Asamblea Legislativa

Departamento de Capacitación
Inglés Básico

Libro de Inglés
NIVEL BASICO

DEPARTAMENTO DE CAPACITACION

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INDEX

1. THE ABECEDARY
2. SPELLING WORDS
3. ABECEDARY OF SOUNDS
4. THE PHONETIC SYMBOLS
5. QUESTION WORDS
6. THE COLORS
7. GREETINGS AND FAREWELLS
8. PHASES OF THE DAY
9. THE DIRECTIONS
10. THE WEATHER
11. THE DAYS OF THE WEEK
12. THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR
13. VOCABULARY OF LOTTERY
14. LECTURE “WELCOME TO OUR HOME”
15. THE AUXILIAR VERBS
16. THE DEFECTIVE VERBS
17. THE CONTRACTIONS
18. LECTURE “FROM CITY TO SUBURBS”
19. PARTS OF SPEECH
20. CHART OF GRAMMAR
21. LECTURE “A DAY WITH MR. DAWSON”
22. LECTURE “THREE MEALS A DAY”
23. THE PREPOSITIONS
24. THE CONJUNCTIONS
25. THE HUMAN BODY
26. LECTURE “SCHOOL DAYS
27. LECTURE “LET’S GO SHOPPING”
28. COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
29. LECTURE “LET´S TAKE A TRIP”

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ABECEDARY
(NAME OF THE LETTERS)

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SPELL THE FOLLOWING WORDS

1. All ___ ___ ___ 20. Hill ___ ___ ___ ___

2. Am ___ ___ 21. Ice ___ ___ ___

3. Boss ___ ___ ___ ___ 22. Ink ___ ___ ___
23. Jack ___ ___ ___ ___
4. Bee ___ ___ ___
24. Joy ___ ___ ___
5. But ___ ___ ___
25. Kite ___ ___ ___ ___
6. Bird ___ ___ ___ ___
26. Long ___ ___ ___ ___
7. Car ___ ___ ___
27. Let ___ ___ ___
8. Cost ___ ___ ___ ___
28. Mop ___ ___ ___
9. Do ___ ___
29. Miss ___ ___ ___ ___
10. Dice ___ ___ ___ ___
30. Me ___ ___
11. Elk ___ ___ ___ ___
31. Not ___ ___ ___
12. East ___ ___ ___ ___
32. Nice ___ ___ ___ ___
13. Fall ___ ___ ___ ___
33. Noun ___ ___ ___ ___
14. Fit ___ ___ ___
34. Or ___ ___
15. Face ___ ___ ___ ___
35. Of ___ ___
16. Go ___ ___
36. Out ___ ___ ___
17. Get ___ ___ ___
37. Put ___ ___ ___
18. Gel ___ ___ ___
38. Pill ___ ___ ___ ___
19. Hot ___ ___ ___

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ABECEDARY OF SOUNDS

Groups of sounds:

a) The consonants that change sounds

The H changes to J in Spanish
Examples: Hot, Home, Horse, Behind.

The J changes to Y in Spanish

Examples: June, July, Juice, Joy.

The Y changes to ϳ, I, i
Examples: You, Yes, Yellow, Yesterday.

The Z changes to a strong S

Examples: Zebra, Zoo, Zero.

b) The consonants that are modulated different.

The L place the tongue before the soft palate.
Examples: Long, Late, Small, Call.

The R make the tongue tense, don’t move it as in Spanish.

Examples: Richard, Rose, Run.

The S before a consonant sounds like a silent command sound.

Examples: Stunt, Story, Study, Sport, School, State.

The V place the lower lip under the upper teeth.

Examples: Vest, Veil, Vase.

c) The consonants that sound as in Spanish.

B, D, F, G, K, M, N, P, Q, T, X.

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ABECEDARY
(SOUNDS OF THE LETTERS)

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Phonetic Symbols for Pronunciation

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QUESTION WORDS
WHAT? -- ¿QUE O CUAL? HOW CLOSE? -- ¿QUE TAN CERCA?

WHAT ELSE? -- ¿QUE MAS? HOW TALL? -- ¿QUE TAN ALTO?

WHICH? -- ¿CUAL? HOW SHORT? -- ¿QUE TAN BAJO?

HOW? -- ¿COMO? O ¿QUE TAN CORTO?

WHEN? -- ¿CUANDO? HOW DEEP? -- ¿QUE TAN PROFUNDO?

WHERE? -- ¿DONDE? O ¿A DONDE? HOW EARLY? -- ¿QUE TAN TEMPRANO?

WHERE ELSE? -- ¿DONDE MAS? HOW LATE? -- ¿QUE TAN TARDE?

WHY? -- ¿PORQUE? HOW HEAVY? -- ¿QUE TAN PESADO?

WHO? -- ¿QUIEN? HOW LIGHT? -- ¿QUE TAN LIVIANO?

WHO ELSE? -- ¿QUIEN MAS? HOW THICK? -- ¿QUE TAN GRUESO?

WHOM? -- ¿A QUIEN? HOW THIN? -- ¿QUE TAN DELGADO?

WHOSE? -- ¿DE QUIEN? HOW SMART? -- ¿QUE TAN LISTO?

HOW MUCH? -- ¿CUANTO? HOW DUMB? -- ¿QUE TAN BOBO?

HOW MANY? -- ¿CUANTOS? HOW FAST? -- ¿QUE TAN RAPIDO?

HOW OFTEN? -- ¿QUE TAN A MENUDO? HOW SLOW? -- ¿QUE TAN LENTO?

HOW LONG? -- ¿QUE TAN LEJOS? HOW HAPPY? -- ¿QUE TAN FELIZ?

HOW LONG AGO? -- ¿HACE CUANTO? HOW SAD? -- ¿QUE TAN TRISTE?

HOW OLD? -- ¿CUANTOS AÑOS? HOW BLUE? -- ¿QUE TAN AZUL?

O ¿QUE TAN VIEJO? HOW RED? -- ¿QUE TAN ROJO?

HOW YOUNG? -- ¿QUE TAN JOVEN? HOW BEAUTIFUL? -- ¿QUE TAN

HERMOSO?
HOW SOON? -- ¿QUE TAN PRONTO?
HOW UGLY? -- ¿QUE TAN FEO?
HOW BIG? -- ¿QUE TAN GRANDE?
WHAT TIME? -- ¿A QUE HORA?
HOW SMALL? – ¿QUE TAN PEQUEÑO?
WHAT KIND? -- ¿QUE CLASE? (MARCA)
HOW FAR? -- ¿QUE TAN LEJOS?
O ¿DE QUE TIPO?

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THE COLORS

Learn the most practical colors in English and Spanish

Negro – Black Naranja – Orange

Azul – Blue Pálido – Pale

Marrón – Brown Rosa – Pink

Castaño – Chestnut Morado – Purple

Oscuro – Dark Rojo – Red

Fucsia – Fuchsia Brillante – Shiny

Dorado – Golden Plata – Silver

Gris – Gray Celeste – Sky blue

Verde – Green Transparente – Transparent

Claro – Light Violeta – Violet

Granate – Maroon Blanco – White

Azul marino – Navy blue Amarillo – Yellow

Also you can mix some of them to make other colors.

Examples:

Dark blue – Azul oscuro

Pale green – Verde pálido

Light Brown – Café claro

Etc. … Etc. …

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Greetings and Farewells

Greetings Possible answer

Hello ! Very well, Thank you.

Hi ! I’m Ok.
How do you do? I’m fine, Thank you.
How are you? So, so.
How’s it going? More or less.
How are things? Not very well.
Great to see you. Nothing special.
Not much.
Fantastic.
Life is great.
Hanging in there.
Having a hard day.
Good Morning. Cannot complain.
Good Afternoon. Not so great.
Good Evening. Not good.

