English most common language functions.

1. Introducing yourself and asking someone their name or for

personal information.
- Hello, My name is---------------. How do you do ?
-How do you do ?
- Please to meet you
- Please to meet you ,too
- What is your name? / Tell me your name / your name, please?
- How old are you? I am 16 years old.
- Where were you born? I was born in _________
- Where do you life? I life in _______________.
- Where are you from? I am from Cuba.
- What do you do for a living? I study.
- Where do you study? I study at the School of Music “Ernesto Lecuona”.
- Are you married or are you single?
- Who do you live with? I live with my mother and my father. I live with my
parents.
- What your address? Asking= inquiring
- What do you like? Getting = obtaining
- Do you have children? No, I haven’t.
- What are your parents’names? I like to play
- What are your parents job? Playing

2.Greeting someone formally and informally.

Formally. Informally
- Hello!. ( neutral) - Hi!
- Good morning. - Howdy!
- Good afternoon. - How are the things?
- Good evening. - How are you doing?
- Good night. - What’s up?
- How are you?
- Fine, thank you. How are you? - Great / fantastic / very well / So.....so /
more or less / I’m O.K.

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 3.Asking and telling the time.
- What’s the time?
- Can you tell me the time, please?
- What´s the time, please ?
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4.Inquiring about location. ( preguntar sobre algún lugar)
- Where is the Art Museum, the Art Gallery, theTheater, the Park, the
Cinema?
- Can you tell me how to get to ..........., please ?
( I go up......../ walk up...... / go down....... / walk down..... /straight ahead......./
on the first corner / on the second corner/ on the left / on the right / turn right /
turn left / walk around....

5.Asking where other people are from.

- Where are you from? .... I’m from ______________.
- What’s your nationality?
- Can you tell me where you are from, please?
- Can you tell me where you live?
- Is he/ she from ...............? Yes, he / she is. No, he / she isn´t.

6.Giving information about yourself.

- My name is _______. I’m _____years old. I ´m from ....... and I live in
_____. My address is _______. I study in ______. I work in........ My father
works in ____. My mother works in ______. I have ......... brother / sister /
girlfriend/ boyfriend / grandma / grandpha / pet /......etc.My identification card
is .................... and my telephone number is......

7. Asking for repetition showing you don´t understand something.

Asking someone to repeat (Pedirle a alguien que repita)

_ Excuse me; I'm afraid I didn't understand. Could you repeat that?
_ Could you say that again?
_ I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.

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_ What?
_ I beg your pardon.

- Repeat, plase.

8. Getting a hotel room or making a reservation.

- I need a single room / a double room for two persons.
- Have you got a single room?
- Have you got a double?
- Excuse me. Do you have any single/ double room, plase ?

Describing the room.

The room is big. It’s clear and comfortable with big beds, there are two lamps
and a short mirror. There is an air conditioner and a color TV set, the bathroom
is very comfortable and it has a shower, a toilet, a mirror, a washbasin, a
courtain and a carpet, there are two windows, a balcony and a door. There is
also a closet and two night tables. The service room is excellent and the people
who work there are very polite, lovely and nice.

9. Spelling your name. ( Deletrear su nombre)

- Yuleika, Suleika, Yoelvis, Alexei.....
S U L E I K A
(es) (iu) (el) (i ) ( ai) ( kei) (ei)

10.Asking and talking where some studies or works.

-I study in .....She / He studies in...../ She / He works in .... / My job is ..... /
Her job is .... / His job is ......

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 Professions.
Musician, teacher, actress, actor, writer, policeman, scientist, doctor, dentist,
singer, soldier, engineer, architect,pianist, journalist, newspaper reporter,
dancer, saxofonist, violinist, etc.

11.Describing marital status.

- I’m single, married, I´m divorced, etc.
12.Describing daily habits and routines.
I usually get up at 6.00 ó clock. Then, I wash my face and brush my teeth.
After that, I have breakfast and I drink milk with coffee or chocolate with
bread and butter. Later, I go to work / to school and I often arrive at 7.50 a.m
and start my classes at 8.00 ó clock. There, I begin to teach / to learn my
lessons till 12.30 p.m. In the afternoon, I take a rest for half an hour and
have lunch and start my classes again at 1.30 p.m. I finished my classes at
5.00 p.m. Afterwards, I take a bath and I prepare my other things such as
independent works, assingments to study hard and wait for dinner. Later, I
read my books, listen to some music, or watch TV or meed some of my
friends. Finally I go to bed at 11.00 p.m.

