List of Idioms, Phrasal Verbs and Collocations

List of idioms, phrasal verbs and collocations
Phrasal verb Look up: search words in a dictionary

Idiom Kill two birds with one stone: to solve two situations by doing
just one thing.
Collocation Make an effort: to try hard to do something
Fill in with the missing words to review these expressions

1) Can you please _______ up this word in the dictionary?
2) My idea killed two birds with one _________.
3) John is ________ an effort to help us.
Phrasal verb Come up with: to have an idea (“I came up with a great
solution to solve this”)
Idiom Call it a day: to stop working on something (“Okay, let’s call it a
day. We can continue tomorrow”)
Collocation Reach an agreement: to have consensus over something
(“After hours of debate, we reached an agreement”)
Answer the following questions

1) Did you come up with any ideas for your current project?
2) How do you reach agreement if you and your colleagues disagree on
something?
3) If you finish your daily tasks before it’s time to leave work, does your
boss say “Let’s call it a day, you can go home”?
Phrasal verb Back off: to stop being involved in a situation, especially to let
other people do it (“After years of participating in the project I
decided to back off because I wasn’t doing any progress”).
Idiom Not have the faintest idea: to not know the answer to
something (“I don’t have the faintest idea about how to make it
work”).
Collocation Take into consideration: to consider something (“Please take
into consideration that the project won’t be ready until next
year”)
Review the new expressions we learnt last class by completing with the
missing words.
1. I decided to back ______ from the project because I wasn’t doing a good
job.
2. I don’t have the faintest _______ of where John is.
3. Please _______ into consideration that the project will be reviewed by
experts.
Phrasal verb Blow up: to destroy something with a bomb: “They blew up the
house because it was too old”.
Idiom Break a leg: an expression we use to wish someone luck:
“Break a leg in your presentation!
Collocation Make progress: to advance in a project: “We’re not making any
progress in the project”.
Review the new expressions we learnt last class by completing with the
missing words.
4. Be careful with that or you’ll _________ up the house!

5. A: I have my final exam tomorrow.
B: Really? Break a _________! I’m sure you’ll pass.
6. Are you __________ any progress with the new project?
Phrasal verb To be snowed under: to have a lot of work: “Sorry, I can’t help
you today, I’m completely snowed under”.
Idiom To be over the moon: to be extremely happy: “I got a
promotion! I’m over the moon”.
Collocation To get someone’s attention: to make someone pay attention to
you: “I got John’s attention by telling him we would increase his
salary”.
Review the expressions we learnt last week by making questions.
1) A: _________________________?
B: I’m sorry, I can’t. I’ll be totally snowed under.
2) A: ___________________________!
B: Thanks! I’m over the moon!
3) A: ___________________________?
B: No, unfortunately I couldn’t get his attention. I’ll try again tomorrow.
Phrasal verb To bring something up: to mention one topic for discussion: “I
brought up the issue of finance and they weren’t very happy”.
Idiom To beat around the bush: to avoid saying what you mean,
usually because it’s uncomfortable: “Don’t beat around the
bush, say what you want to say”.
Collocation To do your best: to put your effort into something: “I’ll do my
best to deliver this presentation by Monday”.
Fill in with the missing words to review the expressions we learnt last
week.
1
1. I’d like to ________ up a very important issue.
2. Stop beating around the _________ and say what you need to say!
3. I don’t know if I can deliver the report before Friday, but I’ll ________ my
best.
Phrasal verb To cut down: to reduce something: “We need to cut down our
expenses in the Marketing area”.
Idiom It's not rocket science: to say something is not complicated:
“We should find a way to solve this, it’s not rocket science”.
Collocation Take a look: to look at something: “I’ll take a look at the reports
you sent me and give you my opinion”.
Review the expressions we learnt last class by providing synonyms.
a) Cut down
b) It’s not rocket science
c) Take a look
Phrasal verb Hold on: a phrase we use to ask someone to wait: “Can you
hold on for a second? I have another call”.
Idiom So far so good: an expression we use to say things are going
well until now: “Okay, so far so good? Can we move on to the
next topic?”
Collocation Keep the change: an expression we use to tell someone to not
give you any change: “It’s ok, you can keep the change”.
When can you use…
a) Hold on?
b) So far so good?
c) Keep the change?
Phrasal verb Break out: to start suddenly: “A storm broke out in the middle
of the night”.
Idiom Better safe than sorry: it’s better to take precautions now than
regret it later: “I know what I’m doing is too much but better
safe than sorry, right?”
Collocation Draw conclusions: to make a judgment: “Is it possible to draw
conclusions from this evidence?”
Fill in with the missing words
2
1) A fire broke ________ in the middle of the night.
2) We need to have caution. You know what they say: better safe than
________.
3) From this point we can _________ the conclusion that…
Phrasal verb Account for: explain, be the reason of: “Inflation accounts for
the decrease in sales”.
Idiom To be under the weather: to not feel good: “I am a bit under the
weather today”.
Collocation Make a mess: to do something in the wrong way: “You’re
making a mess! You need to be more careful”.
Complete with your ideas
● Inflation accounts for…

● I’m feeling a bit under the weather because…
● You’re making such a mess! I hope that…
Phrasal verb Call off: cancel: “The event was called off due to the rain”.
Idiom Once in a blue moon: if something doesn’t happen very frequently,

we say it happens “once in a blue moon”: “I go dancing once in a
blue moon”.
Collocation Give notice: let somebody know something: “If I miss a day at
work, I need to give notice”.
Answer these questions
a) If you miss a day at work, do you have to give notice?
b) What was the last event that you were planning to attend and was called
off?
c) What activity do you do once in a blue moon?
Phrasal verb Break into: when someone enters your house without permission,
they break into it. “They broke into John’s house yesterday”.
Idiom Like father, like son: an expression we use to say a father and a
son have similar attitudes.
Collocation Make the bed: to arrange your bed in a nice way.
Answer the following questions:
3
Do you make the bed in the morning?
Do you agree with the saying “like father, like son”?
Do you know anyone whose house has been broken into?
—
Phrasal verb Add up: to make sense: “These numbers don’t add up;
something is wrong”.
Idiom Cut corners: to do something poorly just to save time or

money: “Don’t try to cut corners, please, take your time”.
Collocation To do your hair: to make your hair look nicer by combing or

arranging it: “I do my hair in the morning”.
Synonyms Amazing: astonishing
Connectors Furthermore: a synonym of “also”.
1. What does it mean if something doesn’t add up?

2. Do you sometimes try to cut corners to finish your day earlier?
3. How often do you do your hair?
4. Can you make a sentence with the word “Furthermore”?
5. Can you tell me about a TV show that you consider astonishing?
4
1. When was the last time you bumped into someone on the street?
2. When can you say “Easy does it”?
3. When was the last time you were mad?
4. Can you make a sentence with “Therefore”?
Phrasal verb Carry out: perform or conduct: “We’ll carry out a study to check the
quality of the product”.
Idiom Speak of the devil: The person we were just talking about showed
up: “Speak of the devil, there’s John”.
Collocation To pay someone a visit: to visit someone: “Pay me a visit when

you are near!”
Synonym Answer = Reply
Connector Likewise = in the same way: “Company A has experienced an

increase in sales. Likewise, Company C had a good performance”.
Answer these questions:
1) What was the last activity you carried out at work?

2) When can you use the phrase “Speak of the devil”?
3) When was the last time you paid a visit to your best friend?
4) Can you provide some synonyms for “reply”?
5) What’s the purpose of “likewise” in this sentence? “We have increased
our market share. Likewise, our competitors have gained market share”.
Phrasal verb Draw up: elaborate, write: “Can you draw up the report for
5
Monday, please?”
Idiom Penny for your thoughts: I’d like to know what you’re thinking of:
“Penny for your thoughts. You look so concentrated”.
Collocation Get the impression: to sense something: “I got the impression that
she was nervous because she wasn’t looking at me”.
Synonym Awful = Poor “Her performance was really poor”.
Connector Nevertheless = a more formal “however”: “My salary is really low,

nevertheless I find the work incredibly rewarding”.
1. Complete the dialogues with your ideas
1) A: Can you please draw up the budget for 2021?

B: ____________________________________.
2) A: Penny for your thoughts!

B: _____________________________________.
3) A: I got the impression that you were really tired. Is that so?
B: _____________________________________.
4) A: Did you think her performance was poor?

B: ______________________________________.
5) A: I know you’re busy. Nevertheless, I’d like to ask you something.

B: ______________________________________.
Phrasal verb To hand out: to distribute: “The teacher handed out some copies”.
Idiom Bite off more than you can chew: Take on a project that you
cannot finish: “Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s too much
to do alone”.
Collocation To catch a cold: to have a cold: “I caught a cold last week when I
was walking under the rain”.
Synonym Gigantic = Huge: “Wow! This room is huge”.
Connector As a matter of fact: a formal way of saying “in fact”. “Are you busy?
As a matter of fact, I’m not”.
2. Explain these sentences with your own words
6
1. “The teacher handed out copies for all the class”.
2. “She always bites off more than she can chew”.
3. “I caught a cold yesterday”.
4. “This room is gigantic”.
5. “I love her music. As a matter of fact, I’ve got all her records”.
Phrasal verb To do without: to say something is indispensable: “I can’t do

without a coffee in the morning”.
Idiom Pull someone's leg: to joke with someone. “I can’t believe what
you’re saying. Are you pulling my leg?”
Collocation Keep in mind: remember: “Keep in mind that the report should be
delivered before Monday”.
Synonym Reply = Answer: “She replied to all my doubts”.
Connector Conversely = a connector we use to give an opposing point of

view: “Tom prefers to have face-to-face meetings. Conversely,
Peter is in favor of videoconferences”.
1. What’s something you can’t do without?

2. Do your partners usually pull your leg?
3. How do you remind someone to keep something in mind?
4. What was the last email you replied?
5. Can you use “conversely” in a sentence?
Phrasal verb Drop off: to deliver something or somebody: “I can drop you off at
the airport if you’d like”.
Idiom Comparing apples to oranges: to compare two completely different

things. “Don’t compare your situation with mine. It’s like comparing
apples to oranges”.
Collocation Pay the price: to have consequences for your actions: “She didn’t
do the right thing and now she’s paying the price”.
Synonym Stunning = Beautiful “You look stunning. Where did you get that
dress?”
Connector Indeed = An expression we use for emphasis: “It’s a very good

proposal indeed”.
Review the expressions we learnt last week by answering these questions
7
1. Do any of your colleagues usually drop you off somewhere?
2. Can you use “comparing apples to oranges” in a sentence?
3. What would you describe as stunning?
4. What’s the use of the connector “indeed”?
Phrasal verb Put up with: to deal with something negative: “I can’t put up with
your problems!”
Idiom The early bird gets the worm: an expression we use to say that if
we wake up early, we’ll be luckier.
Collocation Run errands: to do something you need to do: “I have to run some
errands before going home”.
Synonym Packed = crowded: “This place is really packed. I can’t even walk”.
Connector Alternatively: an expression we use to provide an option: “We

could have the meeting inside or, alternatively, we could go out”.
3. Answer these questions
1. What situations do you need to put up with this week at work?

2. Do you agree with the saying “the early bird gets the worm”?
3. How often do you run errands?
4. Can you make a sentence with the word “Alternatively”?
5. Do your family members usually drop you off at work?
Phrasal verb Figure out: to understand something: “I can’t figure this out. It’s so
complex”.
Idiom Every cloud has a silver lining: all bad things have something
positive: “I know you’re sad now but every cloud has a silver
lining”.
Collocation Save the trouble: to not do something to avoid problems: “Save the
trouble, don’t talk to your boss like that”.
Synonym Frosty = Cool: “What a frosty morning!”
Connector That is: an expression we use for clarification: “Anne, that is our
boss, is a really easy going person”.
1. If you can’t figure something out, do you ask for help?

2. Do you agree with the idiom “every cloud has a silver lining”?
3. If you disagree with someone, do you say what you think or do you save
the trouble?
4. What do you like doing on a frosty morning?
5. What’s the meaning of this expression?: “PYH, that is the software we’re
using, is quite fast”.
8
Phrasal verb Catch up with: to be updated with someone or something: “I need
to catch up with all the tasks we need to do”.
Idiom Come rain or shine: an expression we use to say something will
happen for sure.
Collocation Place something somewhere: to put something in some place
Synonym Unpleasant = not nice
Connector With respect to = Regarding
a. How do you catch up with your friends?

b. Do you make plans for Saturday come rain or shine?
c. Where do you place your keys at home?
d. Can you think of an unpleasant smell?
e. Can you provide a synonym for “with respect to”?
Phrasal verb To brush up on: to do something to improve in something: “I need

to brush up on my English before travelling”.
Idiom Get something out of your system: do the thing you've been
wanting to do so you can move on: “I didn’t want to talk to him but I
decided to get it out of my system”.
Collocation Break the news to someone: to tell someone some news,
especially bad ones: “I was sorry to break the news to her, but I
had to”.
Synonym Smooth = quiet: “My weekend was really smooth. I didn’t do
much”.
Connector Generally speaking=saying things in a general way
f. What aspects of English do you need to brush up on?

g. When was the last time you got something out of your system?
h. Do you usually have to break the news to your colleagues?
i. If you had a smooth weekend, was it heavy or quiet?
j. If you introduce a sentence by saying “Generally speaking”, what do you
mean?
Phrasal verb Drop in: to go to a place, usually when you were on your way to
another place: “If you’re on your way home, why don’t you drop in
and join us for dinner?”
Idiom When it rains, it pours: all bad things happen at the same time: “I
lost my wallet and my credit card in the same week! When it rains,
it pours!”
Collocation Catch somebody’s eye: if something or somebody catches your
eye, it makes you pay attention to them: “That painting really
9
caught my eye”.
Synonym Positive = Sure: “Are you sure? Yeah, I’m positive”.
Connector As shown by: a phrase we use to introduce a graph: “As shown by
picture c, there has been an increase in sales”.

1) When was the last time a friend dropped in by your house?
2) Do you agree with the saying “When it rains, it pours”? Has it happened
to you?
3) What catches your eye when you’re walking around the city?
4) Are you positive of where you’ll go on holidays next?
5) In what contexts could we use the phrase “As shown by…”?
Phrasal verb Get on (well): to have a good relationship with someone: “Erin and
me get on very well”.
Idiom Get your act together: a phrase you use when you ask a person to
do better in something or calm down: “Get your act together! You
can’t continue acting this way!”
Collocation Go bad: if food goes bad, it’s in bad conditions: “This apple has
gone bad”.
Synonym Dull = Boring: “This movie is so dull!”
Connector Surprisingly: when some information is surprising or shocking, you
start the sentence with it: “Surprisingly, James managed to finish
the report in time”.

1) Do you get on well with all your coworkers?
2) If you tell someone “Get your act together!”, what are you asking them to
do?
3) What do you do if your vegetables are starting to go bad?
4) Can you tell me about a dull movie you have watched recently?
5) How can you use “surprisingly” in a sentence?
Phrasal verb To get along with someone: to have a good relationship with
someone: “Sara and I really get along”.
Idiom No pain, no gain: a phrase that we use to say that if we don’t suffer
during training, we won’t see the results: “I know this exercise is
hard but no pain no gain”.
Collocation Take a chance: try something to see if you like it: “Take a chance
on yoga, maybe you’ll like it”.
Synonym Appealing = interesting: “This book is so appealing. I love all the
characters”.
Connector Regardless: no matter - “Regardless of what you think, I’ll do it”.
10
Complete the sentences with your ideas
1. Regardless of what my boss says, I…

2. I don’t really get along with…
3. No pain, no gain! You need to…
4. Take a chance on…
5. What an appealing…!
Read these expressions with your teacher
Phrasal verb Back up: to support something or someone “I backed up John’s

idea”.
Idiom The best of both worlds: you can enjoy two different opportunities
at the same time.“By working part-time and looking after his kids
two days a week he managed to get the best of both worlds.”
Collocation Deep trouble: a very serious problem: “I’m in deep trouble”.
Synonym Spot: place - “Let’s sit in this nice spot”.
Connector All in all - a phrase we use to summarize “There were a few
problems but all in all, it was a nice meeting”.
1) Answer these questions
1. What’s the purpose of the phrase “all in all”?

2. Who has to back up your decisions?
3. Do you think it’s possible to get the best of both worlds if you work and
are a parent?
4. Who do you call for help when you’re in deep trouble?
Phrasal verb Wear out:

1) To become impossible to use: “Julie wore out her shoes
running the marathons”.
2) To become very tired: “Julie was worn out after all that
running”.
Idiom See eye to eye: if you see “eye to eye” with someone, you agree:
“My wife and I tend to see eye to eye regarding our child’s issues”.
Collocation Burst into tears: to start crying: “She burst into tears when I told
her the news”.
Synonym Proper = Right: “Do you have the proper equipment to do this?”
Connector Otherwise: if not: “We need to hurry up. Otherwise, we’ll miss the
train”.
Explain what the words in bold mean.

1. “Tina wore out her shoes”.
11
2. “I’m worn out today, I don’t think I can go with you”.
3. “We don’t see eye to eye so it’s hard to find a place in common”.
4. “She burst into tears when I told her I had been fired”.
5. “I can’t find the proper person to deal with this”.
6. “We should hurry. Otherwise, we’ll miss the train”.
Phrasal verb Use up: to finish the entire product: “You’ve used up all my coffee!
I don’t have any left for me!”
Idiom To rain on someone’s parade: to ruin somebody’s plan: “I know
Europe’s expensive but I wanted to go anyway. Don’t rain on my
parade!”
Collocation Take on staff: to hire staff: “The company is not taking on any new
employee this month”.
Synonym Peculiar = a polite way to say “strange”: “Her style is quite
peculiar”.
Connector Despite the fact: “Despite the fact that I can’t go to her party, I’d
like to send her a present”.
1. What do you mean if you say that someone is “peculiar”?

2. Have you used up all your shampoo?
3. When was the last time you felt somebody rained on your parade?
4. How often does your company take on new staff?
5. Can you make a sentence with the connector “despite the fact”?
Phrasal verb Pass out: to faint: “She hadn’t eaten anything so she passed out”.
Idiom Weather the storm: to survive difficult times: “I know this is a hard
year but we have to weather the storm”.
Collocation Chair a meeting: be the moderator of a meeting: “My boss is
chairing the meeting with the shareholders”.
Synonym Amusing = funny, entertaining: “The movie I watched last night
was quite amusing”.
Connector Moreover: another way of saying “furthermore”. “I have to work
tomorrow. Moreover, I need to attend a doctor’s appointment”.
Explain these sentences with your own words.
1. “It was really hot that day, so she passed out in the street”.
2. “This is a difficult year but we have to weather the storm”.
3. “My boss is going to chair tomorrow’s meeting”.
4. “This movie is so amusing”.
5. “I’d like to change jobs. Moreover, I’d like to apply to get a visa”.
12
Phrasal verb Come across:
1. I was cleaning up and came

1. To find by chance
across some old photos of you.
2. To appear, seem,
2. The politician came across as a
make an
complete fool during the TV
impression
interview.
Idiom You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs: There's
always a cost to doing something. e.g.:
Alan: We may make more money by raising our prices, but we'll
also upset a lot of customers.
Fred: You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.
Collocation Take someone’s place: “When I left the company, my secretary
took my place”.
Synonym Bright = Intelligent: “She’s such a bright young lady”.
Connector In connection with = regarding. “Do you have anything to say in
connection with our new boss?”
2) Explain these sentences with your own words
a. “He came across as a weird person when he said that”.

b. “I came across an old picture of you while cleaning my
room”.
c. “I know this could bring some issues but you can’t make an
omelet without breaking some eggs”.
d. “When she left, I took her place”.
e. “What a bright girl!”
f. “Do you have any doubts in connection with this?”
Phrasal verb Kick off: to start something: “We are planning to kick off a new
project”.
Idiom To make matters worse: to make something worse: “I fell asleep
and, to make matters worse, I missed the bus”.
Collocation To be fully aware of something: to be sure of something: “I’m fully
aware of the implications of this agreement”.
Synonym Exhibit = show: “This slide exhibits a graph with the current sales”.
1. What’s important to consider before kicking-off a project?

2. If I say “to make matters worse”, what’s my intention?
13
3. Are you fully aware of what your job entails?
4. Can you make a sentence using the word “exhibit”?
Phrasal To point out: to put emphasis on something: “I’d like to point out
verb that these numbers are irrelevant”.
Idiom To kick the bucket: to die: “He kicked the bucket last year”
Collocation To reach a goal: to get where you wanted to get: “We reached all
our goals this year”.
Synonym Have= eat or drink: “I’ll have a sandwich”.

● Can you provide a synonym of “to kick the bucket”?
● Does your company provide incentives if you reach a goal?
● What was the last thing you had when you went out to dinner?
● How do you point out important information in an email?
Phrasal verb Fall through: fail, not happen: “His plans to trek through South
America fell through when he got sick”.
Idiom Wrap your head around something: Understand something
complicated. “I just can’t wrap my head around this. It’s so hard”.
Collocation Do better: have a better result: “Don’t worry about not having
passed the exam. You’ll do better next time”.
Synonym Portray = describe: “The story portrays women’s life in the 19 th
century”.
Slang Busted!: an expression you use when you catch someone doing
something they shouldn’t be doing: “Busted!! Do your parents
know that you’re here?”
Explain these sentences with your own words
1. “The book portrays all the difficulties of a marriage”.

2. “Our plans to visit our sister in South Africa fell through”.
3. “I can’t wrap my head around this equation”.
4. “At the end, it all boils down to who is better than who”.
5. “You’ll do better next time”.
6. “Busted!! What are you doing?”
Phrasal verb Drop out of: to leave a course: “I dropped out of high school when I
was 16”.
Idiom Your guess is as good as mine: to have no idea about something –
“I don’t know anything about that. Your guess is as good as mine”.
14
Collocation Right away: if you’re going to do something now, you’ll do it right
away:
A: Can you fill in these reports?

B: Sure, right away.
Synonym Fake = false – “These documents look fake. Have you checked if
they are real?”
Slang Hip: cool – “She’s so hip. I’d like to be like her”.
Complete the dialogues with your ideas
1) A: _________________________.
B: No, I’m pretty sure it’s fake.
2) A: Why did she drop out of Medical School?

B: ___________________________.
3) A: ____________________________.
B: Your guess is as good as mine.
4) A: ____________________________?
B: Sure, right away.
5) A: Why do you think she’s so hip?