Farewells ( Seasons of the Year )

So long. Spring – Primavera.

Good bye.
See you later. Summer – Verano.
Bye, bye.
See you tomorrow. Autumn / Fall – Otoño.
See you soon.
Send my love to… Winter – Invierno.
Greetings to…
Have a good day.
Take care.
All right then.
Catch you later.
Peace on you.
Good night.

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PHASES OF THE DAY

SPANISH ENGLISH

Mediodía Noon
Medianoche Midnight
Madrugada, amanecer Dawn
Atardecer Late afternoon
Media Half
Cuarto Quarter
Y pico (informal) A little after

THE DIRECTIONS

NORTH NORTE
SOUTH SUR
EAST ESTE
WEST OESTE
NORTH WEST NOROESTE
NORTH EAST NORESTE
SOUTH WEST SUROESTE
SOUTH EAST SURESTE

THE WEATHER
RAIN
SNOW
SUNSHINE
STORM
FREEZE
CLOUDY
HOT
WARM
COOL
FOGGY
HAIL

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THE DAYS OF THE WEEK

Monday – Lunes

Tuesday – Martes

Wednesday – Miércoles

Thursday – Jueves

Friday – Viernes

Saturday – Sábado

Sunday – Domingo

THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR

January – Enero

February – Febrero

March – Marzo

April – Abril

May – Mayo

June – Junio

July – Julio

August - Agosto

September – Septiembre

October - Octubre

November - Noviembre

December – Diciembre

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VOCABULARY OF LOTTERY

Arrow Mandolin
Barrel Melon
Bell Moon
Blackman Nopal
Bird Musician
Bonnet Palm-tree
Boot Pear
Bottle Parrot
Canoe Pine-tree
Cello Pitcher
Crown Rose
Deer Rooster
Devil Siren
Drum Shrimp
Drunk Scorpion
Fish Skeleton
Flag Skull
Flowerpot Star
Gentleman Sun
Hand Soldier
Harp Soucepan
Heart Umbrella
Heron Tree
Indian Valient
Lady Watermelon
Ladder World
Frog Spider

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WELCOME TO OUR HOME

A. Who’s the man in the picture?

That’s Mr. Robert Dawson. He’s an American.

Who’s the woman in the picture?

That’s Helen Dawson.

Is she Mr. Dawson’s sister?

No, she’s his wife. She’s Mrs. Robert Dawson.

Is her husband a lawyer?

No, he’s an American businessman.

What’s the dog’s name?

It’s Spot. He’s a white dog with a black spot.

What’s the Dawsons’ address?

It’s 756 Thirteenth Street. (Seven fifty six)
B. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson have two children, a son and a
daughter. Their son’s name is William, but they call him
Bill. His friends also call him Bill. He’s twenty years old,
and he goes to the state university. Ann is their
daughter. She’s seventeen, and she goes to high school.
Ann lives at home, but Bill is living at the university
now.
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C. Whose wife is Helen? She’s Robert Dawson’s wife.

Whose sister is Ann? She’s Bill’s sister.

Whose brother is Bill? He’s Ann’s brother.

Whose children are they? They’re Mr. and Mrs. Dawson’s.

Whose dog is Spot? He’s the Dawsons’ dog.

C. The other young man in this picture is Bill’s friend. His name is Tom. Bill and Tom
are roommates at the university. Tom is going to spend this weekend at Bill’s home.
Bill is introducing him to his family now.

Bill: Tom, this is my mother, my father, and my sister Ann.

Tom: How do you do, Mrs. Dawson.

Mrs. D: How do you do, Tom. Welcome to our home.

Mr. D: We’re very glad to meet you, Tom.

Tom: Thank you, Mr. Dawson.

Ann: Hello, Tom.

Tom: I’m glad to know you, Ann.

Bill: Here’s Spot, too. He’s very friendly. Do you like dogs?

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Tom: Yes, I like them very much. I have a dog at home.

Ann: Where are you from?

Tom: I’m from ………………………… I come from ………………………….

(your country) (your city)

Mr. D: You speak English very well.

Tom: Thank you. But I don’t always understand it. Some people speak very fast.

Ann: Are you going to be an engineer like Bill?

Tom: Yes, I’m studying engineering too. I’m a graduate student.

Mr. D: That’s fine. We need engineers.

Mrs. D: How long are you going to be in the United States?

Tom: A year. I’m going to work at home next year.

Mrs. D: Please come and see us often this year.

Tom: Thank you. You’re very kind to invite me to your home.

TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

There are many students in the United States from other countries. I’m one of them. I’m
studying engineering at one of the large universities here. My name is hard to pronounce in
English, but my friends call me Tom. I like this new name.

Bill Dawson is my roommate at the university. I’m happy to have an American roommate. I
like him very much. His sister Ann is pretty and very nice. She lives at home and goes to
high school. I like her, too. Bill’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, are very friendly. I like them
very much. I’m going to see the Dawsons from time to time.

My family and my country are a long way from here. My parents write to me, and I write to
them every week. I often write about my impressions of the United States. I’m going to
write a letter tonight or tomorrow.

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VOCABULARY “Welcome to our home” DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

About _____________ Friendly ______________ Like ________________

Address____________ From_________________ Need _______________
Also_______________ Graduate _____________ Next _______________
American __________ Happy _______________ Nice ________________
Ann_______________ Helen ________________ Other_______________
Bill________________ Hello_________________ People ______________
Call _______________ High school ___________ Robert ______________
City _______________ How long? ____________ Roommate___________
Country____________ Husband______________ See_________________
Dawson____________ Impression ____________ Some _______________

Engineering ________ Introduce_____________ Spend _______________

Fast _______________ Invite ________________ Spot (spot) ___________
Friend _____________ Kind _________________ State ________________
Tom (Thomas)_______ University _____________ Way ________________
Tomorrow __________ Weekend _____________ Whose? ______________
Wife_______________ William _______________ With ________________
Note: The words with an asterisk (*) appear in the text as verbs.

Note: Although all the people of North and South America are Americans in general, those of the United
States are commonly called Americans because the official name of their country is the United States of
America. Also, there is no other single word in English that means “the people of the United States”.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
They call him Bill. ____________________ I come from ... _______________________

State university. _____________________ Graduate student. ___________________

Go to high school. ____________________ Next year. ___________________________

Welcome to our home. ________________ Come and see us. _____________________

Here’s (Here is) ... _____________________ I’m happy to ... _______________________

I’m from ... ___________________________ A long way from.______________________

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THE AUXILIAR AND

DEFECTIVE VERBS

We often use this verbs when we make a question and answer the same one, mostly are
often common use, the importance of these verbs is relative to use for an understandable
sentence and also when we speak, always according of the correct use of the English
grammar.

The Auxiliar verbs are compounded of three kinds:

- TO BE
- TO DO
- TO HAVE

They are divided by the following verbs that everyone together are compounded as Auxiliar
verbs:

PRESENT TENSE PRESENT TENSE PRESENT TENSE

AM DO HAVE
TO BE ARE TO DO DOES TO HAVE HAS
IS

PAST TENSE PAST TENSE PAST TENSE

WAS
TO BE WERE TO DO DID TO HAVE HAD

Is very important to know all the Personal Pronouns in order to use these Auxiliar verbs,
because every Auxiliar verb needs to be used it with the proper Personal Pronoun.

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PERSONAL PRONOUNS (TO BE )

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE

I AM I WAS
YOU ARE YOU WERE
HE HE
SHE IS SHE WAS
IT IT
WE WE
YOU ARE YOU WERE
THEY THEY

Note: HE, SHE, IT are Pronouns in 3rd. Person, so generally all the 3rd. Person has its Proper
Auxiliar verb.