13.Expressing likes and dislikes.

- I like to go to the cinema with my friends. I dislike to eat in the school.
- I like to see interesting films but I dislike horror films.
- I like to visit my friends / my family / I like to travel / to go for walking / to eat
at the restaurant / to dance in a nightclub / to swin at the river or go to the
beach, etc.
- I dislike angry people, being hot / to eat disgusting food.

14. Asking and talking about the past.

- What did you do yesterday? I was in my house. / I was in my room at
school.
- Where were you living? I was living in .........
- Were you at school / park / theater/ museum, etc yesterday ?
- Where did you study when you were 12 ?

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 15. Getting people reason for things.
- Why do you study Music? Because I like it and I enjoy to play the..... in a
concert / a performance, etc.
- Because I like to meet VIP of our country or abroad. Why don’t you .....? /
Because...../ That’s why ......
17.Describing school experiences.
- When I was a child I began my school at five years old. I like my subjects too
much and also I had very good teachers and I learn interesting thinks till
sixth grade. I began my Junior High School ( secundary school) when I
was ........ years old. After that, I began my Senior High School (second level
in the Professional School of Music ¨Ernesto Lecuona ¨ in the
preuniversitary studies) when I was ..... years old. I had many subjects such
as, Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Spanish and Literature, English,
History of Music, Harmony, Solfeggio,etc.
18.Talking about the future.
- I will go to Havana. There I will visit the museums, the theater, the cinemas,
the shops.
- I’m going to pass the English exam with good marks / For next year I hope
to ...... / I’m going to ..... / I’m probably going to .... / I’m definetely going
to ..... / I will .....
19. Talking about plans and intetions.
- I plan to get married, to be a good pianist, actresses, dancer, etc.To finish
my career with excellent marks, to get good salary, I hope to travel a lot, etc.
20. Asking the way and giving directions.
- How can I get to the School of Music? / to the park? / to the bus station? / to
the train station? etc.
21.Expressing certainty and / or uncertainty.
- Are you sure about that?
- Really?
- I can’t believe it!
- I quite sure about that / I’m not sure / I don’t believe it / I’m not sure / I’m
entirelly sure.

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 22. expressing necessity and obligation. I need to study. ( necesito
estudiar)
- I must take some medication for the fever.
- You should see the doctor for this pain.
- I should study very hard. ( debo estudiar mucho).
- I have to study.(tengo que estudiar).moral obligation.
-I have a terrible headache. I need to take an aspirin. I must take it.
23.Making a suggestion or an informal invitation.
-Let´s go out for dinner ? (-That´s a good idea. / That´s too expensive. / Let
´s eat at home. /
-What do you want to do ? / Well,do you want to go out for dinner? (-
Hmmm.....I´m not sure./ No , thanks you. But I´m not hungry.)
- Do you want to join us to.........?
- Why don´t we.......?
24.Giving some suggestions.
-Let´s.... go out for dinner,/ ...go for a walk, / .......go to jazz club or a
nightclub,/ ....go to the Art Museum, / ......go to the movie, / ...eat at home, /
visit some friends, / ......stay at home, / ......watch TV, / ride on bike,etc.
- I think we should ............
25. Giving some objections.
-That´s too expensive .
-That´s too boring.
-I don´t like jazz.
-I don´t like to visit museums.
-I don´t like movies.
-I´m too tired.
-I´m not hungry.
-It´s rainning./ It´s too hot / cold. / .It´s too late / early.

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 26.Describing people physically and morally.
- short / tall.
- She is about 25 years old.
- He is about 25 years old.
- young / old.
- hair ( he / she has got short dark curly hair or long fair stright hair )
- hair, blond. Hair
- thin / fat. blondy=rubia.
- pretty / ugly. bald=calvo.
- attractive( female ). brunnette=bronceada o trigueña
- handsome.(male) frizz-rizado .
-curly= crespo.
-
Moral Qualities. Describing Objects.
honest. small / long / big
polite. big / short or small
modest. thin / thick
intelligent. expensive / cheap
Hard / brave. new / old
Clever / smart. Good / bad
friendly. interesting
respectful. Useful / useless
generous.
27. Describing interest and hobbies.
My hobby is to......... listen to music / to play the piano / the violin / dance, etc.
I like.......... my hobbies are.....reading books,/ watching TV, etc.
I´m interested in reading books.

