Aprender ingles gratis con La Mansion del Ingles. Un podcast para mejorar la gramatica, el vocabulario y la pronunciacion del ingles. Una leccion del ingles con ejemplos y ejercicios.
Learn English free with podcasts from La Mansion del Ingles. Improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. This English lesson contains examples and exercises.
Hello once again and welcome to another Mansion Ingles podcast. This is podcast number 59 recorded for March 2013.
Este mes, en el nivel básico y intermedio vamos a ver si sabes que tienes que decir en ciertas situaciones en inglés. Practicamos también los pronombres personales him, her and them en el nivel básico, y en el nivel intermedio hay más sentence transformations como las que se encuentra en el examen FCE de Cambridge.
There are some more idioms to study in the advanced section along with some practice on collective nouns. There's business vocabulary as usual and we've included a translation exercise this month 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 podáis 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, vete a mansioningles.com y sigue los enlaces en la página principal.
Ok, let's start with el nivel básico. En el primer ejercicio del nivel básico, hemos preguntado ¿Cómo tienes que responder? cuando te dicen algunas frases en inglés.
Voy a decir las frases y quiero que tú repites la contestación de cada frase en voz alta. ¿Listo?
1. How's it going?
Great! How are you doing? - Repite: doing - How are - How are you - How are you doing? - Great! How are you doing? - How are you doing?
2. What did you do at the weekend?
Not much. What about you? - Repite: Not much. - Not much. - What about you? - What about you? - Not much. What about you?
3. Are you married?
No, I'm single. - Repite: No, I'm single. - No, I'm single.
4. Sorry I'm late.
That's OK. - Repite: That's OK. - That's OK.
5. Hi, how are you today?
Fine thanks, and you? - Repite: Fine thanks, and you? Fíjate en la entonación. Escucha: Fine thanks, and you? - Repite: Fine thanks, and you?
6. I'm very sorry about that.
Never mind. - Repite: Never mind.
7. What time is it, please?
I'm sorry, I don't have a watch. - Repite: a watch. - I don't have - I don't have a watch. - I'm sorry, - I'm sorry, I don't have a watch. - I'm sorry, I don't have a watch.
8. Excuse me, where's the restroom?
It's the first on the left. - Repite: the left. - on the left. - first on the left. - It's the first on the left. - It's the first on the left.
9. Can you help me. please?
Of course! What can I do for you? - Repite: do for you? - can I do for you? - What can I do for you? - Of course! - Of course! What can I do for you? - Of course! What can I do for you?
10. I can't do this.
What's the matter? - Repite: the matter? - the matter? - What's the matter? - What's the matter?
Bueno, ahora que hemos practicado un poco la pronunciación, vamos a repasarlas expresiones otra vez. Digo yo la primera parte, y intentas tú contestar con las respuestas que hemos practicado. No te preocupes por que voy a ayudarte en voz baja. ¿Listo?
How's it going?
- Great! How are you doing?
What did you do at the weekend?
- Not much. What about you?
Are you married?
- No, I'm single.
Sorry I'm late.
- That's OK.
Hi, how are you today?
- Fine thanks, and you?
I'm very sorry about that.
- Never mind.
What time is it, please?
- I'm sorry, I don't have a watch.
Excuse me, where's the restroom?
- It's the first on the left.
Can you help me. please?
- Of course! What can I do for you?
I can't do this.
- What's the matter?
Great! Fantastic! - Well done! Now, luego hemos practicado los pronombres personales him, her y them
Escucha y repite: Do you like him? Do you like her? Do you like them? I like The Beatles. Do you like them? - Yes, I love them.
Her - repite: her - do you know her? Who is she? - ¿Quién es ella? - repite: Who is she? Do you know her? No, I don't know her. I know him. I know him, but I don't know her.
I'm not speaking to you. Repite: I'm not speaking to you. I'm speaking to her. I'm speaking to her. She's not speaking to me, but I'm speaking to her.
Please give them to me. Repite: to me, give them to me - please give them to me. - Give it to me - Give them to me - please give them to me.
She doesn't want to see him - Repite: see him - to see him - want to see him. - doesn't want to see him. - She doesn't want to see him. He wants to see her - but she doesn't want to see him.
I never eat tomatoes - I hate them - I really hate them - and apples - I don't them - I really don't like them.
Where’s your sister? I’d like to speak to her - Repite: speak to her - I'd like to - I'd like to speak to her.
Ok, moving on to the intermediate section, we practised responding to certain expressions in English. For example, someone says to you, "What do you reckon?". What's a good response? Well, "What do you reckon?" means "What do you think?". Someone is asking for your opinion. So, depending on the situation, you could say "It's great" or "I don't like it" or I think we should wait etc. The correct answer in the question from the newsletter was, "I've got no idea." Repeat: What do you reckon? - I've got no idea. - Reckon is more common in British English than American English, but Americans use it to. "I reckon you'll make a good profit this year, buddy." I apologise for my terrible American accent.
