To make yourself clearly understood in English, make sure you spell words correctly and that you don’t miss out letters.
Have a good day!
Best regards,
Today we are going to look at talking about past obligation.
Remember that in the present we use the modal verb “must” and the verb “to have to” to express obligation. They are very similar in meaning but “must” indicates stronger obligation.
Look at some examples:
You must study more! If not, you will fail all your exams. ¡Debes estudiar más! Si no, suspenderás todos tus exámenes.
I have to go to the supermarket this evening. I need to buy fruit, biscuits and milk. Tengo que ir al supermercado esta tarde. Necesito comprar fruta, galletas y leche.
The past of both “must” and “to have to”, however, is the same: had to.
Here are some examples:
Last week I had to go to hospital as I broke my arm. La semana pasada tuve que ir al hospital porque me rompí el brazo.
We had to work hard in order to get a raise. Tuvimos que trabajar duro para que nos subieran el sueldo.
You had to pass all your exams to become a doctor. Tuviste que aprobar todos tus exámenes para ser médico.
To form questions, we use the following structure:
Did + subject + have to + the base form of the verb, i.e. the infinitive without “to”
For example,
Did you have to get up early on Saturday morning? ¿Tuviste que levantarte temprano el sábado por la mañana?
Did they have to study last night? ¿Tuvieron que estudiar anoche?
“did not have to” or, with contraction, “didn’t have to” indicates that something was not necessary. For example,
You didn’t have to help me but thank you anyway. It was very kind of you. No tenías por qué ayudarme pero gracias de todas formas. Fue muy amable de tu parte.
We didn’t have to work yesterday because it was a bank holiday. No tuvimos que trabajar ayer porque fue festivo.
I hope this has been helpful. For more on this please topic, take a look at unit 71 of our course.
Have a lovely weekend!
Bye for now!
We are going to look at two present tenses today known as the present simple or simple present and the present continuous.
They are similar in that they both refer to the present time. However, there are some major differences, so let’s take a look.
We use the present simple…
- for regular actions or events (para las acciones que tienen lugar con frecuencia o para eventos)
• I go to the gym every Monday and Wednesday. Voy al gimnasio todos los lunes y miércoles.
• I study English with ABA English four times a week. Estudio inglés con ABA English cuatro veces a la semana.
- for facts (para hechos)
• The sun rises in the east. El sol sale por el este.
• When you heat ice, it melts. Cuando se calienta el hielo, se derrite.
- for schedules (para los horarios)
• The boat leaves at 6 a.m. El barco sale a las 6 de la mañana.
• The theatre opens at eight. El teatro abre a las ocho.
We use the present continuous…
- to describe actions at (now) or around the time of speaking (para describir acciones que están teniendo lugar en el momento en que se habla)
• She is studying for her exams right now so she can’t go to the cinema with you. Ella está estudiando para sus exámenes ahora mismo así que no puede ir al cine con vosotros.
• We are looking for a new house as our current one is too small. Estamos buscando una nueva casa porque la que tenemos ahora es demasiado pequeña.
• Jack is learning Japanese because he is moving to Japan next month. Jack está aprendiendo japonés porque se va a vivir a Japón el mes que viene.
- future plans (para describir planes futuros)
• I'm taking my wife out to dinner tonight.Esta noche llevo a mi mujer a cenar.
• We are having a party on Saturday night. Damos una fiesta el sábado por la noche.
Remember that we can use adverbs of frequency with the present simple to express how often we do something. They are normally placed before the verb BUT are placed after the verb “to be”. Here are some adverbs of frequency:
every day/week/month, etc.
once/twice/three times, etc, a week/a month/a year…
always
often
normally
usually
sometimes
rarely
never
Look at some examples:
• I always study hard. Siempre estudio mucho.
• She never understands me. Ella nunca me entiende.
• They are very happy people and are rarely sad. Son unas personas muy felices y pocas veces están tristes.
Before the present continuous we may use:
at the moment
today
now
right now
For example,
• She is learning Italian at the moment. Ella está aprendiendo italiano ahora.
• Today we are eating out with Tom and his girlfriend. Hoy comemos fuera con Tom y su novia.
I hope this has been helpful. For more on this topic, check out unit 38 of the online ABA course.
Bye for now!
All the best,
Today we are going to have a look at two common question words in English: why and when.
It is important to know exactly how to form questions using these words. The rules also apply to other question words like “where”, “how” and “who”.