PRESENT PAST
I
HE HE
SHE IS SHE WAS (The Auxiliar WAS goes with the Pronoun “ I “
IT IT just like we use it on 3rd. Person in Past tense)

PERSONAL PRONOUNS (TO DO )

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE

I DO I
YOU DO YOU
HE HE
SHE DOES SHE DID
IT IT
WE WE
YOU DO YOU
THEY THEY

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Note: In the case of the Auxiliar “To Do”, only in 3rd. Person you use Does in Present tense,
but the Auxiliar on Past Tense is DID with all the Personal pronouns.

PRESENT PAST

HE HE
SHE DOES SHE DID (3rd. Person and every Personal Pronoun in Past Tense)
IT IT

PERSONAL PRONOUNS (TO HAVE)

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE

I HAVE I
YOU HAVE YOU
HE HE
SHE HAS SHE HAD (3rd. Person and every Personal Pronoun
IT IT in Past Tense)
WE WE
YOU HAVE YOU
THEY THEY

PRESENT PAST

HE HE
SHE HAS SHE HAD (3rd. Person and every Personal Pronoun in Past Tense)
IT IT

With these Auxiliars we can make questions and answer them using the same and also with
Action verbs to complete it, but we need to learn how to use them correctly.

The Action verbs denominate Actions that we use frequently all the time.

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In order to use the Auxiliar verbs for making questions, we have to learn about the Use of
the Action verbs in their proper tenses, because each Auxiliar verb has its own tenses of use
with the Action verb.

TO BE = The Action verb must be in Present Participle (which ends in ING).

TO DO = The Action verb must be in Simple Present.

TO HAVE = The Action verb must be in Past Participle.

Examples:

SIMPLE PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

DRINK DRINKING DRUNK

FLY FLYING FLOWN
EAT EATING EATEN
DRIVE DRIVING DRIVEN

TO BE = Are you drinking Soda? Is she flying to New York City?

TO DO = Do you drink Soda? Does she fly to New York City?

TO HAVE = Have you drunk Soda ? Has she flown to New York City?

As you have seen in these examples the proper use of the Auxiliar with the correct pronoun
and the correct Tense of the Action verb with the proper Auxiliar is also used.

When you use an Auxiliar verb to make a question, the answer of it must be with the same
Auxiliar verb.

TO BE= I am eating a Hot dog TO DO= They eat Pizza

Are you eating a Hot dog? Do they eat Pizza?
Yes, I am Yes, they do
No, I’m not No, they don’t

TO HAVE= You have eaten chicken

Have you eaten chicken?
Yes, I have
No, I haven’t (Eaten is the Past Participle of Eat)

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In 3rd. person using an Action verb in Simple Present Tense, the verb must end with an “s”.
But when you make the question you have to eliminate the “s”, because when you use the
auxiliary verb then the sentence and the verb is not in Simple present anymore.

She drives too fast - Put the “s” at the end of the Action verb because is in Simple Present

Does she drive too fast? - You take off the “s” in the question.

He eats a lot
Does he eat a lot?

The dog drinks too much water

Does the dog drink too much water?

However these verbs in 3rd. person have its own grammar rule.
When it ends in “y” you have to replace the y and put “ies”, only when it is preceded
by a consonant, not with a vowel like: Boy – Boys, and also when is in singular or plural:
This example when is preceded by a consonant : Ally - Allies Enemy - Enemies

The Hawk flies too high The airplane flies fast

Does the Hawk fly too high? Does the airplane fly fast?

Also there are some verbs that ends with an “o”, in this case because is a vowel, when that
happens you have to add “es” when it is preceded by a consonant; but when the “o” is
preceded by a vowel just add “s”: Radio – Radios – Patio – Patios.

To make the grammar rule in 3rd. person. See the next example:

He goes to skate at the park

Does he go to skate at the park?
Yes, he does
No, he doesn’t

See how the verb changes to its regular form when you make the question, because when it
goes with an Auxiliar verb it isn’t in Simple present anymore.

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THE CONTRACTIONS

The contractions are used in many ways, like when you make sentences and also when you
answer the questions, generally are used to respond the negative answer.

I am not – I’m not

Do not – Don’t Is not – Isn’t Have not – Haven’t
Does not – Doesn´t Are not – Aren’t Has not – Hasn’t
Did not – Didn’t Was not – Wasn’t Had not – Hadn’t
Were not – Weren’t

You have seen them in the last examples when the answer is negative.

Are you drinking juice? Were they playing football?

No, I’m not No, they weren’t

Do we study hard tonight? Did they celebrate last night?

No, we don’t No, they didn’t

Have you eaten a sandwich? Had they swum at the pool?

No, I haven’t No, they hadn’t (Swum is the Past Participle of Swim)

List of Defective verbs

CAN (Significa Poder Físico o Mental)

COULD (Pretérito imperfecto de “can” significa: Pude, Podría, Pudiera)

MAY (Significa Poder de tener libertad de permiso ético)

MIGHT (Pretérito de “may” igual que “could” así como también Pudiese)

WILL (Se une al Presente Simple y lo convierte en Futuro)

SHALL (Al igual que “will” convierte el verbo en Futuro, más usado por los británicos, los Americanos
usualmente lo usan para también decir “Podría” o “Pudiese”)

WOULD (Pretérito de “will” es un condicional y se une al Presente Simple y lo convierte en condicional,

No posee significado en español, solo hace su función condicional en el verbo de acción)

SHOULD (Pretérito de Shall, significa “debería” o “deber”)

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MUST (“Deber” de obligación moral)

OUGHT TO (Significa “Tener que “o “Preferiría que”)

Al igual que los verbos auxiliares, se pueden formular oraciones y preguntas usando los
verbos defectivos, pero el verbo de Acción siempre estará en Simple Present.
He can drive slowly They could win the game
Can he drive slowly? Could they win the game?
Yes, he can Yes, they could
No, he can’t No, they couldn’t

I may go to the bathroom We might support the project

May I go to the bathroom? Might we support the project?
Yes, you may Yes, we might
No, you may not No, we mightn’t
(Regularly “May not” doesn’t have a contraction)

You will join our class He shall make the homework

Will you join our class? Shall he make the homework?
Yes, I will Yes, he shall
No, I won’t No, he shan’t

I would study tonight You should fix the car

Would I study tonight? Should you fix the car?
Yes, I would Yes, you should
No, I wouldn’t No, you shouldn’t

We must prepare for the test They ought to shop at downtown

Must we prepare for the test? Ought they shop at downtown?
Yes, we must Yes, they ought to
No, we mustn’t No, they ought not

The negative answer contractions of the defective verbs are:

Cannot – Can’t Could not – Couldn’t

Might not – Mightn´t Will not – Won’t
Shall not – Shan’t Would not – Wouldn’t
Should not – Shouldn’t Must not – Mustn’t

May not and ought not regularly don’t have contractions.

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Notice that all the last examples of the Auxiliar and defective verbs, when you make the sentence the
Auxiliar and the defective verb go after the Personal Pronoun.

You will join the class I am eating a hot dog

But when you make the question the Auxiliar and the defective verb always go first

Will you join the class? Am I eating a hot dog?

And also when you make the answer the Auxiliar and the Defective verb returns at the
second place just after the “Yes” or “No”. This rule it has to be done because is one the
English grammar rules to make a correct sentence and question and is very important.

Yes, I will Yes, I am

No, I won’t No, I’m not

Only on the question part the Auxiliar and the Defective verb go first, and then the Personal
pronoun, when you make the answer the Auxiliar and Defective verb return to its normal
position.

