala dinner.

Be careful with these terms connected with photos.

sacar / hacer una foto = to take a photo NOT to make a photo
acercar / alejar (con el zoom) = zoom in / out
desenfocada = out of focus

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of the ‘o’ in these words.
photo /ˈfəʊtəʊ/ photographer /fəˈtɒɡrəfə/
photograph /ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ photocopy /ˈfəʊtəʊkɒpi/
Be careful with the stress of these words.
photo photographer photographic
photograph photography photogenic
photocopy

29
 4A Rubbish and recycling

Be careful with these phrasal verbs.

No tires esos cartuchos de tinta para = Don’t throw away those printer cartridges –
la impresora – se pueden reciclar. you can recycle them.
No te olvides de sacar la basura. = Don’t forget to take out the rubbish.
Tengo un montón de rotuladores y = I’ve got loads of marker pens and biros that
bolis que voy a regalar. I’m going to give away.
Be careful with these packaging words and phrases.
una lata de cerveza = a can of beer
una lata de sardinas / atún / = a tin of sardines / tuna fish / peas / olives
guisantes / aceitunas
un cartón de leche = a carton of milk
hecho de cartón = made of cardboard NOT made of carton
una cajetilla de tabaco = a packet of cigarettes
una bolsa de patatas = a packet / bag of crisps
un bote de aceitunas = a jar of olives
una tarrina de mantequilla = a tub of butter
una tarrina de yogur = a pot of yoghurt
tapa = lid
Sometimes we use the prefix re- in both Spanish and English.
reciclar = recycle
reutilizar = reuse
El mundo entero tiene que replantearse = The whole world has to rethink the use of
el uso de los recursos naturales. natural resources.
Sometimes Spanish uses a phrase with the verb volver where English uses the
prefix re-.
Conviene volver a echarse crema = It’s best to reapply sunscreen if you go for
protectora después de nadar. a swim.
¿Cuándo puedes devolverme el = When can you repay me the money
dinero que te presté? I lent you?
Van a volver a jugar el partido el = They’re going to replay the match
mes que viene. next month.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words for rubbish and recycling.
dustman /ˈdʌstmən/ bottle /ˈbɒtl/ jar /dʒɑː/
rubbish /ˈrʌbɪʃ/ cardboard /ˈkɑːdbɔːd/ wrapper /ˈræpə/
tub /tʌb/

30
4B Study and work

Spelling
postgraduate NOT posgraduate
professor NOT profesor
thesis NOT tesis
Be careful with the use of capital ‘u’ with university.
Birmingham University NOT Birmingham university
The University of Sunderland NOT The university of Sunderland
BUT
I want to go to university when I finish school. NOT I want to go to University when I
finish school.
The three top American universities are Harvard, Stanford and Yale. NOT The three
top American Universities are…
Be careful with terms connected with higher education in Spain, the UK, and
the US.
colegio mayor / residencia de = halls of residence
estudiantes / residencia universitaria
En Gran Bretaña la mayoría de los = In Britain most students live in halls of residence
estudiantes viven en residencias in their first year.
universitarias durante su primer año.
clases (universitarias) = lectures NOT classes
Tengo una clase por la mañana y = I’ve got a lecture this morning and a lab
prácticas de laboratorio por la tarde. session in the afternoon.
estudiante universitario = university student
estudiantes extranjeros = overseas students NOT foreign students
estudiantes de posgrado = postgraduate students OR postgrads
profesor/a (universitario/a) = (university) lecturer
un/a catedrático/a = a professor
Su mujer es catedrática de = His wife is a professor of social medicine.
Medicina Social.
una carrera (universitaria) = a (university) degree (course) NOT a
(university) career

Algunas carreras tienen más = Some degree courses are more popular
demanda que otras. than others.
una titulación universitaria = a university degree NOT a university title
Un buen dominio del inglés ayuda = A good command of English helps students
a los estudiantes con titulación with a university degree to secure a better
universitaria a conseguir una mejor position within the job market.
posición en el mercado laboral.