* We usually form wh-questions with wh- + an auxiliary verb (to be, to do or to have) + a subject + the main verb.
Why is used to obtain information or ask the reason for something.
When is used to ask about a time or an occasion.
Look at some examples:
• Why do they always drive so fast? ¿Por qué siempre conducen tan rápido?
• Why is the sky blue? ¿Por qué es azul el cielo?
• Why is John staying at your house at the moment? ¿Por qué se está quedando John ahora en vuestra casa?
• When are they leaving? ¿Cuándo se van?
• When do you usually go to the supermarket? ¿Cuándo sueles ir al supermercado?
• When do the school holidays start? ¿Cuándo empiezan las vacaciones escolares?
* We also use this form with modal verbs (can, should, must, etc):
wh- + a modal verb + a subject + the main verb.
For example,
• Why can’t I go to the party, Mum? ¿Por qué no puedo ir a la fiesta, mamá?
• When must we give you back your computer? ¿Cuándo debemos devolveros el ordenador?
Remember that why and when are not yes or no questions and require a given answer.
For example,
Why are you so tired today?¿Por qué estás tan cansado hoy?
Because I went to bed late last night.Porque me acosté tarde anoche.
For more on this topic, take a look at unit 22 of the ABA online course.
Have a lovely weekend.
Best wishes,
Today I want to talk about an important aspect of learning a new language: memorizing vocabulary. It can be boring and not much fun, but sooner or later a little bit of memorizing can really help.
Hoy quiero hablar sobre un aspecto importante del aprendizaje de un nuevo idioma: memorizar el vocabulario. Esta parte puede ser un poco aburrida pero, tarde o temprano, memorizar las palabras te podrá ayudar mucho.
So I want to share 5 tips on improving your memory:
1. Sleep! - When you're sleep deprived, your brain doesn't work properly.
¡Dormir! Cuando no duermes lo que deberías, tu cerebro no funciona al 100%.
Sleeping is critical to learning and memory because in the deep stages of sleep, the brain does a lot of work related to memory.
2. Laugh - Laughter is the best medicine, right?
Reír. Es la mejor medicina, ¿no es así?
Enjoying a joke with a friend, for example, is a great way to boost learning and creativity. The happier you are, the better you think!
3. Don't worry,… meditate!
No te preocupes...¡medita!
Meditation produces more activity in the left prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is the part that makes you happy. It also creates more connections in the brain. And more connections in the brain mean better mental ability and memory.
4. Eat healthy food!
¡Come sano!
A good diet with lots of fruit and vegetables provides lots of health benefits, including a better memory.
5. Exercise your brain!
¡Ejercita tu cerebro!
Memory is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Activities that use your hands, for example, are fantastic. Try playing an instrument, juggling or playing ping pong.
So here are my suggestions: have a banana, have a laugh with a friend and then keep practicing some English in our campus.
See you next week!
Last week we looked at how to form affirmative sentences in the past simple with regular verbs.
Today we are going to look at how to form negative sentences and questions in the past simple with regular verbs and most irregular verbs. Don’t worry; it’s easy ☺
To form negative sentences in the past simple with regular verbs and most irregular verbs, except the verb “to be” and modal verbs, we just put a subject and then “did not” (or with contraction, “didn’t”) before the base form of the verb, i.e. the infinitive without “to”.
Look at some examples:
I didn’t play football last Saturday but I played football two Saturdays ago. No jugué a fútbol el sábado pasado pero sí que jugué hace dos sábados.
We didn’t go out last night. No salimos anoche.
They didn’t work yesterday. Their office was closed. No trabajaron ayer. Su oficina estaba cerrada.
To form questions, you need to put the auxiliary verb “did” followed by a subject and then the base form. For example,
Did you read the newspaper this morning? ¿Has leído el periódico esta mañana?
Did they like the food at the new French restaurant? ¿Les gustó la comida del nuevo restaurante francés?
Did you eat pizza for dinner last night? ¿Cenastéis pizza anoche?
Did he do his homework yesterday? ¿Hizo los deberes ayer?
Look at a question and an affirmative and negative answer:
Did you watch TV last night? ¿Viste la tele anoche?
Yes, I watched TV last night. Sí, vi la tele anoche.
No, I didn’t watch TV last night. No, no vi la tele anoche.
The short answers to this question would be “Yes, I did” or “No, I didn’t”.