B: ____________________________.
Phrasal verb Wipe off: clean with a piece of cloth – “Can you please wipe off the
table?”
Idiom Miss the boat: to lose an opportunity – “Sorry, you missed the
boat! You should have confirmed earlier”.
Collocation Come to a conclusion: to arrive at some conclusion – “After years
of researching, I came to the conclusion that it was pointless”.
Synonym Gross = disgusting – “How gross! Can you stop doing that?”
Slang Bromance: This combination of "brother" and "romance" describes
an intense friendship between two straight men.
"Chandler and Joey have an epic bromance!”.
1. Can you provide an example of a bromance in a TV show?

2. If you miss the boat, do you try to catch another one?
3. How often do you wipe your table off?
4. Name a habit you consider gross.
5. When you come to a conclusion at work, do you share your
findings with your mates?
15
Phrasal verb Shop around: to compare prices – “We were shopping around and
bought some really nice things”.
Idiom To cost an arm and a leg: to be very expensive – “This sweater
cost an arm and a leg!”
Collocation Get changed: to change your clothes – “Get changed! We’re going
out!”
Synonym Elaborate = explain – “Can you elaborate on that, please?”
Slang Wallflower: This term describes a shy person. It is used to describe
a person - typically a girl - who preferred to stand along the wall
instead of participating in a dance.
"You'll have more fun at the dance if you aren't such a wallflower."
1. What are some of the characteristics of a wallflower?

2. If you “elaborate” on something, what do you do?
3. How often do you shop around?
4. How many times a day do you get changed?
5. Can you provide an example of something that costs an arm and a leg?
Phrasal verb Watch out: a phrase we use to tell someone to be careful. “Watch
out! You may fall!”
Idiom A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: it’s better to take one
thing than not know if you’ll get more.
Collocation Have the chance: to have the opportunity to do something: “I’m
lucky that I had the chance to show them what I know”.
Synonym Eager = interested – “I’m really eager to know more about it”.
Slang Frenemies: This combination of "friend" and "enemy" describes a
person who is a little bit of both, perhaps a friend with whom one
experiences regular conflict.
"They are frenemies. Sometimes they love each other and
sometimes they hate each other”.
Complete the sentences with your own ideas

● Watch out! You…
● A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so…
● I’d like to have the chance to…
● I’m really eager to…
● Despite the fact we are frenemies,…
Phrasal verb Turn down: refuse – “I turned down her proposal because I wasn’t
interested”.
Idiom To be as fit as a fiddle: to be in good health – “I’m feeling as fit as
a fiddle today. Luckily, the medication worked”.
16
Collocation Come clean: be honest about something – “I came clean and told
her about my feelings”
Synonym Pleased=happy “I’m pleased to know everything is alright”.
Slang Ace = be really good at something, excel in something – “You
really aced that interview!”
1) Complete the dialogues with your ideas
1) A: __________________________.
B: I’m pleased to hear that.
2) A: ____________________________.
B: Really? Why did you turn it down?
3) A: ______________________________?
B: Yes, I’m as fit as a fiddle.
4) A: I decided to come clean and finally tell my boss I wanted to quit.
B: ___________________________________!
5) A: I really aced that interview!
B: ________________________________________!
Phrasal verb To look up to someone: to admire someone – “I really look up to

my cousin, she’s amazing”.
Idiom It takes two to tango: One person alone isn't responsible. Both
people are involved. – “You can’t blame just him. It takes two to
tango”.
Collocation To have a bad temper: to be the type of person that is always in a
bad mood: “He has such a bad temper”.
Synonym Not so bad: well – “A: How are you today? B: Not so bad.”
Slang Lit: If something is "lit," it means it's super cool or "on fire."
"Last night's party was lit."
17
1. Do you know anyone who has a terrible temper?
2. What do you mean if you say “it takes two to tango”?
3. Who do you look up to?
4. If you answer “not so bad”, what do you mean?
5. What was the last lit party you went to?
Phrasal verb Nod off: To fall asleep – “You were so tired after the game that you
nodded off on the couch”.
Idiom It’s a piece of cake: it’s very easy – “This equation is a piece of
cake!”
Collocation Come to an end: finish – “When the movie came to an end, I had
already left the cinema”.
Synonym Indispensable: essential – “It’s indispensable that you finish this
before Monday”.
Slang To have a blast: to have a good time – “We had a blast at Peter’s
birthday party”.
1. If you say that something’s a piece of cake, what do you mean?

2. What things are indispensable at work this week?
3. Do you sometimes nod off on your desk?
4. What are your plans for when the year comes to an end?
5. If you say: “We had a blast at the party”, did you have a good time?
Phrasal verb Think over: to consider something – “Are you sure about what you
want to do? Why don’t you think it over?”
Idiom Through thick and thin: in good times and bad times – “As a
couple, we need to stay together through thick and thin”.
Collocation Get stuck: if you get stuck, you can’t continue because something
is impeding it – “I got stuck in a traffic jam”.
Synonym Mistaken: wrong – “You’re mistaken. That’s not how it should be”.
Slang To be in for something: “A: Who wants to come? B: I’m in!!!”
Complete the conversations with your ideas
1) A:__________________________!
B: Why don’t you think it over?
2) A: _________________________________!
B: Don’t mention it! Friends should stay together through thick and thin.
18
3) A: Sorry for my delay, I got stuck in a traffic jam.
B: _________________________________.
4) A: ___________________________________!
B: That’s great! I’m in!
Phrasal verb To get ahead: to be successful in your career or life; to make more
progress than others – “You need to make lots of connections in
order to get ahead in this industry”.
Idiom To go back to square one: to start something over again because
a previous attempt failed – “To make this software finally work, we
have to go back to square one”.
Collocation To bear something in mind: to consider something – “Please bear
in mind that I will be absent next week”
Synonym Loathe: /loud/ hate – “I completely loathe staying here until late”
Collocation Dying: something you say when something causes a strong

emotion on you (could be positive or negative): “I’m dying, this is
so funny” – “I’m dying here, can you help me?”
Explain these sentences with your own words
1. “Please bear in mind the report should be finished before

Monday”.
2. “Now that we have lost the contract, we should go back to square
one”.
3. “To get ahead in this profession, it’s important to have contacts”.
4. “I loathe talking to people on the phone”.
5. “I’m dying! Such a great joke”.
Phrasal verb Fill in: complete – “Can you please fill in this form?”
Idiom To learn the ropes: To learn how to do something - “As a

professional, you need to constantly learn the ropes to do really
well in your career”.
Collocation To hold a meeting: to organize a meeting – “We’re planning to hold
a meeting next week”.
Synonym Inconvenience: trouble – “I’m sorry if I caused any inconvenience”.
Slang No big deal: when something is not so important, we say “it’s no
big deal”.
19
1. What do you mean if you say “no big deal”?

2. What was the last deadline that you had to meet?
3. Was it hard to learn the ropes of your profession?
4. What was the last form that you filled in?
5. Can you provide a more informal equivalent to: “Sorry if I caused you any
inconvenience”?
Phrasal verb Take over: To get control or responsibility for something: “Tom will
take over the sales department and become its new manager”.
Idiom Touch base with someone: to speak to someone: “Can I touch
base with you about this issue?”
Collocation Ballpark figure: an approximate number: “I believe it’s 10% but it’s
a ballpark figure”.
Pronunciation Look at the sound /dʒ/ in words that include d+u or d+i:
1) gradual /ˈɡrædʒʊəl/
2) education /ˌedʒʊˈkeɪʃən/
3) graduate /ˈɡrædʒʊət/
4) individual /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒʊəl/
5) procedure /prəˈsiːdʒər/
6) soldier /ˈsəʊldʒər/
7) due /ˈdʒiʊ/
8) during /ˈdʒiʊrin/
Explain these sentences with your own ideas
1. “Peter took over the Sales’ Department last week”.

2. “Can I touch base with you about the new project?”
3. “I believe it’s 20 million but it’s a ballpark figure”.
Practice the /dʒ/ sound by reading out these sentences
1) There is a gradual increase in sales.

2) She got a good education.
3) When did you graduate?
4) She’s having individual lessons.
5) Which procedures do we need to follow?
6) He was a soldier in WWII.
Phrasal verb Look through: to search among many things: “They had to look
through all of last month’s receipts to find the one they wanted”.
Idiom Big picture: Everything that is involved with a particular situation:

“Working on all these details, we have lost sight of the big
20
picture”.
Collocation Join forces: To join forces means to team up and work together
with another person or business: “The Sales and Marketing
Departments will join forces to promote the next product
campaign”.
Pronunciation Look at the sound /ich/ in the words finishing with “age”.
1) Percentage
2) Image
3) Language
4) Advantage
5) Village
6) Average
Complete the phrases with your ideas
1. I was looking through the files and…

2. If you look at the big picture, you’ll see that…
3. We’re planning to join forces in order to…
Practice the /idʒ/ sound by reading out these sentences
1) Which percentage of people attended the event?

2) That image is too blurred.
3) Learning languages isn’t easy.
4) What’s the advantage of doing that?
5) The village is located near that town.
Phrasal verb Stick up for: To defend: “My big brother always stuck up for me
when I got into a fight”.
Idiom Learn the ropes: Learn the basics of something (e.g. a job): “I’m
learning the ropes in my new position”.
Collocation By the book: To do things exactly according to the rules or the law:
“We told our auditors that we do everything by the book”.
Pronunciation Look at the silent “b”:
1) Subtle
2) Debt
3) Doubt
1. Did you stick up for your siblings when you were a child?
2. Are you learning the ropes of something now?
3. Do you always try to do things by the book?
Practice the pronunciation of the “b” sound:
1. “This is a subtle detail”.
21
2. “The company has a lot of debt”.
3. “I have no doubt that this is true”.
Phrasal verb Pencil in (a meeting): to arrange a meeting: “I’ll pencil you in for
tomorrow at 8am”.
Idiom To follow in someone’s footsteps: to follow the career of someone
in your family: “I followed in my mother’s footsteps when I became
a psychologist”.
Collocation To have a lot on your plate: to have a lot to do: “I have a lot on my
plate today so I won’t be able to help you”.
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce “oo” in these words:
1) Flood /flad/
2) Blood /blad/
1) How do you usually pencil in your meetings?

2) Have you ever considered following in your parents’ footsteps?
3) Do you feel that you have a lot on your plate right now?
Read these two sentences out loud:
1. The flood was caused by the heavy rain.

2. There was blood on the floor
Phrasal verb Check up on: Examine or inspect something in order to determine

its condition – “I’ll check up on John to see if he needs help”.
Idiom Call the shots: Make the important decisions in an organization – “I

don’t take any important decisions. My boss is the one who calls
the shots”.
Collocation Against the clock: In a very limited amount of time – “We’re
running against the clock to get this done”.
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce “-age” /ich/ at the end of words:
- average.
- package.
- message.
- village.
- storage.
- passage.
- courage.
- voltage.
- image.
22
1. Do you check up on your colleagues to see if they need help?
2. Who calls the shots in your office?
3. Are you currently running against the clock to solve something?
Practice the sound “age” by making sentences with these words
Message
Village
Storage
Passage
Courage
Phrasal verb Take after: to be similar to someone in your family: “I take after my
mom. We have the exact same eyes”.
Idiom What’s the scoop?: an expression we use to ask what inside
information another person has: “What’s the scoop on the new
campaign?”
Collocation Pay a compliment: give a compliment to someone: “She paid him
many compliments about his new flat”.
Pronunciation Every time a word that ends in “-ed” is preceded by the “t” or “d”
sound, we should pronounce it /id/
Rested: /restid/
Interested: /intrestid/
Painted: /peintid/
Needed: /nidid/
Ended: /éndid/
1. Who do you take after in your family?

2. What’s the scoop on the project you’re currently working on?
3. Do you and your colleagues pay compliments to each other?
Practice the “ed” sound in these sentences
1. She ended up calling the lawyer.

2. She painted the room white.
3. She needed to talk to you to know if you’re interested.
4. I rested a lot last night.
5. I wanted to go but I couldn’t.
Phrasal verb Get over: If you or a company “get over” something, it means it’s
no longer a problem: “The company could finally get over financial
23
debt” – “I could finally get over my flu”.
Idiom Take the bull by the horns: to face a situation that is problematic:
“You have to take the bull by the horns and finish with this”.
Collocation To go into a partnership: to make a partnership with another
company: “Company A and company B went into a partnership”.
Synonym Funny = weird: “This place smells funny”.

Pronunciation In these words, some of the letters are not pronounced. Can you
guess which ones?
Chocolate
Wednesday
Comfortable
Every
Muscle
Align
Island
Interested
Temperature
Castle
Literature
1. If something smells funny, what does it smell like?

2. Have you gotten over the flu recently?
3. If you take the bull by the horns, what are you doing?
4. Has your company gone on a partnership recently?
Practice suppressing some letters by reading these sentences out loud
1. This chocolate is so tasty.

2. Wednesday is my favorite day because I have Literature lessons.
3. I’m not comfortable here.
4. Every muscle in my body hurt.
5. We should align our objectives.
6. The island is an interesting place to visit.
7. The temperature is low.
8. What a nice castle!
Phrasal verb Call in: to ask or tell someone to come to a place, usually so that
you can talk to them: “I was called in by my boss”.
Idiom Blue sky thinking: original or creative thinking to find a new solution
or concept: Our sales are falling and our product range is old and
unfashionable. What we need is some “blue sky thinking”.
Collocation Run a business: be in charge of a business: “I’m running my
24
family’s business now”.
Synonym Prompt: quick – “Thanks for the prompt response!”
Pronunciation When “a” and “u” are together, we always pronounce them as “o”:
- Autumn
- Auburn
- August
- Automatic
- Caution
- Fault
- Trauma
- Paul
- Laurel
- Author

1. When was the last time you were called in by your boss?
2. Does your company make use of blue sky thinking?
3. Would you like to run a business? Which kind of?
4. Do you provide prompt responses to your colleagues?
Read these sentences out loud

1. Laurel went to Australia in autumn with the author.
2. Paul said the automatic system was installed in August.
3. Please proceed with caution. Otherwise, this will be your fault
4. Having an authoritative family has caused her many traumas.
5. Cauliflower smells terribly but it’s quite delicious.
Phrasal verb Pitch in: provide help or support - “We should be able to finish
quickly if everyone pitches in”.
Idiom Ring a bell: to sound familiar:
- Do you know Charlotte Webster?

- Mmm, it rings a bell. But I’m not sure who she is.
Collocation Draw attention to: to point something out - “I’d like to draw your
attention to the sales figures”.
Synonym Accomplish: achieve – “We have accomplished our annual goal”.
Pronunciation When a word finishes in “-ism”, we add an invisible “e” between

the “s” and the “m”:
-Professionalism
25
-Optimism
-Tourism
-Baptism
-Racism
-Colonialism
-Existentialism
-Individualism
-Conservatism
-Nationalism
-Capitalism
-Metabolism
1) A: __________________________?
B: Yes, it rings a bell.
2) A: Why did you draw our attention to that topic?

B: ______________________________.
3) A: If the sales team pitches in, do you think we’ll be able to cover
everything?
B: _______________________________.
4) A: Do you think we’ll be able to accomplish our goals this year?

B: ________________________________.
Practice the “ism” sound by reading these sentences out loud.
- “Her professionalism is remarkable”.

-“Tourism in the country is growing slowly”.
- “Racism is still a serious issue”.
-“You can’t blame capitalism for that”.
-“My metabolism is quite slow”.
Phrasal verb Run something by someone: to inform someone about something:

“You’ll have to run this information by our boss”
Idiom On a shoestring: When you do something on a shoestring, you’re

working on a tight budget or with very little money: “It’s going to be
a challenge doing such a big project on a shoestring but we’ll do
our best”.
Collocation Pay a fine: pay money you owe to an entity: “We have to pay all
the fines we owe”.
26
Synonym Alike: similar: “Me and my mother look alike”.
Pronunciation Words ending in “-gh” have two possible pronunciations:
/f/ – Words like “cough” /kof/, “tough” /taf/ or “laugh” /laf/ are
all pronounced with a final /f/.
Silent – In words like “although” /ɒlˈðəʊ/, “sigh” /sʌɪ/ or

“thigh” /θʌɪ/ the “gh” is ignored and not pronounced.
False friends Assist: provide assistance, not “go to a place”

Attend: go to a place, not “pick up the phone”
Acronyms BTW: By the way
Answer the questions
1. Which things do you need to run by your boss?

2. What recommendations would you give to someone trying to travel on a
shoestring?
3. Have you ever paid a fine?
4. Do you and your boss think alike?
5. On which things do you assist your colleagues?
6. What was the last event that you attended?
Read these sentences out loud:
1. I know it’s tough not to cough. Try to do it with no laugh.

2. Although she was full of energy, she sighed.
Phrasal verb Pull off: do something difficult - “What you did was so hard!
How did you manage to pull it off?”
Idiom Knock it out of the park: to do something amazing. “I can’t

believe what you did! You knocked it out of the park, man!”
Collocation Kill time: to do something to make time pass faster.
Synonym Reckon = think - “I reckon tomorrow will be a good day”.
Pronunciation “B” and “V” sound different. “V” is more like an “f”.
Look at these words:
27
-Boat
-Ban
-Bath
-Vote
-Van
-Vine
False friends Actually: de hecho
Nowadays/currently: actualmente
1. What’s a synonym of “reckon”?

2. Did you pull off any difficult projects lately?
3. if you “knocked it out of the park”, did you do something positive or
negative?
Complete using “actually” or “nowadays”:
This used to be complicated in the 1950s but ________ things are

changing.
They call her Polly but she’s _________ called Paula.
Practice the “b” and “v” sound by reading these sentences out loud
1. “These berries are very nice”.

2. “He tried to use the bat”.
3. “Are you paying VAT?”
4. “She issued her vote and then took the boat”.
5. “I bet the vet is still there”.
6. “After drinking a beer, I thought I’d seen the veep”
7. “Why did they ban driving a van here?”
Phrasal verb Get back to someone: to reply to someone: “I’ll check with my
boss and get back to you”.
Idiom No brainer: something too obvious: “When she said she was
feeling disgusted, it was a no brainer. We all thought she was
pregnant”.
Grammar We can use comparatives in both sides to say “cuanto más…”:
point
- The taller, the better
- The better cooked, the more delicious
- The more, the merrier
Synonym Upset = annoyed
Pronunciation Words that finish in “ew” are pronounced as “u”:
Flew: /flu/
28
Blew: /blu/
Preview: /príviu/
Nephew: /néfiu/
Drew: /dru/
False friends Disgust: asco
Annoyed: disgustado
Acronyms AKA: Also known as
Choose the correct option
1. I’m disgusted/annoyed. I can’t believe how much I ate.

2. I’m really disgusted/annoyed about what happened. I’m completely
angry.
Paraphrase these sentences
1. “Peter, AKA the boy who broke my heart, is coming tomorrow”.

2. “I’ll get back to you as soon as possible”.
3. “That’s a no brainer!”
4. “Of course you can come tomorrow. The more, the merrier!”
Read these sentences to practice the pronunciation of the “ew” sound
1) The bird flew high as she blew the candles.

2) Her nephew saw the preview and later drew some cartoons.
Phrasal verb Weigh up: Consider carefully the advantages or disadvantages

of a situation - “I’m weighing up my options before I decide to
apply for the job”.
Idiom Learning curve: process of learning
Grammar point Use passive voice for processes: “The staff is selected through
this method”.
Synonym Minor = small
Pronunciation In words that start with “wr”, we don’t pronounce the “w”:
write
wrong
wrote
wrist
wreck
wring
29
False friends Reunion: when you haven’t seen someone for a long time: “A
high-school reunion”
Gathering: when you get together with friends and family
Meeting: more general but especially for work
Acronyms IDK - I Don't Know
Choose the correct form
1. “We organized a high-school reunion/meeting/gathering”.

2. “The family reunion/meeting/gathering was cancelled”.
3. “The reunion/meeting/gathering was chaired by my boss”.
Use passive voice to explain a process you do at work. For example:
1. To choose a supplier, possible suppliers are contacted online.

2. Candidates are analyzed.
Explain these sentences with your words
1. “We should weigh up the consequences before making a decision”.

2. “We’ve had some minor issues”.
3. “IDK what you are talking about”.
4. “We should analyze the learning curve for this subject”.
Practice the “wr” sound by reading these sentences out loud
1. She writes the word “wreck” in the wrong way.

2. I wrote a record of what happened to her wrist.
3. We should wring these clothes.
Phrasal verb Keep up with – to stay up to date. Or to stay at the same level or
speed as something else: “It was hard for the company to keep
up with new technologies”.
Idiom Give the thumbs up: To "give something or someone the thumbs
up" means to give approval - “They gave our new proposal the
thumbs up. We're going out to celebrate tonight”.
30
Grammar point Only use simple present for habits and routines.
I send you the email - I’ll send you the email or I’m sending you
I attach the file - I’ll attach the file or I’m attaching
I get back to you asap - I’ll get back to you asap or I’m getting
back
Synonym Scalding = very hot

Pronunciation There’s a silent "a" between a “c” and an “l”:
automatically - basically - dramatically - logically - romantically -
specifically - typically
False friends Sensible: sensato

Sensitive: sensible
Acronyms TBH: To be honest
How would you say this in English?
- Te mando el informe mañana.

- Te adjunto el material que me pediste.
- Te escribo para mandarte el informe.
- Te contacto mañana.
Translate these phrases into Spanish
1. Of course he made the right decision, he’s a sensible man.

2. Of course he made the right decision, he’s a sensitive man.
3. I like my coffee scalding.
4. TBH, that’s not what I mean.
Practice suppressing the “a” sound by reading these sentences out loud
- The process was done automatically.

- Basically, what we need to do is…
- Her performance was dramatically amazing.
- Logically, this is the right thing to do.
- She romantically asked him to marry her.
- She typically washed her clothes on Monday.
Phrasal verb Bring forward: To change the date or time of an event so that it
happens earlier than planned. - “The meeting has been brought
forward to this Thursday instead of next week.”
Idiom Shoot!: a phrase we use to say “go ahead” when someone asks
you a question.
31
A: Can I ask you something?
B: Shoot!
Grammar point Remember “just”, “already” and “yet” are only used in present
perfect and in this order:
“I’ve just finished lunch”.

“I’ve already finished the report”.
“I haven’t seen it yet”.
Synonym Peaceful = quiet

Pronunciation Letter “b” is silent at the end of a word: bomb - climb - comb -
crumb - debt - doubt - dumb - lamb - limb - numb - thumb -
plumber
False friends Library: the place where you borrow books
Book shop/store: the place where you buy books
Stationer’s: place where you buy pens and pencils
Bookcase: the place where you put books at home
Choose the correct option
1. I borrowed this book from the library/bookshop.

