Grammar points which came up in the class’ writing homework

1. Different to
Similar TO Different FROM
Near TO Far FROM
Sell TO Buy FROM
Give TO Take FROM

2. New sentence or linking word

Another important characteristic is the service, they know everything about extreme sports

3. Hotel Names use THE

The Ritz, The Málaga Palacio, The Madrid Ambassador
We stayed at the Carlton last year

Also, Groups of Islands use THE. The Balearics, The Canaries, The Bahamas, The Cayman Islands

4. Using Spanish structure in English is a mistake

Incorrect: Being some of them famous athletes
(siendo algunos de ellos atletas famosos)
Correct: Some of them being famous athletes

Incorrect: it is incredible the number of adults who ….

(Es increíble el número de adultos que …..)
Correct: The number of adults who …… is incredible

Incorrect: the hotel is more thought for families

(el hotel es más bien pensado para familias)
Correct: The hotel is aimed at/intended for families

Don’t translate Spanish things

Incorrect: Adjusted rates. (who adjusted the rates? And why?) I ask
Correct: Attractive, Good, Reasonable. Only guess if necessary (which is unusual)
Incorrect: ‘More chosen’ (do we really choose it more? Or is it that we choose it more often?)
Correct: more often chosen
If you are not sure, look for an alternative.

5. Verbs with people

Provides visitors different alternatives (options)
Provide someone WITH + noun
Prevent /stop someone FROM + Verb ING
Similar to:
Advise someone TO + Infinitive verb
Ask someone TO + Infinitive verb
Tel someone TO + infinitive verb

6. “IN the end” is used to introduce a summary

AT the end implies the end of something specific
We enjoyed the film. At the end the killer dies
At the end of the street there is a sweet shop

7. RELAX is usually intransitive. So you don’t need to say WHO we relax (e.g. relax yourself) to
communicate ‘relajarse’

8. BOTH…..AND
• If you are saying the subject does 2 Verbs Put BOTH/AND before the Main verbs

She BOTH sings AND dances

• If we are applying 2 adjectives/adverbs Put the BOTH/AND before the adjectives

The atmosphere was BOTH relaxing AND exciting at the same time

• If you are saying the verb is applied to 2 Objects put BOTH/AND before the objects

She speaks BOTH English AND Spanish

Do not use more than one BOTH/ND combination ia singles sentence. Don’t abuse

9. EITHER .. OR / NEITHER …NOR

• EITHER … OR is used with AFFIRMATIVE sentenced To provide a CHOICE

You can EITHER pay now OR pay later

• NEITHER .. NOR is also used in a AFFIRMATIVE sentence TO ELIMINATE TWO OPTIONS

He can NEITHER sing NOR dance

• You can also use’ EITHER’ at the end of a sentence which refers to another, previous and negative
sentence

He can’t sing a note. He can’t play an instrument EITHER

10.KNOW/MEET/GET TO KNOW/LEARN ABOUT

• KNOW implies already being familiar with a PERSON or a PPLACE. Or being familiar with a fact
Do you know John? Yes, I‘ve known him since we were kids
• GET TO KNOW / LEARN ABOUT refers to the process of becoming familiar with people and places
John is a little strange but when you get to know him, he’s quite a nice guy

• MEET is to know A PERSON for the first time

I first met Julia at a party at a friend’s house

11. Stringed adjectives

Incorrect: An elegant moderately-sized famous hotel

,
Correct: A famous elegant AND moderately-sized hotel
Things which might be subjective go first

12.Outdoor/Indoor – Outdoors/Indoors
Outdoors/Indoors are ADVERBS /PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
Outdoor/indoor are adjectives used before nouns

13.Gradable / Adjectives and adverbs

Incorrect: Absolutely good value
Correct: Absolutely fantastic value / Extremely good value

If the adjective is already extreme (can’t be more or less) then we have to use a non-gradable adverb

Gradable adverbs describe gradable adjectives and non-gradable adverbs describe non-gradable adjetives.
DON’T MIX THEM

Gradable ADJECTIVES Non-gradable ADJECTIVES

Good excellent / perfect
Bad terrible / awful
Expensive Cheap
Cold Freezing
Hot Boiling
Wet Soaking
Difficult Impossible
Silly Ridiculous

Gradable ADVERBS Non-gradable ADVERBS

Very Absolutely
Quite Totally
Extremely Completely
Fairly Quite *
Incredibly Really
Especially
Really

• ‘Quite’ can be used as an exclamation!! To mean absolutely

• ‘Really’ can be used with both types

14.Using the formal ONE

As in Spanish (uno nunca sabe lo que puede pasar/ nunca sabes..), in English we can use ‘one’ to replace
the general ‘you’.
Be careful though. It is very formal. Also remember. DON’T MIX the informal ‘you with the formal ‘one’ in
the same text