Here’s another example:
Did she go to the beach on Saturday? ¿Fue a la playa el sábado?
Yes, she went to the beach on Saturday. (or the short answer, “Yes, she did”) Sí, fue a la playa el sábado (o la respuesta corta, “Yes she did”)
No, she didn’t go to the beach on Saturday. (or the short answer, “No, she didn’t”) No, no fue a la playa el sábado (o la respuesta corta, “No, she didn’t”)
I hope you have found today’s lesson useful. For more on this topic, check out unit 69 of our complete course.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Take care, Today we are going to look at how to form the past simple of regular verbs in the affirmative in English. There are a few things to bear in mind so let's get started.
The past simple of regular verbs is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb (the infinitive without “to”). For example: El pasado simple de los verbos regulares se crea añadiendo -ed a la forma base del verbo (el infinitivo sin “to”). Por ejemplo:
work - worked
wash- washed
watch - watched
jump - jumped
Take a look at some example sentences with the above regular past simple verbs:
John worked all day yesterday. Ayer John trabajó todo el día.
I washed my hair last night. Me lavé el pelo anoche.
Susan watched the football match on TV two days ago. Susan vio el partido de fútbol por la tele hace dos días.
They jumped for joy when we told them our great news. Saltaron de alegría cuando les dimos la buenísima noticia.
* Remember that the past simple form of regular verbs is the same for all persons (I, you, he, etc). *Recuerda que el pasado simple de los verbos regulares es el mismo para todas las personas (I, you, he, etc).
It's also important to remember that there are a few rules to bear in mind when changing verbs into the regular past form:
• For regular verbs ending in the vowel –e, just add –d, for example, Con los verbos regulares que terminan en vocal -e, tan solo añadimos la -d, por ejemplo:
hate - hated
hope - hoped
free - freed
• For some verbs that end in a vowel other than –e, add –ed, for example, Con verbos que terminan en una vocal distinta a -e, añadimos -ed, por ejemplo:
ski - skied
echo - echoed
• For regular verbs that end in a consonant -y, change the-y to -i and add-ed, for example, Con verbos regulares que terminan en -y, cambiamos la -y por -i y añadimos -ed, por ejemplo:
cry - cried
try - tried
dirty - dirtied
I hope this has been informative for you. To learn more, check out unit 66 of the online ABA course.
Have a great weekend!
All the best,
Today we are going to look at how to make formal requests in English. Hoy vamos a estudiar cómo hacer peticiones formales en inglés.
Most commonly we use “could” and “may” to make formal requests.
Have a look at a dialogue between Frank (F) and John (J) to see how to use them correctly:
F: Good morning, John. May I open the window in here? It’s very hot.Buenos días, John. ¿Me permites abrir la ventana? Hace mucho calor.
J: Sure, Frank! As you are standing up, could you also turn on the fan to cool down the room? ¡Claro que sí, Frank! Puesto que ya estás de pie, ¿también podrías encender el ventilador para refrescar la sala?
F: OK, no problem! ¡Vale! ¡No hay problema!
J: Could you and Mike go to the bank for me later? I urgently need to convert 500 pounds into US dollars and have no free time today. ¿Podríais tú y Mike ir luego al banco por mí? Necesito cambiar urgentemente 500 libras a dólares y no tengo tiempo libre hoy.
F: OK. May we go to a few banks to get the best rate? ¡Vale! ¿Podemos ir a varios bancos para conseguir el mejor cambio?
J: Of course you may! ¡Por supuesto!
As you can see, we use “may” and “could” to ask for permission.
Questions with “may” or “could” are more formal than questions with “can”. Las preguntas con “may” o “could” son más formales que las preguntas con “can”.
*An important rule to remember is that we only use “may” in questions with the first person forms “I” and “we”. We can use “could” with all persons. *Importante: solo se puede usar “may” en preguntas con la primera persona (I y We). Con el resto de personas usamos “could”.
We use “can”, “could” and “may” to ask for permission. However, we use “can” and “may”, but not “could”, to give permission. For example: Se puede usar “can”, “could” y “may” para pedir permiso. Sin embargo, para dar permiso empleamos “can” y “may”, pero no“could”. Por ejemplo:
- May I use your car tomorrow? ¿Me permites usar tu coche mañana?
- Yes, you may. ¡Sí!
- Can I go out tonight? ¿Puedo salir esta noche?
- Yes, you can, but be home by ten. Sí, pero tienes que estar en casa a las diez.