31
 Be careful with these terms about work.
un trabajo = a job
(el) trabajo = work
Ana ha encontrado un trabajo = Ana has found a job as a waitress.
de camarera. NOT Ana has found a work as a waitress.
Gabriel no encuentra trabajo de = Gabriel can’t find work of any kind.
ningún tipo. NOT Gabriel can’t find job of any kind.
titulaciones = qualifications
El reconocimiento mutuo de las = The mutual recognition of qualifications is
titulaciones sigue siendo still a problem in the EU.
problemático en la UE.
alumno en prácticas = intern
una persona que avala = a referee
Cuando solicité este puesto de = My old boss acted as my referee when I applied
trabajo, mi antiguo jefe me avaló. for this job.
un informe / una referencia = a reference
Tienes que pedirle un informe = You have to ask your Head of Department
a tu jefe de departamento. for a reference.
¿Cuánta gente va a asistir = How many people are going to attend the
a la reunión? meeting? NOT How many people are going
to assist to the meeting?
Los periodistas han venido de = Journalists have come from over 40 countries
más de 40 países para atender to attend the meeting of the G20.
la reunión del G20. NOT Journalists have come from over 40
countries to help the meeting of the G20.
unas prácticas / una pasantía = an internship
un puesto de aprendiz = an apprenticeship

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the stress in these words.
faculties referee tutor
lectures residence webinars
qualifications seminars intern
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
apply /əˈplaɪ/ research /ˈriːsɜːtʃ/ thesis /ˈθiːsɪs/
campus /ˈkæmpəs/ scholarship /ˈskɒləʃɪp/ trial /ˈtraɪəl/
graduate /ˈgræduɪt/

32
5A Television

Be careful with words for TV programmes.

un documental = a documentary NOT a documental
La BBC tiene una fama mundial = The BBC is world-famous for
por sus documentales. its documentaries.
anuncios = adverts OR commercials
NOT the announcements
Siempre ponen más anuncios al final = They always put more adverts at the end of
de una película que al principio. a film than at the beginning.
un magacín = a chat show NOT a magazine
RTVE canceló el magacín Hora Punta = RTVE cancelled the chat show Hora Punta
después de pocos meses en antena. after only a few months on the air.
un concurso = a quiz show NOT a concourse
Saber y ganar es el concurso más = Saber y ganar is Spanish television’s longest-
veterano de la historia de la televisión running quiz show.
española.
un programa de reportajes = a current affairs programme NOT a reports
programme
En Portada, un programa de = En Portada, a current affairs programme,
reportajes sobre temas de actualidad, started in 1984 with an interview with
arrancó en 1984 con una entrevista Fidel Castro.
con Fidel Castro.
Isabel fue una serie histórica de RTVE = Isabel was an RTVE period drama about the
sobre la vida de Isabel la Católica. life of Isabella the Catholic.
la publicidad = publicity / advertising
serie dramática = drama series
películas = films
deportes en directo = live sport
comedias de situación = sitcoms
telenovelas = soaps
las noticias / el telediario = the news
el tiempo = the weather forecast
Be careful with these phrasal verbs with turn.
encender = turn on
apagar = turn off
cambiar (de canal) = turn over
subir (el volumen) = turn up
bajar (el volumen) = turn down

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
cartoons /kɑːˈtuːnz/ drama /ˈdrɑːmə/ science /ˈsaɪəns/
commercials /kəˈmɜːʃlz/ period /ˈpɪəriəd/ weather /ˈweðə/
Be careful with live (verb) and live (adj.).
I live /lɪv/ near the theatre.
I saw the match live /laɪv/ on television.

33
 5B The country

Be careful with words connected with the country.