The next expression was "I'm afraid I haven't done it yet." and the response was "Don't worry, there's no rush." No te preocupes, no hay prisa - Repeat: I'm afraid I haven't done it yet - Don't worry, there's no rush.
The expression "Who goes first?" is commonly used when you're playing a game or when there are turns involved. You go first, then you go second. Repeat: Who goes first? - I'll go first - It's your turn (toca a ti) Repeat: It's your turn - Who's turn is it? - It's mine - It's yours - It's hers. Who's go is it? - Who goes first? - You do - You go first.
Next was "Sorry, I can't come next week." The reply was "Never mind, I'll text you." Repeat: come next week - I can't - I can't come next week - Sorry, I can't come next week - Never mind, I'll text you. Repeat. I'll text you - I'll send you a text - I'll text you - Never mind (no te preocupes) Never mind - Never mind, I'll text you.
"Would you go along with that?" means "Do you agree with that?" Repeat: go along - go along with that - Would you? - Would you go along with that? - Not really - Would you go along with that? - Yes, I would. - Would you go along with that? - Yes. absolutely! Totally! Would you go along with that? - No I'm afraid I wouldn't, actually.
Is that a new top? - A top could be a blouse, a T-shirt, a sweater. It's commonly used to talk about the clothes that girls and women wear on the top half of their body. Repeat: That's a nice top! Where did you get that top? - Is that a new top? - Yes, it is. - yes, I got it yesterday - Yes, I got it in the sales - Do you like it? - Is that a new top? _ Yes, it was only 15 euros.
Listen: What time's the meeting?
- It's been put off. Do you remember the meaning of the phrasal verb "put off"? It means to postpone - posponer - The meeting has been put off until next week. Repeat: put off - the meeting's been put off.
"Alright mate?" is a British English greeting. It means "¿Qué tal tio?" - ¿Qué pasa hombre? - ¿Cómo te vas? - an appropriate response would be Alright? Repeat: Alright? - Alright mate? - alright? How's it going? - ¿Cómo vas? How's it going?
"I'm a bit chilly" Tengo un poco de frio. Chilly - Repeat: chilly - I'm a bit chilly. Are you cold? - We'll, I'm a bit chilly - I'm a bit chilly, actually. Are you chilly? - A bit, can we turn off the air con? The air con is the air conditioning - Repeat: Air con - turn off the air con - can we turn off the air con?
Very good!
Also in the intermediate section there were some sentence transformation exercises. If you are studying for the exam, don't forget that we have a CD for sale that will help you study for the exam. It costs 34 euros + postage and you can see details of the CD and try some of the exercises at manioningles.com. Just click the CDs icon on the right side of the home page.
In the sentence transformation part of the Use of English exam, you have to take the information in the first sentence and re-write it (write it again), using the word in bold so that the second sentence has the same, or a similar, meaning. You cannot change the word in bold. You can write between 3 and 5 words in the space including the word in bold. So, if you have 6 or 7 words in the space, or even 2 words, go back and think again because you've made a mistake.
Listen and repeat the sentences to practice pronunciation. Remember, you can see the sentences, and do the exercises, in our monthly newsletter for March, el cuaderno inglés de marzo.
What a shame. They drank all the beer.
WISH
I wish they hadn't drunk all the beer.
1. He doesn't have enough money to buy the iPad.
TOO
The iPad is too expensive for him to buy.
2. "You should start doing a new sport, Pepito", the doctor said.
TAKE
The Doctor advised Pepito to take up a new sport.
3. Pepito suddenly realised that the neighbour was watching him.
WATCHED
Pepito suddenly realised that he was being watched by the neighbour.
4. I could never have passed that interview without your help.
if
I could never have passed that interview if you hadn't helped me.
5. We paid some people to paint the flat for us last Easter.
HAD
We had some people paint the flat last Easter.
6. Sandra hasn’t been to Cadiz before.
VISIT
It is Sandra's first visit to Cadiz.
7. I last saw Pepito two months ago.
FOR
I haven't seen Pepito for two months.
8. We last went to Seville three years ago.
YEARS
It has been three years since we last went to Seville.
If you like these podcasts, and if you are learning more English with these podcasts, you can buy full lessons for only 1 euro and 40 centimos from our online shop - nuestra tienda online. Tenemos lecciones de nivel intermedio, pre-intermedio y nivel básico. Puedes encontrarlas en mansioninglesdescargas.wazala.com that's: mansioninglesdescargas - todo junto - punto . wazala.com. Cada leccion vale 1.40 euros y dura approx. 1 hora y cada leccion está en el formato mp3 y lleva su trascripcion en formato PDF.
There were more idioms this month in the advanced section. Let's see if you can remember the idioms if I say the Spanish equivalent. For example,
Una golondrina no hace verano. - This is a direct translation... - "One swallow does not make a summer."
Next was No todo el monte es orégano. - In English we say... "Life isn’t a bowl of cherries." Repeat: Life isn’t a bowl of cherries. - Hmm...cherries, oregano - oregano (in English), cherries. Americans say oregano, and the British say oregano. A bowl of cherries, a mountain of oregano.