- Could I borrow your car this afternoon? ¿Podría usar tu coche esta tarde?
- Sorry, you can't, it's at the mechanic's. Lo siento, lo tengo en el taller.
I hope this has been useful for you! For more information on this topic, please check out unit 52 of the ABA online course.
Have a great weekend!
Bye for now!
I’m sure you are because there is nothing better than learning something new, especially on a Friday when you have the whole weekend to practise what you have learnt!
Today we’re going to look at a very important aspect of English grammar: articles.
We have two types of articles in English: the definite article “the” and the indefinite articles “a” and “an”.En inglés hay dos tipos de artículo: el artículo definido “the” y los artículos indefinidos “a” y “an”.
By using the definite article “the”, we assume that the listener understands or knows what or whom we are referring to when speaking. It also refers to specific nouns. Al utilizar el artículo definido “the”, suponemos o damos por hecho que el interlocutor sabe a qué o a quién nos estamos refiriendo al hablar. También se refiere a sustantivos específicos.
The boy next door is good at football. (We presume that the listener knows there is a boy living next door)Al chico de la casa de al lado se le da bien el fútbol. (Suponemos que nuestro interlocutor sabe que hay un chico que vive en la casa de al lado)
The moon is so beautiful. (There is only one moon)La Luna es muy bonita. (Solo hay una luna)
The French president is in Australia at the moment. (There is only one president per country)El presidente francés está actualmente en Australia. (Solo hay un presidente por país)
“The” is also used for:
* Countries which are formed of states or other divisions or with words like “kingdom” or “republic” and groups of islands, for example, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Republic of South Africa and the Bahamas
* Famous landmarks (lugares emblemáticos), for example, the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.
* Geographical features (accidentes geográficos) such as rivers, seas and mountain ranges (cadenas montañosas), for example, the (river) Thames, the Mediterranean (sea) and the Alps.
We use “a” before a word that starts with a consonant. We use it when we don't specify the things or people we are talking about. Ponemos “a” antes de las palabras que comienzan por consonante. Se usa cuando no especificamos la cosa o persona de la cual hablamos.
Here are some examples:
My brother wants to buy a car. Mi hermano quiere comprar un coche.
A friend of mine called this morning.Un amigo mío me ha llamado esta mañana.
After lunch we went to watch a movie.Después de comer, fuimos a ver una película.
We use “an” before a word that starts with a vowel(una vocal).
She is an accountant.Ella es contable.
I’m hungry. Can I have an orange please?Tengo hambre. ¿Puedo comer una naranja, por favor?
James needs to buy an umbrella. It has rained a lot recently.James necesita comprarse un paraguas. Ha llovido mucho últimamente.
Note that when referring to general things, we don’t put an article, for example,
I love chocolate. (NOT “the chocolate”) Me encanta el chocolate.
His favourite music is classical music. (NOT “the classical music”)Su música preferida es la música clásica.
I hope this has been informative for you! Please learn more by checking out unit 4 of the ABA online course.
Have a great weekend!
Take care,
How about learning something new in English today? Let’s get to it then!
The verb “to have” is one of the most important verbs in the English language. It can be used both as a main verb and an auxiliary verb. Today we are going to look at the affirmative form of the “to have” as a main verb in the present simple.
The verb “to have” expresses possession of objects, characteristics and relationships. It may also be used to express an action, especially when eating, drinking or consuming something. Look at some examples:El verbo “to have” expresa la posesión de cosas, las características y las relaciones. También se puede usar para expresar acciones, sobre todo a la hora de comer, beber o consumir algo. Mira unos ejemplos:
- I always have a shower before I have breakfast.Siempre me ducho antes de desayunar.
- He always has coffee and toast in the morning before work. Siempre toma café y tostadas por la mañana antes del trabajo.
Take a look at this short paragraph about John and Mary’s life to see how “to have” is used:
John and Mary have a big house by the sea. They have a dog named Jack and he has blue eyes and grey fur. Every morning John and Mary have breakfast out on their terrace overlooking the sea. They love having barbecues on the beach. They have great weather all year round so it’s not a problem. They both have good jobs which is why they can afford to have such a luxurious life. John and Mary have everything they need to be happy.John y Mary tienen una casa grande cerca del mar. Tienen un perro que se llama Jack y tiene los ojos azules y el pelo gris. Cada mañana John y Mary desayunan en su terraza con vistas al mar. Les encanta hacer barbacoas en la playa. Siempre hace buen tiempo así que lo tienen fácil. Los dos tienen un buen trabajo y por eso pueden permitirse una vida tan llena de lujos. Tienen todo lo que necesitan para ser felices.