La naturaleza es todo aquello que no = Nature is everything that hasn’t been made by
está hecho por el hombre. man. NOT The nature is…
En Inglaterra los campos suelen = In England fields are usually separated by
estar separados por setos, vallas hedges, fences, or stone walls.
o muros de piedra.
¿Qué prefieres – el campo = Which do you prefer – the country / countryside
o la ciudad? or the city?

a metal fence a wooden gate

una cerca / valla = a fence

una verja = a railing / metal fence
una verja = a (metal) gate
una portilla = a (wooden) gate
un pozo = a well
Don’t confuse ripe and mature.
Estas cerezas todavía no están bastante = These cherries aren’t ripe enough to eat yet.
maduras para comérselas. NOT These cherries aren’t mature enough
to eat yet.
Son unos niños muy maduros = They are very mature kids for their age.
para su edad.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
bush /bʊʃ/ leaves /liːvz/ sticks /stɪks/ well /wel/
chickens /ˈtʃɪkɪnz/ mud /mʌd/ stones /stəʊnz/ wheat /wiːt/
lambs /læmz/ nature /ˈneɪtʃə/ stream /striːm/ wood /wʊd/
leaf /liːf/
Be careful with -ow.
cow /kaʊ/ grow /ɡrəʊ/

34
6A At a restaurant

Be careful with describing things on the dining table.

cucharita / cucharilla (de café) = teaspoon
cucharita (de postre) = dessert spoon
un vaso = a glass
una copa (de vino) = a wine glass
una copa de vino = a glass of wine
una fuente = a serving dish
un plato hondo / bol = a bowl
un plato llano = a plate a serving dish a bowl a plate
tazón / taza grande = mug
Don’t confuse plate and dish.
¿Cuál es tu plato favorito? = What’s your favourite dish? NOT What’s your
favourite plate?
Me encanta cualquier plato = I love any dish that has fish in it. NOT I love any
que tenga pescado. plate that has fish in it.
¿Qué necesitamos? = What do we need? Bowls or plates?
¿Platos hondos o llanos?
Don’t confuse food and meal.
¿Cuántas comidas se deben hacer al día? = How many meals a day should you eat?
¿Qué podemos hacer con la comida que = What can we do with the food that’s been
ha sobrado? left over?
Be careful with poner / recoger la mesa.
poner la mesa = lay the table NOT put the table
recoger / quitar la mesa = clear the table NOT clean the table

PRONUNCIATION
These restaurant nouns are all stressed on the first syllable.
corkscrew serving dish teaspoon
napkin tablecloth wine glass
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
jug /dʒʌɡ/ pour /pɔː/ spoon /spuːn/
knife /naɪf/ saucer /ˈsɔːsə/

35
 6B DIY and repairs

bricolaje = DIY (do-it-yourself)

Be careful with these DIY words.

wire
electrical cable

alambre = wire
cable (eléctrico) = (electrical) cable
una linterna = a torch NOT a lantern
una llave = a spanner
una chincheta = a drawing pin
un fusible = a fuse
una cinta de medir = a tape measure
The Spanish words pila and batería are both translated as battery in English.
Necesito cambiarle las pilas a la cámara. = I need to change the batteries in my camera.
La batería del coche estaba descargada. = The car battery was flat.
Don’t confuse rope and string.
cordel / cordón / cuerda fina = string
cuerda = rope
Antes la gente usaba cordel / cuerda = In the past people used string to tie a
para atar un paquete. parcel up.
¿Haces escalada con cuerdas y todo eso? = Do you go climbing with ropes and all that?
The Spanish verbs colgar and montar are translated as put up and set up in
English.
¿Sabes colgar una estantería? = Do you know how to put up shelves?
No es fácil colgar cortinas. = It’s not easy to put up curtains.
Mañana voy a montar mi = I’m going to set up my new home cinema system
nuevo sistema de cine en casa. tomorrow.
¿Puedes ayudarme a montar = Can you help me to set up this hi-fi system?
este sistema de alta fidelidad?
The Spanish montar can also mean put together / assemble.
No fue fácil montar la estantaría. = It wasn’t easy to put together / assemble
the bookcase.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
batteries /ˈbætriz/ nails /neɪlz/ screws /skruːz/
bucket /ˈbʌkɪt/ paintbrush /ˈpeɪntbrʌʃ/ string /strɪŋ/
cable /ˈkeɪbl/ sew /səʊ/ thread /θred/
ladder /ˈlædə/