CONTRACTIONS

A contraction is a shortened form of one or two words (one of which is usually a verb). In a
contraction, an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters. Some
contractions of frequent use are:

I’m ( I am)
Can’t ( Cannot )
How’s ( How is )
Ma’am ( Madam ).

For example, “Don’t” is a contraction that is a short for “Do not”; the apostrophe in “don’t”
takes place of the missing “o”. Another example is “o’ clock”, a contraction “of the clock”.

A less common example of a contraction is “ Jack-o’-lantern”, short for “Jack-of-lantern”; in

it, the apostrophe takes the place of the missing “ f ” in “ of ”.

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List o’ Common Contractions:

(List of Common Contractions)

WORDS (Negating a verb) CONTRACTION

Is not Isn’t
Are not Aren’t
Was not Wasn’t
Were not Weren’t
Have not Haven’t
Has not Hasn’t
Had not Hadn’t
Will not Won’t
Would not Wouldn’t
Do not Don’t
Does not Doesn’t
Did not Didn’t
Cannot Can’t
Could not Couldn’t
Should not Shouldn’t
Might not Mightn’t (does not have a
frequent use)
Must not Mustn’t
WORDS (woulda-shoulda-coulda) CONTRACTION
Would have Would’ve
Should have Should’ve
Could have Could’ve
Might have Might’ve
Must have Must’ve

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WORDS (Odd ones) CONTRACTION

Of O’

Of the clock O’ clock

Madam Ma’am

Never-do-well Ne’er-do-well

Cat-of-nine-tails Cat-o’-nine-tails
Jack-of-the-lantern Jack-o’-lantern

Will-of-the-wisp Will-o’-the-wisp

It was ‘twas (archaic)

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FROM CITY TO SUBURBS

A. Do the Dawsons live in the city?

Yes, they do. They live on Thirteen Street.
They live at 756 Thirteenth Street.

Do they own their home?

No, they don’t. They’re renting their house now.
But they’re going to buy a house very soon.

Are they going to buy a house in the city?

No, they aren’t. They prefer to live in a suburb.

Why? Is a suburb more quiet?

Yes, it is. They also like the new houses in the suburbs.

When are they going to move?

They’re going to move next month.

B. Does Mrs. Dawson have a maid?

No, she doesn’t. She does her own housework.

Does Ann help her mother?

Yes, she does. She helps her a little every day.

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Who does the shopping for the family?

Mrs. Dawson does. She usually shops at the supermarket.
Her husband sometimes goes with her on Saturdays.

Does Mr. Dawson take care of the yard?

Yes, he does. He takes care of the lawn and the garden.
He has to cut the grass every week in the summer.

C. Whose house is this? It’s the Dawsons’ new house in the suburbs.
The name of this suburb is Belmont. It’s a little town near the big
city. The Dawsons’ new address is 91 Lake Avenue. Yes, there are
two small lakes in Belmont, and they live near one of them. They
own their own home now. It’s new and modern, and they like it
much. It isn’t very far from Ann’s high school. There are also
several small stores and a supermarket near the house.

Mrs. Dawson is usually busy because she does her own housework.
She gets the meals, she cleans the house, she washes and irons the
clothes, and she does the shopping for the family. Ann helps her a
little every day. Mr. Dawson sometimes helps his wife, too.

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TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

Many people here are moving from the cities to the suburbs. The big
cities are often noisy and crowded. A suburb is like a little town, It’s
usually more quiet and more friendly. It also has many new houses
with big yards. People prefer a house with a lawn and a garden.

It is expensive to have a maid in the United States. American women

usually do their own house work and take care of their children. They
also have many modern conveniences and appliances in their homes.
Mrs. Dawson has a refrigerator, an electric stove, a vacuum cleaner,
a washing machine, and several other small appliances. Husbands
often help their wives, and children usually help their parents, too.

VOCABULARY “From City to Suburbs”

DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

Appliance _____________ Big _______________ Clean________________
Because_______________ Busy______________ Clothes ______________
Belmont_______________ Buy ______________ Conveniences _________
Crowded ______________ Lawn _____________ Rent ________________
Cut___________________ Little______________ *Shop _______________

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Electric _______________ Maid ______________ Sometimes ___________

Expensive _____________ Meal ______________ Soon ________________
Far (from) _____________ Modern ___________ Stove________________
For___________________ More ______________ Suburb ______________
*Get _________________ *Move _____________ Supermarket _________
Grass ________________ Noisy______________ *Take care of _________
*Have to______________ Own_______________ Town _______________
*Help ________________ *Own______________ Vacuum cleaner _______
Housework ___________ *Prefer (to) _________ *Wash ______________
*Iron_________________ Quiet ______________ Washing machine______
Lake _________________ Refrigerator_________ Why? _______________

Note: The words with an asterisk (*) appear in the text as verbs.
Note: Clothes is a plural noun; it has no singular form.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

From city to suburb. _____________________ A little. _______________________

On Thirteen Street. ______________________ Next month. ___________________
At 756 Thirteen Street. ___________________ Do the shopping.________________
Do they own their (own) home?.____________ Lake Avenue.___________________
Here’s (Here is) ... _______________________ I’m happy to...__________________
The suburbs ____________________________ Get the meals___________________

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PARTS OF SPEECH

“Parts of speech” are the basic types of words that English has. Most grammar books
say that there are eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,
conjunctions, prepositions and interjections. We will add one more type: articles.

It is important to be able to recognize and identify the different types of words in

English, so that you can understand grammar explanations and use the right word
form in the right place. Here is a brief explanation of what the parts of speech are:

Noun: A noun is a naming word. It names a person, place, thing, idea,

living creature, quality or action. Examples: Cowboy, Theater,
Box, Thought, Tree, Kindness, Arrival.

Verb: A verb is a word which describes an action (doing something)

or a state ( being something ). There’s no sentence without a
verb, but a phrase. Examples: Walk, Talk, Think, Believe, Live,
Like, Want.

Adjective: An adjective is a word that describes a noun. It tells you

something about the noun.
Examples: Big, Yellow, Thin, Amazing, Beautiful, Quick, Fast.

Adverb: An adverb is a word which usually describes a verb. It tells you

how something is done. It may also tell you when or where
something happened.
Examples: Slowly, Intelligently, Well, Yesterday, Tomorrow,
Here, Everywhere. It also modifies the adjectives and the adverbs.

Pronoun: A pronoun is used instead of a noun, to avoid repeating the noun.

Examples: I, You, He, She, It, We, They.

Conjunction: A conjunction joins two words, phrases or sentences together.

Examples: But, So, And, Because, Or.

Presposition: A preposition usually comes before a noun, pronoun, or noun

phrase. It joins the noun to some other part of the sentence.
Example: On, In, By, With, Under, Through, At.

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Interjection: An interjection is an unusual kind of word, because it often stands

alone. Interjections are words which express emotion or surprise,
and they are usually followed by exclamation marks.
Examples: Ouch!, Hello!, Hurray!, Oh no!, Ha!

Article: An article is used to introduce a noun.

Examples: The, A, An.

The big boy seldom plays soccer on the sidewalk with his friends.
Art. Adj. Noun Adv. Verb Prep. Complement Conj. Pron.
Noun.
SUBJECT

PREDICATE

CHART OF GRAMMAR
In this chart we can appreciate how the sentence is conformed according with
the parts of speech.

ARTICLE NOUN CONJUNCTION

VERB ADJECTIVE PRONOUN PREPOSITION

ADVERB

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A DAY WITH MR. DAWSON

A. What does Mr. Dawson do?

He’s a businessman. He works for an insurance company.

Does he go to work every day?

No, he doesn’t. He works only five days a week: Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Doesn’t he go to the office on Saturdays?