27. Describing jobs.

_ My job is interesting / important / fantastic / great / Boring / dangerous/
Dirty / unsafe ,etc.
_ I love my career, but being a doctor is sacrified.

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28. Asking for personal information.
1)- What´s your name ?
2)-Where are you from ?
3)-Where do you live ?
4)-What´s your address?
5)-What´s your identification card ?
6)-Where do you study / work ?
7)-What´s your job or your studies?
8)-What do you do for a living ?
9)-What are your parent´s names?
10)-What is your passport number?
11)-What is your telephone number?
12)-What is your address?
13)-What´s your nationality?
14)-Who do you live with?
15)-When were you born?
16)-Where were you born?
17)-How many languages do you speak?
18)-What´s your Zodiac Sign ?
19)-What´s your hobby?
20)-What´s your favorite color ?
21)-What´s your favorite food ?
22)- What are your parents´jobs?
23)- What kind of music do you like?
24)- What kind of films do you like?
25)-What´s your marital status ?....Are you single/ married/ divorced /
engage?
26)- What´s your best friend?

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29. Comparing things or persons.
(-er)+ (than) para adjetivos cortos
eg.
Taller than / shorter than / bigger than / fatter than / prettier than / uglier
than / greater than / smaller than, etc.
(more) +(adjetivo)+(than) para adjetivos largos. ( Grado aumentativo )
eg.
more interesting than more important than / more intelligent than, etc.
( less ) + ( adjetivo ) + ( than )
eg.
less interesting than / less beautiful than / less important than, etc.

30. Giving advice.

You should study hard to pass your exams.
You shouldn´t smoke/ drink beer , etc.
You should practice excercises/ your musical instrument /
You shoult take some medicine / see the doctor / take a rest / stay in bed,
etc .

31. Describing places.

A School
My school is very comfortable and pretty. It has three buildings, one is for
dormitories, and in the other two there are classrooms, a lab computer, a
library and some departments . Each building has tow floors. There is also a
reception, a staff department, a dinning room and a kitchen. There are many
windows and doors, audio- visual aids, pianos, violins and other musical
instrument for the students´practices. The school is painted in yellow and
green. It also has a small square and a beautiful garden.
A House
My house is small/ big, and very comfortable. It has __________rooms. One
is a living room, other is a dining room and the other is a Kitchen. There are

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___________ bedrooms and a bathroom. There is also a balcony/ a porch
and a back yard.

32.Talking about the past.

Last Saturday I went to the party with some friends and I enjoyed dancing
and then I had a delicious cold salad, I meet my girlfriend / boyfriend and
danced all night.

33.Ordering food in a restaurant.

Can I have your order ?/ May I take your order ? / Are you ready to order ?
I´d like some roast chicken / fried potatoes /
I want to eat roast beef.
I ´ll drink a soda.
I ´d like the bill please.

34. Offering things, accepting things and refusing.

Offering things:
-Cigarettes?
- A cup of coffe ? / a tea?
-Would you like a cup of tea?
-Would you like some coffee?
Accepting: Oh yes, thank you.
Refussing: No thank you.

35.Asking a polite request.

Can you tell me the time ,please?
Would you............................? / Could you pass me the salad, please?
36.Calling someone.
-Hello,who´s that ?. / It´s_______.
-Hi. Is________ there ?.I´m sorry,she isn´t here. Could you call her back in
an hour / in ten minutes ? / at about half an hour.
- Could you give her / him this message, please ?
37.Describing a weather.