36
7A Phrasal verbs

Remember that a phrasal verb usually corresponds to a single-word verb in

Spanish.
¿Pido la cuenta? = Shall I ask for the bill?
Se les averió el coche justo cuando = Their car broke down just as they were leaving
se iban de vacaciones. for their holidays.
Be careful with these phrasal verbs to do with money.
Si me puedes dejar 50€, te lo = If you can lend me 50€, I’ll pay it back to you
devuelvo el mes que viene. next month. OR ..., I’ll pay you it back next
month.
No habré saldado el préstamo de = I won’t have paid off my student loan until
estudiante hasta el 2025. 2025. OR I won’t have paid my student loan off
until 2025.
Tengo un amigo que se las arregla = I’ve got a friend who lives on only 1,000€ a
con sólo 1,000€ al mes. month.
Hasta encontrar trabajo, vivía a = Until I found a job, I lived off my parents.
costa de mis padres.
Remember that away often means to move to a different place, and back often
means to return to the original place.
Voy a regalar esta enciclopedia. = I’m going to give this encyclopedia away.
No la usamos nunca. We never use it.
¿Vas a estar fuera en septiembre? = Are you going to be away in September?
Te dejo la cámara, pero me la tienes = I’ll lend you my camera but you must give it back
que devolver la semana que viene. to me next week.
Voy a comprar el periódico. = I’m going to get the paper. I’ll be straight back.
Vuelvo enseguida.
Be careful with these phrasal verbs with take.
Después de la reunión me llevaron = After the meeting, they took me out for a meal.
a comer.
La fábrica está contratando nuevos = The factory is taking on new workers for the
empleados por primer vez en años. first time in years. OR The factory is taking new
workers on for the first time in years.
Me parezco a mi padre un montón. = I take after my father loads.
Los aviones suelen despegan en = Planes usually take off in the opposite direction
sentido contrario al viento. to the wind.
Hace mucho tiempo que Telefónica = Telefónica took over O2 a long time ago.
adquirió O2.
Habrá que desmontar el radiador = We’ll have to take apart the radiator to mend
para arreglar la fuga. the leak. OR We’ll have to take the radiator apart
to mend the leak.
¿Empezaste a correr, no? ¿Qué tal = You took up running, didn’t you? How’s it going?
te va?
Sometimes you can guess the meaning of a phrasal verb from the meaning of
each of the different parts.
Lo recogió del suelo. = He picked it up off the floor.
El sábado invito a mis = I’m taking my parents out for dinner on Saturday.
padres a cenar.
No te olvides de sacar la basura. = Don’t forget to take out the rubbish.

37
 Often you cannot guess the meaning from the parts of a phrasal verb.
Se le ocurrió una idea genial = She came up with a great idea for the weekend.
para el fin de semana.
Me da igual no comer carne, = I’m not bothered about not eating meat, but I couldn’t
pero no podría sobrevivir get by without fish.
sin el pescado.
Remember that sometimes the same phrasal verb can have many different
meanings depending on the context.
Me rindo. ¿Cuál es la respuesta? = I give up. What’s the answer?
Abandonaron su intento de hacer = They gave up their attempt at reaching the
cumbre por culpa del mal tiempo. summit because of the bad weather.
Al ver que estaba rodeado de policías, = On seeing that he was surrounded by police,
se entregó de forma pacífica. he gave himself up peacefully.
¿Cuándo vas a dejar de fumar? = When are you going to give up smoking?
Tip: use the context as much as possible to help you to understand the meaning
of phrasal verbs.