No, he doesn’t. He never goes on Saturdays or Sundays.

How many hours does he work in a day?

He works from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon.
He sometimes works at home in the evening, too.

What time does he go to work in the morning?

He seldom leaves the house before eight-twenty.
He usually arrives at the office at five minutes to nine.

B. Does Mr. Dawson drive his car downtown?

Yes, he usually does.
But he sometimes takes a bus.

Doesn’t he ever walk to the office?

No, he never does.
He lives a long way from the office.

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When does he have lunch?

His lunch hour is from twelve to one.

Does he ever go home for lunch?

No, he never does. He has only an hour for lunch.

Does he ever leave the office before five o’ clock?

No, he seldom does. He usually leaves after five o’ clock.

C. Mr. Dawson works for a big insurance company in the city. He

likes his work. The company sells life insurance, fire insurance,
and automobile insurance. He has to be at work at nine o’ clock
in the morning. He always tries to be on time, and he’s seldom
late.

He gets up at seven, gets dressed, and has his breakfast. He tries

to read the morning paper during breakfast. Then he drives
downtown. He doesn’t walk because he lives a long way from the
office. He sometimes takes a bus because his wife wants to use
the car during the day.

Mr. Dawson never goes home for lunch. He has to eat downtown
because he has only an hour. Sometimes he needs to talk with
other businessmen, too. His office closes at five, but he seldom
leaves before five fifteen. Then he goes home and rests a little
before dinner. The family always eat together at six thirty.

TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

Americans generally work from thirty-five to forty hours a week.

Mr. Dawson doesn’t have to work on Saturdays, but many people
do. In the United States, almost all the single women work, and
many married women do, too. They’re often teachers, nurses,
librarians, secretaries, or clerks. Also some women are doctors,
lawyers, or dentists.

The people generally work hard. Americans are efficient, and time
is important to them. They’re very active; they’re usually busy
and often in a hurry. They’re also very friendly.

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VOCABULARY “A day with Mr. Dawson”

DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

Active _______________ Ever ________________ Only _________________

All __________________ Fire _________________ Paper ________________
Almost ______________ Generally ____________ Seldom _______________
Arrive _______________ Hard ________________ Sell __________________
Automobile __________ Hour ________________ Single________________
Before ______________ Hurry _______________ Take _________________
Bus _________________ Important ___________ Then_________________
Car _________________ Insurance____________ Time_________________
Company ____________ Late ________________ Together_____________
Dress _______________ Life_________________ Try _________________
Drive _______________ Married _____________ Use _________________
During ______________ Money______________ Want _______________
Efficient _____________ Never_______________ Work ________________

Note: The words with an asterisk (*) appear in the text as verbs.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

What does he do. ______________________ Take a bus. ______________________

Insurance company. ____________________ Life insurance. ____________________
Go to work. ___________________________ Be at work._______________________
Five days a week._______________________ Be late.__________________________
From nine to five._______________________ Get dressed.______________________
Drive a car. ____________________________ In a hurry. _______________________

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THREE MEALS A DAY

A. Can Mrs. Dawson cook?

Yes, she can. She’s a good cook.

Can she make wonderful pies and cakes?

Yes, she can. She can make wonderful pies and cakes.

Can she get breakfast in a hurry?

Yes, she can. She can get it in ten minutes.

Can she sleep late in the morning?

No, she can’t. she has to get up early.

B. It’s Friday morning. Mrs. Dawson is very sleepy, but she’s getting
breakfast now. There’s a small table in one corner of the kitchen.
The Dawsons always eat their breakfast there.

Mrs. D: Robert? Ann? It’s seven-thirty. Breakfast is ready.

Mr. D: Yes, we’re coming.

Ann: Mother, where’s my English book? I can’t find it.

Mrs. D: I don’t know dear, but you can find it after breakfast.
Please come now.

Mr. D: What can I do, Helen? Is the coffe ready?

Mrs. D: Yes, you can pour it now. Ann, please make some toast.
The bread and butter are on the table.

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Ann: How much toast do we want?

Mrs. D: We can eat five or six pieces.

Mr. D: This is wonderful orange juice.

Mrs. D: Yes, the oranges are good now, but they’re expensive.

Mr. D: How much are they?

Mrs. D: Small oranges are six for twenty-nine cents. And there
isn’t
much other fruit in season.

Ann: Who’s ready for a piece of toast?

Mr. D: I am. I like it with my eggs. Do we have any cream?

Mrs. D: I’m sorry, dear, but there isn’t any cream this morning.
Can you drink your coffee black today?

Mr. D: Yes, I can – with some sugar in it.

Mrs. D: You’re not drinking your milk, Ann.

Ann: But I’m going to. Mother, why do we have eggs every day?

Mrs. D: Don’t you like them?

Ann: Yes, I do. But I like cereal, too.

Mr. D: And I like pancakes.

Mrs. D: All right. We can have some cereal tomorrow and some
pancakes on Sunday.
Note: I’m going to = I’m going to drink it.

A. Mr. Dawson’s lunch hour is from twelve to one. He can’t go home

lunch because he doesn’t have much time. He goes to a restaurant
or a cafeteria near the office. He usually goes with one or t wo friends.
What does he have for lunch? He often has some soup, a sandwinch
or a hamburger, and a piece of pie or some ice cream. He drinks a
cup of coffee or a glass of milk with his lunch.
Does he drink water, too? Yes, he often drinks a glass of water.
Because he’s thirsty. How much is his lunch? It’s usually a dollar fifty.
($1.50)
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C. Mrs. Dawson always gets dinner for the family at night. They’re often
tired and hungry. They usually have some meat or fish, two vegeta-
bles, a salad, and a dessert. Ann drinks milk; Mr. and Mrs. Dawson
drink coffee. There’s always some water on the table, too.

TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

The Dawsons eat three meals a day. They have breakfast in the morning,
a light lunch at noon, and a big dinner at night. They often eat breakfast
in a hurry, but they have more time for dinner. Americans drink a lot of
water, a lot of milk, and a lot of coffee, but they don’t drink much tea. Yes,
I like American food very much now, including the pancakes, the sand-
wiches, the hamburgers, the salads, the apple pie, and the wonderful ice
cream.

Some Americans like to eat in a cafeteria. They can go there for breakfast,
Lunch, or dinner. A person takes a tray with a knife, a fork, a spoon, and a
napkin. Then he walks in line in front of a long counter. He can see all the
food there in front of him. He chooses his meal and puts it on his tray.
Then he pays for it and carries his tray to a table. I like this self-service,
and the meals aren’t very expensive in a cafeteria; they’re more expen-
sive in a restaurant.

VOCABULARY “Three meals a day”

DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

A lot of ________________ *Choose ________________ Dollar _________________
Bread _________________ Coffee__________________ *Drink_________________
Butter _________________ Cook ___________________ Egg ___________________
Cafeteria _______________ *Cook __________________ *Find__________________

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Cake _________________ Counter________________ Fish (fish) ___________

_____________
*Can _________________ Cream ________________ Food _________________
_________
*Carry ________________ Cup___________________ Fork _____________
Fork__________________
Cent _________________ Dear __________________ Fruit __________
Fruit__________________
Cereal ________________ Dessert ________________ Glass_________________
Glass __________
Hamburger ____________ Life ___________________ Restaurant____________
Restaurant _______
How much?____________ Milk __________________ Salad_________________
Salad ________
Hungry _______________ Much _________________ Sandwich ________
Sandwich______________
Ice cream______________ Napkin ________________ Self-service
Self-service _______
____________
Including ______________ Noon _________________ Sleepy
Sleepy _________
________________
In front of______________ Pancake _______________ Soup ________
Soup__________________
Juice__________________ *Pay __________________ Sugar
Sugar ___________
_________________
Knife (knives)___________ Person ________________ Tea _______
Tea___________________
Light__________________ Pie ___________________ Thirsty
Thirsty _________
________________
Line___________________ *Pour _________________ Tired_________________
Tired ________
*Make ________________ *Put __________________ Toast
Toast ___________
_________________
Meat _________________ Ready _________________ Tray
Tray _______
__________________
Vegetable______________ Water _________________ Wonderful _______
Wonderful_____________

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS Note: The words with an asterisk (*) appear in the text as verbs.

