PERSONAL BEST B1+ WORD LISTS
DENNIS TUQUINGA
UNIT 4: PLACES AND HOMES
Compound nouns English definition
art gallery (n) a place where works of art are
shown and can be bought
bike path (n) a path or marked route that is
intended for people riding bicycles
department store (n) a large shop divided into several
different parts, each of which sells
different things
downtown (n) in or to the central part of a city
nightclub (n) a place that is open late into the
night, where people can go to drink
and dance and often see some type
of entertainment
nightlife (n) entertainment and social activities
that happen in the evening in bars
B1+ Intermediate
Translation
galería de arte (n)
carril bici (n)
tienda por departamentos (n)
centro de la ciudad (n)
club nocturno (n)
vida nocturna (n)
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Example sentences
Me and my girlfriend on our first
date we visited an art gallery.
Art galleries are interesting places to
visit when you have time on your
hands.
The bike path is poorly respected by
drivers
In my city the bike path is in poor
condition
In the south mall there is a larger
clothing department store The
technology department store has a
wide variety of cell phones
In the downtown area you can find
many restaurants
The downtown area of the city is
well known for its party nights
The disco in the center of the city is
very colorful.
When I have free time I like to go
out to clubs with my friends.
Guayaquil's nightlife is known for its
parties
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parking lot (n)
pedestrian area (n)
public transportation (n)
shopping mall (n)
sports center (n)
traffic jam (n)
B1+ Intermediate
and clubs
an outside area of ground where
you can leave a car for a period of
time
Part of the road, elevated or
delimited in another way, reserved
for the circulation of pedestrians.
Included in this definition are the
sidewalk, the platform, and the
promenade.
a system of vehicles such as buses
and trains that operate at regular
times on fixed routes and are used
by the public
a large usually covered shopping
area where cars are not allowed
a building where you can play
different sports
a large number of vehicles close
together and unable to move or
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In the central streets of the city, the
nightlife is very lively and cheerful.
estacionamiento (n) Parking always fills up fast
downtown.
Hourly prices increased in private
parking lots
zona peatonal (n) cars must always respect the
pedestrian zone
When cars infringe the pedestrian
zone they are fined
transporte público (n) public transport in my city is in very
bad condition
To reduce gas emissions, it is
recommended to use public
transport and not use cars.
centro comercial (n) Me gusta mucho comprar mi ropa
favorita en los centros comerciales.
En mi ciudad hay muchos centros
comerciales, eso demuestra que la
ciudad consume muchas cosas
polideportivo (n) in the game center many people
gather to have fun
on saturdays there are a lot of
people in the sports centers
atasco de tráfico (n) being stuck in traffic is very stressful
one of the main reasons for traffic
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Common verb phrases
catch a ball (v. phr.)
catch a bus (v. phr.)
catch a cold (v. phr.)
catch a train (v. phr.)
have a good time (v. phr.)
have a party (v. phr.)
have a snack (v. phr.)
B1+ Intermediate
moving very slowly
English definition
stop the trajectory of the ball
get on a bus
get sick with a cold
travel by train
have fun at a specific time
expect a celebration
eat something small like a candy
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Translation
atrapar una pelota (v. phr.)
tomar un autobús (v. phr.)
coger un resfriado (v. phr.)
tomar un tren (v. phr.)
pasar un buen rato (v. phr.)
tener una fiesta (v. phr.)
Tomar un bocadillo
jams is bottlenecks
Example sentences
I'm good at catching the ball when I
play soccer.
I'm good at catching the ball when I
play basketball.
Every day in the morning I take the
bus to go to school.
When I don't have money for a taxi,
I usually take a bus.
My mom used to tell me that if I
don't dress well I could catch a cold.
If I catch a cold I won't be able to go
to Juan's party
I take a train to get to work early
My dad likes to travel by train
because he is more comfortable.
when I'm with my friends I like to
have a good time with them
On Sundays I watch movies and
have fun with my parents
My brother plans to have a party for
his graduation.
My mom hopes to throw a party
when it's Mother's Day.
For snack I like to eat sandwiches,
like pizza or sweets
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have coffee (v. phr.)
keep doing something (v. phr.)
keep in touch (v. phr.)
keep your promise (v. phr.)
keep a secret (v. phr.)
know a fact (v. phr.)
B1+ Intermediate
drink coffee
do something
constantly talk to someone
fulfill something promised
save a secret
know something that happened
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beber café (v. phr.
seguir haciendo algo (v. phr.)
mantenerse en contacto (v. phr.)
cumple tu promesa (v. phr.)
guardar un secreto (v. phr.)
conocer un hecho (v. phr.)