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the sentence stress with phrasal verbs.
With phrasal verbs that need no object (= Type 1), you stress the verb and the
particle.
He soon gave up. Can you come round?
We’ve broken down. They’ve just turned up.
With phrasal verbs with an object that is separable (= Type 2), you normally stress the
verb and the direct object.
I checked out the route. I’d like to try on these jeans. He put some shelves up.
She’s given up chocolate. I’ll turn off the light. Can you switch the TV on?
He put up some shelves. I checked the route out. I’d like to try these jeans on.
Can you switch on the TV? She’s given chocolate up. I’ll turn the light off.
Be careful. When the direct object is a pronoun, we stress the verb and the particle.
I checked it out. He put them up. I’d like to try them on.
She’s given it up. Can you switch it on? I’ll turn it off.
With phrasal verbs with an object that is non-separable (= Type 2), you normally
stress the verb and first particle, as well as the object.
They came up with an answer.
The shop’s out of milk.
I’m looking out for a bargain.

38
8A Looking after yourself

Spelling
massage NOT masage
spinning NOT spining
weights NOT waits
dyed NOT died
Remember to use do for exercises.
No soy capaz de hacer más de diez = I can’t do more than ten-press ups in a row.
flexiones seguidas. NOT I can’t make more than ten press-
ups in a row.

¿Cuándo empezaste a hacer yoga? = When did you start doing yoga?
NOT …making yoga?
Hacer spinning te ayuda a adelgazar. = Spinning helps you to lose weight.
NOT Making / Doing spinning helps you
to lose weight.
Remember to use a possessive with expressions about your hair.
Me acabo de cortar el pelo. = I’ve just had my hair cut. NOT I’ve just had
the hair cut.
¿Dónde te cortaron el pelo? = Where did you get your hair cut?
NOT Where did they cut you the hair?
¿Dónde me puedo aclarar el pelo? = Where can I get my hair bleached?

PRONUNCIATION
Be careful with the stress in these nouns.
equipment an exercise ball a running machine
press ups an exercise bike a treadmill
sit ups a rowing machine a yoga mat
Be careful with the pronunciation of these words.
aerobics /eəˈrəʊbɪks/ facial /ˈfeɪʃl/ stretch /stretʃ/
exercise /ˈeksəsaɪz/ muscles /ˈmʌslz/ waxing /wæksɪŋ/

39
 Glossary terms
Parts of speech Partes de la oración Pronunciation Pronunciación
verb verbo consonant consonante
noun sustantivo vowel vocal
adjective adjetivo contracted form forma contraída
adverb adverbio syllable sílaba
preposition preposición stress acento / énfasis
subject sujeto
object objeto Instructions Instrucciones
pronoun pronombre Remember to use… Acuérdate de usar…
possessive posesivo Don’t forget… No olvides…
Look at… Mira (a)…
Nouns Sustantivos Be careful with… Ten cuidado con…
countable noun sustantivo contable Check… Comprueba…
uncountable noun sustantivo incontable Don’t confuse…and… No confundas…y…
quantifiers cuantificadores
Other Otros
Verbs and tenses Verbos y tiempos time expressions expresiones de tiempo
verbales common expressions expresiones comunes
present tense presente ending terminación
past tense pasado word order orden de las palabras
third person tercera persona
present simple presente simple
present continuous presente continuo
past simple pasado simple
present perfect presente perfecto
future futuro
finished actions acciones acabadas
predictions predicciones
ability capacidad
possibility posibilidad
infinitive infinitivo
gerund gerundio
main verb verbo principal
auxiliary verb verbo auxiliar
past participle participio pasado

40
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The authors and publishers would like to thank the following for their invaluable input:
Pilar Santed Hernando (EOI Valencia), Marisa Díez Arroyo (Universidad de Oviedo),
Tim Kelly (IH Córdoba).
Illustrations by: Ro86r P6nwill.