Learn 20 of the most common idioms in English. They are used very commonly in conversation and they are a great way to sound more native. Examples include break a leg, a dime a dozen, beat around the bush, hang in there and more!
El invierno es sin duda alguna una de las estaciones en donde el índice de enfermedades aumenta y, por ende, tenemos que visitar al doctor. Si te has preguntado cómo expresar lo que sientes en inglés, entonces ha llegado tu día pues a continuación te enseñaremos con detalles todo el vocabulario que necesitas sobre enfermedades en inglés.
Although English doesn’t have over 50 words to describe snow like the Eskimos, we do have some “cool” vocab and phrases to help talk about the weather outside during these chilly winter months. Let’s take a look at some weather related words and phrases in order to get us through winter and into spring!
¿Alguna vez has tenido la duda si al hablar de alguna fecha, año, mes o día debes ocupar IN, o si es tal vez ON, o posiblemente sea AT? Esas dudas han llegado a su fin pues hoy te explicaremos con exactitud cuándo ocupar cada una de ellas a través de ejemplos claros y cotidianos.
Let’s face it…not all of us are able to just get up and move to an English-speaking country in order to fully immerse ourselves and improve our language skills. Luckily, that’s not necessary. There are several simple steps you can take in order to use English on a regular basis without even leaving your home or city where you currently live. It can be as simple as implementing English into your daily reading, Netflix series, or technological device. Here are few tips to help you get started with your English immersion process.
Existen 6 tipos de “wh questions” o preguntas con palabras que inician con “wh” que podemos usar en el idioma inglés. Este tipo de preguntas requieren de respuestas específicas y no solamente de un “yes“ or “no” como respuesta por lo que a continuación las presentaremos con detalles para que puedas comenzar a utilizarlas diariamente
Jobs. Some of us love our jobs, many of us are comfortable with what we do, and others of us are feeling a need to change our current place of employment. If you’re part of the last group, then here are some tips to update your cover letter so you can start working towards making a career change.
¿Te sueles confundir con “in,” “on,” y “at” en inglés? En este post, te mostramos una lista de preposiciones de lugar muy útiles que puedes empezar a poner en práctica.
Autumn is here, the leaves are falling and it’s starting to get chilly in Santiago! It’s also the perfect time of year to visit the large variety of wineries and wine festivals that Chile has to offer and enjoy a tasty glass of wine during the famous “vendimia” or wine harvest. Here’s a list of some common wine tasting vocabulary to help you describe the abundance of flavors you’ll experience when you take a sip of what Luis Fernando Olaverri called, “…the only artwork you can drink.”
Al momento de expresar nuestras emociones o cuando damos una descripción de algo es donde ponemos en práctica los participial adjectives y estos pueden ser de dos formas.
It’s important to keep in mind that face-to-face communication with a native speaker is the most effective way to gain language proficiency, but if you don’t have this opportunity you could use an app as a supplemental learning resource to go along with your English classes.
These apps can be used on-the-go if you have limited time and you can proceed at your own pace. They also allow you to have fun while learning by using interactive games or connecting you to other language learners. Here’s some information on five of the top rated language learning apps.
Los modal verbs en el idioma inglés se ocupan para diferentes situaciones como mostrar que creemos que algo es certero o posible, para hacer ofertas, hablar de habilidades, pedir permiso, hacer solicitudes, obligación, etc. Los modal verbs son usados junto con otros verbos en su forma base o junto con el auxiliar “have”.
Humans are social beings, which means that relationships play a key role in our lives. Whether it be a romantic relationship or a friendship, we all have had and continue to have connections to those around us. Since Valentine’s Day happens to fall during the month of February, we’ll be talking about how to use different phrasal verbs to talk about our relationships. In the past, this holiday has been exclusively for couples, but recently it has become more of a day to show how much we care about and love those important people in our lives.
Let’s talk about our friends
Have (someone) over: have somebody visit your house or apartment
o We’re having about 10 people over for dinner on Sunday.
o I’m having Sara over tonight to watch the soccer game.
·Meet up or get together: spend time with a friend in person
o I’m meeting up with Jorge at 9 o’clock tonight at his house.
o We got together last week to plan his birthday party.