• Remember that the third person form of “to have” is “has.”
• Remember that “to have” is more common in American English to talk about possession and “have got” is more common in British English.
I hope this has been helpful! For more on the affirmative of “to have”, please check out unit 25 of the ABA online course.
Have a great weekend!
Bye! |
I am and I’m also happy to help you learn some more English, so let’s get started!
We are going to look at the past simple of the verb “to be” today and how to use it correctly.Hoy vamos a estudiar el pasado simple del verbo “to be” y cómo estudiarlo bien.
Below are some affirmative sentences containing “to be” in the past simple:
- I was cold.(Yo) Tenía frío.
- You (singular) were hungry.Tenías hambre.
- He was tired.(Él) Estaba cansado.
- She was happy.(Ella) Estaba contenta.
- It was funny.(Aquello) Era divertido.
- We were at home.Estábamos en casa.
- You (plural) were at school.Estabais en el cole.
- They were angry.Estaban enfadados.
Remember that to form the negative, we just have to put “not” after “was” or “were”.
Remember that you can also use the contracted form of the verbs in the negative. You can see them in brackets.
- I was not (wasn’t) cold.
- You (singular) were not (weren’t) hungry.
- He was not (wasn’t) tired.
- She was not (wasn’t) happy.
- It was not (wasn’t) funny.
- We were not (weren’t) at home.
- You (plural) were not (weren’t) at school.
- They were not (weren’t) angry.
Finally, let’s look at some questions and short answers.
Remember that we put “was” or “were” at the beginning of questions followed by the subject of the sentence.Recuerda que ponemos “was” o “were” al principio de la frase seguido del sujeto de la frase.
Were you (to one person) tired yesterday? Yes, I was / No, I wasn’t.¿Estabas cansado ayer? Sí, lo estaba / No, no lo estaba.
Was he awake at five this morning? Yes, he was / No, he wasn’t.¿Estaba él despierto a las cinco de la madrugada? Sí, lo estaba / No, no lo estaba.
Was the film funny? Yes, it was / No, it wasn’t.¿Era divertida la película? Sí, lo era / No, no lo era.
Were you (to more than one person) at work when I phoned this morning?
Yes, we were / No, we weren’t.¿Estabais en el trabajo cuando llamé esta mañana? Sí, lo estábamos / No, no lo estábamos.
I hope this has been helpful! For more on this topic, please check out units 61 to 63 of the ABA online course.
Have a great weekend!
Take care,
I’m enjoying my day, especially because I get to help you learn something new in English.
Are you ready?
Today we are learning about possessive adjectives.
Possessive adjectives are used to show possession or ownership of something. While we use them when we refer to people, it is more in the sense of relationship than ownership. For example,Los adjetivos posesivos se usan para indicar posesión. Cuando los usamos para referirnos a personas, indican más un sentido de relación que de posesión. Por ejemplo,
This is Sarah. She is my wife.Te presento a Sarah. Es mi mujer.
The possessive adjectives are as follows:
I — My
You — Your
He — His
She — Her
It — Its
We — Our
You(plural) — Your
They — Their
Check out some sentences with possessive adjectives:
* My brother helped me build this house. Mi hermano me ayudó a construir esta casa.
* Is this your luggage?¿Es vuestro equipaje?
* I think Mike has lost his suitcase!¡Creo que Mike ha perdido su maleta!
* Jane is sad because her grandpa died recently.Jane está triste porque su abuelo murió hace poco.
* That butterfly is beautiful; its wings look like a face. Esa mariposa es hermosa; sus alas parecen una cara.
* Our parents are away this weekend so we are having a party!¡Nuestros padres no están este fin de semana así que vamos a montar una fiesta!
* Don’t touch their books, John!¡No toques sus libros (los libros de ellos), John!
Well, that’s easy enough, isn’t it? For more on this please topic, check out unit 30 of the ABA online course.
Have a great weekend!
Bye for now.
Today I’m going to teach you about “going to” and how to use it correctly. Here I have used “I’m going to teach you” because it’s my intention ☺Hoy voy a hablarte sobre “going to” y te enseñaré cómo usarlo correctamente. He usado la frase en inglés “I’m going to teach you” ya que es mi intención. ☺
“Going to” is used for events which are planned or expected.“Going to” se usa para eventos planeados o esperados.