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Cold: frío Hot: caliente Cloudy: nublado Rainy :lluvioso
Sunny: soleado Windy: con viento Shining: radiante.
Weather reports: predicciones del tiempo.
Tomorrow will be a nice day / It is very cloudy today.
38.Getting information for a trip.
How can I get to the Travel Agency, please ?
I would like to travel to Jamaica, for example.
Could you show me the brouchure , please ? ç
How would you like to travel ? ......By plane ?/ by train ?/ by bus ?/ by
boat ?
At what time is the flight?
Is this bus going to Santa Clara?
What time is the bus / train / plane to......?
How long does it take to go to ---------,please ?
39.Describing feelings and emotions.
I´m glad you call me.
I´m afraid of snakes / frogs / lions, etc.I ´m scared !
I hate ................/ I love ................... I like...........
40.Describing food.
I like toasts, butter and chocolate for breakfast.
I don´t like rice and beans for lunch.
I like black beans, rice, fried fish and tomatoes for dinner.
Breakfast------desayuno. Food-----alimento
Lunch-------almuerzo. Meat ----- carne
Dinner-------comida. Mlik--------leche
Softdrink-------bebida refrescante fish ----pescado
Rice ----arroz beaf-----carne de res. Vegetables----vegetales

41.Asking for permission.

May I open the window?
May I take your book?
Can I go to the movies tonight?
Do you mind if I ------- ?

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 42.Indirect questions.
(direct) What is her name?
(indirect) He asked me what her name was.
(direct) Where does she lives?
(indirect) He asked me where she lived.
(direct ) Do you live in S.S ?
( indirect ) He asked me if I lived in S.S.
( direct ) Are you a student ?
( indirect ) He asked me if I were a student .
43. Giving instructions or warming.
You should see a doctor for this pain if you want to get better.
You shouldn´t smoke if you want to aliviate your illness.
44.Giving suggestions.
I think it´s better for you to see the doctor.
I suggest you to take some medicine.
I think you should go to the hospital
You should make some physician´s tests.
45.Describing a pain.
I have a terrible headache / stomache/ tendonitis / a flu / a bad cold / fever.
I have a pain in my back, the doctor prescribed me some medications and
advice me to do some excersices,to take a rest for 3 days / to stay in bed for
2 days, etc.

46.Expressing agreeing or disagreeing.

Expressing disagreement (Expresar desacuerdo)

1. I don’t agree with you.
2. I don’t think so.

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3. I'm afraid I don't agree.
4. I agree up to a point, but...
5. Rubbish! / Nonsense!
6. You can't be serious!
7. I'm afraid you're mistaken.
8. I don't think you're right about...
9. I disagree. I think…
10. How can you say that?

Expressing agreement (Expresar acuerdo)

1. I agree with you.

2. I agree entirely.
3. That’s exactly what I think.
4. I couldn’t agree more.
5. I think so too.
6. That’s a good point.

47.Describing fears and hopes.

Fears.
- People are afraid of having an accident.
- They are afraid of losing their jobs.
- She is afraid of failing her exams.
- I’m afraid he will have an accident.
- I’m afraid the weather will be worse next year.
Hopes.
- I hope the weather is good tomorrow.
- He hopes the train / bus is on time.
- They hope the train / bus isn’t late
- I hope you´ll be fine.
- I hope it doesn’t rain.
- I hope I’ll pass my exams.
- I hope I’ll get good marks.

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 48.Talking about mistakes in the past.
- What should I have done?
- I don’t think I should have.......
- I think I should have.....
- I should have told him I loved him.
- I should have smiled.
- I shouldn’t have shouted at him.
- I shouldn’t have got angry with him.

49.Using conditional forms.

- What would you do if you were me?
- If I were you........ I would ......
- What would you do if you saw / had / could.....?
- If I were you I would go for travelling.
- If I were you I would study hard.
- If I had much money I would go on a long holiday.

50.Expressing indifference to someone´s suggestions.

- I don’t mind where he goes.
- I don’t care what they are doing.
- It doesn’t matter to me.

51.Describing people´s reaction to news.

- It’s good / great / marvellous /fantastic / amazing, etc.
- That’s awful / terrible.
- I’m pleased / delighted ( to hear that).
- I’m sorry ( to hear that).
-

52.Insisting on an answer.
- You really must tell me what you have heard.
- You are going to tell me everything.
- I insist ( that) you tell me the truth.

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- I want to know everything / I trust you.

53.Getting opinion directly or opinion questions. (Pedir la opinión de

alguien)
_ What do you think of...?
_ What do you think about...?
_ What's your opinion of...?
_ What are your views on...?
_ Are you aware of.....?

- Why did we lose this business?

