Mansion Ingles Podcast December 2013 - Aprende gramática y vocabulario inglés

Hello once again and welcome to another Mansion Ingles podcast. This is podcast number 68 recorded for December 2013.

En el nivel básico practicamos el gerundio, las palabras que terminan en ing y también los grupos o familias de palabras - Word families.

Tenemos un poco de gramática en el nivel intermedio y también algunas colocaciones con los verbos.

We practise some collective nouns at advanced level, and also we help you with what to say in English in certain social situations There's also business vocabulary, as usual, and a translation exercise, all to help you improve your English and take it to the next level.

En los podcasts mensuales hablamos de los temas, vocabulario y ejercicios que salen en nuestro cuaderno mensual. Así podéis practicar la pronunciación y repasar el material del cuaderno. Si quieres recibir gratis el cuaderno cada mes, ver la trascripción de este podcast o leer los anteriores, ve a mansioningles.com y sigue los enlaces en la página principal.

Ok, vamos a empezar con el nivel básico y el gerundio - The gerund, en inglés. ¿cómo se dice el verbo gustar en inglés? - to like; I like, he likes, she likes, we like etc. Cuando empleas otro verbo después del verbo like, puede ser de forma gerundio o de forma infinitive, pero normalmente, cuando hablamos de las actividades y no del resultado de las actividades, usamos el gerundio. Eschucha y repite:

jugar - to play - playing - playing video games. Do you like? Do you like playing video games. I don't like playing video games.

Ver - to watch - repite - to watch - Watching TV. I like watching TV. I like watching sport on TV. I like watching football on TV. Do you like watching TV? - Do you like watching football on TV?

Do you like studying? - to study - estudiar - repite: studying - I don't like studying - Do you like studying?

¿Cómo se dice comprar? - to buy - repite: buy - buying - Do you like buying books? - Do you like buying clothes - Do you like buying shoes?

To camp - acampar - camping. to go camping - Do you like going camping?

¿Cómo se dice leer en inglés? to read - Repite: to read. reading - reading books - Do you like reading books? - I like reading - I like reading books - My girlfriend likes reading - she likes reading books - she likes reading detective books.

Ducharte - to have a shower - Repite: to have a shower. - having a shower - I like having a shower. I like having a shower in the morning. It wakes me up. Me despierta - It wakes me up. - Repite: It wakes me up. A shower wakes me up. A shower in the morning wakes me up. I like having a hot shower in the morning.

Board games son juegos de mesa. Repite: board games - to play - to play board games - playing board games - I like playing board games. Do you like playing board games?

¿Cómo se dice acostarte? - to go to bed. Repite: to go to bed - going to bed - I like going to bed. I like going to bed early - Do you like going to bed early? I always go to bed early during the week.

Well done! - !Muy bien!

También en el nivel básico este mes hemos estudiado algunas palabras en grupo. Las familias de palabras o Word Families. Por ejemplo, si digo short y tall, tal vez das cuenta que tall (o sea, alto) es el antónimo de short - bajo: alto-bajo, tall-short. Entonces, si digo easy, ¿Qué me vas a decir? ¿Cuál es el antónimo de easy? Pues, difficult. ¿y cheap? - expensive.

A ver si puedes identificar la familia de las siguientes palabras y decir qué palabra en inglés viene despues de las palabras que voy a decir. Luego, repite las palabras conmigo para practicar la pronunciación. ¿Listos? Ready?

football - play work - do TV - watch

father - son mother - daughter brother - sister

apples, oranges, bananas - fruit

shirts, socks, dresses - clothes

chairs, tables, sofas - furniture

1st - first 2nd - second 3rd - third

Ok good, now moving on to the intermediate section, and in this month's cuaderno we looked at some general grammar. For example, the word 'yet' with the present perfect when it means todavía o aún - She isn't here yet. - Todavía no llega. o Aún no llega. Repeat: She isn't here yet. I haven't done it yet. Have you finished yet? - ‘Has the film finished?’ ‘No, not yet.’

¡Ojo! - Don't confuse yet with already. Both these words are often used with the present perfect. Already means 'so soon' or ya, in Spanish. For example, Have you eaten your dinner already? - ¿Ya has cenado? - I have already been to Paris. - Ya he estado en París.

Repeat: I've already been to Paris. Have you eaten lunch yet? Yes, I've already eaten lunch. I've already done it.

Phrases like so do I and neither do I are used as responses to show a similar attitude or opinion. You can show that you agree or disagree with someone by using So do I neither do I , me too, me neither etc.

Listen and repeat: I'm a student- So am I. I'm not married - neither am I - I like football - So do I - I don't like golf - neither do I. I'm not very hungry - Neither am I. Nota que se repite el verbo auxiliar cuando se responde. I'm hungry (el verbo auxiliar es to be) I'm hungry, so am I. I don't like golf (el verb auxiliar es do) Neither do I. Si no hay verbo auxiliar, por ejemplo en I like swimming, usa el verbo do - So do I.

También puedes decir me too (yo también) y me neither (yo tampoco). Repeat: I really like Science fiction - me too! - but I don't like horror films - Me neither. Escucha mi opinión sobre algunas cosas y responde con So do I y Neither do I or Me too y me neither.