Quien rie último, ríe mejor. - "He who laughs last laughs the longest." - That's not easy to say, actually. Repeat: laughs the longest - laughs last - He who laughs last, laughs the longest.
The next idiom was, El hábito hace al monje. Do you remember the English equivalent?.... - "Clothes maketh the man."
Dice más una imagen que mil palabras....... - "A picture is worth a thousand words."
And finally, we had No se puede repicar y estar en la procesión. - "You can’t be in two places at once." -
Listen to the idioms again and repeat them:
One swallow does not make a summer.
Life isn’t a bowl of cherries.
He who laughs last laughs the longest.
Clothes maketh the man.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
You can’t be in two places at once.
Ok, moving on to collective nouns. What do you call a collection of tourists? (apart from noisy) a party of tourists - and a group of trees all in one place is a...clump of trees. C-L-U-M-P. We speak about a gang of terrorists and a fleet of ships F-L-E-E-T. a fleet of ships. Many reporters in one place is a crowd of reporters and a collection of monkeys together is a troop of monkeys T-R-O-O-P - a troop of monkeys. Steps are escaleras, and a lot of steps together are a flight of steps. "He ran up a flight of steps and into the building." Finally, if your cat has kittens, the collective name for them is a litter of kittens. Listen to the collective nouns again and repeat them.
a clump of trees
a party of tourists
a gang of terrorists
a fleet of ships
a crowd of reporters
a troop of monkeys
a flight of steps
a litter of kittens
In the Business English section we looked at some more business English vocabulary.
If you travel on business, it's a business trip. Repeat: business trip. I went on a business trip to Madrid last week.
A core competency is something that a person, or a company, can do well. It's something that sets you apart from other people, or something that sets one company apart from another. To set apart means to distinguish or make different, distinguir in Spanish. The thing that sets our company apart is our customer service. The thing that sets you apart is your ability to listen.
To hold something up means to delay something. What's holding up the product release? What's holding you up? - What's delaying you? - If you arrive late, you hold everyone up.
In business, it's very important to have a positive attitude. I admire her positive attitude.
A tag es una etiqueta. So, when you visit other companies it's not unusual to be given a name tag so that you can be identified as a visitor as you walk around.
agenda and diary are often confused. A meeting has an agenda, a list of items to be discussed during the meeting. So, agenda is a false friend. No es 'agenda'. Agenda means orden del día. What's on the agenda for today? Have you received the agenda for today's meeting? A diary is what Spanish speakers call agenda. I'll write it in my diary for next week. I have a note in my diary to phone you today.
The expression to drop the ball means to fail in some way, to make a mistake. For example, everything was going fine until our project manager dropped the ball. - Have you seen the new James Bond film? It's terrible. They've really dropped the ball with that.
If you have a lot on your plate, you're very busy. Repeat: on my plate - I have a lot on my plate. I'm sorry, I've got too much on my plate at the moment. I'm really busy.
We also gave you some sentences to translate in this months cuaderno. First, you had to translate from English to Spanish. So, I'll say the English sentences and you can say the Spanish translation. Then, repeat the English sentence after me to practise pronunciation. Ready?
Better late than never. - Más vale tarde que nunca - Repeat: Better late than never.
This is as good as it gets! - ¡Mejor imposible! - Repeat: This is as good as it gets!
I can't stand him! - ¡No lo soporto! - Repeat: I can't stand him!
I'm a happy-go-lucky person. - Soy una persona despreocupada. - Repeat: I'm a happy-go-lucky person.
She/He always gets her/his own way. - Siempre se sale con la suya. - Repeat: She/He always gets her/his own way.
Good, now I'll read some Spanish sentences and you translate to English. Then repeat the sentences after me to practise your pronunciation. OK?
¡Se ha acabado el tiempo! - Time's up! - Repeat: Time's up!
¿Cómo funciona? - How does it work? - Repeat: How does it work?
Me está poniendo de los nervios. - He's getting on my nerves. - Repeat: He's getting on my nerves.
¡Déjame en paz! - Leave me alone! - Repeat: Leave me alone!
¡Tomátelo con calma! - Take it easy! (Also chill, chill out!, Keep your hair on and Relax, man) - Repeat: Take it easy! (Also chill, chill out!, Keep your hair on and Relax, man)
Well, that's all we have time for on this podcast, so until the next one, take care, take it easy and relax or "chillax" which is a combination of chilling out and relaxing - "Chillax, man!"
Anyway, we'll be back with you 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 on iTunes.
Si te gusta este podcast, puedes hacernos un gran favor y escribe por favor una corta critíca en iTunes. ¿Como se dice crítica o reseña en inglés? ¿Te acuerdas?- Review - to write a review. If you write a review on iTunes (si escibes una crítica en iTunes) más personas pueden escucharnos porque subimos en el 'ranking' de iTunes. y también puedes darnos algunas estrallas, si te gusta.
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 and join our growing community of fans. Or send me an email to: mansionteachers@yahoo.es. You can also follow us on Twitter. 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, take care, 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.