2. The library/bookshop sells amazing limited editions.
3. All my books are on my bookshop/bookcase.
4. Can we bring up/forward the meeting?
5. It was a really peaceful/peacefull ceremony.
6. A: Can I ask you something?
B: Shout!/Shoot!
Use these prompts to make sentences in present perfect (have/has + 3rd

column) . Don’t forget to add “yet”, “just” or “already” in the right place.
Eg.: he / meet / his friend. (just) - He has just met his friend
2. you / not drink / your glass of Coke. (yet)
3. I / make / my bed. (already)
4. We / not arrive. (yet)
5. The director / talk / to him. (already)
6. I / write / the e-mail you asked me. (just)
7. She / not buy / the flat. (yet) But she wants to buy it soon.
8. He / win / the lottery. (just)
9. Paul / not pay / for the dinner. (yet)
Practice suppressing the “b” sound by reading these sentences out loud
1) The bomb exploded after we climbed.

2) I used my comb to fix her hair.
32
3) I have a doubt: why do you have this debt?
4) He’s a dumb man that looks numb.
5) He gave me the thumbs up.
6) My limb hurt.
7) The lamb was running on the hill.
Phrasal verb Fall short – to not have enough of something. Often money or
time. - “We’re falling short of resources”.
Idiom Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth: Do not question the value of
a gift. The expression comes from the practice of determining
the age and health of a horse by looking at its teeth.
Grammar point You can use the expression “should have” when talking about
regrets or criticizing someone:
1. “I should have called you but I didn’t have time”.

2. “You shouldn’t have said that”.
Synonym Abroad = overseas
Pronunciation Don’t pronounce the “L” before the “K” in these words:
Walk, talk, chalk
False friends Tolerate, put up with: soportar

Support : apoyar
“Support” is not “soportar”.
Complete with the correct form: “should have” or “shouldn’t have” + past
participle
1. The flowers died. I (water) ______________________________ them

more often.
2. I’m really hungry. I (eat) ______________________________ a bigger
breakfast.
3. I fell into the water. I (be) ______________________________ more
careful.
4. Jon’s father got angry. Jon (tell) ______________________________
him a lie.
5. I’m broke. I (buy) ______________________________ a new car last
week.
6. This hotel is terrible. I (stay) ______________________________ at
another one.
7. It’s getting cold. We (bring) ______________________________ our
jackets.
33
Translate these sentences into Spanish.
1. Our boss should support our decisions.

2. I can’t put up with this anymore.
Practice suppressing the “L” sound by reading these sentences out loud
1. We can either walk or talk or write this down with chalk.
1. Do you agree with the saying “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”?
2. What is your company falling short of?
3. Which are a company’s biggest expenses?
4. Would you ever consider moving overseas?
Phrasal verb Come along: accompany - “We’re going to the meeting. Would
you like to come along?”
Idiom My hands are tied: When you are unable to carry out any
meaningful action because of regulations, rules or other people
with authority - “I wish I could help you cut through all this red
tape but my hands are tied. My boss won’t let me”.
Grammar point Remember how we use “agree” in English:
- I am agree: I agree
- I am not agree: I don’t agree
Synonym Remark = comment
Pronunciation How "Y" is pronounced in an English word.
"Y" is pronounced either as [ai] or [i:].
1. In a one-syllable word, "y" is pronounced as [ai].
my, by, fly, shy, try, cry, fry, sky
2. In a two-syllable word, "y" is pronounced as [i:].
party, puppy, candy, bunny, funny, pony, turkey, happy, cherry,

tiny, penny, city, baby
False friends Factory: fábrica
Fabric: tela
34
1. If you tell someone “What an interesting remark!”, what are you telling
them?
2. If you tell someone “Come along with me”, what do you mean?
3. If you tell someone “My hands are tied”, what are you saying?
4. Can you provide examples of fabrics? And of factories?
Practice reading this paragraph to review the “y” sound
“My party was great because they gave me a puppy and some candy. Really, I
wanted a bunny or a pony because they are funny but I’m still happy with my
puppy. I’m a little shy so of course I was going to cry when a tiny baby tried to
push my balloons up in the sky”.
Phrasal verb Point out: To indicate or show something - “Everyone at the

meeting was surprised when she pointed out the accounting
department’s mistake”.
Idiom The eleventh hour: this expression is used to describe

something that’s done or happens at the last minute. - “The
project manager won’t be pleased about them changing the
design at the eleventh hour”.
Grammar point As vs. How. vs. Like
How:
1. to introduce questions or to refer to questions inside a
sentence.
2. You can replace it with “in what way”.
“I don’t know how she does it”.

“Do you know how she goes to work?”
As:
1. to introduce a sentence - “As you know, I’ll be busy
tomorrow”.
2. To compare: “Nobody paints as Picasso does” (as +
noun + verb)
Like:
1. To introduce an example - “Sports like football or soccer
get many fans”.
2. To compare: “Nobody paints like Picasso” (like + noun)
Synonym Gather = collect - “We need to gather information to draw up the
report”.
Pronunciation Don’t pronounce the “k” at the beginning of a word:
Knife
Knock
Know
35
Knee
Knowledge
False friends Billion: mil millones
Trillion: un billón
1. What kind of information do you need to gather from your partners?

2. What’s a synonym for “point out”?
3. Do your partners or clients change things at the eleventh hour?
4. Are billion and trillion equivalent in English and Spanish?
Choose the correct form:
1. As/How/Like I was saying, this is explained by inertia.

2. As/How/Like my mother says, “one bird in hand is worth two in the
bush”.
3. As/How/Like can we explain this phenomenon?
4. I can’t attend tomorrow because, as/how/like you know, I’ll be on
holiday.
5. Some domestic animals, as/how/like cats and dogs, prefer to spend
their time on the outside.
6. We need to analyze as/how/like to do this.
Practice the “k” sound by reading these sentences out loud.
1. “She knocked on my door to give me back the knife”.

2. “I didn’t know she had a pain in her knee”.
3. “I had no knowledge about this”.
Phrasal verb Talk back: to give an answer rudely. - “He is very polite and
doesn’t talk back to his parents”.
Idiom Raise red flags: it’s a warning of trouble coming - “The client is
not answering so we’re raising red flags”.
Grammar point When to use auxiliaries in questions with “who” or “what”:
Usually, when we ask a question, we want to know about the

object of the answer:
What did you lose?
36
I lost my purse. (object)
Who did John meet?

John met Lucy. (object)
However, sometimes we want to ask a question where the thing

we want to know is actually the subject of the answer.
Who kissed John? (we don’t use an auxiliary because another

person is doing the action)
Let's have a look at some more examples:
Who told you? (another person is doing the action)

Who did you tell? (you’re doing the action)
Synonym Joy = happiness

Pronunciation The sound “t” many times disappears. Try pronouncing these
words:
Listen
Fasten
Moisten
Whistle
Christmas
False friends “College” is not “colegio”; it’s an equivalent of “terciario” in
Spanish.
1. Did you listen to that whistle?

2. My face is really moistened.
3. I enjoy Christmas time.
4. Please fasten your seatbelt.
1. My colleague/college is familiar with this topic.

2. I studied at colleague/college from 1999 to 2003.
3. I’ll have to raise red/orange flags. This situation keeps getting worse.
4. I never talked towards/back to my parents when I was a child. I was too
respectful.
5. Being here fills me up with joyful/joy.
Make questions with “did” or without “did” depending on the answer.
37
1. A: ___________________?
B: John helped me.
2. A: ___________________?
B: I helped all of them.
3. A: ____________________?
B: My daughter inspired me.
4. A: _____________________?
B: I inspired many people with my designs.
Phrasal verb Be for (something): be in favor of something: “I’m for changing

the name of the project”.
Idiom Off the hook: free from blame or responsibility to do something:
“John's agreed to go to the meeting in my place so I’m off the
hook”.
Grammar point Some phrasal verbs can become nouns when you add a dash
between the verb and the preposition.
The only difference is in the pronunciation.
For example:
Follow up (seguir) /fólou áp/

Follow-up (seguimiento) /fólowap/
Make up (maquillarse) /méik áp/

Make-up (maquillaje) /méikap/
Check up (chequear) /chék áp/

Check-up (chequeo) /chékap/
Kick off (lanzar) /kik óf/

Kick-off (lanzamiento) /kíkof/
Synonym Challenging = complicated
Pronunciation Focus/F***us
In English, our letter “O” is actually a diphthong, /oʊ/. The key to
saying this correctly is remembering to make the “o” a long one,
with the lips closing down throughout the sound.
38
So, the correct pronunciation is “foukes”.
False friends “Bigot” in English means “intolerant”.
To say “bigote” (Spanish) we should use “moustache” /móstásh/
1. We’re in charge of the follow up/follow-up of the campaign.

2. I’ll try to follow up/follow-up this issue.
3. I have to check up/check-up how everything is going.
4. I have to go to the doctor to get a check up/check-up.
5. I love wearing make up/make-up.
6. Wait! I still have to make up/make-up.
7. We’re planning to kick off/kick-off the project in May.
8. The kick off/kick-off will be done on Monday.
1. What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

2. Are you for or against smoking in public places?
3. When was the last time you were off the hook?
4. Are any of your colleagues bigots?
1. We have to focus!
Phrasal verb Branch out: expand - “The company is planning to branch out to
new markets”.
Idiom On the back burner: to be of low priority - “Put that report on the
back burner and focus on new business.”
Grammar point In spite of + noun: In spite of her problems, she’s a good
person
In spite of + the fact that + sentence: In spite of the fact that
she has many problems, she’s a good person
In spite of + -ing: In spite of having a lot of problems, she’s a
good person
Synonym Enterprise = business, company, firm
Pronunciation These words have two possible pronunciations:
1. our /auer/ or /ar/.

2. often /ófen/ or /óften/
3. either, neither /ider/ /nider/ or /aider/ /naider/
4. privacy /prívasi/ or /práivasi/
5. schedule /skédel/ or /shedel/
6. garage /gárash/ or /gárich/
7. adult /adólt/ or /ádolt/
39
False friends “College” means “terciario”
To say “colegio”, we always say “school”
1. Why would a company branch out?

2. Which things have you put on the back burner?
3. Can you provide a synonym for “enterprise”?
4. What’s the difference between “school” and “college”?
Which of these sentences are correct?
1. In spite of she is busy, she’ll help you.

2. In spite of the fact that she’s busy, she’ll help you.
3. In spite of to be busy, she’ll help you.
4. In spite of her busy, she’ll help you.
5. In spite of being busy, she’ll help you.
1. Our team often wins the matches.

2. We can either have a coffee in or out.
3. Neither George nor Helen agree with the privacy
agreements.
4. My schedule has been changed this week.
5. He’s already an adult so he got a job in a garage.
Phrasal verb Break into: Enter with effort or force - “It’s always been his
ambition to break into the music industry”.
Idiom On the same page: understanding the same things, agreeing -
“Are we all on the same page?”.
40
Grammar
Synonym Industry: field

Pronunciation Homonyms are two words that are spelled the same and sound
the same but have different meanings.
1. Address - to speak to / location

2. Air - oxygen / a melody
3. Bright - very intelligent / filled with light
4. Current - up to date / flow of water
5. Kind - type / caring
6. Lie - to recline / to say something that is not true
7. Mean - average / not nice
8. Well - good / a source for water in the ground
False friends “Estimate” means “make an estimation”. It never means “dear”.
1. Have you ever thought of breaking into a very different field?

2. Can you provide a synonym of “estimate”?
3. What phrases can you use to ask your colleagues if all of you are on the
same page?
4. Which of these sentences are wrong?:
A. You sound tired.

B. You sound as if you are tired.
C. You look like tired.
D. You look like you are tired.
E. He felt like happy.
Read these sentences that include words with two meanings trying to
remember their difference in meaning.
41
1. She addressed me to ask for my address.
2. She’s a bright girl who lives in a bright room.
3. The current current is low.
4. She’s the kind of person that doesn’t look kind at first sight.
5. Why did you lie when you said that you would lie down?
6. She was mean to say that the mean of French people are arrogant.
7. I can’t see very well but I believe there’s a well over there.
Phrasal verb Dress up: dress formally - “It’s an important event so I’ll dress
up”.
Idiom Come as you are: an expression we use to tell someone they
don’t need to dress up: “It’s not a sophisticated party so just
come as you are”.
Grammar
“Would” can indicate repetition in the past:
“I tried to shut her up but she wouldn’t shut up” (“no se callaba”).
“I called her many times but she wouldn’t answer my calls”.
Synonym Ideal = perfect

Pronunciation The pronunciation of ‘g’ generally (but not always) depends on
the letter that follows it. The general rule is this: if the letter after
‘g’ is ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’, the pronunciation is a ‘strong g’ (as in ‘fringe’).
Some examples of words with the strong ‘g’ are:
general, giant, gymnastics, large, energy and change.
Any other letter that follows requires a ‘soft’ pronunciation of ‘g’

(as in ‘progress’) and some more examples are:
golf, pig, great, grasp and gum.
A bit of extra info for you: if a word derives from German, it’s
usually a soft ‘g’, and if it is a Latin or French derivative, it’s a
hard ‘g’.
False friends Advice: consejo
Warning: aviso
1. It would be ideal if you could…

2. When I was a child, I would…
3. He wouldn’t shut up so I…
4. You should dress up because…
5. Just come as you are. The party won’t be…
6. Let me give you some advice. You should…
7. Let me give you a warning. Don’t…
42
Read these sentences out loud to practice the “g” sound
1. Look at that giant golf ball!

2. There’s a large pig over there.
3. The gymnastics team is chewing gum.
4. It’s great that there has been a change!
5. I can’t believe how much energy she’s spending.
Phrasal verb Be away: to be out of the country or city: “I’ll be away from
Monday to Friday”.
Idiom It slipped my mind: I completely forgot about it: “I’m sorry I didn’t
answer your email. It slipped my mind completely!”
Grammar You can use past continuous (was/were + -ing) to talk about
something you were planning to do but then didn’t.
- I was going to visit her but I didn’t.

- They were going to come but something happened.
Synonym Clever = intelligent
Pronunciation Some words change pronunciation depending on whether they
are a verb or a noun. For instance:
1. When was the last time you were away?

2. How often do things slip your mind?
3. Is there any difference between “clever” and “intelligent”?
43
4. Talk about things you were planning to do these days but then you didn’t.
For instance: “I was planning to start watching a new series”.
Take some seconds for you to read these words that change
pronunciation when they are nouns or verbs. Then, practice reading them
out loud:
a. “She contracted the illness before signing the contract?”

b. “How will inflation impact our sales? How can we measure this impact?”
c. “How could you insult her like this? I don’t like insults”.
d. “They object to our purchase of the object”.
e. “I have a permit that permits driving here”.
f. “We’re not making any progress yet. I don’t know how this will progress”.
g. “They will project the project soon”.
h. “I suspect that the main suspect is her husband”.
1. He was going to come but…

2. I was going to cook some spaghetti but…
3. They were going to go to Rome but…
4. They were going to take the job but…
5. I was going to talk to her but…
Phrasal verb Get on: proceed, move on - “How are you getting on with this
project?”
Idiom What goes around comes around: if you behave in a bad way,
bad things will eventually happen to you, and if you behave in a
good way, good things will eventually happen to you.
Grammar Adjectives are words that describe the qualities of something.
Some adjectives in English are gradable – that means you can
have different degrees or levels of that quality. For example, the
weather can be a little cold, rather cold, very cold, or extremely
cold.
“Freezing” is an extreme adjective so we would never say “it’s

very freezing”, we would say “it’s very cold”.
Some other examples:
angry furious
bad awful, terrible, horrible
big huge, gigantic, giant
good wonderful, fantastic, excellent
pretty gorgeous
tired exhausted
Synonym Define = determine

Pronunciation The sound “-ture” at the end of words is pronounced as /chor/.
44
For instance:
Culture: /kálchor/
Nature: /néichor/
Creature: /kríchor/
Torture: /torchor/
Mature: /machiór/
Mixture: /míkschor/
Fracture: /frákchor/
Architecture: /arkitékchor/
Adventure: /advénchor/
Easily Advice = (noun) uncountable; you cannot say one advice, two
confused advices - Say “some advice”
words Advise = (verb) to present a recommended/sensible course of
action
Practice the sound “ture” by reading these sentences out loud
1. I’m interested in Asian culture.

2. I enjoy spending time in nature.
3. Those creatures are terrifying. Watching them is torture.
4. Don’t be so immature! You’ll have a fracture if you keep doing that.
5. Put the mixture in the bowl.
1. How are you getting on with work?

2. Do you agree with the saying “what goes around, comes around”?
3. How do you define where to go on holiday?
Which of these sentences are wrong?
1. I’m very furious.

2. This is awful!
3. This place is very big!
4. This food is so good!
5. This little girl is very gorgeous!
6. I’m very exhausted!
Some sentences are correct, others are not. Correct the wrong ones.
1. I followed your advice and took the night off.

2. I asked her for some advise.
3. They gave us many useful advices.
4. She asked an advice to her accountant.
5. But honestly, your advice was great.
5. Surprisingly, my mother was giving good advices.
7. My lawyer should be here to advise me.
Phrasal verb Get at: “I don’t know where you are getting at?” (=what you’re
45
trying to say)
Idiom Hang by a thread: to be very vulnerable: “The future of our
company is hanging by a thread”.
Grammar (A) little vs. (A) few
(A) little: uncountable
1. “I have a little water here” (a little but enough)

2. “I have little water here” (almost nothing)
(A) few: countable
1. “I have a few friends” (a few but enough)

2. “I have few friends” (maybe two or three)
Pronunciation The phonetic symbol for “J” is /ˈdʒeɪ/. Practice reading these
tongue twisters:
1. Joe wants to know if Josi will lend Jackeline his banjo.

2. A gentle judge judges justly.
3. James jostled Jean while Jean jostled Joan.
Easily Affect: (verb) impact or change

confused Effect: (noun) result of a change
words
What do you mean if you say…
1. “I can’t see where you are getting at with that”?

2. “Our economy is hanging by a thread”?
Complete with little, a little, few or a few
1. I have _______ water left. There’s enough to share.

2. I have _______ good friends. I’m not lonely.
3. He has _______ education. He can’t read or write, and he can hardly
count.
4. Unfortunately, there are _______ people she really trusts. It’s so sad.
5. We’ve got _______ time at the weekend. Would you like to meet?
6. Julie gave us _______ apples from her garden. Shall we share them?
7. She has _______ self-confidence. She has a lot of trouble talking to
new people.
8. There are _______ women politicians in the UK. Many people think
there should be more.
9. It’s a great pity, but the hospital has _______ medicine. They can’t
help many people.
10. I’ve got _______ cakes to give away. Would you like one?
46
11. There’s _______ milk left in the fridge. It should be enough for our
coffee.
12. _______ children from this school go on to university, unfortunately.
Practice reading these sentences out loud
1. John Johnson joined jealous Jenny Jerry making apple-jelly.

2. Jane and Jenny in their blue jackets are watching the jaguar in the cage.
3. It was a joy for Jack and George, the German boys, to cross the large
bridge before entering the village.
1. How will this effect/affect us?

2. This caused a domino effect/affect.
3. The effect/affect of this recession is not visible yet.
4. I hope we won’t be effected/affected by this.
Phrasal verb Come around: change your mind, reconsider, admit something
is good: “At first I didn’t like the plan a lot but then I came
around”.
Idiom Be between jobs: be unemployed: “Right now, I’m between
jobs”.
Grammar Since we always start a question with Wh-, prepositions tend to
go at the end:
1. Who did you talk with?

2. What did you call for?
3. Where does she live in?
4. What’s the story about?
Pronunciation Tips on how to pronounce letter “p”:

- Press your lips together
- Don’t use your teeth
- Make it sound like a “pop”
- Let some air out
Examples: Pam, pot, practice, possible, priority
Easily confused Breath /brez/ vs. Breathe /brid/

words Breath (noun); it’s the air that goes in and out of your lungs:
My breath is agitated because I was running.
Breathe (verb); it means to exhale or inhale:
I can’t breathe, I run too much.
1. Right now I’m between jobs but I hope…
47
2. If you’re out of breath, you should…
3. I can’t breathe properly because…
4. She’ll come around, you just need to…
Prepositions at the end of words: write the correct preposition
1. This is the novel that I talked to you ______.

2. Ann is very unfriendly. She is impossible to work ______.
3. Here is the book that I told you______. You should read it.
4. What are you looking ______? My cat - I can't find him!
5. What are you worried______?
6. Who does the car belong ______? It's standing on my lawn!
7. Who is she going out ______?
8. What did you do that ______? Your behaviour was unacceptable.
9. What kind of hobbies are your children interested______?
Read these sentences out loud to practice the “p” sound
1. Paul, please pause for proper applause.

2. Pass the pink peas please.
3. Please place the pressed pants on the plain pressing plank.
4. Poor pure Pierre.
5. Pop bottles in pop shops.
Phrasal verb Get the hang of something: understand something - “I’m getting
the hang of it little by little”.
Idiom Go bananas: go totally crazy - “Have you gone bananas?”
Grammar Using auxiliaries for emphatic stress
1. When we want to add emphasis to a verb, we often

stress the auxiliary (say it louder). We do this especially
when we want to correct what somebody thinks, or
contrast it with something else.
Why aren't you going to the party?

But I am going to the party!
You haven't tidied your room!

I have tidied it! I did it this morning.
She doesn't like cheese.

She does like cheese! In fact she loves it.
You said you would phone me!

I did phone you!
2. We also use emphatic auxiliaries to stress that we feel

strongly about something.
48
She does look good in that dress.
I did enjoy that party last night.
3. And we also use emphatic auxiliaries to confirm

something we think is true, following it with a question
tag.
He does eat meat, doesn't he?

She is coming to the party, isn't she?
He has spoken to you about this, hasn't he?
Pronunciation The SH sound is found in these suffixes:
-tion / -sion
-cial / -tial
-itious
1. solution, addition
2. passion, special
3. nutritious, cautious
4. precious, sure
5. ocean, sugar, tissue
Easily confused Already vs. All ready

words 1. I’ve already finished it.
2. It’s all ready for tomorrow!
Use emphatic stress to answer
1. A: You don’t love me!

B: __________________________.
2. A: You said you were busy!

B: ___________________________.
3. A: I’m sure she doesn’t like this kind of music.

B: ___________________________.
1. The public/audience clapped enthusiastically.

2. I’m going banana/bananas! I don’t know what to do!
3. I’m slowly getting the hang/hand of this!
Practice the SH sound by reading these sentences out loud:
1. Do you have a solution for the extension of the cables?
49
2. She’s a special person who has passion for her job.
3. This food is quite nutritious.
4. What a precious baby!
5. There are too many tissues near your desk!
Phrasal verb Mess up: create a disaster - “Don’t touch that! You’ll mess
everything up!!!”
Idiom (Be) the man: be great and helpful. “You’re the man, Jack!
Thanks for your help”.
Grammar Compound adjectives
A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives

are joined together to modify the same noun.
These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion or
ambiguity.
For example:
Diana submitted a 6-page document. (A document of 6 pages)

She adopted a two-year-old cat. (A cat of two years)
1. This is a four-foot table.