Three meals a day. ____________________ Drink the coffee black. ______________

Get breakfast. ________________________ All right. _________________________
Be sleepy. ___________________________ Be thirsty. ________________________
Breakfast is ready._____________________ At night.__________________________
How much is it? (are they?) _____________ Be hungry. ________________________
In season.____________________________ At noon. _________________________
Be sorry._____________________________ In line. ___________________________

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What is a Preposition?

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or
phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.
A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to
the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:
The book is on the table.
The book is beneath the table.
The book is leaning against the table.
The book is beside the table.
She held the book over the table.
She read the book during class.

In each of the preceding sentences, a preposition locates the noun “book” in space or in
time.

A prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, its object and any associated
adjectives or adverbs. A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an
adverb. The most common prepositions are “about”, “above”, “across”, “after”, “against”,
“along”, “among”, “around”, “at”, “before”, “behind”, “below”, “beneath”, “beside”,
“between”, “beyond”, “but”, “by”, “despite”, “down”, “during”, “except”, “for”, “from”,
“in”, “inside”, “into”, “like”, “near”, “of”, “off”, “on”, “onto”, “out”, “outside”, “over”,
“past”, “since”, “through”, “throughout”, “till”, “to”, “toward”, “under”, “underneath”,
“until”, “up”, “upon”, “with”, “within” and “without”.

Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a preposition:

The children climbed the mountain without fear.

In this sentence, the preposition “without” introduces the noun “fear”. The prepositional
phrase “without fear” functions as an adverb describing how the children climbed.

There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was defeated.

Here, the preposition “throughout” introduces the noun phrase “the land”. The
prepositional phrase acts as an adverb describing the location of the rejoicing.

The spider crawled slowly along the banister.

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The preposition “along” introduces the noun phrase “the banister” and the prepositional
phrase “along the banister” acts as an adverb, describing where the spider crawled.

The dog is hiding under the porch because it knows it will be punished for.

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What is a Conjunction?

You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses, as in the following
example:

I ate the pizza and the pasta.

Call the movers when you are ready.

Co-ordinating Conjunctions

You use a co-ordinating conjunction (“and”, “but”, “or”, “nor”, “for”, “so”, or “yet”) to
join individual words, phrases, and independent clauses.
Note that you can also use the conjunctions “but” and “for” as prepositions.

In the following sentences each of the highlited words is a co-ordinating conjunction:

Lilacs and violets are usually purple.

In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction “and” links two nouns.

This movie is particularly interesting to feminist film theorists, for the screenplay
was written by Mae West.

In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction “for” is used to link two independent
clauses.

Daniel’s uncle claimed that he spent most of his youth dancing on rooftops and
Swallowing goldfish.

Here the co-ordinating conjunction “and” links two participle phrases (“dancing on
Rooftops” and “swallowing goldfish”) which act as adverbs describing the verb
“spends”.

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THE HUMAN BODY

The Body The Head

1. head 13. eye
2. arm 14. eyebrow
3. back 15. nose
4. waist
16. mouth
5. buttocks/ backside
17. chin
6. leg
7. face
18. hair
8. chest 19. ear
9. Stomach 20. lips
10. hip 21. Neck
11. hand
12. foot

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The Hand The Arm

22. nail 26. palm
23. thumb 27. shoulder
24. finger 28. forearm
25. Wrist
29. upper arm
30. elbow

The Leg The Head

31. knee 1. forehead
32. thigh 2. temple
33. shin 3. eyebrow
34. calf 4. eyelid
35. ankle 5. eyelash
36. heel 6. pupil
37. Toe 7. cheek

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The Mouth
8. teeth
9. tooth
10. tongue

The Internal Organs

11. brain
12. Throat
13. vein
14. artery
15. lung
16. liver
17. stomach
18. large intestine
19. small intestine

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The Eye

The Foot

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SCHOOL DAYS

A. Tom is talking with Ann about her school work. He wants to know
more about American schools.

Tom: What subjects are you taking this semester?

Ann: I’m taking English, Spanish, Chemistry, and Government. Next

semester, I’m going to take Economics in place of Government.

Tom: Which classes do you have in the morning?

Ann: I have English and Chemistry, and then a study period.

Tom: When do you have Spanish and Government?

Ann: Those classes come after lunch.

Tom: Where do you eat your lunch?

Ann: Usually at home.

Sometimes I can eat in the cafeteria at school.

Tom: Do you have those same classes every day?

Ann: Yes. And the last hour in the afternoon, from two thirty to three

thirty, I also have gym twice a week, Orchestra twice a week, and

chorus on Fridays.

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Tom: Don’t you have any classes on Saturdays?

Ann: No, there isn’t any school on Saturdays.

Tom: Do you have to study much in high school?

Ann: Yes, we do. We have a long assignment for every class.

Tom: Are you going to study tonight?

Ann: No, this is Friday. I never study on Friday nights.

Tom: Good! Do you want to go to a movie tonight?

Ann: Yes, I’d like to. Thank you for the invitation.

A. Were you late for school yesterday?

No, I wasn’t. I was on time.

Was your English test hard?

Yes, it was. It was very hard.

Was Mary in school yesterday?

No, she wasn’t. She was absent.

Was George in the library after school?

No, he wasn’t. He was in the laboratory.

Were the other boys in the auditorium?

No, they weren’t. They were in the
gymnasium.

B. Was there a new student in class yesterday?

Yes, there was. His name was Dick Wheeler.

Was there a meeting of the Spanish Club last week?

No, there wasn’t. The meeting is this week.

Was there a P.T.A. meeting last night?

Yes, there was. It was in the auditorium.

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C. This year Ann is a senior. It’s her last year in high school, and
she’s going to graduate in June. It doesn’t seem possible! One
year in kindergarten, six years in Elementary school, two
years in Junior High school, and four years in High school!
Now she’s taking English, Spanish, Chemistry, and Govern-
ment. She also plays in the Orchestra, sings in the Chorus, and
writes for the school paper. She wants to be in the senior play,
too. The senior year is always a busy year

TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

American schools begin in September after a long Summer vacation.

There are two semesters in a school year; the first semester is from
September to January, and the second semester is from February to
June. The majority of American children go to public schools. There
are good public schools in every part of the country, and they’re free
from kindergarten through high school.

High school students take only four or five subjects at a time. They
usually go to the same classes every day, and they have an
assignment for every class. They often have one or two study
periods in school, but they have to study at home, too. They also
enjoy many school activities during the year, including band,
orchestra, chorus, clubs, Games, assemblies, plays, and dances.

After high school, many students go to college. They can choose a

Small school or a large school, in their own state or in another. They
Generally have to pay for a college education. But there are some
scholarships for good students, and many college students work part
time because they need the money for their education.