·Catch up: talk about new events going on in a friend’s life
o Sara and I finally had a chance to catch up last week.
o Let’s get together soon so we can catch up!
·Get in touch: contact somebody
o If I ever go to Brazil, I’ll make sure to get in touch with you.
o I need to get in touch with my sister. It’s been a long time since we last spoke.
Keep or stay in touch with someone: make an effort to stay in contact with somebody over a period of time
o We should keep in touch after you move.
o Whatsapp makes it easier to keep in touch now.
Lose touch: not have contact with someone
o We lost touch when she moved back to Japan.
o I haven’t been in touch with Alba since things started to get so busy at work.
Fall out with or have a falling out: have an argument or disagreement with someone
o We had a falling out and haven’t talked since.
o I fell out with Anthony about three years ago when he lied to me.
Be close with (someone): have a strong relationship or friendship with another person
o I’m very close with my family.
o Maria Jose and Anna are very close friends.
Let’s talk about couples and romantic relationships
Be interested in someone: like or have feelings for another person
o I’m really interested in her.
o She told me she was interested in him.
Hit on or come on to: try to attract someone romantically. This usually involves a combination of comments and gestures that show you’re interested in that person.
*Note: Flirting with someone is also another way to say “hitting on” someone.
o I thought he was cute, so I started hitting on him.
o She kept on getting hit on the whole night at the bar.
Check out: look at someone with a romantic or sexual interest
o Whenever we hang out it’s hard not to check out his brother because he’s so hot (in this context “hot” means really “good looking” or physically attractive).
o He was checking her out the whole time we were at the restaurant.
Hit it off: have a good relationship or connection from the very first time you meet a person
*Note: can be a connection on a friendship or romantic level
o We hit it off at the barbeque and have been spending time together ever since.
o They hit it off at the party last night.
Ask out: invite someone to go out on a date
o You should ask her out when you see her tomorrow at work.
o She asked him out on a date last week.
Fall for: have strong feelings for someone or to be in love with someone
o They fell for each other instantly.
o He fell for a beautiful, older woman.
Blow off: ignore or choose not to talk to or spend time with someone
o She totally blew me off last week when she said she had “stuff to do.”
o We had plans, but he blew me off at the last minute.
Break up or split up: end a relationship
o She broke up with her boyfriend yesterday.
o They split up after a huge argument.
Make up: to resolve a conflict, apologize or forgive someone.
o They made up after they had a heated argument.
o When are they finally going to make up?
Get over: no longer have romantic feelings for someone or to let go of a past relationship
o She got over him a few months after they broke up.
o It took him awhile to get over her and start dating other people.
Cheat on: be disloyal or have sexual relations with another person while still in an exclusive relationship with someone else.
o She’s been cheating on him for the last few months.
o He cheated on her with a mutual friend.
Lead on: make someone believe or act like they’re interested in someone romantically, when they’re really not.
o He was leading her on so bad at the party last week.
o She led him on when they were flirting at Ramon’s house.
Go Dutch: Each person pays for their own portion of the bill (usually at a restaurant or bar)
o How do you want to pay for the bill? Let’s go Dutch.
o I assumed we were going Dutch when we went out to dinner.
Written by: Monica Jones
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El present perfect es un tiempo muy común y muy utilizado en el idioma inglés, a diferencia del español, pues es prácticamente inexistente en el vocabulario de muchos hispanohablantes, ya que estos tienden a utilizar el tiempo pasado. Una breve y fácil explicación de como construirlo es sabiendo que este tiempo se forma con el auxiliar have/has + participle (el verbo de la tercera columna si es irregular o simplemente agregándole “ed” si es regular) sin dejar de mencionar que la forma contraída es la más utilizada y es la unión del pronombre con el auxiliar.
Summer is here and you need to take a vacation! Conversations about your time off from work with friends, family and colleagues are likely to come up during these hot months. This is a fun topic that most people are very enthusiastic about, so let’s make sure you have the words and phrases you need to describe your experience.
As you read today’s blog, vocabulary will be used throughout the text! Key vocabulary words are bold, and you can find their definitions at the bottom of the page. Happy reading! And Happy New Year! May it be safe, happy, and filled with English practice.