I love chocolate

I don't like negative people

I really enjoy going to the beach.

I think Brad Pitt is a very good actor.

I like Tom Cruise

But I don't like Kevin Costner very much

I think Keira Knightly is really sexy.

Many students of English, including my students here in Valencia, think that will is only used to talk about the future. I will see you tomorrow, they say. Or, I will go to London for Christmas. Well, you can use will to talk about the future, but it can also be used to make offers. You see a beautiful girl with a heavy suitcase. You can say. "Excuse me, I'll help you with that". Your teacher is carrying about 12 dictionaries, some papers and a briefcase. You can say, "I'll open the door for you." Your guests are leaving your house and putting on their coats. You can say, "I'll help you with your coat". Remember to use the contraction I will - I'll. Repeat; I'll - I'll help you - I'll open the door. - I'll get your coat.

When you talk about future plans and arrangements, you can use the present continuous tense. Repeat, I'm going shopping tomorrow, I'm flying to Paris next week - I'm having my hair cut on Wednesday. It's also common to use the present continuous when you ask a question about someone's plans. Repeat, What are you doing on Saturday? Are you going away for the weekend? What time are you coming into work tomorrow? Where are you staying in New York?

In the vocabulary section, we looked at verbs that go together with several words and expressions. Yo voy a decir las palabras y las expresiones y tú tienes que decir el verbo que puede ir con ellas. Por ejemplo, si digo : money, someone's life y energy, ¿sabes qué verbo puede ir con las tres palabras? - Pues el verbo save. Podemos decir save money, save energy and save someone's life. He saved my life.

Vamos a intentar con otras tres palabras: the bill (la cuenta) the bill, a compliment y attention. ¿Cuál es el verbo? - PAY. Repeat: to pay a compliment. She paid me a lovely compliment; attention - to pay attention. Are you paying attention? Pay attention in class! Pay attention when I'm speaking to you! and to pay the bill. Have you paid the bill? Please, let me pay the bill.

Ok, what about these three: your best, the shopping, some work - Es el verbo do. Repeat: do the shopping, do some work, do your best. I must do some shopping this afternoon. I need to do some work this weekend. Don't worry about the test. Just do your best.

Here are three more: a game, the guitar, chess (ajedrez). PLAY. Repeat; play chess. Can you play chess? Play a game - Let's play a video game! Play the guitar. I've been playing the guitar for five years. I wish I could play the guitar. Actually, I wish I could play any musical instrument, but I'm too lazy to learn.

Three more: your clothes, planes, a 500 euro note. - Change, because you change planes during a long flight. You change a 500 euro or a 100 euro note, or a $100 dollar bill for smaller money (nota que se dice bill for dollars and note for euros - a $50 dollar bill and a 50 euros note, or a 50 pound note) and you change your clothes.

Try these three: a law, the biscuits, a driving test or an exam - pass. They passed a law/a law was passed, Can you pass the biscuits, please? How do you say biscuits in American English? Cookies. Repeat: Can you pass the cookies, please? And you can pass a driving test, pass an exam, pass a test. What's the opposite of pass a test? fail. to fail a test. Repeat: Did you pass? Did you pass or fail?

Ok, three more: the truth, a story, him to come in - TELL. Repeat; tell the truth. It's important to tell the truth, You must tell the truth. i hate people who don't tell the truth. Tell a story, let me tell you a story. My granddad was always telling stories. Tell him to come in. Can you tell him to come in, please? Tell her to come in. Tell them to come in.

In the advanced section this month, we looked at some collective nouns. These are expressions we use to describe a group of animals, or several things together. For example, if there are a lot of people together in one place, we can say a crowd of people. Repeat: A crowd of people. There was a crowd of people outside the Apple store. But when there are a group of actors together, we can say a company of actors. Repeat. A company of actors.

WAD is used to describe many banknotes. We can say there's a wad of 50 pound notes or He took a huge wad of euros out of his pocket..

A team of experts - many experts together. Repeat: a team of experts. A team of experts advised the governmnent.

Moving on to fruit and we can say a bunch of grapes or a bunch of bananas. Repeat: a bunch of grapes. I've brought you a bunch of grapes.

Many thieves together are called a pack of thieves. Similar to a pack of dogs or a pack of wolves, and we also use pack when we talk about playing cards - las cartas - a pack of cards. I'm taking a pack of cards on holiday.

Finally, a group of lions together is called a pride of lions. pride usually means orgullo, but we also use it for a group of lions (una manada), a pride of lions.

Moving on to the next exercise in which you had to choose the best answer in certain situations. For example, someone says to you - "Do you really think the government will cut back even more on the health service and education?"

- I wouldn't put it past them. This means, no me sorprendería. Repeat: I wouldn't put it past them. Will they reduce my salary? I wouldn't put it past them. Do you think they'll make more health and education cuts? . I wouldn't put it past them!

The next expression was "That makes a change" - Imagine you live in the UK and you wake up one morning and the sun is shinning. Your partner says, "It's a beautiful sunny day!" - You say, That makes a change!