VOCABULARY “School Days”

DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

Absent _________________ *Chorus ________________ Free _________________

Activity_________________ Club ___________________ Game ________________
Assembly _______________ College_________________ Government___________
Assignment _____________ Dance _________________ *Graduate_____________
Auditorium______________ Dick (Richard) ___________ Gym _________________

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Band___________________ Economics ______________ Gymnasium____________

Baseball ________________ Education ______________ History ________________
Basketball_______________ Elementary school _______ In place of______________
Chemistry_______________ *Enjoy _________________ Invitation ______________
Junior __________________ Orchestra_______________ Scholarship ____________
Kindergarten ____________ Part ___________________ School paper ___________
Laboratory (lab) _________ Period _________________ *Seem ________________
Last____________________ Play ___________________ Semester ______________
Majority________________ Possible ________________ Spanish _______________
Mathematics (math)______ P.T.A. _________________ Subject _______________
Meeting ________________ Public school ____________ Test __________________
Movie__________________ Same __________________ Through _______________
Vacation________________ Which? ________________ Twice________________
Wheeler (last name)______ Yesterday ______________
Note: Economics and Mathematics, used as subjects, require the singular form of the
Verb. Vacation is usually singular; vacations means two or more separate vacations.
College indicates a school at the university level, or one school of a large university.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

Take a subject. _________________________ Last night. _________________________

Study period. __________________________ Yesterday morning.__________________
Twice a week. __________________________ Junior high school. __________________
On Friday nights. _______________________ Four at a time. ______________________
I’d like to ______________________________ At a time.__________________________
P.T.A. (Parent-Teacher Association)_________ Go to college. ______________________
Last week. _____________________________ Work part time._____________________

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LET’S GO SHOPPING

A. Are you going to wear a coat today?

No, but I’m going to take my raincoat. It looks like rain.

Whose gloves are these? Are they yours?

Yes, they’re mine. Thank you.

You’re welcome. Are we ready now?

Yes, let’s go.

B. What did you do yesterday?

I went to the dentist, and then I did some shopping.

What time did you leave home?

I left at nine o’clock.

Did you drive downtown?

No, I didn’t. I took a bus.

Did it rain during the day?

No, it didn’t. I took my raincoat, but I didn’t need it.

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C. What did you buy?

I bought a sweater and a pair of gloves.

Did you look at suits?

No, I didn’t. But I tried on some hats and some shoes.

Did you meet your sister downtown?

Yes, I met her at noon, and we ate lunch together.

When did you get home?

I got home at a quarter to four.

D. Mr. Dawson seldom goes shopping with his wife. He doesn’t have
much time, and he doesn’t like to go shopping. One Saturday, how-
ever, they decided to go together. Mrs. Dawson wanted a new
dress, and her husband needed a new winter coat. He wanted a
brown coat, but his wife said to him, “Why don’t you get a gray
dear? Your last coat was brown, you know”.

They went to a large department store downtown. First, they took

an elevator to the men’s department on the third floor. The clerk
offered Mrs. Dawson a seat. Then he showed Mr. Dawson several
brown coats. Mr. Dawson liked the first coat very much, but he
said that it was too expensive. The others didn’t fit very well. One
was too big, another was too small, and another was too short.

Then he tried on some gray coats, and one fitted him very well.
He asked his wife, “Do you like this coat, Helen?”

“Yes, I do. It looks very good on you,” she answered.

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Departamento de Capacitación
Inglés Básico

“Can I wear it with my brown suit?”

“Of course you can. You can also wear it with your blue suit or with
your gray suit”.
Mr. Dawson thought about it for a minute, and then he said.
“Yes, it’s very practical. I’m beginning to like it now”.
“And it’s a good coat for the price”, his wife said.

E. From the third floor, they took an elevator to the dress department
on the fifth floor. Mr. Dawson found a chair and sat down.

Clerk: Do you want to look at wool dresses or silk dresses?

Mrs. D: Please show me some wool dresses.

Clerk: What size do you wear?

Mrs. D: Size fourteen, I think.

Clerk: Do you like black? It’s always a good color.

Mrs. D: Yes, but I have a black dress. I’d like a bright color.

Clerk: Here’s a pretty blue wool. Or what about this red dress?

Mrs. D: I like it, but my husband likes blue.

Clerk: Why don’t you try on these two dresses?

Mrs. Dawson tried on the blue dress, and then the red dress.

Mrs. D: The blue dress was pretty, Bob. But look at this!

Mr. D: Red? It’s a little bright, don’t you think?

Mrs. D: But for fall and winter? Is it too bright?

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Departamento de Capacitación
Inglés Básico

Mr. D: Perhaps not. It is very becoming to you.

Mrs. D: It fits well, and I like the style of it, too.

Mr. D: How much is it?

Mrs. D: It’s twenty-nine ninety-five. ($29.95)

Mr. D: All right, dear. If you like it, why don’t you get it?

Clerk: Do you want to charge it or pay for it now?

Mrs. D: Please charge it.

Note: $29.95 = Twenty-nine dollars and ninety-five cents.

Then Mrs. Dawson gave the clerk her name and address, and the clerk put
the dress in a box for her.

Mr. D: Are we ready to go home now?

Mrs. D: Almost. We need some toothpaste and some vitamins.

Ann wants a film camera, too.

Mr. D: Then let’s go to the drugstore on the corner. And what about

some ice cream for dessert tonight ?

Mrs. D: All right. They have good ice cream at that drugstore.

TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

Some American women make their own dresses, and many make clothes
for their children. The majority of Americans, however, buy their clothes
ready-made. Mrs. Dawson is always well-dressed. She says that she
usually buys her clothes. She also tells me that she doesn’t spend a lot of
money for them.

There are several large department stores in an American city. There are
other small stores, too; but people like the big stores because they can
usually do all their shopping in one place. Many department stores also
have a restaurant for lunch. They open at nine-thirty or ten in the
morning, and they close at five-thirty or six in the afternoon.

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Departamento de Capacitación
Inglés Básico

In a department store, there are generally many coats, dresses, and suits
alike. They come in all sizes. In some departments the clothes are expen-
sive, and in others they’re cheap. Of course, the price depends on the
quality and the style.

VOCABULARY “Let’s go shopping”

DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

Alike _________________ Decide_____________

Decide ________________ For
For _________________
__________________
Becoming _____________ Department____________
Department______________ *Get ________________
_________________
Bob (Robert)___________ *Depend __________
*Depend ______________ _______________
*Give ________________
Box __________________ Dress _____________
Dress _________________ Glove _______________
Glove ________________
Bright_________________ Drugstore______________
Drugstore _____________ Gray _________________
Gray ________________
Camera _______________ Elevator _____________
Elevator _______________ Hat__________________
Hat __________________
Charge________________ Film __________
Film __________________ *Look _______________
*Look ________________
Cheap ________________ *Fit ___________________
*Fit ___________ *Meet________________
*Meet _______________
Coat __________________ Floor __________________
Floor _______________ Mine_________________
Mine ________________
*Offer_________________ *Say(says)
*Say (says)____________
_____________ *Take _________________
*Take_________________
*Open ________________ Shoe __________________
____________ *Tell _________________
*Tell _________________
Pair___________________ Silk
*Show___________________
_____________ That__________________
That _________________
Perhaps _______________ *Sit
Silk down ______________
____________ Then _________________
Then__________________
Place _________________ *Sit
*Sit ___________________
down ____________ *Think(about)__________
*Think (about) _________
Practical _______________ Size ___________________
____________ Too __________________
Too___________________
Price __________________ *Spend ________________
*Spend _____________ Toothpaste____________
Toothpaste _____________
Quality ________________ Style __________________
Style ____________ Tryon_________________
Try on ________________
Suit ___________________ Twice__________________
Twice __________ Vitamin _______________
Vitamin________________
Ready-made____________ Sweater________________
Sweater ___________ *Wear ________________
*Wear_________________
Well-dressed____________ __________________
Wool ___________ Yours ________________
Yours__________________
Note: The words with an asterix (*) appear in the text as verbs.