2. Daniella is a part-time worker.
3. This is an all-too-common error.
4. Beware of the green-eyed monster.
5. I love this brightly-lit room!
Pronunciation Assimilation of “t” and “y”
In fluent speech, when one word ends in /t/ and the next begins
with a “y”, like 'you' or 'yours', then the two sounds come
together and change to /ʧ/. So 'meet you' becomes /mitchiu/
Examples
That shirt won't suit you.

Don't you want to come to the party?
I bet your boss doesn’t know.
Can I get you anything?
Easily Lend vs. Borrow

confused
words Lend: give something to someone for a short time. Example:
Can you lend me your car?
Borrow: get something from someone for a short time. Example:

Can I borrow your car?
50
1. Can I lend/borrow your jacket? I’m quite cold.
2. Can you lend/borrow me your jacket? It’s quite cold.
3. Thanks for your help, Tom! You’re the man/guy!
4. What are you doing?! You’re messing it all down/up!
Transform these sentences using compound adjectives
Example: Diana submitted a document of 6 pages. (A 6-page document)
1. I have a meeting of one hour.

2. I live in an apartment with two rooms.
3. I received a call at the last minute.
4. I’d like to take a vacation of three weeks.
5. This house is twenty years old. (Careful, you’ll need to change a bit
more here)
Assimilation of “t” and “j”: practice reading these sentences out loud
1. Got you, man! What were you doing?

2. I'm gonna get you.
3. I will hunt you down.
4. You can't always get what you want.
5. I bet your mom is not there.
Phrasal verb Fill out: complete a form - “Can you fill this out?”
Verb Dash: go somewhere quickly - “Sorry, I must dash! I have

another meeting”.
Grammar Some verbs change their meaning depending on whether you
use infinitive or gerund (ing) after them.
For example:
Remember + to do
=when speaking about something someone should do:
Remember to pick up some eggs at the supermarket.
Remember + doing
=to speak about a memory that someone has:
I remember buying him a present.
Stop + to do
=in order to say that someone stops one action in order to do
another action:
Jason stopped to speak with his boss about the convention.

My friend stopped to smoke a cigarette before he continued
51
with the conversation.
Stop + doing
=to show that someone has completely quit some action. This
form is often used when speaking about bad habits:
I stopped smoking cigarettes.

You should stop complaining about money all the time.
Pronunciation Assimilation of “d” and “y”
It happens in fluent speech when one word ends in a /d/ sound

and the next word begins with “y”. So 'should you' becomes
/shudchiu/
Examples
I’m sad you decided to quit.

Could you get here by midnight?
Should you be doing that?
I don’t think the gold you bought was real.
He got his driving licence last year.
Easily Economic vs. Economical

confused
words Economic= connected with economy or finance.
It’s hard to predict what will happen to our economic situation.
Economical= that saves money (cheaper) or resources.

The new car has a powerful and economical engine.
The most practical and economical way to go to Brazil is by air.
Complete with “economic” or “economical”
1. They launched some ________ products to increase sales.

2. Many private sectors are expecting Japanese _______ growth to return
to positive territory in the third quarter.
3. The ________ crisis will affect us all.
4. Cars have become more ________ in the last 25 years.
Test your understanding of these differences in meaning by deciding

whether the verb should be used in the infinitive or gerund form based on
the clues provided:
1. Please remember _________(buy) some eggs when you go to the

market!
2. I remember __________(spend) my summers on the beach.
3. She forgot _________(meet) him before. He’s not a memorable person.
52
4. She forgot _________(close) the door so we listened to her
conversation.
5. She stopped her job _________(make) a call.
6. She stopped __________(smoke) because she was having some lung
issues.
Assimilation of “d” and “y”: practice reading these sentences out loud
1. Did you know about it?

2. Could you deal with that?
3. Should you do that?
4. I’m sad you feel that way.
5. Would you stop, please?
Where might you hear/read this?
1. “Could you please fill out this form?”

2. “Sorry, I must dash”.
Phrasal verb Speak up: speak in a louder voice: “Can you please speak up? I
can’t hear you”.
Verb Ask: request (noun) - “I have an ask for you. Could you deal
with the report for me?”
Grammar So vs. such
So + adjective: She’s so tall!

Such + a + noun: She’s such a tall woman!
Pronunciation “Linking” happens when the end of one word blends into
another. When the last sound of a word is a consonant and the
first sound of the next word is a vowel, you get linking.
For example:
I want this orange –> thisorange

I want that orange –> thatorange
This afternoon –> thisafternoon
Is he busy? –> Isi busy?
Cats or dogs? –> Catserdogs?
Easily Desert /désert/ vs. dessert /disért/

confused “Dessert” is what you eat after lunch or dinner.
words “Desert” is an arid area.
Complete using “so” or “such”.
53
Finland is (1)_______ a nice place to go on winter holidays. The winter there is
(2)_______ mild and welcoming! You can do snowboarding, skating, skiing or
any other winter sport, there are (3)_______ many possibilities. We found
(4)_______ a lovely hotel, and it was (5)_______ a short walk to the skiing
slope. Well, winter season in Finland is not (6)_______ cheap, but we had
(7)_______ a great time there. It is (8)_______ tempting to come there every
winter, again and again.
Linking: practice reading this out loud
1. I want this orange for me!

2. I’d like to see that amazing movie!
3. The weather’s been terrible this afternoon.
4. Is he sure about that?
5. Do you prefer cats or dogs?
Replace the words in bold with a synonym
1. “My ask is if you can do that for me”.

2. “Could you speak up, please?”
Phrasal verb Live up to something/someone: be as good as you expected
“The show really lived up to my expectations”.

“It’s impossible to live up to her. She’s so good”.
Common Swamped: really busy
business
expression A: How have you been?
B: Quite swamped to be honest.
Grammar How nice vs What a nice…!
How + adjective: How amazing! How incredible! How nice!
What + a + adjective + noun: What an amazing car! What an

incredible man! What a nice place!
Pronunciation Deleting /t/ between consonants
When a word ending in consonant +/t/ links into a word

beginning with a consonant, the final /t/ of the first word is often
deleted:
1. Sam's first‿day of school is tomorrow

2. The twins are best‿friends.
3. Interest‿rates have remained low.
4. Try to get some rest‿during the flight.
Easily Break vs. Brake

confused
54
words Break: destroy something
Brake: what you use to stop a car, bike or motorcycle
1. The movie didn’t really live up to my expectations because…

2. I’m quite swamped this week so…
3. I’ll break this paper because…
4. Please pull the brakes. Otherwise, we…
How vs. What a: which sentences are wrong?
1. How a weird name!

2. What nice place!
3. What a great song!
4. How strange!
5. How an amazing!
Delete the “t” between consonants
1. What a great day!

2. She’s an excellent doctor.
3. It must be wrong.
4. They can’t stay here.
5. This is just for you.
Phrasal verb Come up with: produce (something), especially when pressured

or challenged: "He keeps coming up with all kinds of lame
excuses".
Common About time: a phrase we use to say that something now
expression happening should have happened earlier.
A: I finally quit my job!

B: About time!
Grammar Let’s study the prefix “mis”
We use “mis” at the beginning of some words to show that the

action has been done wrongly or badly:
Mishear, misunderstand, miscommunicate, misinterpret,

mislead, misbehavior.
Pronunciation Deleting /t/ Between /nt/ and a vowel sound
When a word ending in /nt/ links into a word beginning with a

vowel sound, the final /t/ is often deleted.
1. A percent‿of the profits are given to charity.
55
2. Our company president‿announced her retirement.
3. The patient‿asked for another pillow.
4. She moved into an apartment‿in the city.
5. The accident‿occurred early in the morning.
Easily Especially is used to say that something applies more to one

confused thing than to others: I like Italian food, especially gnocchi and
words ravioli.
Specially is used to say that something is done for a particular
purpose: This chair is specially designed for children.
This food was made specially for gluten intolerant
patients.
1. A: I came up with a great idea to help you!

B: _______________________________.
2. A: ________________________________!
B: About time!
3. A: _______________________________?
B: Sure! I love all seafood, especially shrimps and squid rings.
4. A: ___________________________________?
B: It’s specially designed for disabled people.
Make sentences using these words in past simple
Mishear, misunderstand, miscommunicate, misinterpret, mislead.
Delete the “t” before the vowel
1. They cut it all out.

2. It’s hot in here!
3. Her pet is running all over the garden.
4. This is just a reminder.
5. She lives in the West area.
Phrasal verb Do away with (something): to get rid of something because you
don’t want it or need it anymore.
“I’ll do away with this sweater. It’s too old”.

Common Come again: a phrase we use when we didn’t understand what
expression someone said.
A: I think it’ll be on Monday.

B: Come again?
Grammar Let’s study the prefix “over”
56
We use this prefix to say there’s too much of something or to
show an excess:
Overheat, overreact, overconfident, overestimate.
Pronunciation Introduction to schwa /ə/
The reduced vowel sound called schwa is the most common

vowel sound in spoken English. It is the first and third vowel
sound in the word "banana."
Schwa is a quick, relaxed, neutral vowel pronunciation very

close to a 'short u' /ʌ/.
cut: /kət/
sun: /sən/
love: /ləv/
truck: /trək/
stuff: /stəf/
Easily Formally: in a formal way - “He spoke formally”

confused Formerly: in the past; in earlier times - “Mumbai, formerly
words Bombay, is a dangerous city”
Provide synonyms for the phrases in bold or explain what they mean.
1. “Come again?”
2. “You should do away with that awful t-shirt”.
3. “She’s totally overestimated. She’s not that good”.
4. “He’s so overconfident that people think he’s cocky”.
5. “Mac, formerly known as Macintosh, is one of the biggest products
made by Apple”.
6. “You should dress formally for the meeting”.
Practice the schwa sound.
1. The sun is shining and I love you.

2. The truck is stuck.
3. This stuff is tough.
Phrasal verb Run over: review - “Let me run over my notes”.
Common How come?: An expression we use when we want to express

expression surprise for something. It means “How is it possible?”
A: I didn’t pass the test!
57
B: How come? You had studied a lot.
Grammar To make comparisons, you can use “as...as…”.
1. “She’s not as fast as she used to be”.

2. “He drives as fast as his father”.
Pronunciation All the words that finish in “ize” are pronounced as /ais/.
Examples:
Emphasize
Empathize
Internalize
Realize
Industrialize
Easily Bear: /béar/ an animal that lives in the woods

confused Beard: /biard/ hair on your face
words Beer: /biar/ an alcoholic drink
Bird: /berd/ a flying animal
1. A: I was running over your notes and there’s something I don’t

understand...
B: ________________________________________?
2. A: _________________________________________.
B: How come?! You were amazing!
3. A: I feel this course is not as interesting as the previous one.
B: _________________________________________.
a. There was a big beard/bear next to the man with a beard/bear.

b. The little bird/beer was singing near the man who was drinking a
bird/beer.
Read this paragraph out loud to practice the “ize” sound
58
To internalize this process, it’s necessary that you realize how important it is to
industrialize our business. I’d like to emphasize the importance of this step and
help you empathize with the people working on this.
Phrasal verb Turn down: reject - “Why did you turn down that job proposal? It
sounded really interesting”.
Common Who knew: an expression we use to express surprise.
expression
A: Did you know Jenna got a promotion?
B: Who knew! She used to be such a mess when she first
started working here.
Grammar Be careful with words from Latin origin, as you may confuse the
way you spell them due to their similarity with Spanish.
For example:
Presentate Present
Documentate Document
Organizate Organize
Preparate Prepare
Determinate Determine
Pronunciation “Th” has two different pronunciations. This week, we’ll learn
one: “th” as ð (a “d” with a little “z” sound)
The
Although
Them
Either
Father
Breathe
Smooth
Easily Everyday is an adjective we use to describe something that’s

confused seen or used every day. It means “ordinary” or “typical.” e.g:
words “This is part of my everyday work”, “It’s difficult to do this in
everyday life”.
Every day is a phrase that simply means “each day.” e.g.: “He
commutes by bus every day”, “She works hard every day”.
All these sentences contain words from Latin origin which are wrong. Can
you correct them?
1. We have to preparate a new file.

2. We should documentate this process.
3. I need to organizate my files.
4. I should preparate something for dinner.
5. We will determinate what to do.
59
1. A: Why did you turn down the job proposal?

B: __________________________________.
2. A: _________________________________?
B: Who knew! He used to be so bad at it.
3. A: _________________________________?
B: Yes, every day.
4. A: Did you finish with your everyday work?

B: _________________________________.
Read these sentences out loud to practice the “th” sound
1. Although her father has such smooth skin, she gave him lotion as a present.
2. Just breathe and tell them to relax.
3. They should either stay in or out.
Phrasal verb Let down: disappoint - “He really let me down. I didn’t expect
that from him”.
Common Whatever happened to: a phrase used to ask about someone or

expression something that one has not seen or spoken to recently -
“Whatever happened to Bill Collins? Do you remember him?”
“Whatever happened to fun? Life’s so boring now!”
Grammar We use reported speech to “report” to person B what person A
told us:
Quote: “I’m late”, John said.

Reported version: John said he was going to be late.
Quote: “I arrived late”, John said.

Reported version: John said that he had arrived late.
Quote: “I will arrive late”, John said.

Reported version: John said that he would arrive late.
Always go one tense back to report.

Pronunciation “Th” has two different pronunciations. This week, we’ll learn the
second: “th” as θ (a “z” sound)
Thanks
60
Threat
Thought
Throw
Birthday
Nothing
Easily Week: the time that goes from Monday to Sunday.

confused Weak: the opposite of “strong”
words
Explain the expressions in bold with your ideas
1. “She really let me down. I didn’t expect that from her”.

2. “Whatever happened to George? He doesn’t want to go out with
us anymore”.
3. “I’m feeling so weak”.
Reported speech: Change this direct speech into reported speech
1. “He works in a bank”, she claimed.

2. “We went out last night”, she said.
3. “I’m coming!”, she said.
4. “I was waiting for the bus when he arrived”, he assured.
5. “ I’d never been there before”, he exclaimed.
6. “I didn’t go to the party”, he announced.
7. “Lucy’ll come later”, he claimed.
8. “He hasn’t eaten breakfast”, she assured.
9. “I can help you tomorrow”, she said.
10. “You should go to bed early”, he said.
Read these sentences out loud to practice the “th” sound
1. Three thin panthers in the bathroom.

2. I thought a thought but the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought
I thought.
3. Aunt Beth has thick cheeks, thin lips, three teeth, and a thin mouth.
Phrasal verb Put on: put something over your body - “Put on the jacket
before going out. It’s cold”.
Common Take it with a grain of salt: to understand that something is not
expression completely true or right; not take something too seriously. -
“Take what she says with a grain of salt. I’m not sure she knows
about that”.
61
Grammar Stative verbs describe a state rather than an action. They
aren't usually used in the present continuous form.
I don't know the answer. I'm not knowing the answer.

She really likes you. She's really liking you.
He seems happy at the moment. He's seeming happy at the
moment.
Stative verbs often relate to:
1. thoughts and opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess,

imagine, know, mean, recognise, remember, suspect,
think, understand
2. feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer,
want, wish
3. senses and perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look,
see, seem, smell, taste
4. possession and measurement: belong, have, measure,
own, possess, weigh.
Pronunciation If the word ‘he’ comes at the beginning of a sentence or clause,

then the ‘h’ sound is pronounced: “He /ji:/ has a house”.
But if it comes in the middle of a sentence or clause and after a

consonant, then the ‘h’ sound is not usually pronounced. So /jiː/
becomes /iː/ : “he /ji:/ looks like he’s /i:s/ had an accident”.
Examples:
I really like his cooking.

We think he’s left the country.
They let him leave early.
They offered her a promotion.
Easily File: a document

confused Fill: complete
words Field: industry
1. When was the last time you filled in a form?

2. Have you ever thought of working in a different field?
3. What things do you have to put on before leaving home?
4. What are the reasons why you could take something with a grain of salt?
5. Which is the last file that you opened before our class?
62
1. I’m having a headache.

2. I’m having a car.
3. I’m really liking this soup.
4. These flowers smell great.
5. I’m owning a big house.
6. I’m recognizing that this is wrong.
Practice the different pronunciations of “her” and “his”
1. His house is his kingdom.

2. Her t-shirt makes her look great.
3. His team is his greatest pride.
4. He showed her the products available.
5. Are you saying that his shoes aren’t his?
Phrasal verb Call up: (informal) to call someone - “Call me up next week!”
Common Stop saying “you’re welcome” and start saying:

expression
1. Anytime!
2. Glad to be of help!
3. You’re most welcome!
4. Don’t mention it!
5. It was nothing!
6. No big deal.
7. Sure thing.
8. No sweat.
9. No biggie.
10. No worries.
Grammar "Regret" + the gerund (ing) refers to a time in the past. The
meaning of the verb "regret" ensures that, when used with the
gerund, the situation referred to is in the past:
(a) I regret leaving my job.

(b) I regret marrying too young.
(c) I regret not being kinder to my old grandmother.
These sentences have the same meaning as
(d) I regret having left my job.

(e) I regret having married too young.
63
(f) I regret not having been kinder to my old grandmother.
Pronunciation Silent “g”
If a word finishes in “ign” or “ed”, we don’t pronounce the “g”.

For example:
Signed
Reign
Align
Assigned
Campaign
Designed
Foreign
But if the “g” is at the beginning of the word or in the middle, we

pronounce it:
Great
Good
Ignore
Signature
Easily confused Savory: opposite of sweet

words Salad: mixed vegetables
Salty: with salt
1. Hey! Call me up/down if you need anything.

2. This soup is too savory/salad/salty. I don’t want it!
3. I usually eat a light savory/salad/salty for lunch.
4. I enjoy savory/salad/salty dishes rather than sweet ones.
5. I regret having/have eaten so much! Now I have a stomachache.
6. I regret not doing/do the course. It looked interesting.
Say “you are welcome” in different ways to these people.
1. Thanks for looking after my pet, my friend!

2. Thank you for helping me with the report.
3. I can’t thank you enough for what you did.
1. She signed the contract with her nice signature.

2. We’ll have to ignore that the objectives are not aligned.
3. They assigned a really good advisor for the campaign.
4. She designed a great house.
5. They are foreigners.
64
Phrasal verb Cut back on: to reduce your consumption of some kind of food
and drink - “I really should cut back on sweets, they are not
good for me”.
Common Stop saying “I don’t understand” and start saying:
expression
1. It’s all Greek to me.
2. It’s beyond me.
3. I can’t get my head around it.
4. No idea what you mean.
5. Sorry, I don’t get it.
6. Beats me.
Grammar If you frequently watch American shows, you may know that
Americans love shortening grammar forms. For instance:
Going to: gonna

Want to: wanna
Kind of: kinda
I don’t know: dunno
Give me: gimme
Got to: gotta
Pronunciation Be careful with the pronunciation of:
Beach: /biich/
Bitch: /betch/
Easily These two words could cause a confusion in terms of

confused pronunciation:
words
Message: /mésich/
Massage: /masáásh/
1. Do you have to cut back on something right now?

2. If I say “It’s all Greek to me”, what do I mean?
3. Do you wanna go to bed early today?
4. Are you gonna work hard tomorrow?
5. Are you kinda sleepy right now?
Can you read these two sentences and pronounce all the words well?
1. She left a message saying that the massage appointment was

moved forward.
2. I can’t believe she was such a bitch! I can’t believe she left you
alone on the beach!
65
Phrasal verb Dig in: when the food is served on the table and ready to be
eaten, someone might tell you “Ok, let’s dig in!”
Common To say that something is funny, you might say:
expression
1. It cracks me up.
2. It’s hilarious.
3. It sends me.
Email tips Let’s review the name of these:
@: at
-: dash
_: underscore
.com: dot com
ABC: uppercase
abc: lowercase
Pronunciation “Aw” is always pronounced as “o”:
Raw: /ro/
Paw: /po/
Straw: /stro/
Hawk: /jok/
Dawn: /don/
Yawn: /ion/
Law: /lo/
Common He insisted to pay
mistake He insisted on paying
1. This looks delicious! Let’s dig on/in.

2. He insisted on/to calling me several times.
3. This show really sends/receives me.
4. John really cracks me up/down! He’s hilarious/hilarously.
1. The dog licked its paw before eating a raw piece of meat and a straw.
2. We decided to take the train at dawn.
3. I can’t stop yawning!
4. Look at that amazing hawk!
Matching exercise
Raw Paw Straw
66
Hawk Dawn Yawning
1. We saw a huge _________flying above us at ________.

2. The dog’s little __________ is adorable.
3. Why are you ___________? Are you tired?
4. I don’t like ________ salmon.
5. I’ll need a ________ to drink this.
Practice saying this out loud
1. Jen_adams@gmail.com
2. Her password is WTXaeiP.
3. Josh-eric@microsoft.uk
Phrasal verb Hold up: Hold on - “Hold up a minute, please!”
Common Instead of saying “I’m listening to you”, say…

expression
1. I’m all ears.
2. I hear you.
3. Shoot!
4. You have my attention.
Pronunciation Sign: /sain/ verb

Signature: /signa/ noun
Common Words that we confuse in Argentina:

mistakes
1. Camping: not a place but the action. The place is
“campsite”.
2. Jogging: not clothes but the action of running slowly. The
clothes are “sweatpants”.
3. Smoking: not something you wear but the action of using
cigarettes. The clothes are “tuxedo”.
4. Shopping: not a place but the action. The place is “mall”.
Practice pronunciation
Why did you sign with a different signature?
1. I’m all ears, please tell me…

2. Hold up a minute please! I need to…
Correct these words that we often confuse in Argentina
1. I went to the shopping last week.
67
2. He’s wearing a great smoking.
3. I’ve been wearing joggings all day.
4. The camping was really big!
Phrasal verb To be snowed under: to have a lot of work: “Sorry, I can’t help
you today, I’m completely snowed under”.
Common To start a conversation with someone, say
expression
1. Guess what?
2. You’ll never guess what?
3. Have you heard?
4. Did you get the scoop?
Common Prove: give proofs of something

mistakes Try: attempt to do something, taste
Test: evaluate
Taste: feel the flavor of something
Pronunciation Look at how we pronounce “alt”:
Alter: /olter/
Almond: /olmond/
Wallet: /wolet/
Alternative: /olternativ/
Altar: /oltar/
Altruistic: /oltruistic/
Altitude: /oltitiud/
Salty: /solti/
False: /fóls/
1. He proved/tried/tasted/tested his point.