Look at the following conversation between Chris (C) and Stacey (S) to see how it is used:Echa un vistazo a la siguiente conversación entre Chris (C) y Stacey (S) para ver cómo se usa:
C: Good morning, Stacey. Do you have any plans for the summer holiday? I’m going to spend a week in Ibiza with my friends.Buenos días, Stacey. ¿Tienes algún plan para las vacaciones de verano? Yo voy a pasar una semana en Ibiza con mis amigos.
S: I’m not sure what I’m going to do, Chris. I may just stay here and spend time with my family. I’m very excited about next winter though as my family and I are going to go skiing in the Alps.No estoy segura de qué voy a hacer, Chris. Tal vez me quede aquí y pase tiempo con mi familia. Pero tengo muchas ganas de que llegue el próximo invierno, ya que voy a ir con mi familia a esquiar a los Alpes.
C: That sounds like fun, Stacey. My family and I are going to Thailand to escape the cold winter. We do that every year. Anyway, Stacey, I have to go. I’m going to have lunch with a close friend this afternoon.¡Suena divertido, Stacey! Mi familia y yo iremos a Tailandia para escapar del frío del invierno. Lo hacemos cada año. Bueno, Stacey, tengo que irme. Voy a comer con un buen amigo al mediodía.
S: OK, Chris, see you tomorrow!Ok, Chris, ¡nos vemos mañana!
Remember we form this verb form using subject + the verb to be conjugated correctly + going to + the base form of the verb and to form the negative we just add “not” after the verb ”to be” and follow the same structure, for example:Recuerda que esta forma verbal se crea combinando el sujeto + el verbo “to be” en su correspondiente conjugación + el verbo en infinitivo (sin el “to”), y que para formar la forma negativa apenas añadimos “not” después del verbo “to be” y seguimos la misma estructura, por ejemplo:
We are not going to come to the party. (or the contracted form “We’re not going to come to the party.”)No vamos a ir a la fiesta
“Going to” may also be used for predictions based on evidence we are able to see as we speak. For example,“Going to” también se puede usar para hacer predicciones basándonos en señales que podemos advertir mientras hablamos. Por ejemplo:
• That book is going to fall off the table!¡Ese libro se va a caer de la mesa!
• Look at those clouds! I think it’s going to rain today.¡Mira esas nubes! Creo que hoy va a llover
• I have just broken my wife’s favorite vase. She’s not going to be happy!Acabo de romper el jarrón favorito de mi mujer. ¡No le va a hacer ninguna gracia!
Well, there you have it! I hope this has been helpful for you. For more information on “going to”, please check out unit 47 of the ABA online course.
See you soon!
Have a nice weekend.
First of all, I want to teach you a famous sentence:Antes de nada, quiero enseñarte una frase famosa:
“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog”
It’s a very popular sentence because it uses all the letters of the alphabet. This makes it a great way to practice your English pronunciation every day.Es una frase muy conocida porque usa todas las letras del alfabeto en inglés. Esto la convierte en una fantástica manera de practicar tu pronunciación en inglés cada día.
Today, I want to give you some tips on how to practice speaking in English. We’re going to start this lesson by remembering the difference between enunciating and pronouncing.Hoy te quiero dar algunos consejos para practicar el habla en inglés. Comenzaremos esta clase recordando la diferencia entre articular y pronunciar.
Pronunciation is properly saying each group of letters to make the correct sounds.Pronunciar es decir cada grupo de letras de manera correcta para emitir los sonidos correctos.
Enunciation is speaking clearly in order to allow someone to understand what you are saying.Articular es pronunciar de manera clara para que se entienda lo que estás diciendo.
Let’s look at an example with the word “February”:Veamos un ejemplo con la palabra “February”:
Correct pronunciation - “Feb-rue-air-ee”Pronunciación correcta
Correct enunciation: saying the word slowly and clearly.Articulación correcta: decir la palabra despacio y de manera clara.
However, if you said “Feb-you-air-ee” slowly and clearly, you would be enunciating well but your pronunciation would not be correct.Por eso, si dijéramos “Feb-you-air-ee” despacio y de manera clara, estaríamos articulando bien pero nuestra pronunciación no sería la correcta.