A resolution is a goal or objective that we set at the beginning of the New Year. Maybe you want to spend more time with your kids, secure a big promotion, eat more vegetables, save more money, or learn to play the ukulele. New Year’s Resolutions look different for everybody! Whether your resolution is to kick a bad habit or learn a new skill, it’s important that your goals are achievable.
I’ve always admired the people that set ambitious New Year’s resolutions and stay committed to them. Unfortunately, I often set unrealistic goals and fail quickly! One of my biggest pitfalls is that I choose to change a behavior too quickly. For example, I once chose the resolution to exercise five days a week, even though I generally only exercised twice a week. Instead, decide to try a new exercise class one more time per week. If you want to learn a musical instrument, your goal shouldn’t be to perform in a concert at the end of the year (unless you’re a musical prodigy). Perhaps a better resolution is to learn ten songs. Goals like this are measurable and doable. There’s nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, but starting with small changes is a good way to insure you don’t fail immediately and disappoint yourself.
Research shows that the most common New Year’s resolutions are health-related: losing weight, exercising more, and quitting smoking. People also set the goal to get out of debt, save money, change jobs, or travel more. It’s not easy to keep our New Year’s goals, but no matter what, it’s a worthwhile challenge.
According to History.com, people have been making New Year’s resolutions for thousands of years. About, 4,000 years ago, ancient Babylonians would celebrate the turn of the year by throwing a big party and making promises to their gods. Those promises were probably the original New Year’s resolutions! The custom of celebrating the New Year in January was established by Julius Ceasar and the Romans, in honor of their god, Janus. As history continued, Christians saw the New Year as a moment to reflect on their sins and mistakes and make commitments to improve in the future. Now, both religious and secular people around the world see the New Year as a time for reflection and goal-setting.
So, what will you do this year? Will you continue the 4,000 year tradition of looking to the future and setting goals? I wish you luck! As for me, I’ll be making realistic goals this year and doing my best to stick with them.
VOCABULARY
Resolution (noun) - an objective or goal
Goal (noun) - an objective
To set resolutions (phrase) - to decide on and try to achieve your goals
Spend time (phrase) - to dedicate time to an activity, pasar tiempo
Promotion (noun) - to move to a higher position in your job, to advance
Save money (phrase) - to put money to the side, ahorrar
Kick a bad habit (idiom) - to stop a regular, negative part of your routine (i.e. smoking or drinking too much)
Skill (noun) - an ability
Achievable (adjective) - able to be reached/obtained successfully
Admire (verb) - to respect
Committed (adjective) - dedicated
Unrealistic (adjective) - not possible, not realistic
Fail (verb) - to not succeed, to not complete your objective
Pitfall(s) (noun) - danger or difficulty
Choose (verb) - to select
Behavior (noun) - a person’s way of acting
Even though (phrase) - despite, aunque
Instead (adverb) - as an alternative, en lugar de
Prodigy (noun) - a person with extreme ability
Measurable (adjective) - able to be measured, mensurable
Doable (adjective) - something you definitely can do or complete
Shoot for the stars (idiom) - to have very big dreams and goals
Insure (verb) - to guarantee
Quit (verb) - to stop completely
Smoking (noun) - the habit of using tobacco or a drug
Get out of debt (phrase) - to successfully overcome a financial deficit
No matter what (phrase) - regardless of, a pesar de
Worthwhile (adjective) - worth the time, money, or effort spent, vale la pena
Challenge (noun) - a difficult task or situation
Turn of the year (idiom) - the change from one year to the next
Throw a party (idiom) - to have a celebration
Make promises (phrase) - the action of making commitments to yourself or to other people
Custom (noun) - a tradition
Sin(s) (noun) - a religious word for immoral actions
Mistake(s) (noun) - an error
Commitment(s) (noun) - a promise or dedication
Improve (verb) - to get better
Secular (noun) - not religious
Reflection (noun) - serious thought and consideration
Stick with (phrasal verb) - to continue, to stay committed
Written by: Mariah Wika
Sin duda alguna has escuchado alguna vez una question tag, no? En español seguro que sí, pero en realidad no son tan comunes, por lo que en inglés te sorprenderías lo bastante comunes que son en las conversaciones de los hablantes nativos del idioma ya que se ocupan de forma muy natural en absolutamente cualquier contexto.