2. I proved/tried/tasted/tested it and it was delicious.
3. I proved/tried/tasted/tested to help her but I couldn’t.
4. I proved/tried/tasted/tested the product and it was fine.
Practice the pronunciation of these sentences
1. I’m sure this product has been altered.

2. He was waiting for her at the altar.
3. He’s such an altruistic man.
4. Have you measured the altitude?
5. Although she’s busy, she’ll help you.
68
1. A: ___________________________?
B: I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m a bit snowed under this week.
2. A: Guess what?
B: ____________________________.
3. A: Did you get the scoop about next week’s meeting?

B: ____________________________.
Phrasal verb To bring something up: to mention one topic for discussion: “I
brought up the issue of finance and they weren’t very happy”.
Common To ask to speak to someone, say:
expression
1. Got a minute?
2. Can I have a word with you?
3. Got a minute to spare?
Pronunciation Bitch: /betch/

Beach: /biich/
Common We are five: There are five of us

mistake
Grammar Other vs. Others
Other: I’ll not buy this t-shirt, I’ll buy other t-shirts. (other + noun)
Others: I’ll not buy this t-shirt, I’ll buy others. (you use it with no
noun after)
Can you guess which sentences are wrong?
1. I won’t buy the others t-shirts.

2. I don’t want the other things you mentioned.
3. I have other things to worry about.
4. I have others plans.
5. That’s where the others said they would be.
6. We are five in this area.
7. There are five of us on this floor.
Make sentences with these words to practice their pronunciation
Beach
Bitch
69
1. I’d like to bring down/up an important issue.

2. Got a minute to save/spare? I need to talk to you.
3. Can I have a word/say with you?
Phrasal verb Draw up: elaborate, write: “Can you draw up the report for
Monday, please?”
Common To encourage someone to be patient, say:
expression
1. Don’t jump the gun.
2. Don’t count your chickens before they are
hatched.
3. Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Common It was good,no?: It was good,right?

mistake
Grammar Let’s see which prepositions we use with these verbs:
Accuse + of
Take advantage + of
Prohibit + from
Apply + to
Count + on + someone
Pronunciation Look at the unusual pronunciation of these words:
1. Wolf /wulf/
2. Womb /wum/
3. Tomb /tum/
Complete with the missing words
1. Don’t j______ the gun. Let’s see what happens…

2. Don’t count your c________ before they are hatched.
3. Don’t get a_______ of yourself. You have to wait.
4. We’ll d________ up a plan for Marketing.
Complete with the right preposition
1. He was accused _______ theft.

2. He took advantage _______ the situation and he blamed us ________ it.
3. They have prohibited the workers _______ touching the machines.
70
4. I’d like to apply ______ Medical school.
5. You can count _______ me if you need anything.
Practice the pronunciation of these words
1. The little wolf was playing with its mom.

2. That’s where the man’s tomb was.
3. The woman is carrying three babies in her womb.
Phrasal verb Take on: employ, hire - “The company will take on a new
employee next month”.
Common To give advice to someone whose life is too busy, say:
expression
1. You can’t please everybody.
2. You’re taking on too much.
3. You need to set your priorities.
Common Me corté el pelo:

mistake I cut my hair: I had my hair cut
Grammar When someone else does an action for you, use: HAVE / GET
+ SOMETHING + DONE (3rd column)
e.g.:
1. I had my house redecorated last week

2. I’m having my flat remodelled next month
3. I had my nails done last week
Pronunciation Look at how we pronounce “ui” in these words:
nuisance: /núsans/
juice: /djus/
cruise: /cruz/
bruise: /bruz/
suit: /sut/
recruit: /rikrút/
fruit: /frut/
Let’s practice the structure “have something done” by filling in with the
correct form. The first sentence is an example. Be careful with the tenses!
1. Yesterday, (I / cut / my hair). Yesterday I had my hair cut.

2. Every Friday, (Joe / wash / his car) .
71
3. Tomorrow, (she / repair / her shower) .
4. Each Saturday, (we / deliver / a pizza) to our home.
5. Last year, (Bob / clean / his house) by a cleaner.
6. As Phil had a broken arm, (he / type / his texts) by his secretary.
7. (I / pick up / the goods) tomorrow in the afternoon.
1. You can’t please everyone so try to…

2. You’re taking on too much. Why don’t you…?
3. You need to set your priorities regarding….
4. The company will take on a new employee for...
1. He’s such a nuisance!

2. I’d like to drink some fruit juice before getting on the cruise.
3. The man with a suit said he has a bruise on his leg.
4. I’d like to recruit some new members for my team.
Phrasal verb Wear out:

a) To become impossible to use: “Julie wore out her shoes
running the marathons”.
b) To become very tired: “Julie was worn out after all that
running”.
Phrases To give instructions to someone who has to take care of
something for you, say:
1. Take good care of it.

2. Keep an eye on it.
3. Guard it with your life.
4. Don’t let it out of your sight.
Synonyms Make: brand - “What’s your favorite make of cars?”
Grammar Let’s review the uses of the future:
Will: spontaneous decisions
e.g.: It’s cold in here. I’ll close the window.

The phone is ringing. I’ll pick it up.
Going to: long-term plans and decisions. Important decisions.
72
e.g.: After I graduate, I’m going to move to France.
I’m going to buy a car with the money I’ve been saving.
Present continuous (-ing) with future use: for appointments,

gatherings, meetings and “agenda” in general.
e.g.: I’m meeting our biggest client this evening.

I’m visiting my grandma next weekend.
Pronunciation The combination “vul” is pronounced as “vol”:
Vulnerable
Vulgar
Divulge
1. Please t______ good care of it.

2. Can you k_____ an eye on my things while I go to the restroom?
3. Please g_______ it with your life. It’s part of my family heirloom.
4. Don’t l______ the kid out of your sight. He can be really fast.
Complete using: will / going to / present continuous
1. You should take an umbrella. I think

it ........................................................... (rain)
2. I ................................ to the cinema tonight. I already have a ticket. (go)
3. A: Are you planning any summer holiday?
B: I don't know yet. Perhaps I .................................. at home. (stay)
4. A: You look pretty tired. You should have a break.
B: OK. I .......................................................... a nap. (take)
5. Betty is going to driving lessons, because
she ....................................................... a car. (buy)
6. A: I've just missed my train!
B: No problem. I ......................................... you there. (drive)
7. I can't eat anything today. I ............................................... an
appointment at the hospital tomorrow. (have)
8. A: The Sharks are much better!
B: I'm sure they .................................................. the Dolphins today!
(beat)
9. A: What does your son want to do in future?
B: I hope he ......................................... a dentist. (become)
73
10. Not at five o'clock. Look at the diary. We ................................................
Mr. Clark at three o'clock. (meet)
11. Please, buy some eggs. I ............................................................ a cake.
(make)
12. My wife has already booked the holiday.
We ................................................... to France on 2 July. (fly)
1. What’s your favorite make of trainers?

2. What do you like doing when you’re worn out?
Practice pronouncing these words that include the “vul” sound
1. Don’t divulge what happened, please.

2. Why did you tell him that he was vulgar when he’s clearly feeling
vulnerable?
Phrasal verb To point out: to put emphasis on something: “I’d like to point out
that these numbers are irrelevant”.
Phrases To ask someone not to divulge any information, say:
1. Between you and me…

2. Better keep still about it.
3. Don’t let this out of the room.
4. Don’t tell a soul.
5. This is off the record.
6. Mum’s the word.
7. Keep your lips sealed.
8. Zip the lip.
Synonyms Root for: support - “I root for Manchester City. They are
amazing!” - “Good luck in your presentation. I’ll be rooting for
you!”
Grammar What vs. That
what = qué, lo que
What are you doing?

What I want to tell you is that there has been a problem.
that = que, ese/aquél
74
He said that he wasn’t going to work.
I like that you are here with us!
I don’t like that girl.
Pronunciation Look at how we suppress the “u” in these words preceded by

“g” and followed by a vowel:
Guardian
Guide
Guest
Guard
Guitar
Guess
Read these sentences to practice pronunciation
1. The guardian is here to help us.

2. We’ve completed the guide.
3. The guests are here.
4. He’s a security guard.
5. I don’t know how to play the guitar but I guess I could learn.
Complete with the missing letter
1. B_______ you and me, this is not what I expected.

2. Better k_______ still about it. No one knows about it.
3. Don’t let this o_______of the room or else they’ll kill me.
4. Don’t tell a s_______ that you’ve seen me here.
5. This is o______ the record so please don’t divulge it.
1. What/that I’d like to tell you is that this is wrong.

2. What/that thing you said is absurd!
3. I’d like to tell you what/that I think.
4. I’d like to know what/that you are thinking.
5. Are you sure what/that this is different?
7) Complete with your ideas
1. I’d like to point out that…

2. I root for…
Idiom Toss and turn: to be unable to sleep and move in the bed - “I
75
tossed and turned all night. Now I feel exhausted”.
Phrases To express forgetfulness, say:
1. Where was I?
2. What did I just say?
3. It slipped my mind.
4. I’ve lost my train of thought.
5. What was your name again?
Easily-confused Near vs. Nearby

words
1. He lives near my home.
2. He lives nearby.
Grammar When to suppress “that”
The conjunction “that” is often left out in an informal style and

American English.
1. Indirect speech
“That” can be left out after common reporting verbs like said,
thought and suggested.
1. She said (that) she was busy.

2. She suggested (that) we should wait.
3. I thought (that) you weren’t interested.
Exceptions: “reply” and “shout”.
2. “That” cannot be dropped after nouns.
Example: He agreed with my opinion that we should start

again.
3.“That” can be left out after adjectives.
1. I’m glad (that) you are safe.

2. It’s funny (that) he hasn’t come.
3. I was surprised (that) she won the prize.
4. “That” as a relative pronoun
The relative pronoun “that” can be left out when it is the object
in a relative clause.
1. This is the woman (that) we were talking

about. (If you have another subject after “that”,
76
you suppress it).
2. This is the man that broke my heart. (it’s
necessary to use “that” because there isn’t
another subject).
To sum up, we drop “that”:
1. After reporting verbs (except “reply” and “shout”)

2. After adjectives (I’m happy you came)
3. With relative clauses (He is the man I saw last week).
Pronunciation Words that start with “dia” are pronounced as /daia/:
Diary
Diagnosis
Diagonal
Diabetes
Dialogue
Dialect
Dial
Diagram
Diana
When to suppress “that”: in which of these sentences can “that” be

suppressed?
1. This is the person that asked me many questions.

2. This is the person that I love.
3. My parents said thatI had to do it.
4. My boss replied that he had no intention of doing that.
5. Where are the books that I gave you?
Complete these phrases to express forgetfulness:
1. Sorry. W_______ was I?

2. What did I just s______? I’m so forgetful today!
3. Sorry, the name slipped my m_____.
4. I’ve lost my t______of thought completely?
5. What was your name a________? Sorry, I’m terrible with names.
1. The diagram shows all the dialects in the country.
77
2. I’ll dial this number to call the Diabetes Foundation.
3. Diana was given the diagnosis.
4. I wrote all the dialogue down in my diary.
5. These two streets are diagonals.
1. I was tossing and turning all night so now…

2. He lives nearby so I’ll…
Phrasal verb Dig out: look for more information. “I’m not sure if I have the
information you requested. Let me dig out”.
Phrases To say “I’m in trouble”, say:
1. I’m in too deep.

2. I’m in over my head.
3. I’m in big trouble.
Easily-confused Chief vs. Boss

words
Chief: position - “The Chief of Finance greenlighted our idea”.
Boss: role - “My boss greenlighted the idea”.
Never say “my chief” or “the Boss of Finance”.
Grammar Look at the position of the adverbs of frequency
1. I always travel to work by car.

2. I am always early.
3. She never gets here in time.
4. She is never here in time.
Pronunciation Look at the difference between verbs and nouns ending

in “th” or “the”
Bath /baz/ - Bathe /beið/

Breath /brez/ - Breathe /brið/
Loath /louz/ - Loathe /louð/
1. This food looks delicious! Let’s dig in/out.

2. We’ll have to dig in/out some information we can’t handle.
3. The Boss/Chief of Sales said that the measures taken were absurd.
78
4. Their boss/chief said that those measures were ineffective.
Practice pronouncing these sentences
1. I loathe having a bath at night. I feel loath for it!

2. Take a deep breath and relax. Breathe deeply, please!
3. I had an awful bath! I shouldn’t have bathed here!
In what part of the sentence would you place these adverbs of frequency?
1. He listens to the radio. (often)

2. They read a book. (sometimes)
3. Pete gets angry. (never)
4. Tom is very friendly. (usually)
5. I take sugar in my coffee. (sometimes)
6. Ramon and Frank are hungry. (often)
7. My grandmother goes for a walk in the evening. (always)
Fill in with the missing words
- I’m in too d_________. My boss will kill me.

- I’m in over my h_______.
- I’m in big t_________!
Phrasal verb Pick up a fight: try to fight with someone - “Don’t listen to him.
He’s just trying to pick up a fight”.
Phrases To say someone’s in trouble say:
1. Your goose is cooked.

2. You’ve really screwed up.
3. Now you’ve done it.
Easily-confused Last vs. Spend vs. Take

words
1. The movie lasted two hours. (The duration of the movie
was two hours)
2. I spent three hours fixing this.
3. It took me three hours to fix this.
4. I lasted three hours to fix this.
Grammar Tag questions
Tag questions turn a statement into a question. They are often
79
used for checking information that we think we know is true.
Examples:
1. He’s married, isn’t he? (+,-)

2. He loves art, doesn’t he? (+,-)
3. She doesn’t eat meat, does she? (-,+)
4. She didn’t call you, did she? (-,+)
5. He has arrived, hasn’t he? (+,-)
If that’s too confusing, remember you can also use “right” at

the end of a sentence.
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce this tech companies
Gmail: /djímeil/
Yahoo: /iáju/
Hotmail: /jótmeil/
1. I spent two hours trying to connect with them.

2. It spent two hours trying to connect with them.
3. It took me two hours to solve it.
4. I lasted three hours watching the movie.
5. The movie lasted two hours.
Complete the sentences with the correct question tags.
1. Mr McGuinness is from Ireland, _________?

2. The car isn't in the garage,_________ ?
3. You are John,_________ ?
4. She went to the library yesterday,_________ ?
5. He didn't recognize me,_________ ?
6. Cars pollute the environment, _________?
7. Mr. Pritchard has been to Scotland recently,_________ ?
8. The trip is very expensive,_________ ?
9. He won't tell her, _________?
10. Hugh had a red car,_________ ?
80
1. Your goose is c_______. He’ll kill you.

2. You’ve really s________ up this time.
3. Now you’ve d________ it. There’s no turning back.
1. His email address is johnny_lawrence@hotmail.com

2. I have an account in Gmail but I still use the one in Yahoo.
Idiom Spend the night (also “stay the night”): to sleep at someone
else’s house. “He spent the night because he had to drive a
long way to get to his home”.
Phrases To express stress, say:
1. I’m going nuts.

2. I’m losing my mind.
3. It’s getting on my nerves.
4. I can’t take it anymore.
Easily-confused 1. Receipt: /risít/ a synonym of “ticket”

words 2. Recipe: /résipi/ something you follow to cook
3. Prescription: what the doctor writes to you
Grammar Adjectives are followed by to + inf:
1. It’s essential to have everything ready by Monday.

2. You are clever to stop working there, they didn’t pay
you enough.
3. It is very difficult for me to breathe because it smells
horrible.
4. It isn’t easy to ride a horse that behaves badly.
5. It was really hard to find our way here.
6. She found it impossible to learn to play piano.
7. It was nice to see you looking so happy!
8. How is it possible to be this tired?
9. You were right to say that to him.
10. He was wrong to think that she ever cared.
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce words with “cult” /kelt/:
1. Difficult: /dífikelt/
81
2. Cult: /kelt/
3. Culture: /kelchor/
4. Cultivate: /keltiveit/
5. Faculty: /fekolti/
1. I’m going nuts/almonds.

2. I’m losing my head/mind.
3. It’s getting on my nervous/nerves.
4. I can’t take it anyone/anymore.
Cross out the wrong sentences
1. I’m glad to see you.

2. I’m glad of seeing you.
3. I’m glad that I can see you.
4. I’m glad that I see you.
Practice pronouncing these words
1. “He’s attending the Faculty of Arts”.

2. “They cultivated a lovely friendship”.
3. “He loves learning about culture”.
4. “They made a cult around the guru”.
5. “It’ll be difficult to deal with that”.
1. He decided to spend the night/spend the night sleeping here

because he couldn’t drive.
2. Here’s the receipt/recipe/prescription for your purchase.
3. The doctor signed the receipt/recipe/prescription and I went to the
pharmacy.
4. Can I have the receipt/recipe/prescription for your grandma’s cake?
Verbs Grab: synonym of “take”.
“Please open the fridge and grab a sandwich”.

“I grabbed my bag and left the place”.
Phrases When someone is stressed, say:
1. Calm down.
82
2. Don’t let it get to you.
3. Don’t trouble yourself.
Grammar You can use “what” at the beginning of a sentence for

emphasis:
“What we need to do is talk with them about it”.

“What I want to tell you is that this has to be reanalyzed”.
Confusing Look at the differences in use between…

words
In spite of: In spite of the problems in the area, we managed
to solve this situation.(+ noun) // In spite of the fact that she
was busy, she took my call. (+full clause)
Despite: Despite the problems in the area, we managed to

solve this situation. // Despite the fact that she was busy, she
took my call. (+full clause)
Instead of: Instead of dealing with problem A, we should start

with problem B.
Instead: I believe we should deal with problem A instead.

Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce words ending in “cide”:
Suicide /súisaid/
Pesticide /péstisaid/
Coincide /koinsaid/
Homicide /jómisaid/
1. What I was trying to say is that…

2. What I want to know is if…
3. What you are saying is…
1. Despite of some minor issues, we had a good performance.

2. In spite of some minor issues, we had a good performance.
3. In spite of the fact that some minor issues, we had a good performance.
4. She decided to take the bus instead of.
5. She decided to take the bus instead of the train.
6. She decided to take the bus instead.
83
1. Please calm up/down.
2. Don’t let this arrive/get to you.
3. Don’t trouble/issue yourself with this.
4. I’ll grab/grabbed a sandwich and go.
1. She committed suicide by taking those pesticides.

2. These two things don’t coincide. Something was wrong with the
homicide.
Interesting Use “about to” to say that you were going to do or say
expressions something in a minute:
What a coincidence! I was about to call you.

I was about to tell you something…
Phrases To encourage someone to calm down, say:
1. Pull yourself together.

2. Get a grip.
3. Don’t get all worked up.
4. Keep cool.
Grammar Look at the unusual spelling of these words:
die / dying
lie / lying
tie / tying
So, if a verb ends in - ie, change the - ie to - y and

add - ing.
Pronunciation “Should have” /shud jav/ is usually shortened to “should’ve”

/shudav/.
Americans even say “shoulda” /shuda/.
Complete with the missing word
1. P________ yourself together. You’re going nowhere with this behavior!

2. Get a g_______, will you?
3. Don’t get all w_______ up for nothing!
4. Keep c________. Stop stressing.
84
Tell me about things you were about to do today before someone
interrupted you
1. I would dye/die if I saw that!

2. I’m dying/dieing! What a funny joke!
3. He was lying/lyeing on the couch all day.
4. I need some help to tye/tie my shoes.
Practice reading these sentences with “should have”
1. I should’ve called you sooner.

2. I should’ve known that you’d be angry.
3. I should’ve been kinder to him.
Interesting Give someone the cold shoulder: to ignore someone: “I can’t

expressions believe she gave you the cold shoulder!”.
Phrases To ask someone if what they’re saying is true, say:
1. Are you for real?

2. Seriously?
3. You’re not pulling one on me, right?
4. You’re not making this up, are you?
Grammar Each other, one another
We use each other and one another to show that each

person in a group of two or more people does something to
the others.
e.g.:
1. Rick and Gina never liked each other. (Rick never

liked Gina and Gina never liked Rick.)
2. Everyone in the family gave each other presents.
(Each member of the family gave each member of the
family a present.)
3. Lisa and Kate hated each other’s husbands. (Lisa
hated Kate’s husband and Kate hated Lisa’s husband.)
Typical mistakes
Be careful not to use us or ourselves instead of each

other/one another:
85
We’ve known each other/one another for twelve years.
Not: We’ve known us for twelve years or We’ve known
ourselves …
We don’t use each other or one another as a plural form:
They love each other.

Not: They love each others.
Pronunciation Words that end in -ates are pronounced as /eits/
1. Irritates
2. Tastes
3. Alternates
4. Estimates
5. Advocates
6. Graduates
Easily-confused Loose (not tight)
words Lose (to not have something anymore)
Loss (noun of “lose”)
Lost (past simple and participle of “lose”)
Loser (adjective)
1. It really irritates me to see this.

2. This tastes amazing.
3. She estimates that this will be ready next week.
4. He advocates for more rights.
5. When she graduates, she’ll move abroad.
Fill in with the missing word
1. Are you for r____?That can’t be true!

2. S________? That’s absurd!
3. You’re not p_______ one on me, right? You always make me look like a
fool.
4. You’re not m________ this up, are you? I never know if you’re telling the
truth.
1. I can’t believe he gave you the hot/cold shoulder.

2. I can’t believe you lose/lost your passport!
3. This little screw is loose/lose. Can you tighten it?
4. There was a loss/loose of signal when we got on the plane.
86
5. That guy is such a looser/loser!
Complete with “each other” or the correct reflexive pronoun (myself,

themselves, himself, etc.)
1. Sandra and Angela lost ___________ in front of the stadium.

2. My friends enjoyed ___________very much at the concert.
3. Tim repaired his car ___________
4. We helped ___________with our report.
5. People often give___________ presents at Christmas.
6. I bought ___________ a new camera.
7. Chris, did you do the maths homework ___________?
8. They looked at ___________ and smiled.
9. Ron and Tom often write e-mails to ___________ because they're good
friends.
10. Ann only thinks of ___________. She's selfish.
Interesting I feel you: I understand you, I empathize with you.

expressions
A: This week has been insufferable.
B: I feel you!
Phrases To show disbelief, say:
1. I find that hard to believe.

2. I’ll believe it when I see it.
3. You’d better take that with a grain of salt.
Grammar Hard vs hardly
Hard: it’s an adjective and an adverb
1. “It’s hard to drive here”.

2. “She looked at me hard”. (not “hardly”)
Hardly: it has a different meaning, which is “almost can’t”
1. “I can hardly breathe”.