Or, if you said “Feb-rue-air-ee” properly but you said it very quickly and quietly, your pronunciation is correct but nobody will be able to hear you. O, por el contrario, si dijéramos “Feb-rue-air-ee” correctamente pero lo dijéramos rápido y en voz baja, nuestra pronunciación sería correcta pero no se nos entendería bien.
This is why I always tell my students that to speak like the Queen of England, you must enunciate AND pronounce words well.Por eso siempre les digo a mis alumnos que para hablar como la reina de Inglaterra tienes que pronunciar y articular bien las palabras.
If you’d like to keep practicing your pronunciation, I recommend you watch our new Youtube series. In each video you’ll learn a new word, how to pronounce it and how to use it in a sentence.Si quieres seguir practicando tu pronunciación, te recomiendo que veas nuestra nueva serie en Youtube. En cada vídeo aprenderás una palabra nueva, cómo pronunciarla y cómo usarla en frases.
You can start by learning how to pronounce the word “thoroughly”. Just click on the video to watch the correct enunciation and pronunciation:Puedes comenzar aprendiendo cómo pronunciar la palabra “thoroughly”. Haz clic en el vídeo para ver cómo pronunciarla y articularla correctamente:
I hope you enjoyed this pronunciation class!
See you next week,
For today’s fun English tip we are going to look at the present simple in English. I’ll show you exactly when and how to use it correctly. Are you ready?Para el consejo de inglés de hoy vamos a repasar el presente simple. Te enseñaré cuándo y cómo usarlo correctamente. ¿Preparado/a?
Right, let’s start by looking at the following conversation between Robert (R) and Maria (M):Ok, comencemos echando un vistazo a esta conversación entre Robert (R) y Maria (M):
R: The plane leaves for Barcelona at six tomorrow morning so I need to have an early night.
El avión sale para Barcelona mañana a las seis de la mañana, así que necesito irme a la cama temprano.
M: I know. You brother lives there doesn’t he?
Ya. Tu hermano vive ahí, ¿verdad?
R: Yes he lives there too and so does my sister. I miss them a lot. I call them every weekend for a chat and now I can finally visit them.
Sí, él también vive ahí, al igual que mi hermana. Les echo mucho de menos. Les llamo todos los fines de semana para charlar un poco y ahora finalmente puedo ir a visitarles.
M: Well, have a great time then! I leave for my holiday on Monday too so I’ll see you when you get back.
¡Pásalo muy bien entonces! Yo también me voy de vacaciones el lunes, así que te veré cuando regreses.
Firstly, we use the present simple for something that is always true. Look at the following example from the text above:En primer lugar, usamos el presente simple para hablar de algo que siempre es cierto. Mira el siguiente ejemplo del texto anterior:
- Your brother lives there too, doesn’t he?
- Tu hermano también vive ahí, ¿verdad?
(In this conversation we can see that at the present moment Robert’s brother and sister live in Barcelona.)(En esta conversación podemos ver que en este momento el hermano y la hermana de Robert están viviendo en Barcelona.)
Remember that with the present simple we place an “s” at the end of verbs in the third person singular. “Do” becomes “does” in the third person singular present form.Recuerda que con el presente simple ponemos una “s” al final del verbo en la tercera persona del singular. “Do” se convierte en “does” en la tercera persona del singular.
Secondly, we use the present simple for things that happen repeatedly and normally we use the adverbs “often”, “always”, “every day”, “sometimes”, etc, with the present simple. For example:En segundo lugar, usamos el presente simple para cosas que suceden de manera repetida, y en estos casos normalmente usamos los adverbios “often”, “always”, “every day”, “sometimes”, etc.
- I call them every weekend for a chat.
- Les llamo todos los fines de semana para charlar un poco.
Lastly, it can be used for something that is fixed or based on a schedule. For example:Finalmente, se puede usar para hablar de algo ya fijado o con base en un horario. Por ejemplo:
- The plane leaves for Barcelona at six tomorrow morning.
- El avión sale para Barcelona mañana a las seis de la mañana.
I hope this has helped you understand the present simple a bit better. For more on this topic, please refer to unit 14 of the full online ABA course.
Goodbye for now!
Today’s quick English tip is conditional sentences with the present simple in both clauses. This conditional is also known as the zero conditional. The zero conditional is used to talk about normal or real-life situations and when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact.Nuestro consejo de inglés de hoy tratará sobre frases condicionales con el presente simple en las dos cláusulas. Este condicional también se conoce como el “zero conditional”. Se utiliza para hablar de situaciones de la vida real cuando el resultado de la condición siempre es cierto, como un hecho científico.