Snacks are perfect for watching
movies.
I like to drink coffee in the morning,
it helps me wake up.
My doctor recommended that I stop
drinking so much coffee, because it
could bring me illnesses over time.
I want to continue doing my
homework, but I don't have time
I want to continue working but it's
already dark
My brother, despite living far away,
keeps in touch.
My dad, when he was away
working, kept in touch with us
through calls.
Keep your promise brother no
matter what
Keep your promise to come home
early or I'll never give you leave
again.
My sister asked me to keep the
secret and not tell anyone.
My dad told me to keep the secret,
because otherwise my mom would
be very angry.
knowing a fact about my family
gives me an advantage
knowing an event that happened in
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know someone for a long time (v.
phr.)
lose a game (v. phr.)
lose touch (v. phr.)
lose weight (v. phr.)
lose your keys (v. phr.)
meet a friend for coffee (v. phr.)
meet someone by chance (v. phr.)
B1+ Intermediate
have an old acquaintance
Losing the game
stop talking to someone
lose weight
misplace keys
Go out for coffee with a friend
meet a person by chance
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conocer a alguien desde hace
mucho tiempo (v. phr.)
perder un juego (v. phr.)
perder contacto (v. phr.)
perder peso (v. phr.)
perder las llaves (v. phr.)
quedar con un amigo para tomar un
café (v. phr.)
conocer a alguien por casualidad (v.
phr.)
the past can give me insight into
what is happening
My dad has known his best friend
for a long time.
My mom has known the neighbors
for a long time.
Losing a game can affect a team a
lot in the future
If my basketball team loses one
more game, it's out.
I lost touch with my best friend a
long time ago.
A long time ago my dad lost touch
with my uncle
The more I exercise and lose weight
Running constantly helps me lose
weight.
When my dad lost the keys to the
house, my mom scolded him a lot.
When my brother lost his keys to
work, his boss almost fired him.
When I go to university sometimes, I
stay for coffee with my friend
Yesterday I went out for coffee with
my friend whom I had not seen for
many years
yesterday while buying clothes I met
someone by chance, that same
person today invited me to eat
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meet someone for the first time (v.
phr.)
miss a bus (v. phr.)
miss a call (v. phr.)
miss a class (v. phr.)
miss a train (v. phr.)
miss someone (v. phr.)
take a photo (v. phr.)
B1+ Intermediate
meet a person for the first time conocer a alguien por primera vez
(v. phr.)
to lose the bus perder un autobús (v. phr.)
miss a call perder una llamada (v. phr.)
not enter a class perder una clase (v. phr.)
not being on time to get on the train perder un tren (v. phr.)
not stop thinking about someone extrañar a alguien (v. phr.)
Take a photo tomar una foto (v. phr.)
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When my dad was young, he met
my mom by chance at a party.
When my dad met my mom, he
thought I was older than him.
When my mom met my dad, she
thought he was very talkative.
Sometimes when I don't get out of
my house early, I miss the bus.
When I miss the bus, I have no
choice but to take a taxi
When I went to take a shower, I
accidentally missed a phone call.
My dad doesn't usually answer the
phone and that annoys my mom.
What I don't like about being sick is
that I must miss classes.
The first few days of college I
skipped class because I didn't know
where my classroom was.
When I don't wake up early
sometimes I miss the 8 o'clock train
I hate missing the train for not
waking up on time
I am currently away from home and
I miss my parents very much.
I miss my classmates a lot now that
I'm at the University
When I go for a walk somewhere I
like to take pictures of myself
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take an exam (v. phr.)
take someone somewhere (v. phr.)
take your coat off (v. phr.)
Describing homes
apartment building (n)
balcony (n)
basement (n)
B1+ Intermediate
to give an exam
take someone to a place
take off coat
English definition
a large building that is divided into
apartments
an area with a wall or bars around it
that is joined to the outside wall of a
building on an upper level
a part of a building consisting of
7 Personal Best B1+ © Richmond 2018
tomar un examen (v. phr.).
llevar a alguien a algún lugar (v.
phr.)
quítate el abrigo (v. phr.)
Translation
edificio de apartamentos (n)
balcón (n)
sótano (n)
Taking photos is a very good way to
keep a memory
I had to take a covid test because I
felt very bad
I was required to take an exam to
enter the university.
On Tuesday I want to take my mom
shopping.
My dad wants to take me fishing
next Saturday.
It's so hot you better take off your
coat
I don't like it when it's very hot
because I have to take off the coat
that I like so much.