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Departamento de Capacitación
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What are Countable Nouns:

A Countable Noun is a type of noun that can be:

Presented in both the singular form and the plural form

Represented by a number, such as two cats, five books

DIFFERENT RULES FOR USING COUNTABLE NOUNS IN SINGULAR AND PLURAL

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. A determiner must be used 1. A determiner is optional

before a noun or adverb, if before a noun or adverb if the
adjectives are used, such as a, adjectives are used.
the, this, one, ours, his, etc.

2. The article “a” or “an” can be 2. The articles “a” or “an” can’t
used. be used.

3. Only the number one can be 3. Any number bigger than two
used to state the amount. can be used to state an
amount.

4. The Possessive adjective “My” 4. The Possessive adjective “My”

can be used such as my, his, can be used such as his, our,
our, etc. etc.

5. Quantifiers can’t be used. 5. Quantifiers can be used, such

as some, any, many, a lot, etc.

6. A demonstrative adjective can 6. A demonstrative adjective can

be used such as this, those, be used such as this, those,
etc. etc.

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Examples of Countable Nouns:

NOUNS NOUNS IN THE NOUNS IN NOUNS REPRESENTED

SINGULAR FORM THE PLURAL BY A NUMBER
FORM

DOG THE DOG IS BIG THE DOGS ARE THERE ARE SIX DOGS
BIG IN THE ROOM

BOY THE BOY IS TALL THE BOYS ARE THERE ARE THREE TALL
TALL BOYS IN MY CLASS

CAR OUR CAR IS ALL THE CARS AT THERE ARE SIX CARS
GREEN WORK ARE WHITE PARKED ON MY
STREET

WINDOW THE WINDOW IS THE WINDOWS THE ROOM HAS

THREE
BIG ARE CLEAN WINDOW

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Departamento de Capacitación
Inglés Básico

Uncountable Nouns

What are Uncountable Nouns?

Uncountable Nouns are:

Nouns that cannot be represented in the singular form or the plural form, such as water,
air, coffee, tea are some examples of nouns that can only be represented in the singular
form.

Nouns that cannot be represented by a number are called Uncountable Nouns. It is not
possible to say I need 4 air or 6 sugar.

Uncountable nouns are nouns that can be not counted. Examples of Uncountable Nouns
are: water, air, grass, paint, oil, etc.

Rules for Using Uncountable Nouns:

Uncountable nouns only used in the singular tense.

“A” or “An” cannot be used with uncountable nouns. “The” can be used with uncountable
nouns.

Certain quantifiers can be used with uncountable nouns, such as:

some, any, much, a lot are some examples of the quantifiers that can be used with
uncountable nouns.

Quaintly of uncountable nouns is expressed by the expression “a”…. of ……”.

(Examples: A bag of sugar, a bottle of oil.

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 Asamblea Legislativa
Departamento de Capacitación
Inglés Básico

LET’S TAKE A TRIP

A. May third! What a beautiful spring day!

Yes, it’s nice after the rain – sixty-five degrees.

Look at the green grass and the new leaves on the trees.
And listen to the birds. They’re back from the South.

Spring is my favorite season. Is it yours?

I like it, but I prefer summer. It’s really warm then.

Note: 65° Farenheit = 18° centigrade.

B. How long has Mr. Dawson worked for that insurance company?
He’s worked there for many years – since 1950.

How long have the Dawsons lived in the suburbs?

They’ve lived there for seven months – since last October.

How long has Ann studied Spanish?

She’s studied Spanish for two years – since 19 -- .

C. Have the Dawsons been to New York recently?

No, they haven’t been there for a long time, not since 1956.

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Have they bought a new car this year?

No, they haven’t bought one for three years, not since 19 -- .

Have they driven their car too much?

Yes, they have. They’re taken a lot of trips in it.

Do Americans like to travel?

Yes, they do. They go by plane and by boat, by train and
by bus, but more often by car.

Note: 1950 = nineteen fifty; 1965 = nineteen fifty-six.

A. New York is the largest city in the United States. Perhaps it’s the noisiest
city, too. It has the tallest buildings and the most crowded subways. It has
the most offices and the most telephones of any city. In New York, people
can hear the best music and see the newest plays. Broadway and Fifth
Avenue are two of the most famous streets in New York. Yes, it’s really a
city of superlatives.

Washington, D.C. is much smaller than New York. In fact, several cities in
the United States are larger than Washington. Some Americans say that
it’s the most beautiful city in the country. Others say that it’s the cleanest
city. There are many national monuments in Washington, and the most
important government buildings are there. Why? Because it’s the
capital of the United States.

B. Ann has gone to Washington this week for her spring vacation. It’s her
first trip to the capital. She’s been there for two days now, but she hasn’t
seen her friend Sue. She’s going to call her on the telephone tonight.

Ann : Hello, Sue? This is Ann Dawson.

Sue : Hello, Ann! What are you doing in Washington?

Ann : It’s our Spring vacation now. I’m here with the senior class.

Sue : How did you come?

Ann : We came by bus. There are forty of us and two teachers.

Sue : How long have you been here?

Ann : Two days. I wanted to call you yesterday, but we were busy.

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Sue : What have you done? Where have you been?

Ann : We’ve seen the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial,

the famous cherry trees, and some embassies of other countries.

Sue : Have you been to the White House?

Ann : Yes, we have. We were very lucky to see the President, too.

Sue : And the Capitol building? Congress is in session now.

Ann : Yes, we’ve been to the Capitol and the Supreme Court.

Sue : Are you going to the National Gallery of Art?

Ann : Yes. We’re also going to Arlington National Cemetery.

Sue : Well, you’ve really been busy! How do you like Washington?

Ann : I like it very much. It’s a beautiful city, and very clean.

Sue : How long are you going to stay?

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Ann : Only two more days. I’d like to stay for two weeks.

Note: The Washington Monument was built in honor of George Washington, the
first president of the United States, 1789 – 1797. The Lincoln Memorial was built
in honor of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States,
1861 – 1865.

Sue : When can we see you? Can you come for dinner tomorrow?

Ann : Yes, I can. Thank you for the invitation.

Sue : Good. We usually have dinner at seven o’ clock.

Ann : That’s fine. How do I get to your house?

Sue : Why don’t you take a taxi? That’s the easiest way.

Ann : All right. See you tomorrow, then. Good-bye, Sue.

Sue : Good-bye, Ann.

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TOM’S IMPRESSIONS

Americans like to travel. Their country is very large.They want to see the
the interesting places in the East and the West, the North and the South.
Some go by plane or by train, others take boat trips or bus trips, but the
majority travel in their own cars. Many families take an automobile
trip during the summer. The tourist business is a big business in the
United States.

There are over ninety million (90,000,000) cars in the country. In fact,
more than eighty per cent (80%) of the families own one. A car is very
important in the life of an American because he uses it for business as
well as for pleasure. American cities have wide streets, and there are
good roads in all parts of the country. There’s a lot of traffic on these
roads during the summer because that’s vacation time for the majority of
Americans.

VOCABULARY “Let’s take a trip”

DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS?

Abraham Lincoln _________ Capital ________________ Honor _______________

Arlington _______________ Capitol_________________ Leaf (leaves)__________
As well as ______________ Cemetery ______________ Lucky________________
Back ___________________ Cherry_________________ Memorial ____________
Best ___________________ Clean _________________ Monument __________
Bird____________________ Congress _______________ Most _______________
Boat ___________________ D.C.___________________ National_____________
Broadway_______________ East___________________ Nice ________________
*Build (built) ____________ Embassy _______________ North ______________
Business________________ Famous ________________ Over _______________
By _____________________ Favorite________________ Per cent_____________

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