- Why was she rude?
- What are their problems?/ How can we help him?
Opinion questions.
- Why do you think we lost this business?
- Why do you think she was rude?
- How do you think we help him?
- What do you think he should do ?
54.Expressing wishes.
- Richard wishes (that) Susan hadn’t insisted on an answer.
- She wishes (that) the conversation hadn’t taken place.
- Richard wishes (that) he had said nothing.
- He wishes (that) he had kept his mouth shut.
- I wish things were different.
- I wish I were rich.
- I wish I lived in a big house.
- I wish I could have more money.
- I wish you would listen to me.
- I wish you wouldn’t smoke in here.

55.Asking for information (Pedir información)

_ Can you tell me...?
_ Could you tell me...?

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 _ I'd like to know...
_ Do you know...?
_ (Got / Have you) any idea...?
_ I wonder if you could tell me....
_ Would you mind if I..?

56.Being sure (Expresar seguridad)

_ I’m sure.
_ I'm quite sure...
_ I’m quite certain about…
_ I know...
_ You can be sure...
_ It's definitely...
_ I've no doubt.
_ I'm a hundred percent certain that...
_ I'm convinced...

57.Connecting ideas when talking or writing (Conectar ideas al hablar y al

escribir)
1. First (of all) …
2. Second…
3. Then…
4. Another thing is that…
5. In addition …
6. Finally…

58.Apologizing (Disculparse)
_ I’m sorry.
_ I’m so / very / terribly / extremely sorry.
_ That’s my fault.
_ Sorry. It was all my fault.
_ Please excuse my interrupting / ignorance.
_ I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…
_ Please accept my apologies.

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59.Forgetting things (Expresar que se ha olvidado algo)
_ I'm afraid I can't remember.
_ I've completely forgotten.
_ My mind's gone blank.
_ Sorry, I forgot.
_ I simply forgot to do it.

60.Excuses for being late (Excusarse por llegar tarde)

_ Sorry. I didn't hear the alarm clock.
_ I was stuck in the lift / elevator.
_ I had to wait ages for a bus.
_ The bus was late.
_ The traffic was terrible.
_ I couldn't find a parking space.
_ I got lost coming here.
_ It's not an easy place to find.

61.Taking a second to decide what to say next (Tomar un tiempo para

decidir que decir después)
_ What I'm trying to say is . . .
_ So if you know what I mean…
_Let me think a minute here.
_ …right...like...you know…
_ ...actually...I mean...
_ …kind of... um... … sort of…
_ …basically...in a manner of speaking...
_ …uh...really...
_…how can I put it …er…
_. …of course…
_ Well, it’s… how shall I say it…
_ Well, the fact is...

Conclusiones.

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Las funciones comunicativas de uso más frecuente para la enseñanza del
inglés básico constituyen una herramienta eficiente ya que las mismas
presentan un grupo de expresiones dentro de dichas funciones las cuales
están representadas en este artículo y que le servirán a los estudiantes de
Nivel Medio Superior o de la Enseñanza Técnico- Profesional no sólo para
su formación en una Cultura General Integral sino para enriquecer su
vocabulario manteniendo una comunicación adecuada en cualquier
conversación. Si en algún momento se encuentra en algunas de las
situaciones comunicativas donde se describen estas frases o expresiones le
ayudarán a una correcta comunicación verbal. Póngala en práctica según
las situaciones que se presentan en la actividad cotidiana o de acuerdo a
sus necesidades o motivaciones para la adecuada práctica del idioma con
hablantes nativos o como una segunda lengua.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.
1. Eckerseley C. E. Y J. M. A Comprehensive English Grammar, La
Habana. Editorial Pueblo y Educación. 1966.
2. O’Neill Robert. Kernel One and Kernel Two. Teacher’s book. Edición
Revolucionaria. 1985.
3. O’Neill Robert. Kernel Three, Teacher’s Book. Edición Revolucionaria.
1986.
4. Richards, Jack C. Interchange I. Textbook. Londres, Cambridge
University Press. 1990.
5. Richards, Jack C. Interchange II. Textbook. Londres, Cambridge
University Press. 1995.
6. Richards, Jack C. Interchange III. Textbook . Londres. Cambridge
University Press.1995
7. Richards Jack C et al., Changes. English for International
Communication, Cambridge University Press; 2000
8. Warshawsky, Diane y otros. Spectrum I and II. New York, Regents
Publishing Company, Inc. 1982.

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