The price of tomatoes has gone down. Oh, that makes a change. This cake I made is really nice - That makes a change! The manager has been really nice lately. - That makes a change.

I'd rather not if you don't mind. Preferiría que no te importase. Repeat: I'd rather not if you don't mind. Would you like some more dessert? I'd rather not if you don't mind. Can you lend me your camera? I'd rather not if you don't mind. Can you work this weekend? I'd rather not if you don't mind.

Serves you right, or it serves you right means te lo mereces.

Repeat: It serves you right!

I was fined for speeding - Serves you right! I lost 600 euros playing poker - It serves you right!

She was arrested for stealing - Serves her right!

If you haven't got the foggiest about something you have no idea - ni idea - you haven't got a clue. Repeat: I haven't the foggiest, I haven't got the foggiest. What time does the train leave' Haven't go the foggiest - How much does it cost? I haven't got the foggiest. When will they be here? Haven't the foggiest.

And finally, there was an expression with I bet. to bet means apostar. I bet you will, for example, means I'm sure you will. Someone says "If they offer me the job, I'll take it" you could say "I bet you will" -¡Claro!, como que no!

Tiene un cierto significado sarcástico, irónico.

"I always dispose of my rubbish in an ecologically responsible way." - I bet you do!

If he asks for my phone number, I won't give it to him." - i bet you won't!

In the Business English section this month we looked at some more business English vocabulary. Red tape is bureaucracy, papeleo. Repeat, red tape. There's a lot of red tape involved in getting your residency in this country. I couldn't believe all the red tape I had to go through.

By the time I'm 55, I'll have retired. That's the future perfect. I will have retired. It's similar to the present perfect, but with will for the future. Will + have + participle of the verb - will have retired. By the time I'm 55 means when I'm 55 or before. El tiempo hasta que comple 55 años. By next Thursday means next Thursday or before. Repeat. I'll have finished this by next Thursday. I'll have seen you

before next week. We'll have painted the flat by the time you come.

Listen: Our business has really taken off. If a business takes off it becomes successful. imagine a plane taking off. It goes up into the sky. A business or company can also take off. Since we started advertising, the business has really taken off.

To implement a change means to make a change. To put a change into action. Repeat: to implement a change - to implement changes. Have you implemented those changes we talked about? When are you going to implement the changes?.

We also gave you some more sentences to translate in this month's cuaderno. First, you had to translate from English to Spanish. So, I'll say the English sentences and you say the Spanish translation before I do. Then, repeat the English sentence after me to practise pronunciation. Ready?

I told you I was going to do it. - Te dije que lo iba a hacer. Repite:

I told you I was going to do it.

I lost the only friend I had. - Perdí el único amigo que tenía. Repite: I lost the only friend I had

They travelled all over/all around/throughout Europe. - Viajaron por toda Europa. Repite: They travelled all over/all around/throughout Europe.

It has to be signed. - Tiene que ser firmado. Repite: It has to be signed.

The plant grew quickly. - La planta creció rápidamente. Repite: The plant grew quickly.

Good, now I'll read some Spanish sentences with my terrible Spanish accent, and you translate to English before I do. Then repeat the sentences after me to practise your pronunciation. OK?

Su cara es muy expresiva (ella). - Her face is very expressive. Repite: Her face is very expressive.

¿Por qué no están listos los niños? - Why aren’t the children ready? Repite: Why aren’t the children ready?

¿Quién la plantó? - Who planted it? Repite: Who planted it?

¿Por qué no intentaste pararme? - Why didn’t you try to stop me? Repite: Why didn’t you try to stop me?

La vida es corta, ¿no? - Life’s short, isn’t it? Repite: Life’s short, isn’t it? Wonderful! Well done!

Well, we've reached the end of this podcast, but we will of course be back next month with another podcast based on our monthly newsletter, our cuaderno de inglés mensual.

Remember, you can listen to all our previous podcasts at mansioningles.com and of course on iTunes. And don't forget to check out - check out=mirar, echar un vistazo - check out our new podcast called Aprender inglés con Reza y Craig en lo que hablo con mi amigo Reza sobre el vocabulario, la gramática y la pronunciación de inglés. Puedes encontrarlo también en iTunes.

Si te gustan nuestros podcasts, puedes ayudarnos con una corta reseña en iTunes contribuyendo así a que más personas puedan conocernos y escucharnos. Gracias a todos los que ya han escrito algún comentario. Thank you to all of you who are writing reviews.

Thank you very much for listening to this podcast, and for being part of the community of La Mansión del Inglés.

Remember, If you want to contact us you can find us on Facebook. Just search Facebook for La Mansión del Inglés where you can ask questions, make comments and do exercises and practise your listening. Or you can send me an email to: mansionteachers@yahoo.es. You can also follow us on Twitter where we tweet useful links to improve your English, English slang vocabulary, quotations and much more. Our Twitter name is MansionTwit.

Puedes ver el cuaderno mensual de este mes, y todos los cuadernos anteriores en www.cuadernodeingles.com/

Until next month then, keep practising and taking your English to the next level! Take care and bye for now!

The music in this month’s podcast is by Revolution Void, the album is The Politics of Desire and the track is called Outer Orbit.