2. “He could hardly tell me what happened”.
Pronunciation Look at these vegetables and fruits that have a peculiar

pronunciation:
1. Avocado: /avokado/
2. Cucumber: /kiukamber/
3. Lettuce: /létis/
4. Orange: /orinch/
87
Easily-confused
words
1. A: ______________________.
B: I find that hard to believe.
2. A: ______________________.
B: I’ll believe it when I see it.
3. A: ______________________.
B: You’d better take that with a grain of salt.
4. A: _______________________.
B: I feel you. It’s getting more and more difficult as days go by.
1. I had an avocado toast.

2. I’m allergic to cucumbers.
3. Lettuce and tomato again?! That’s so lame!
4. I’d rather have an orange juice than a grapefruit one.
88
Complete with “hard” or “hardly”
1) Your brother __________ works at all!

2) Your brother works so _________.
3) She really studied ________ for her exam.
4) He was ________ able to care for himself.
5) I __________ remember what we did last winter.
6) It will be __________ but I can help you.
Choose the correct form (do vs. make)
1. I still have to do/make the housework.

2. This pencil is done/made of wood.
3. If it does/makes you happy, go ahead.
4. I still have to do/make a decision about it.
5. I’ve been doing/making nothing all day.
6. I did/made the exam and went home.
7. He did/made such a nice speech!
Interesting In no time: Very soon. "Don't worry - We'll be there in no

expressions time."
Phrases If someone doesn’t understand you, say:
1. Sorry, that’s not what I meant.

2. I didn’t mean that.
3. That’s not what I wanted to say.
4. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough.
5. That’s not my point.
Grammar Finish vs end

1. At the end of the movie…
2. When the movie ended…
3. When the movie finished…
4. At the finish of the movie…
So, you can’t use “finish” as a noun
89
Pronunciation
Easily-confused Job vs. work

words
Job’ is a noun, ‘work’ is a verb:
A: ‘What’s David’s job?’

B: ‘He works in a shop.’
‘Work’ is also a noun. This is the problem:

“My work is very difficult = I’ve got a difficult job”
So what’s the difference between ‘job’ (noun) and ‘work’

(noun)?
90
JOB is what you are – it’s your profession. (I’m a fireman)
WORK is what you do (I put out fires, and rescue cats in

trees)
Sometimes you have a lot of WORK, but you only have one
JOB.
Fill in with the missing letters
1. Sorry, that’s not what I m_______.

2. I didn’t m________ that.
3. That’s not what I w________ to say.
4. Maybe I wasn’t c______enough.
5. That’s not my p_________.
Complete with ‘WORK’ ‘JOB’ or ‘JOBS’ for each sentence:
1. What’s your ______?

2. I can’t stop! I’m late for _______!
3. I love my ______ even though I complain sometimes.
4. When I came back from holidays there was so much ______ to do I
regretted going!
5. Have you found any _______?
6. Have you found a _______ yet?
7. I was going to watch the match with my mates when my wife reminded
me I had a _____ to do.
8. You don’t have to include all your ______ in a CV if they’re not related.
Read these sentences out loud. All of them include homonyms ;)
1. Did you meet the girl who doesn’t eat meat?

2. I forgot to buy some flour but I did buy a bouquet of flowers.
3. You were right! I forgot to write them!
4. He blew me away with his blue suit.
5. The serial killer doesn’t eat any cereal.
6. Pull the brakes if you don’t want to break a leg.

5. The finish of the movie was amazing.
6. I’ll finish with this in no times.
7. I’ll finish with this in no time.
8. The end of the movie was so moving!
91
Interesting Give or take: more or less, approximately.
expressions It'll be ready at 6:00, give or take a few minutes.
It cost £200, give or take.
Phrases Phrases to make the best of a bad situation
1. That’s life.
2. That’s how it goes.
3. Let’s make the best of it.
Grammar Used to vs. get used to vs. be used to
Used to (+inf)
=to talk about a past situation that is no longer true.
She used to be a long-distance runner when she was

younger.
I didn't use to sleep very well, but then I started doing yoga
and it really helps.
Be used to (+ing)
= 'be familiar with' or 'be accustomed to'.
She's used to the city now and doesn't get lost any more.
I'm a teacher so I'm used to speaking in public.
Get used to (+-ing)
=to talk about the process of becoming familiar with

something.
It took my mother years to get used to living in London after

moving from Pakistan.
Pronunciation These words that come from French are pronounced without
the final “t”. Additionally, they sound like “ei” at the end:
1. Bouquet: /bukéi/
2. Ballet: /baléi/
3. Fillet: /filéi/
4. Buffet: /buféi/
Easily-confused Reject: to say no to something: I rejected the proposal.

words Refuse: not want to do something: I refuse to do something I
92
don’t want to do.
Choose the correct form: used to /get used to/be used to
1. When I started to work here I needed a lot of help, but now I ______ all the
work on my own.
a. am used to doing b. used to do c. get used to doing
2. He ______ several books a month, but he doesn't have time any more.
a. was used to reading b. got used to reading c. used to read
3. We were surprised to see her driving – she ______ when we first met her.
a. didn't use to drive b. got used to driving c. was used to driving
4. Don't worry, it's a simple program to use. You ______ it in no time, I'm sure.
a. used to use b. are used to c. will get used to
5. When I had to commute to work every day I ______ very early.

a. used to getting up b. used to get up
6. I'm afraid I'll never ______ in this place. I simply don't like it and never will.
a. got used to living b. used to live c. get used to living
7. Whenever we came to Coventry we always ______ in the Central Hotel. We

loved it.
a. used to stay b. got used to staying
8. When Pete Smith was the head of our office everything ______ well
organized. Now it's total chaos here.
a. got used to be b. was used to being c. used to be
9. Mr Lazy was shocked when he joined our busy company because he ______
doing much work everyday.
a. wasn't used to b. didn't use to
10. At first the employees didn't like the new open-space office, but in the end
they ______ it.
a. got used to b. get used to c. are used to
1. A: __________________________________.
B: That’s life!
2. A: __________________________________.
B: That’s how it goes!
3. A: __________________________________.
B: Well, let’s make the best of it then.
93
All these sentences have mistakes. Please correct them.
1. We spent give or less 20 euros.

2. I’m used to sleep in small rooms.
3. I used to slept a lot when I was a child.
4. I’m getting used to live in the city.
5. I refused her proposal.
6. I reject to do something I don’t want to!
He got a lovely bouquet for the girl he’s dating. She dances ballet in the studio
near the buffet, where they usually eat fillet.
Interesting Hold your horses: a phrase we use to ask someone to calm

expressions down.
Hey, hold your horses! Where do you think you’re going?
Phrases Knowing something after the fact
1. I should have known.

2. Should have known better.
3. If only I had realized before.
Grammar You can use “much” before comparatives
1. He’s much taller than me.

2. This book is much more interesting than the other.
Pronunciation In British English, “t” is pronounced strongly whereas in
American English, “t” is extremely soft, almost as an “r”:
1. Water: /woutta/ (BrE)

2. Water: /worer/ (AmE)
3. Pottery: /poteri/ (BrE)
4. Pottery: /poreri/(AmE)
5. Butter: /bata/ (BrE)
6. Butter: /barer/ (AmE)
Easily-confused Tell vs say vs speak vs talk

words Tell + someone
Say + to + someone
Speak + to + someone
Talk + to + someone
In general, all of them have the same meaning but look at
94
these collocations:
Tell: the truth, a lie, a story, the time, a joke

Say: some words, dare say
Talk: garbage, business
Speak: a language, speak up
Complete with the missing letters to review these phrases.
1. I should have k________! It was so evident!

2. Should have known b_______. This is how it always is.
3. If only I had realized b______!
4. Hold your h________! Slow down!
1. He said me I was crazy!

2. He told me he had to leave.
3. What I said to him is true!
4. I’m learning to talk English.
5. He told me to wait outside.
6. He said a lie.
Practicing reading these sentences first in British and then in American

English
1. I usually drink mineral water while I watch Harry Potter.(BrE)

2. I usually drink mineral water while I watch Harry Potter.(AmE)
3. This butter is melting. (BrE)
4. This butter is melting. (AmE)
Interesting It shows: a phrase we use when we want to say that

expressions something is evident.
A: I really am super in love with him.

B: It shows. You can’t stop talking about him!
Phrases Phrases to ask for permission when you want to ask

something
1. If you don’t mind my asking,...

2. It’s none of my business but…
3. Can I just ask if…?
Grammar Be careful with the verb “have” as it’s not used exactly in the
same way as in Spanish for feelings:
1. Tengo hambre: I have hungry: I’m hungry
95
2. Tengo miedo: I have scare: I’m scared
3. En Argentina, tenemos muchas parrillas: In Argentina
we have many steakhouses: In Argentina, there are
many steakhouses
4. En verano, tenés luz hasta las 9: In summer, you
have light until 9: In summer, there’s light/it’s daytime
until 9.
5. Ella tiene razón: She has the reason: She’s right.
6. Él tiene la culpa: He has the fault. It’s his fault.
Pronunciation “Sign”, “signal” and “signature” are all written similarly but
their pronunciation differs:
Sign: /sain/
Signal: /sígnal/
Signature: /sígnachor/
Easily-confused Remember vs. remind

words
1. Please remember to call Susan. (You have to
remember to call her)
2. Please remind me to call Susan. (I am asking you to
help me not forget)
Cross out the wrong sentences and correct them
1. I have a terrible headache.

2. I have hungry.
3. I have a big garden at home.
4. We have many nice views in Argentina.
5. We have sun until late.
6. I have many friends abroad.
7. I have afraid of the dark.
1. If you don’t mind my asking,...

2. It’s none of my business but…
3. Can I just ask if…?
4. It shows that you’re tired because…
1. I can't remember/remind anything about the accident at all.

2. Have you remembered/reminded Jeff to bring his credit card?
3. I must remember/remind to take medicines after lunch.
4. Remember/remind me to take my camera with me, please.
5. She forgot to remember/remind him about the engineer coming.
96
1. Please sign here. And make your signature clear.

2. We lost the signal when we arrived at the shelter.
Interesting Play hooky: to skip school without anyone knowing: “My

expressions friends and I played hooky and went to the mall to spend the
day there”.
Phrases How to start making a statement that may be

controversial
1. If I may say so…

2. If I may be bold…
3. We should be aware of the fact that…
4. We should note that…
5. If you don’t mind me saying…
Grammar How to use “want” and “let” in the right way
Our boss let us to do it: Our boss let us do it

I want that she helps me: I want her to help me
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce “mine” at the end of words:
1. Determine
2. Examine
3. Famine
4. Jasmine
Easily-confused Another vs. other

words
The words “another” and “other” mean the same thing,
except that “another” is used with a singular noun and
“other” is used with uncountable and plural nouns:
She’s going to the cinema with another friend.

She’s going to the cinema with other friends.
However, when we are talking about one of two things of the

same type, the word “other” can be used with the article
“the” or a pronoun (my, you, his, her, etc.) before a singular
noun, for example:
3. For a change, let’s go to the other cafe today.
97
4. Don’t buy that phone. Buy the other one.
5. “Is that his younger sister?” “No, that’s his other
sister.”
1. If I may say so…

2. If I may be bold…
3. We should be aware of the fact that…
4. We should note that…
5. If you don’t mind me saying…
6. We played hooky because…
7. I want my brother to…
8. I let my boss decide because…
Complete with “other”, “the other”, “others” or “another”
1. Mr. and Mrs. White are arriving this evening but _________guests won't be
here until tomorrow.
2. Two new students started today. One is Jane Lloyd and _________ is Ruth
Howard.
3. In _________ five years I'll be running my own business.
4. One of the most environmentally-friendly means of transport is the bicycle;
_________ are the train and the tram.
5. I need_________pair of shoes, these are falling apart.
1. We have to determine if we’ll use the vanilla or jasmine essence.

2. We have to examine the issues with famine in Africa.
Interesting Bad blood: negative or ill feelings

expressions The young man and woman knew their parents would not
approve of their marriage because there was bad blood
between the families.
Those two guys will never get along. There is too much bad
blood between them.
98
Phrases Phrases to forgive someone
1. You’re forgiven.
2. Don’t worry about it.
3. Think of it no more.
4. There’s nothing to forgive.
5. Don’t give it another thought.
Grammar Look at these different meanings of “rather”:
1) Quite: I’m rather tired today.

2) Prefer: I’d rather go out tomorrow, not today.
3) More accurately; more exactly: She'll fly to California
on Thursday, or rather, she will if she has to.
Pronunciation When a word finishes in “re”, one possible pronunciation is

“er”:
Centre: /senter/
Timbre: /taimber/
Fibre: /faiber/
Easily-confused Bored vs boring vs get bored
words
1. Bored: how you feel: I’m so bored today.
2. Boring: an adjective you use to give your opinion
about something: It’s a really boring day.
3. Get bored: the process of starting to feel bored: I got
bored so I turned off the TV.
Fill in with the missing words to express forgiveness
1. You’re f________.
2. Don’t w______ about it.
3. T______of it no more.
4. There’s n______ to forgive.
5. Don’t give it another t_______.
1. There’s too much bad blood between them so I think…

2. I’m rather bored so…
3. I’d rather not go with you because…
4. I got bored because…
5. It was really boring to…
99
1. The city centre is not near here.

2. Her voice timbre is rather annoying.
3. Natural fibres such as cotton tend to be cooler.
Interesting Get under one’s skin: If something gets under your skin, it
expressions annoys or worries you.
All the criticism is starting to get under his skin.
Try not to let his comments get under your skin.
Phrases Asking for permission to leave a place
1. It’ll be just a second.

2. Can I be excused?
3. I’ll be right back.
Grammar Let’s see the prepositions we use with these verbs:
Accustomed + to
Congratulate + on
Deprive + of
Succeed + in
Sure + of
Pleased + with
Pronunciation Pronunciation of the /r/ sound:
In Spanish, the “r” has a much stronger sound. Try

comparing “Ricardo” and “Richard”.
To do a proper /r/ sound, make sure you roll the “R”.
Try pronouncing these:
1. Robert rarely records Ricardo’s video calls.

2. I looked right at Larry’s red rose and left in a hurry.
3. Jerry’s berry jelly tastes really rare.
4. Perry really likes rolling down the hill.
5. Red lorries run alongside the right road.
Easily-confused North vs Northern

words South vs Southern
100
North/South: noun - “She lives in the North”.
Northern/Southern: adjective: “He lives in the Northern
area”.
1. It’ll be just a second. Please…

2. Can I be excused? I need to…
3. I’ll be right back. I just have to…
4. Don’t let it get under your skin. Why don’t you…?
1. He lives in the South/Southern.

2. He lives in the North/Northern part of town.
3. All those North/Northern neighborhoods are really modern.
4. He’s hoping to visit the South/Southern soon.
Practice pronouncing your “r” sound
1. I rarely like rolling down the hill.

2. Do you really want to rely on Riley?
3. Reading alone allows you to really relax.
4. I looked right at Larry’s rally and left in a hurry.
Fill in with the right preposition
1. I’m accustomed _________ it.

2. I congratulated him _________ his graduation.
3. They deprived him ________ water.
4. He succeeded _________ finding what he wanted.
5. He’s sure __________ what he wants.
6. I’m pleased _________ the result.
Interesting So to speak: used to indicate that one is using words in an

expressions unusual or figurative way rather than a literal way
We need to be all on the same wavelength, so to speak.
Phrases Phrases to admit your errors
1. My bad.
2. I didn’t mean that.
3. I should have asked first.
101
Grammar Words that finish in “f” or “fe” make their plural with “-
ves”:
Wife - wives
Leaf - leaves
Thief - thieves
Loaf - loaves
Self - selves
Shelf - shelves
Pronunciation When letter “y” is in the first syllable of a word, we

pronounce it as “i”:
Synonyms: /sínonims/
Symbols: /símbols/
Gym: /djim/
Synthetic: /sinzétik/
Symphony: /símfoni/
Syrup: /sirop/
But when f is together with “y” at the end, we pronounce it

“ai”:
Spotify
Amplify
Qualify
Verify
Simplify
Easily-confused "Acceptable" means something is considered good enough;

words it's not objectionable.
"Accepted" means that something is considered right or
suitable by most people.
1. My bad! I confused…
2. I didn’t mean that. What I meant was…
3. I should have asked first. The thing is that…
4. The plural of “wife” is…
102
5. The plural of “knife” is…
6. He’s a little….so to speak.
7. It’s not acceptable that…
8. In the company, it’s not accepted to….
1. What do those symbols at the gym mean?

2. This is totally synthetic, just as that syrup you’re drinking.
3. I loved listening to the symphony on Spotify.
4. I’ll try to amplify those sounds.
5. Are those words synonyms?
6. I qualified as a doctor from London University over 30 years ago.
7. Can you verify that the guns are licensed?
8. He reduced his needs to the minimum by simplifying his life.
Interesting All walks of life: All social, economic, and ethnic groups.
expressions We saw people at the airport from all walks of
life.
The people who came to the street fair represented all
walks of life.
Phrases Phrases to admit your errors
It won’t happen again.

I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.
I promise to be more careful next time.
Grammar “Since” is only used for present perfect (actions that started
in the past and continue):
She has been attending lessons since last March.

The company has been closed since 2019.
To say “desde” in reference to the future, we need to use:
From...on…: From next week on, we won’t have any more

lessons.
As of ( “a partir de”): As of next week, we won’t have any
more lessons.
Pronunciation Words that finish in “le” are pronounced /el/:
103
Candle: /kandel/
Responsible: /rispónsibel/
Respectable: /rispéktabel/
Sustainable: /sastéinabel/
Remarkable: /rimárkabel/
Easily-confused Loss: noun
words Lose: verb in infinitive
Lost: verb in past
1. I haven’t been feeling well since last week.

2. I’ll be here since 4 to 10 pm.
3. Since Monday on, I’ll be staying at my sister’s.
4. As of next week, you can contact us by email.
5. I’ll be living here since February.
6. From Friday on, I’ll be working on my new project.
7. I hope we don’t loss signal.
8. There was a lost of signal.
9. There were people from all walks of live.
1. A: ______________________!
B: I’m sorry! It won’t happen again.
2. A: _______________________!
B: I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.
3. A: _______________________!
B: I promise to be more careful next time.
1. He’s responsible for lighting the candle.

2. He’s a respectable woman that came up with a sustainable project.
3. This is a remarkable project.
Interesting Hyped: Really excited. "We're all hyped about the concert
expressions next weekend."
104
Phrases Phrases to say someone is vain or selfish
1. She’s so full of herself.

2. He loves the sound of his own voice.
3. He’s all wrapped up in himself.
Grammar Always use the following structure after adjectives:
Adjectives + to + verb
It’s easy to use this method.

It’s simple to start a career here.
It’s essential to call them.
It’s important to work with this.
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce these brands in English:
1. Colgate: /kolgeit/
2. Nike: /naiki/
3. Avon: /eivon/
4. Adobe: /adoubi/
5. Disney: /dísni/
6. Adidas: /ádidas/
7. Nikon: /naikon/
8. Levi’s: /lívais/
9. Porsche: /porsha/
10. Mercedes: /mersidis/
11. Ferrari /feraari/
Easily-confused Terrific vs terrible

words
Terrific: amazing: “The movie was terrific. I really enjoyed it”.
Terrible: awful: “That movie was terrible. It really sucked”.
1. The movie was so terrible that…

2. The movie was so terrific that…
3. I was really hyped when I heard that…
1. It’s necessary to do that.

2. It’s important consider this.
3. It’s essential win this game.
4. It’s nice to see you again!
105
5. It’s simple do this kind of work.
1) A:______________________________.
B: Honestly, I’m not surprised. She’s so full of herself.
2) A:______________________________.
B: Of course he did. He loves the sound of his own voice.
3) A: _______________________________?
B: Because he’s all wrapped up in himself.
Read these sentences to practice their pronunciation
1. This toothpaste is not Colgate, right?

2. I love all Avon products. I bought thousands of them at Disneyland.
3. I don’t know why you love Adidas so much. Nike is way better!
4. I paid my Adobe subscription because I have a new Nikon and I’ll need
to edit my pics.
5. Those jeans look amazing! Are they Levi’s?
6. He loves Porsche but he has never owned one. He only had a Mercedes
and a Ferrari.
Interesting Hit the road: to leave a place - “So, shall we hit the road or is
expressions it too early?”
Phrases “What’s your take on that?”: We use this phrase as a

synonym of “What do you think about that?”
Grammar Let’s look at the right grammar to use with verbs
connected with wanting to do something:
1. Be in the mood + for

2. Feel + like + doing something
3. Be + into + something
Pronunciation Letter “h” is usually pronounced at the beginning of a word

(such as in “hi”, “humble”, “Hannah”). But look at these
exceptions:
1. hour
2. honor
3. honest(y)
4. heir
106
Easily-confused Apologies: noun: /apóloshis/: She sent me an apology
words letter. / My apologies for the delay.
Apologize: verb: /apóloshais/: She apologized for her

behavior.
1. I apologize/apologise for my behavior.

2. I’m in the mood for/with a beer.
3. I feel like dance/dancing tonight.
4. I’m so inside/into books! I really love them.
5. What’s your take in/on the new campaign?
6. Well, let’s kick/hit the road! It’s time to go.
Read these sentences out loud to practice their pronunciation
5. Hannah, at what hour shall we meet them?

6. It’s truly an honor to meet you, Holly.
7. He said that we have to be honest, Heather.
8. Henry is the one and only heir.
Interesting Have the Blues: to feel down, depressed or sad:

expressions A: What is wrong with him?
B: He has the blues.
Phrases “...and what have you”: and more things, and other various
things: “Their garage is full of bikes, sleds, old boots, and
what have you”.
Grammar When you use a number, don’t use “the”:
1. You are in the room 201

2. She lives in the apartment 9
3. We have to analyze the folder 8
107
Pronunciation Letter “g” is not pronounced when it’s followed by an “h”.
Examples:
1. Bright
2. Naughty
3. Daughter
4. Height
5. Taught
Collocations
When we talk about exams, we say:
Fail an exam (never “disapprove”)

Pass an exam (never “approve”)
Sit for an exam (never “give an exam”)
Cheat in an exam (never “copy in an exam”)
Study by heart (never “study by memory”)
1. His daughter is a bit naughty and is always breaking things.

2. Despite her height, she managed to reach the shelf.
3. We taught her how to swim.
What do you mean if you say…?
1. “He has the blues”.