We use the following structures to form zero conditional sentences:
If / When+ the simple present, + the simple present
or
The simple present + if / when+ the simple present.
Here are some examples of zero conditional sentences
When you heat ice, it melts
Cuando calientas el hielo, se derrite.
When I wake up in the morning, I go for a run.
Cuando me levanto por la mañana, voy a correr.
Jim helps me when he has time.
Jim me ayuda cuando tiene tiempo.
If I go on holiday in summer, I usually go to my beach house.
Si voy de vacaciones en verano, suelo ir a mi casa de la playa.
I read books at night if I am not too busy.
Leo libros por la noche si no estoy demasiado ocupado.
What does he do when he finishes work each day?
¿Qué hace él cuando termina de trabajar cada día?
How do you feel if someone laughs at you?
¿Cómo te sientes cuando alguien se ríe de ti?
Well, I hope this has been useful. For more on present conditional sentences, check out unit 57 of the online ABA course.
I’ll write to you again next week.
Take care,
Best wishes
Today we are going to look at some more homophones, i.e. words that are spelt differently and have different meanings but sound the same.Hoy vamos a estudiar más homófonos, es decir, palabras que se escriben diferente y tienen significados diferentes pero suenan igual.
Let’s start with the words “flower” and “flour”.
a flower (countable): una florFor example,
Last week I received a beautiful bunch of flowers from a friend.La semana pasada recibí un precioso ramo de flores de un amigo.
flour (uncountable): harina
For example,
I need to buy a bag of flour before I make the biscuits.Necesito comprar un paquete de harina antes de hacer las galletas.
Another couple of words which are spelt differently, have different meanings but sound the same are “allowed” and “aloud”.
allowed is the past simple and past participle form of the verb “to allow”. “To allow someone to do something” is “dejar o permitir a alguien hacer algo” in Spanish.
Here are two examples with "allowed". In the first one “allowed” is the past simple form and in the second one it is a past participle in a passive structure.
His parents never allowed him to play in the streets when he was a kid.Sus padres nunca le dejaban jugar en la calle cuando era pequeño.
You are not allowed to smoke in here.No está permitido fumar aquí.
When you say or read something aloud, you speak so that others can hear you. A synonym of “aloud” is “out loud”.
For example,
Stand in front of the rest of the class and read your poem aloud.Ponte delante de la clase y lee tu poema en voz alta.
Now let’s look at some more homophones: “pear” and “pair”.
a pear: una pera
a pair: un par
Look at a couple of examples:
I ate an apple, a pear and an orange yesterday.Ayer comí una manzana, una pera y una naranja.
Last Saturday I bought a new pair of shoes.El sábado pasado compré un nuevo par de zapatos.
Find another example of homonyms and lots of other confusing words in English on our blog.
Have a great weekend.
All the best,
Have you ever had to give instructions in English to someone who is lost in your town/city?¿Alguna vez has tenido que dar indicaciones en inglés a una persona perdida por tu pueblo/ciudad?
We use the IMPERATIVE when giving INSTRUCTIONS or ORDERS.
There is just one imperative form for both “you” singular and plural and it is used when being polite or not so polite.
We use the base form of the form, i.e. the infinitive without “to”, to form the imperative in English.
So, if a lost person asks you for instructions to get to a specific place you could reply, for example,
Entonces, si una persona que se haya perdido te pide indicaciones para llegar a un sitio determinado, podrías responderle, por ejemplo,
Go straight on and turn left after about 100 metres.
Sigue todo recto y gira a la izquierda después de unos 100 metros.
Here, “go” and “turn” are imperatives.
We use “do not”, or its contracted form “don’t”, followed by the base form of the verb, to tell someone or some people not to do something, for example, you could tell the lost person:
Remember to turn left. Don’t turn right by mistake!
Recuerda girar a la izquierda. ¡No gires a la derecha por error!
“Remember” and “Don’t turn” are both imperatives.
In every unit of our course you will read and listen to lots of imperatives.
Have a lovely weekend but don’t forget to study English if you have some free time!
As Bobby McFerrin used to say, “Don’t worry, be happy”!
Como decía Bobby McFerrin, “No te preocupes, ¡sé feliz!”
Have a lovely weekend.
Best regards,
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