Qué son las question tags?
Las question tags son pequeñas preguntas añadidas a oraciones cuando estamos confirmando información, haciendo una pregunta, cuando tenemos la necesidad de que alguien esté de acuerdo o no con nosotros o más bien queremos empezar una conversación o hacer que ésta siga fluyendo.
Comenzar a usar las question tags en nuestro vocabulario diario puede parecer un poco forzado al principio, pero con práctica seguramente se convertirán en parte natural de tu vocabulario y fluidez en el idioma, además, a continuación, te daremos algunos útiles consejos de cómo utilizarlas de la forma más fácil y entretenida.
Cómo se ocupan?
Para empezar, debemos saber que las question tags van agregadas a oraciones y no a preguntas, un ejemplo de esto sería:
- You are a doctor, aren’t you?
Como se puede observar, la question tag corresponde al verbo y pronombre que se utilizó en la oración. La question tag es negativa pues la oración está en positivo. Este patrón siempre lo mantendremos con excepción de algunas muy particulares que más adelante te presentaré.
Ejemplos
Esta es una lista de muchos ejemplos que te harán comprender mucho mejor la estructura de las cuestión tags.
You don't like me, do you?
It isn't raining, is it?
You've done your homework, haven't you?
I'm not late, am I?
You like German food, don't you?
You'll come to my party, won't you?
You remembered to feed the cat, didn't you?
There's a problem here, isn't there?
You think you're clever, don't you?
Tono de voz
El tono de voz que utilicemos al hacer una question tag es muy importante pues esto reflejará el significado de ella. Si en realidad estamos haciendo una pregunta entonces nuestro tono de voz debe subir tal y como cuando hacemos una pregunta, sin embargo, cuando simplemente estamos confirmando información de la cual estamos casi seguros, entonces nuestro tono de voz deberá ser más plano y sin elevaciones.
Casos Particulares
Algunas de las oraciones con algunas particularidades son:
- Oraciones positivas con el verbo “am”
La question tag para dicho verbo sería “aren´t”.
- Ej, I am late, aren’t I?
- Oraciones con “Let’s”.
La question tag que utilizaremos con este tipo de oraciones será “shall we#. Let’s es la contracción de “let us” por lo tanto el pronombre será siempre “we”.
- Ej, let’s eat, shall we?
- Oraciones con palabras que expresen negación tales como: never, nothing, nobody, no one, none, no, seldom, barely, hardly, etc.
Para este tipo de oraciones siempre utilizaremos question tags en positivo. Ej,
- Nobody came, did they?
Práctica Entretenida
Abajo te compartimos un link muy divertido de “The Big Bang theory” para que observes como las question tags se ocupan de forma totalmente natural en las conversaciones de nativos del idioma inglés.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zuo56O7_aU
Ahora ya eres capaz de empezar a construir oraciones con question tags por ti mismo y utilizarlas en tu día a día y ser el más seco al escucharte como todo un experto en el idioma inglés.
Escrito por Victor Pineda
December is here and the holidays are just around the corner! Most likely you’ll be invited to a neighborhood, office, family or friend holiday party. Whether you’re a social butterfly or a scrooge when it comes to mingling, these type of social interactions can be great for meeting new people, connecting with others and networking. Here are some tips to help you ease into the social scene.
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, you’re already an entrepreneur, or you just think entrepreneurship is awesome, today’s post is for you! Read on to learn 20 key entrepreneurship vocabulary words.
In my first week in Chile, my debit card was confiscated by an ATM. I desperately asked for help, but I didn’t know how how to say credit card or ATM in Spanish!
Today we’re going to practice key financial vocabulary so that if this ever happens to you in English, you won’t be panicked like me!
Obviously, financial vocabulary is important in stressful situations like mine, but we use financial vocabulary all the time. It’s useful for travel, day-to-day situations, and our professional lives.
Connectors help us to link our ideas, sentences and paragraphs together in English. If you want to speak at an Intermediate or Advanced level you must know how to use these 20 connectors!