2. “We ate lentils, bread, vegetables, different kinds of cheese and what
have you”.
3. “He cheated in the exam but still didn’t pass”.
4. “He sat for the exam last week but unfortunately he failed”.
5. “I had to study by heart”.
Interesting Take a rain check: used to tell someone that you cannot
expressions accept an invitation now, but would like to do so another
time:
Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I have to work
late tonight.
108
Grammar The third conditional is used to express the past
consequence of an unrealistic action or situation in the past.
e.g.:
If he had studied harder, he would have passed the exam.
We often use the third conditional to express regrets –

describing things we are sorry happened or didn’t happen.
e.g.:
If my alarm had gone off, I wouldn’t have been late to work.
If there hadn’t been so much traffic we wouldn’t have missed
our flight.
Pronunciation When you add apostrophe 's' ('s) to a word finishing in “s”,
the possessive is pronounced /iz/.
e.g.:
James’ house is amazing.

Our boss’ answer was negative.
Jules’ office is kind of messy.
Confusing words Argument vs. fight vs. heated argument
Argument: when you disagree with someone in a strong

way: We had an argument and didn’t speak for ages.
Fight: a physical confrontation: They had a fight and he

broke his leg.
Heated argument: when you disagree with someone strongly

and you shout at each other: We had such a heated
argument that the neighbors called the police.
1. We had a(n) fight/argument/heated argument but we managed to

reach an agreement.
2. They had a(n) fight/argument/heated argument and said terrible things
to each other.
3. They had such a horrible fight/argument/heated argument that I
thought they would kill each other.
1. Ross’ sister came to the party.
109
2. Their offices’ paintings are amazing.
3. Thomas’ students seem to be learning a lot.
Complete using the third conditional
1. If you ______________ (not / be) late, we ______________ (not / miss) the

bus.
2. If she ______________ (study), she ______________ (pass) the exam.
3. If we ______________ (arrive) earlier, we ______________ (see) John.
4. If they ______________ (go) to bed early, they ______________ (not /
wake)
up late.
5. If he ______________ (become) a musician, he ______________ (record) a
CD.
6. If she ______________ (go) to art school, she ______________ (become) a
painter.
7. If I ______________ (be) born in a different country, I ______________
(learn) to speak a different language.
8. If she ______________ (go) to university, she ______________ (study)
French.
Interesting Go dutch: If two or more people go Dutch, each of them

expressions pays their own bill, for example in a restaurant.
e.g.: We went Dutch on a meal in the new restaurant in

Shaftesbury Avenue.
110
Grammar Adverbs are formed by adding “ly” to an adjective.
Adverbs are placed after verbs.
e.g.: She sings beautifully.
However, there are some exceptions:
Good - Well - To do sth in a good way / To do sth well

Hard - Hard *
Fast - Fast
Near - Near **
* “Hardly” means: almost nothing, almost can’t
“I can hardly breathe”

“She can hardly count because she’s 6 y/o”
** “Nearly” means “almost”
“She’s nearly 40”.

Pronunciation In English, ch is most commonly pronounced as [tʃ]:
chalk, cheese, cherry, church, much, spinach.
Ch can also be pronounced as [k]:

ache, choir, school, mechanic, character, stomach, archive,
chaos, chemistry.
In some English words of French origin, "ch" represents [ʃ]:

charade, machine, chivalry, nonchalant.
Easily confused Homework (activities from school/university that you do at

words home) vs. housework (things to be cleaned or repaired at
home)
1. I have a stomachache so I’ll not go to the mechanic.

2. Before going to church, I had a piece of cheese, some spinach with
some cherry tomatoes and much water.
3. The school choir sang some beautiful songs. They have great chemistry.
4. We played charades and imitated the characters in the movie “The
Chaos”.
111
1. I’ve been doing so much homework/housework. I still have to finish
with the ironing.
2. I’ve been doing so much homework/housework. My teacher is killing
me!
3. We decided to go Scotch/Dutch. We split the bill.
1. He’s near 40.

2. I can hardly breathe.
3. Why are you talking to him so hardly?
4. She drives really fastly.
5. He’s nearly arriving.
Interesting Have the nerve: If you say that someone has a nerve or has
expressions the nerve to do something, you are criticizing them for doing
something which you feel they had no right to do. e.g.:
They've got a nerve, complaining about our behaviour.
He had the nerve to ask me to prove who I was.
Grammar Get + something/someone + to do something
We can use this construction to say that we managed or

didn’t manage to do something:
1. I can’t get the shower to work!

2. I can’t get my son to wake up early!
3. I finally got my uncle to call me back!
Pronunciation Remember we don’t pronounce the “s” in these words:

Island*
Isle
Aisle
*If you pronounce the “s”, it’ll sound like “Iceland”.
Easily confused Sensitive (that can easily be affected) vs. sensible (smart,
words the best thing to do)
1. He’s taking a cruise to that island near Woodland Isle.

2. I’d rather sit in the aisle seat, please.
112
What do you do if…?
1. you can’t get your colleagues to answer your emails?

2. you can’t get to sleep at night?
3. you can’t get your neighbors to be quiet?
1. I can’t believe she had the nerves/nerve to come after everything she’s
done!
2. A: I decided to cancel my trip because of covid.
B: Yes, that’s sensible/sensitive. Also, your mom is a
sensible/sensitive person and she would hate it if you left now.
Interesting A burning question: a question whose answer is of great

expressions interest to everyone. e.g.: There’s a burning question that
needs to be answered: Why did you quit?
Grammar
Pronunciation The word “tear” can be pronounced in two different ways

depending on its meaning:
1. Tear: /téar/ take something from the ground strongly

with your hands or some equipment.
2. Tear: /tiar/ what falls from your eyes when you cry.
Easily confused Soup vs. soap
words
Soup: /sup/ what you drink in winter when it’s cold.
Soap: /soup/ what you use to wash your hands
113
1. Please wash your hands with soap before drinking the soup.
2. Will you tear that rose? It looks so nice!
3. There was a tear running down her cheeks.
What’s the plural form of…
1. Woman
2. Child
3. Sheep
4. Foot
5. Fish
6. Tooth
There’s just one burning question:
Interesting Their loss is our gain: a phrase we use when someone

expressions tells us that they’ll make a plan with us because someone
else cancelled their original plan.
A: Gina decided to cancel so I’ll go to the movies with you
guys.
B: Her loss is our gain.
Grammar In English when we change something (we move to a new
house, we find a new boyfriend, etc.), we use the plural. e.g.:
1. Have you heard Leo has changed girlfriends? He’s

not dating the French girl anymore.
2. I finally decided to change jobs!
3. I can’t believe you moved houses and didn’t tell me!
Pronunciation Remember not to add an invisible “e” in words that

beginning with “s”:
Scenes, Scenario, Scent, Special, Spite

Easily confused Terrible: really bad: “You smell terrible”.
words Terrific: really good: “You smell terrific”.
Practice pronunciation
1. I watched that scene a thousand times!

2. I have a special request for you.
3. I love that scent! Where did you get it?
4. We have to think of the worst case scenario.
5. In spite of her doubts, she decided to go for it.
114
1. I feel terrible/terrific for what happened. It was just awful.
2. Why did you decide to change jobs/job?
3. A: I won’t go to the movies with my friend after all.
B: His lose/loss is our gain. Let’s go out for dinner!
Interesting It shows: a phrase we use to say that something is evident.

expressions A: It’s really cold in here.
B: It shows. You’ve already put on two sweaters!
Grammar Preposition “on” for internet-related things
“On” is the normal preposition when talking about specific

communications media that operate through transmission:
on TV, on the radio, on the phone -and thus, on the Web, on
Facebook, on Youtube- and on the Internet. Metaphorical
expressions reinforce the usage: one surfs on the Internet.
Pronunciation Look at the unusual pronunciation of these cities/states:

1. Edinburgh: /edinbra/
2. Arkansas: /árkansa/
3. Michigan: /mishigan/
4. Glasgow: /glásgo/
5. Moscow: /mósko/
6. Cannes: /kaan/
7. Leicester: /léster/
8. Atlanta: /alana/
Easily confused For “contagiar”, we have the two following options:
words 1. Pass on: I passed on the virus to my friend.
2. Get: I got the virus from my friend.
We can say that the virus is contagious but not that “we are
contagious”.
1. I visited several American states, such as Atlanta, Michigan and

Arkansas.
2. Her European journey started in Leicester, continued in Cannes and
finished in Edinburgh. Next year she’d like to be in Glasgow.
4. It really shows that she’s desperate to know because…

5. This morning, I read on the internet that…
6. He passed on the virus to her so now…
7. I’m sure I got the virus from my friends when…
115
Interesting And all that jazz: and all that stuff; and all that nonsense.
expressions I need some glue, paper, string, and all that jazz to make a
kite.
She told me I was selfish, hateful, rude, ugly, and all that
jazz.
Grammar The third conditional is used to express the past
consequence of an unrealistic action or situation in the past.
If he had studied harder, he would have passed the exam.

(He didn’t study hard so he didn’t pass)
I would have called you if I had known you were there. (You
didn’t know he was there so you didn’t call him)
Pronunciation Look at the way we pronounce these two words starting with
“vac”:
Vacancy: /veikensi/
Vacations: /veikeinshons/
Easily confused Intensive: involving a lot of work or activity done in a short

words time: intensive care, intensive cultivation, intensive training,
intensive work, intensive use, intensive research
Intense: very strong, extreme: intense heat, intense interest,
intense pain, intense desire, intense anxiety, intense
excitement, intense feeling, intense love, intense pressure
1. I had an intensive/intense class that almost left me in

intensive/intense care.
2. She was dealing with her kids, her work, and all that/this jazz.
Practice reading this sentence out loud
1. Since there were vacancies, she decided to go on vacation.
Complete using third conditional structures
1. If she ______________ (go) to art school, she ______________

(become) a painter.
2. If I ______________ (be) born in a different country, I ______________
(learn) to speak a different language.
3. If she ______________ (go) to university, she ______________ (study)
French.
4. If we ______________ (not / go) to the party, we ______________ (not /
meet) them.
5. If he ______________ (take) the job, he ______________ (not / go)
travelling.
116
Phrasal verbs Bottom out: to reach the lowest or worst point of
something.
All my problems seem to be bottoming out. They can’t get
much worse.
Interest rates bottomed out last February.
Grammar Out of + noun: we can use this structure to explain the
reason why we did something.
She did this out of fear (=because she felt fear)

He did it out of of revenge (=because she wanted revenge)
I’m helping her out of love (=because I love the person)
Pronunciation Look at how English-speaking people pronounce these

words that come from Spanish:
Mosquito: /moskitou/
Oregano: /oríganou/
Sombrero: /sombrerou/
Tortilla: /torti-ia/
Cafeteria: /kafitíria/
Patio: /patiou/
Easily confused Latter /láter/ vs. later /léiter/

words Use “later” when referring to time. Brenda said that she
would call me later.
Use “latter” when referring to the second of two persons or
things mentioned previously. For example: There are two
kinds of worries: those you can do something about and
those you can’t. Don’t spend any time on the latter.
1. My issues seem to be bottoming out/off. I don’t know what to do!

2. She lied out of/from shame. She didn’t want to admit what she had
done.
3. Of these two options, the former is less expensive, while the latter/later
is less risky.
Put on an American accent and try to read these sentences out loud
1. This pizza needs some oregano!
2. Where’s my sombrero? I’ve got a show tonight!
3. I wish I could kill these mosquitoes!
4. I had the most delicious tortilla at the school cafeteria.
5. It’s a lovely Spanish patio.
117
Phrase It would mean the world to me: to be extremely important
It would mean the world to me if you came with me.

Grammar Look at how these words are preceded by “a”:
I’m a foreigner
I’m a vegetarian
I’m a teacher (same with any profession)
Pronunciation The word “meter” is pronounced /míter/.
1. Thermometer: /zermómetir/
2. Centimeter: /sentímetir/
3. Millimeter: /milímetir/
Easily confused Costume /kostium/ vs. Custom /kastom/

words Costume: what you wear to a party where everyone is in
disguise: I love his Spiderman costume.
Custom: habits of a country: There are many interesting
customs in Mexico.
1. With this meter we can determine the size.

2. The thermometer seems to be broken.
1. It would mean the world to me if…

2. She’s a foreigner. Hence,...
3. I’m a vegetarian so…
4. My costume…
5. One of the main customs here is to…
Phrase Catch me later: Please try to talk to me later.

“Catch me some other time,” said Mr. Franklin. “I’ve got to
go to the airport.
118
Grammar Some nouns can become verbs if you add “en” at the end.
These verbs fall into certain categories:
Dimensions and shape - lengthen, shorten, straighten

Light and colour - brighten, darken, whiten
Density and composition - harden, soften, thicken
Others - freshen, ripen, sweeten
Pronunciation Look at how we pronounce these names in American

English:
Monica: /mánika/
Deborah: /débra/
Leonard: /lénard/
Vanessa: /vnesa/
Martin: /márin/
Alma: /olma/
Andrea: /ándrea/
Paula: /pola/
Cecilia: /sisília/
Easily confused Housework (the work you do at home: cleaning, ironing) vs.
words homework (only for assignments in institutions)

1. “Catch me later”, Leonard said to Monica before she left.
2. Deborah and Vanessa both hate Martin.
3. Alma and Andrea are not sure whether Paula and Cecilia will be able to
make it in time.
1. I’ll have to short/shorten my trousers. They’re too long!
2. I’d like to make this room darker/darken.
3. We can make soften/soften the color mixing it with white.
4. How do you sweeter/sweeten your coffee?
5. Will these fruits ripen/ripenen before Friday?
6. Your mom will tell you off if you don’t do the housework/homework.
Your room is a mess!
Phrase What are the odds?: How likely/probable do you think it is

that?
That new intern is a nightmare. What are the odds she
screws up another order?
I hear we're supposed to get over two feet of snow. What
119
are the odds of them canceling school tomorrow, do you
reckon?
Grammar Take a look at the verb “rise” /rais/ and “raise” /reis/:
Raise is a regular verb (raise-raised-raised).

It's transitive (takes an object), raise something.
e.g.:
He raised his hand to answer the question.
She raises her voice when she gets angry.
Rise is an irregular verb (rise-rose-risen).
It's intransitive (takes no object), something rises.
e.g.: The sun rises in the east.

Prices have risen lately.
Pronunciation Words that end in “-rchy” are pronounced /rkí/:
Hierarchy: /jaierarki/
Anarchy: /ánarki/
Monarchy: /mónarki/
Easily confused Hope: wish (a personal wish): I hope I can move soon // I
words wish I could move soon.
BUT you can’t hope for another person to do something: I’ll

hope for your answer
Wait: physically waiting - I’ll wait for the bus / I’ll wait for you
Look forward to (+ing or noun): I look forward to your

comments / I look forward to seeing you soon

1. Monarchy will be abolished soon.
2. They are living in total anarchy.
3. The hierarchy of the company needs to be reanalyzed.
1. I look forward to/wait for your comments.
2. I was looking forward to you/waiting for you all day!
3. I’m looking forward to/hoping to seeing you soon!
4. I hope/wait I can move out soon!
5. What are the odd/odds? I can’t believe I found you here!
6. Please rise/raise your hand if you want to say something.
120
7. Prices are going to rise/raise dramatically!
Phrasal verb Cave in (to someone or something): to give in to someone

or something. Finally, the manager caved in to the
customer’s demands.
Grammar “Help” is very commonly used without “to”: Can you help me
finish the report?
The same happens with “let”, “make”, “hear”:
1. Can you let me complete this on my own?

2. She made me cry.
3. I heard her say that the party was awful.
Pronunciation Look at how the pronunciation changes in these two words:
Famous: /feimos/
Infamous: /infamos/
Easily confused “Former” and “ex” mean exactly the same thing when they
words are adjectives: He’s my former boss = He’s my ex boss
However, keep in mind “ex” can be used as a noun,

whereas “former” can’t: Did you see her talking to her ex?
1. He’s famous for caving in to anything.

2. The infamous pub closed during the 1920s.
1. She helped me to make it happen.

2. She helped us do what we had to do.
3. She made me to do it!
4. I heard her say that she was proud of you.
5. Can you let me to help you?
6. She’s talking to her former boss!
7. Did you see him talking to his former?
Phrasal verb Cold turkey: to quit (especially a bad habit) suddenly and
completely: She decided to stop drinking coffee and quit
cold turkey.
121
Grammar To pluralize an uncountable noun for being specific, use
“pieces of”:
1. Piece(s) of advice
2. Piece(s) of information
3. Piece(s) of news
4. Piece(s) of furniture
5. Piece(s) of cheese
You can also use “some” if you don’t want to be so specific.

Pronunciation Look at the four different ways to pronounce letter “e”:
/e/: berry - cherry - errand - interrogate - merry - sherry

/ɪ/: erratic - erroneous - email - emotion
/ə/: aberration - interrupt - interrogative - subterranean -
terrific
/ɜː/: infer - refer - transfer
Easily confused Freelancer: noun - “I was a freelancer”

words Freelance: adjective - “I was a freelance designer”
1. Have you ever quit something cold turkey?

2. How can you pluralize the word “information” or “news”?
3. Can you tell me what the difference between “freelance” and “freelancer”
is?
1. We had a merry Christmas drinking sherry and eating berries.

2. His opinion may be erratic but not erroneous.
3. It’s an aberration to interrupt someone so terrific!
4. I infer that they will transfer him because he was well referred.
Idiom Call someone names: If someone calls you names, they

use insulting words to describe you when they are talking to
you. She was bullied by some girls who called her names
and teased her about her weight.
122
Grammar To provide options for something you can use the following
structures:
1. Either…or… (positive): We can either call them at

their office or at their personal number.
2. Neither…nor… (negative): We can neither call them
at their office nor at their personal number.
Pronunciation Some words change when their category changes:
Wise /wais/ - adjective

Wisdom /wisdom/ - noun
Nation: /neishon/ - noun

Nationalism: /nashonalisem/ - noun
Wild /waild/ - adjective

Wilderness /wildernes/ - noun
Anxious /ánkshos/ - adjective

Anxiety /ansáieti/ - noun
Easily confused Cafeteria: a restaurant or dining room in a school or a

words business.
Café / coffee shop / coffee store: a place to buy or drink

coffee.
1. He’s a wise man but his wisdom is not showing these days.
2. The whole nation is going through an ultra-nationalism wave.
3. Many wild animals don’t live in the wilderness.
4. He’s a bit anxious these days. He actually suffers from anxiety.
1. What does it mean that someone “calls you names”?

2. What’s the difference between “coffee shop” and “cafeteria”?
3. What’s the difference between “either…or…” and “neither…nor…”?
123
Phrasal verb Butt in: interfere: Sorry to butt in but something seems to be
wrong.
Idiom Crunch the numbers: to examine and analyze numbers,

especially to determine exactly how much money is available,
needed, etc. When we sat down to crunch the numbers we
realized that we couldn't afford a new car.
Grammar What are some common gender-neutral pronouns?
“They” is the most commonly used gender-neutral pronoun—in

fact, you probably already use “they” in your everyday language
without thinking about it.
I talked to the customer service rep, and they helped me fix the
problem.
It looks like someone left their jacket on this chair.
I don’t know who’s in charge, but we should find them.
Pronunciation The sound “arch” is always pronounced as /ark/ except for when
“Arch” is an actual word:
Arch: /arch/
Architect: /árkitekt/
Archive: /arkaiv/
Monarchy: /mónarki/
Easily confused Tendency: habit of doing something: I have the tendency of

words getting angry pretty easily.
Trend: a term we use for the latest introduction in fashion: They

shared some of the summer trends.
Also a term we use for analyzing changes in the market: The

trends indicate this cryptocurrency is booming.

1. Are we living in anarchy?
2. They don’t support the monarchy.
3. Have you seen those arches on the wall?
4. I’ve been studying architecture for a while.
5. I’ve analyzed all the archives.
6. What are some phrases you can use for butting in a conversation?
7. What things do you crunch the numbers for?
124
8. Can you provide an example of a sentence in which you use “they” as a
gender-neutral pronoun?
9. What’s the difference between “trend” and “tendency”?
Interesting I’m thinking out loud: to say one's thoughts so that other people
expressions can hear them: No, I wasn't talking to you. I was just thinking
out loud.
Collocations Feel the pinch: to experience the problems caused by not

having enough money or by paying higher costs: We are
starting to feel the pinch of high fuel costs.
Medicine Since Latin vocabulary connected with medicine is hard for

vocabulary English-speaking people, they tend to simplify:
1. I’m short-sighted: I’ve got myopia

2. I’m far-sighted: I’ve got hypermetropie
3. I have a stomach flu: I’ve got gastroenteritis
4. I reckon I have pink eye, maybe I should go to the eye
doctor: I think I have conjuctivitis, maybe I should go to
the ophthalmologist.
Pronunciation Look at these Greek-origin words:
Chaos: /keios/
Chaotic: /keiotik/
Crisis: /kraisis/
Easily confused Ham: /jam/ meat from the upper part of a pig's leg: I put some
words ham on the sandwich.
Jam: /djam/ a sweet spread or preserve made from fruit and

sugar boiled to a thick consistency: I’ll spread some jam on the
toast.
Provide synonyms for these expressions
1. This week has been chaotic. I’m in a crisis.

2. I’m sorry, I was just thinking out loud.
3. I believe we’ll soon start to feel the pinch of inflation.
4. I have a stomach flu.
5. I believe I should go to the eye doctor because I have pink eye.
6. I said I wanted ham not jam.
125
Interesting Out of the blue: If something happens out of the blue, it is
expressions completely unexpected: One day, out of the blue, she
announced that she was leaving.
Collocations Splitting headache: a terrible headache: I’ve been having a

splitting headache all day.
Grammar “Very” can be used to emphasize (“-ísimo” in Spanish):
1. This is my very first day of school.

2. She’s my very first friend.
3. This is the very place where we got married.
Pronunciation Look at the tricky difference in pronunciation between these

words:
Chores: /chors/
Choirs: /kuaiers/
Chorus: /kórus/
Easily confused Resume vs. Résumé vs. Summary

words
Resume /risium/: restart: I resumed my activities after 2 months
of lockdown.
Résumé /résiumei/: CV: She sent us her résumé.
Summary /sámari/: a short version: She sent us a summary of
the meeting.
1. Out of the blue, she said that…

2. I have a splitting headache! I think it’d be better if…
3. On my very first day of school…
1. I still haven’t finished my chores.

2. The school choir is depressing.
3. I still haven’t learnt the chorus of this catchy song!
4. We’re planning to resume our activities next week.
5. Haven’t you received my résumé?
Interesting Blast from the past: an expression we can use for something
expressions such as an old song or fashion that you hear or notice again,
126
and which reminds you of an earlier time.
Wow! I love this song! Blast from the past!
This movie is a blast from the past! I used to watch it all the time
when I was a kid!
Collocations Splitting headache: a severe headache - I have a splitting
headache today. I can’t even work.
Grammar “Can” is only used in present but it DOES have a future
meaning in some cases:
1. I can swim (I’m talking about a current ability)

2. I can meet you tomorrow at 5 (an ability in the future)
This means we never use it together with “will”.
BUT, we have the option of talking about ability in the future,

using “be able to”:
I’ll be able to discuss this with my team soon.