Example sentences
The apartment buildings in my city
are beautiful
The remaining apartment buildings
around the city center are very
expensive.
In the morning I like to go out to see
the sunrise from the balcony.
My mom sometimes tells us that
when my dad came to see her she
came out to greet him from the
balcony.
The basement of my grandmother's
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rooms that are partly or completely
below the level of the ground
basic (adj) simple and not complicated, so able
to provide the base or starting point
from which something can develop
bright (adj) full of light, shining
comfortable (adj) Comfortable furniture and clothes
provide a pleasant feeling and do
not give you any physical problems
convenient (adj) suitable for your purposes and
needs and causing the least
difficulty
country (n) popular music that is based on a
type of traditional music from the
western and southern US
cozy (adj) comfortable, pleasant, and inviting,
esp. (of a room or building) because
small and warm
dark (adj) nearer to black than white in colour
B1+ Intermediate
house is very dark.
the basement of my house is very
messy
básico The layout of my room is very basic.
I don't like the design of my clothes
because it's too basic.
brillante That new light bulb you bought is
very bright.
The new paint I'm going to paint my
house with is very bright.
cómodo (y) It is comfortable to be in my
grandmother's house because her
house is warm
When I'm with my best friends I feel
very comfortable
conveniente It was very convenient that my sister
came to visit me
It was very convenient for my sister
that I helped her organize the party
país (y) I love the country where I was born,
I really like its climate and its food
The country I would like to visit in
the future is Japan
acogedor It is very cozy to be at my
grandfather's house, she is very
kind.
My school is welcoming, that's why I
like being there.
oscuro In the darkest night it's easier to
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PERSONAL BEST B1+ WORD LISTS
first floor (n)
huge (adj)
modern (adj)
old-fashioned (adj)
roof terrace (n)
second floor (n)
B1+ Intermediate
the level of a building that is one
level above the street
extremely large or amount
designed and made using the most
recent ideas and methods
not modern; belonging to or typical
of a time in the past
Part uncovered or partially covered,
wide and spacious in an elevated
place of a building or protruding
from its facade, protected by a
railing or low wall.
in British English, the floor of a
building that is two floors above
ground level, or in American English,
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look at the stars
When the night is very dark, it is
advisable to turn on the headlights
of the car
primer piso (n) The kitchen is on the first floor of
my house.
On the first floor of my school are
the chemistry laboratories.
enorme My friend's house is very big, it
surprises me.
The book I have to read by the end
of the year is huge.
moderno The current design of my house is
very modern.
The cell phone I buy is very modern,
I like to be aware of technology
anticuado (adjetivo) My grandfather's style of dress is
very old-fashioned.
the shirt I'm wearing is very old-
fashioned my dad definitely doesn't
know fashion
azotea (n) I went up to the roof to look for an
object that I lost
I usually put clothes to dry on my
roof.
segundo piso (n) my room and my sisters are located
on the second floor
the computer labs are located on
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the floor that is directly above the second floor of my school

ground level
spacious (adj) large and with a lot of space espacioso My room is very spacious, so much
so that two beds fit without any
problem.
The parking lot of my university is
very large, in fact it is the largest in
my city
stylish (adj) of a high quality in appearance, elegante (adj.) I like to dress very elegant when I
design, or behaviour must go to an event
In movies, actors always wear fancy
suits.
suburbs (n) an area on the edge of a large town suburbios (n) The suburbs of my city are very
or city where people who work in dangerous at night.
the town or city often live The other day on the outskirts of my
city a motorcycle race was
organized
third floor (n) three floors tercer piso (n) On the third floor of my house is the
library and study area.
The warehouse is located on the
third floor of my work building.
tiny (adj) extremely small diminuto (adjetivo) The necklace that I like is very small
compared to the photos on the
website.
The book I bought is very small
compared to others I have read
before.
top floor (n) the highest level of a building último piso (n) The top floor of my house is
unoccupied, so we use it for storage.

B1+ Intermediate 10 Personal Best B1+ © Richmond 2018

 PERSONAL BEST B1+ WORD LISTS
town (n) a place where people live and work,
containing many houses, shops,
places of work, places of
entertainment, etc., and usually
larger than a village but smaller than
a city
village (n) a group of houses and other
buildings that is smaller than a
town, usually in the countryside
B1+ Intermediate
The top floor of my work building is
a common area for fun
pueblo (n) The small towns that are outside my
city are quiet and welcoming
The town where my dad comes
from is very far from the city
Aldea (n) the villages of the Amazon do not
have basic services such as
electricity and drinking water
the villages of the Amazon do not
have an education service
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