Pronunciation Are you familiar with this word?
Bourgeois
We pronounce it as /burshwa/ and it’s used to refer to a person
from the upper-class.
Easily confused Lose vs. miss
words
You LOSE an object.
You MISS an event, a class.
1. I want to ________ speak German.

A. be able to
B. able to
C. can
D. could
2. I will ________ drive soon.
A. can
B. be able to
C. could
D. able to
3. In the future people will ________ eat a lot of food and not get fat.
A. want
B. could
C. can
D. be able to
4. They didn't want to come with us at first but we ________ persuade them.
A. are able to
B. were able to
C. will be able to
D. able to
127
5. Although the fire spread quickly, everybody ________ to escape.
A. was able
B. could
C. can
D. were able
6. There was nobody to disturb me so I ________ finish my work.
A. am able to
B. can
C. was able to
D. was could
7. Although Tom was better than me at tennis, I ________ beat him.
A. was able to
B. could be
C. can
D. can able to
8. People ________ remember things clearly in the future.
A. can
B. will can
C. will be able to
D. could to
9. When I was a young I ________ run 1500 metres in 5 minutes.
A. am able to
B. can able to
C. could able to
D. was able to
10. We ________ tickets for the match yesterday.
A. were able to get
B. could got
C. can get
D. are able to got
1. Which movie that is a blast from the past do you love?

2. What do you do when you have a splitting headache?
3. What’s the last thing you lost? What’s the last thing you missed?
4. What are the characteristics of a bourgeois person?
Interesting Shut up: An expression we use when we want to say “I can’t

expressions believe it!”.
A: Can you believe they’re getting married?
B: Shut up!!!
Polysemic The word “funny” has different meanings:
words 1. Causing laughter or amusement; humorous: a funny
story
2. difficult to explain or understand; strange or odd: I had a
funny feeling
3. involving trickery or deception: He told his prisoner not to
128
try anything funny
Grammar You can use “en” as a prefix or suffix to turn an adjective into a
verb:
Enable, enrage, enlarge

Widen, deepen, strengthen, heighten, lengthen
Pronunciation Are you familiar with this sound? ɜː / ɜ

It’s present in words such as:
Bird /bɜrd/
Dirty /dɜrti/
Purse /pɜrs/
Work /wɜrk/
Word /wɜːd/
Turn /tɜrn/
First /fɜrst/
Girl /gɜrl/
Easily confused Care vs. matter
words
I don’t care (about) what happens. (I + care + about)
She cares about him.
It doesn’t matter what happens. (It + matter + no preposition …)
It matters to me.
1. It doesn’t matter to me.

2. She doesn’t matter about that.
3. I really matter!!!
4. It doesn’t really matter.
5. I really care about them.
6. It doesn’t care!
Practice the ɜ sound by reading these sentences out loud
1. The dirty bird tried to take something from her work purse.
2. That girl is the first person who used the word “turn” wrongly.
What does the word or expression in bold mean?
1. Shut up!! Did she actually say that?

2. Isn’t it funny how dogs eat grass?
3. I had a funny feeling yesterday.
4. She tried some funny stuff at work but they discovered her.
5. We need to enlarge the size of the image.
6. We should deepen our connections.
129
Interesting Mingle: to be with or among other people, especially talking to
expressions them: He seems to be mingling with the other guests. Why don’t
you go mingle with your new coworkers?
Collocations You can use the verb “wear” for:

1. make-up
2. watch
3. accessories
4. jewelry
5. shoes
6. headphones
Grammar Uses of -ing
1. Present continuous for present: I’m having my English

class.
2. Present continuous for future reference: I’m flying to
Edinburgh next week.
3. Nouns: painting, swimming, booking, beginning
4. At the beginning of a sentence: Watering your plants
often is essential.
5. Verbs after prepositions: Thanks for calling before
coming.
Pronunciation Content: /kóntent/ vs. Content: /kontént/
Content: /kóntent/ noun - The content in a book or magazine: I

think the content of the website is really interesting.
Content: /kontént/ adjective - A state of peaceful happiness: He
looks content and healthy.
Easily confused The word “produce” has two meanings and pronunciations:
words
1. /prodiús/ verb: We produce goods for big companies.
2. /pródius/ noun: We sell produce (agricultural products
such as fruits and vegetables) for big companies.
Match the sentence to the -ing use
1. Present continuous for present

2. Present continuous for future reference
3. Nouns
4. At the beginning of a sentence
5. Verbs after prepositions
130
1. Is it difficult for you to mingle at a party?
2. Do you usually wear accessories or jewelry?
3. What content do you enjoy reading on social media?
4. Do you feel content with your current position?
5. What does your company produce?
6. What kind of produce do you usually buy at the supermarket?
Interesting Hang someone out to dry: To desert one in a troubling situation.

expressions He says he's my friend, but then he totally hung me out to dry in
that meeting!
Collocations Get cold feet
Grammar As of
Pronunciation Pneumonia
Easily confused Foreigners /fóreiners/

words Campaign /kampein/
Interesting Euphemisms: Oh my Gosh

expressions
Collocations
Grammar The gerund and the present participle of verbs have the same -
ing form.
When it is used as a noun, it is called the Gerund: writing,

swimming, lying, picnicing
It is used: a) after prepositions and conjunctions (exceptions –

except, but) The teacher got a sore throat from talking too
much. He was arrested for smuggling. He is afraid of losing his
job. b) after the following verbs: suggest, enjoy, mind, can’t help,
keep, finish, spend time (e.g. a week), postpone, waste
time/money, delay, deny, consider, excuse, forgive, avoid, miss,
risk, escape, can’t bear, can’t stand, … I enjoy being with you.
Would you mind posting this letter for me? I can’t help being
afraid.
131
Pronunciation Unwind vs. wind vs. wine
Easily confused
words
Finish the sentences with a suitable gerund and additional words.
1) Henry felt ill after ________ .

2) Pat hasn’t found a job since ______ .
3) Please excuse me for ______ .
4) Eve got ahead by ______ .
5) Bob saved the girl from _____ .
6) I am looking forward to ______ .
7) Would you mind ________ .
8) Jo enjoys _______ .
9) I am used to _______ .
10)I think he is unable to stop ______ .
Hugh: /jiu/
Hug: /jag/
Huge: /jiuch/
Be quits: estar a mano
String someone along
Bulk,robust, pulse. absurd

Yellow, yawning, yo-yo
a fever
A cold
A flu
Theory, thesis
These tools must be used correctly, though
Curve: /kerv/
Hits home
Make my coat look new, dear, sew it!
Sword and sward, retain and Britain

(Mind the latter how it's written).
132
Say: gush, bush, steak, streak, break, bleak ,
Previous, precious, fuchsia, via

Recipe, pipe, studding-sail, choir;
Woven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe.
Daughter, laughter
Daughter, laughter
Demon, lemon, ghoul, foul, soul,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Hugh, but hug, and hood, but hoot,
Tear in eye, your dress you'll tear;

Queer, fair seer, hear my prayer.
Lousy
1. The other is a teenager

2. She’s a vegan
“Series” is always plural.
Vase: /vas/
Owl own owe
1.
133
Bruise:
Bruce:
Cut to the chase
Put someone on the spot
Vacations - Vacancy
Vaccine - Vacuum
1. I’d definitely go there provided I take my family with me.

2. Provided that you come with a certificate, you could take this position.
Natural
Student
Mature
Come in handy
I fall asleep: quedarse dormido
The number 10 vs number 10
I overslept: quedarse dormido
Hand: verb - noun

Face: verb - noun
Water: verb - noun
1. What’s the difference between “customs” and “costumes”?
1. Suggest + -ing: I suggest following your intuition.

2. Suggest + you + do something: I suggest you follow your intuition
Keep someone in the loop
134
Keep someone posted
She was pretending to work vs I was trying to work.
Get the wrong end of the stick
Employee
EMpower
Same old same old: lo mismo de siempre
You say “just because” when you don’t want to justify sth.
He’s going through a rough patch so…
buy them on a whim (buying something without thinking

about it)
Fly off the handle
He’s going through a rough patch
Change + plural:
1. Change houses
2. Change bosses
3. Change jobs
4. Change boyfriends
I know the drill
mEAN - MEANT
READ - READ
Anxiety: /ansáieti/
1. I’m committed to finishing all tonight.
Looking forward to talking to you soon.

1. I am used to traveling by plane. (estás acostumbrado)
1. I’m committed to…

2. I’m looking forward to…
3. I’m used to…
I’ll crash in your house
135
Trustful: confident - Trustable: confiable
Three-part verbs
An action
A doer
A receiver
I want you to help me.

She let me go.
I’ll share this with Peter.
I’ll give them my opinion.
I said to them that something was wrong.
1.
ALl the project the whole project
take the leap
Someone is hurts (alguien se lastima) / Someone gets hurt

“Se”: get
Get married
Get bored
Get distracted
Thermometer: /zermometer/ vs meter /miter/

Driven: /driven/ vs drive
Compromise: poner en riesgo / agreement
Commitment: compromiso
Pound cake vs pudding
Yes and no: kind of
Fire away
1. She is accustomed to working extra hours

2. Looking forward to seeing you soon
3. She’s used to doing that
136
Use of objects in English
An object is what follows the verb.
I like apples.
We can’t separate the verb and the object.
I like apples a lot.

I like apples very much.
I like a lot/very much apples
In Spanish, we move things around a lot:
Me gustan mucho las manzanas.

Mucho me gustan las manzanas.
Las manzanas me gustan mucho.
Line: /lain/
Actitud: attitude
Plataform: plataforma
Stadística: statistics
STressed vs stressful
Upwards, downwards
Oversleep vs fall asleep
Stressful vs stressed vs stressing
Off vs of
1. But what’s true is… But yes it’s true that…

2.
Polysemic words
1. We live near the place where they did the live show. There were
people from all walks of life there. They said they had the time of
their lives.
137
Walk on eggshells: andar con pie de plomo
Get the wrong end of the stick: entendí mal
Use of “they”: when we don’t want to say “he” or “she”
Up the ante
Yes and no: sí y no

Yes or yes: No matter what: sea como sea
Different ways to use “suggest”
I suggest taking a cab.

I suggest you take a cab.
I suggest to take a cab.
Freelance vs. Freelancer
1. Tom is a freelance (adjective) designer.

2. Tom is a freelancer (noun) in the design area.
Tempt: /temt/
It’s not common what you are asking (spoken communication)
What you are asking is not common (written communication)
Wake-up call:
Graph (=chart, table) - noun vs. graphic (=visual) - adjective
I’m doing a graph.

I made a graphic representation of the information.
Vowels, vow, cow
Pull some strings
Other ways to say “please”:
1. Would you be so kind as to (+infinitive)…?

2. Would you mind… (+ing)?
3. Kindly note that (+infinitive)…
138
4. I’d appreciate it if you…(verb in past) - I’d appreciate it if you talked to
her
5. It’d be great if you… (verb in past)
4) Write in that or which and add in commas if necessary.
1. The spoon __________ fell on the floor needed to be washed.

2. The book __________ she wanted was on the top shelf.
3. They used Post-It notes __________ come in various colours to
organize the pages.
4. For the hike I need shoes __________ are sturdy.
5. For the hike I need sturdy shoes __________ are expensive.
6. The first skyscraper we saw __________ was the biggest one on that
street had 67 floors.
7. The only elevator __________ went all the way to the top was out of
service.
8. The cord __________ charges this computer is missing.
9. He provided us with a whole box of samples __________we didn’t really
need so we could make a decision.
1. This is the movie which I told you about.

2. This is the movie which Julia Roberts stars.
3. The movie, for which they spent thousands, was cancelled.
4. The place which they filmed the movie is great.
5. The owner of which house do you mean?
Journey vs. trip
Mood vs humor
False friends:
Words that sound or look similar in English and Spanish but they are actually not the
same.
Fluid
Assist
Actual
Sensible
Pretend
Support
Career
All these sentences include false friends. Correct them.
139
1. She has a very fluid accent.
2. I assisted the meeting.
3. My actual boss is better than the one I had before.
4. We’re having some safety issues in the country.
5. She pretends me to do it for her!
6. I can’t support my boss anymore!
7. He’s crying because he’s very sensible.
8. The file is inside the carpet.
9. The fabric is located downtown.
10. Did you know that Peter won the career and got a medal?
Ceiling vs. roof
Have a row: have an argument
Put someone at ease: hacerlo sentir cómodo
Put your foot in it: meter la pata
Hit it off with someone: llevarse bien de una
Upper-management: C-level
Uses of -ing in English
1. Continuous: I’m studying English (-ando, -endo)

2. Future: I’m meeting the new candidate next week.
3. Grammatical use of -ing:
a. Prepositions: If we use a preposition, we need to use -ing after: I’m

interested in learning French. I’m scared of flying.
b. At the beginning of a sentence: Travelling by car is more expensive /
Sleeping with the light on is horrible.
c. Adjectives: to describe the quality of something: interesting movie, tiring
day, boring article
1. I’m visiting my mom next weekend.

2. I’m currently studying English.
3. I’m interested in swim.
4. Are you sure about doing this?
5. Cook savory dishes is my specialty.
140
6. Trying new flavors is interesting.
7. It was a very bored movie.
8. For complete this document, you’ll need help.
Attendees: participantes vs. Attendants: assistant
Illness, sickness, disease
When we use capital letters in English
1. Days of the week: Monday

2. Months: May, June
3. Nationalities and countries: Japan, Japanese
4. Sometimes, titles: How to Start a Fire
5. Names: Andrea
6. Acronyms: UNICEF, BID
Verbs with two actors
I helped him to complete it.

She let me do it.
She allowed me to play with snow.
1. Little did he know that we were throwing a surprise party for him. (No
tenía la menor idea de que / ni se imaginaba que… )
Genre vs gender
Up for Grabs: Available

Up in the Air: Not yet decided
Out of the Loop: Not part of a group that’s kept informed about something
Heads Will Roll (Are Going to Roll): People will be fired
Crunch the Numbers: Do calculations before making a decision or prediction
(To Go) From Rags To Riches: Earn a fortune after being poor early in life
All It’s Cracked Up To Be: As good as claims or reputation would suggest

Deliver the Goods: Provide what is expected
In the Pipeline: Being prepared for the marketplace, being worked on
Come to Terms With (Something): Feel acceptance toward something bad that
has happened
(An) Uphill Climb: A difficult process
Sneak Peek: A sneak peek is an opportunity to view something in advance of

its official opening or debut
141
You Snooze, You Lose: If you delay or are not alert, you will miss opportunities
presentation of an idea, one short enough to be delivered in an elevator
Back to Square One: Forced to begin something again
On Point: Good, well done, effective
Cut Someone Some Slack: Avoid treating someone strictly or severely
Put Someone on the Spot: Force someone to answer a question or make a
decision immediately
Cut to the Chase: Get to the point; explain the most important part of something
quickly; skip the preliminaries
Cup of Tea
Food for Thought
For Better or For Worse
Follow Suit
It Is What It Is
Needless To Say
Seize The Day
Second To None
Stay Tuned
Take for Granted
Taken Aback
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
Time Flies
Tie the Knot
To Each Their Own
Two Peas In A Pod
Way to Go
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Wreak Havoc
You Don’t Say
You Got Me There
Youth Is Wasted on the Young
immature
immaculate
immediately
Invite:
1. Invitation - /ínvait/
2. To tell sb to come to a place - /inváit/
Record: /rékord/ /rikórd/
pronunciation of t: spanish vs english
Fall asleep vs. oversleep
142
Genre vs. gender
It grows on you: slowly you start to like it: “Maybe at the beginning this color is a bit
shocking but then it grows on you”.
1. We lowered the prices. vs. the prices went down
I overslept: me quedé dormida vs. I fell asleep: me dormí
Look at this difference between American and British English:
BrE: New: /ñú/

AmE: New: /nu/
BrE: Avenue: /áveñú/
AmE: Avenue: /ávenú
Of vs off
Anxious: /ankshos/
Anxiety: /ansáieti/
What’s the tea?: what’s the new?
Assure vs. ensure

I’m busy
1. I’m swamped.
2. I have a lot on my plate.
3. I’m running with a lot of things.
4. I’m up to my neck.
5. I’m snowed under.
Economy: the economy of our country
Economics: the subject that studies economy
Economist: the guy/woman who studied Economics
Pronunciation of february
Anxious vs. anxiety
1. Get + adjective (process)
143
Get angry: enojarse
Get hungry: ponerse hambriento
Get happy: ponerse contento
Get bored: aburrirse
2. Get + comparative
Get older: envejecer - “I’m getting older”.

Get fatter: engordar
Get taller: creciendo de altura
3. Get = buy (American)
I’m going to get a coffee.

Next year, I want to get a new car.
4. Get = phrasal verb (verb + preposition)
Get up: levantarse

Get on: subirse
Get off: bajarse
Get out: salir
Get in: entrar
Turn on
Turn off
5. Get = arrive
“I’ll get to Milan tomorrow morning!”
6. Get = receive
“Did you get my email?”

“Did you get the present that I sent you?”
7. Get = understand
“I got it!” (lo entendí)

“I get it” (lo entiendo)
8. Get = catch
144
I got you!!!: te atrapé
Got:
1) past of “get”
2) a synonym for “have” in American English:
I got a car: I have a car
3) The Americans use “gotta” to say “have to” (tengo que):
I gotta go: I have to go

I gotta call my boss tomorrow: I have to call him
Physics vs. Physicist vs. Physician
Offputting
You can see through me: you can read me like a book
WORD+ STORY: You’re telling the story, I give you a word
The word “desert” has two meanings and pronunciations:
Binge-watch: watch a lot
Far-fetched: tirado de los pelos
1. The difficult thing is doing/to do something that… / the difficulty…
1. I opened entered to the my email / I accessed my email
Written: /rit’n/, mitten, button, mountain
fascists
145
Sound When it happens Examples
Normal t 1. At the beginning of a word 1. take

2. When the stressed syllable 2. pretend
begins with /t/
Similar to a d 1. When a /t/ is between a 1. daughter

vowel sound or /r/ 2. settle
2. When a /t/ sound is 3. Subtle (sutil)
between another vowel
sound or an /l/.
Glottal stop 1. When /t/ is between a 1. certain, kitten,

vowel, /n/, or /r/ and mountain,
followed by an /n/ mitten, button
Silent (optional) 1. /t/ is optionally silent when 1. center,

it follows /n/ and precedes advantage,
a vowel sound, /r/ or /l/. sentence
2. When an /s/ sound is 2. acts, prints,
added to a word that accepts
finished in /t/.
Let’s practice!
Normal t:
Table, tall, test, intuition, attack, attend, between, eighteen, eternal, Italian,
mistake, particular, participant, photography, retire, return, actor, after, doctor,
empty, timetable, take, talk, tango, tap, tea, teach, tear, teeth, tell, ten, tie, time,
tongue, too, took, top, touch, toy, traffic, train, tree, trend, triangle, trip, trouble,
true, try, turn
D sound:
Computer, water, bottle, heater, better, matter, ability, university, batter, bitter,
butter, caterpillar, city, hotter, latter, letter, matter, meeting, meter, relative ,
sitter, sweater, water, whatever
Glottal stop
Britain, button, certain, cotton, curtain, eaten, forgotten, fountain, gluten, gotten,
important, kitten, Latin, Manhattan, mitten, rotten, satin, written, mountain
146
Let’s watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vabg-
EUHOQk&ab_channel=SoundsAmericanSoundsAmerican
Labyrinth: /labrinz/
Cemetery: /sémetri/
Plumber: /plamer/
Steal someone’s thunder
https://eslgames.com/minimal-pairs-game/
“Bi” is pronounced as “bai”

Pastas, pizzas, gnocchis, raviolis
147
Trip: something short - business trips
Travel: verb - longer trips
Journey: time you’re travelling
148

List of Idioms, Phrasal Verbs and Collocations

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

List of Idioms, Phrasal Verbs and Collocations

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

List of idioms, phrasal verbs and collocations

Phrasal verb Look up: search words in a dictionary

Fill in with the missing words to review these expressions

Answer the following questions

4. Be careful with that or you’ll _________ up the house!

Review the expressions we learnt last week by making questions.

Review the expressions we learnt last class by providing synonyms.

b) It’s not rocket science

When can you use…

Fill in with the missing words

Complete with your ideas

● Inflation accounts for…

Idiom Once in a blue moon: if something doesn’t happen very frequently,

Answer these questions

a) If you miss a day at work, do you have to give notice?

c) What activity do you do once in a blue moon?

Answer the following questions:

Idiom Cut corners: to do something poorly just to save time or

Collocation To do your hair: to make your hair look nicer by combing or

Synonyms Amazing: astonishing

Connectors Furthermore: a synonym of “also”.

Answer these questions

1. What does it mean if something doesn’t add up?

Collocation To pay someone a visit: to visit someone: “Pay me a visit when

Synonym Answer = Reply

Connector Likewise = in the same way: “Company A has experienced an

Answer these questions:

1) What was the last activity you carried out at work?

Synonym Awful = Poor “Her performance was really poor”.

Connector Nevertheless = a more formal “however”: “My salary is really low,

1. Complete the dialogues with your ideas

1) A: Can you please draw up the budget for 2021?

2) A: Penny for your thoughts!

4) A: Did you think her performance was poor?

5) A: I know you’re busy. Nevertheless, I’d like to ask you something.

Synonym Gigantic = Huge: “Wow! This room is huge”.

2. Explain these sentences with your own words

Phrasal verb To do without: to say something is indispensable: “I can’t do

Synonym Reply = Answer: “She replied to all my doubts”.

Connector Conversely = a connector we use to give an opposing point of

1. What’s something you can’t do without?

Idiom Comparing apples to oranges: to compare two completely different

Connector Indeed = An expression we use for emphasis: “It’s a very good

Review the expressions we learnt last week by answering these questions

Connector Alternatively: an expression we use to provide an option: “We

3. Answer these questions

1. What situations do you need to put up with this week at work?

1. If you can’t figure something out, do you ask for help?

Answer these questions

a. How do you catch up with your friends?

Phrasal verb To brush up on: to do something to improve in something: “I need

Answer these questions

f. What aspects of English do you need to brush up on?

Answer these questions

Answer these questions

1. Regardless of what my boss says, I…

Read these expressions with your teacher

Phrasal verb Back up: to support something or someone “I backed up John’s

1) Answer these questions

1. What’s the purpose of the phrase “all in all”?

Phrasal verb Wear out:

Explain what the words in bold mean.

1. What do you mean if you say that someone is “peculiar”?