Preparing for Proficency

Nouns Countable nouns Use: a/an, the or some Use plural Use determiners: many, a large number of, several, a few, few, a lot of Uncountable nouns Use: the, some or nothing Use only singular Use determiners: much, a great deal of, a large amount, little, a little, a lot of Can be made singular or plural adding bit/piece of or bits/pieces of. Some specific words. A piece of gold A bit of milk A lump of sugar A shaft of light Kinds of uncountable nouns substances: coal, gold, flour... abstract nouns: happiness, admiration , freedom, love... all sports: football, basketball, rugby, fence, ski... most nouns ending in -ing: shopping, running, trekking...  accommodation, information, traffic, advice, luggage, luck, weather, work, homework, furniture, evidence Some nouns can be countable and uncountable → having a different meaning!! Hair → all in your head (uncount.) // every single one (count.) Stone → every piece found in natu...

Uses Past simple  → completed actions I studied in the Barcelona University. Past simple  → regular events in the past. Can be also used "used to" or "would" Our parents gave our weekly payment every Saturday evening. We used to visit Osaka every year. It was our communication. I would blink my eye and she would smile. Past continuous  → express something that took place during an event While he was doing some housework, the telephone rang. Past continuous  → temporary situations in the past They were eating in the garden that sunny day. Speculations about the past Must + have + participle  → to express certainty or nearly It must have been stolen while I was looking though the window. Could/Might/May + have + participle  → to express uncertainty about something It could have been an error but it is a suspicious mistake. Somebody might have changed the rules. He may have forgotten to come to the dinner at Peter's h...

If + would // will If you would agree, the company will increase you salary. If + will // will If you go to the supermarket, I'll prepare the dinner. Other structures to introduce conditional clauses: Providing, provided that, as/so long as - are similar to the if clause but emphasising the condition I'll go on foot provided that the public transport is getting more expensive day after day. As long as she doesn't repair her bike, she'll be taking the bus. I'll play providing you pay for me in advance.   Even if  → introduce an extreme condition They will play the match even if its snowing heavily.   Unless  → similar to "if ... not" or "providing ... not", sometimes to "except when" She won't resign from her vice-president position unless the president suggests it. She won't resign from her vice-president position except when the president suggests it. Supposing  → must be used at the beginning ...

The inversions are characterised for being more formal than those conditionals using "if". First conditional - expresses a tentative idea, request or offer If you should need extra time to complete the assignment, ask for it. Inverted: Should you require extra time to complete the assignment, ask for it. Second conditional If he managed to get here, he would be clever enough to solve the enigma. Inverted: Was he to manage to get here, he would be clever enough to solve the enigma. Third conditional If she had won the lottery, she might have already spend it all. Inverted: Had she won the lottery, she might have already spend it all. For more information about conditional structure read this. For more information about Inversions read this.

Zero conditional  - for real situations If /When + present // present tense Example: If you say that kind of things, you seem stupid. Example: When you want to be nice, you are a really kind person. First conditional  - for real situations If + present // future tense will Example: If people don't stop wasting natural resources, we'll run out of them soon. Second conditional - for unreal situations If + past // would/could/might Example: If I had the chance, I would have gone to Guatemala. Example: If it was real, it could be the greatest financial scandal in Spain. Example: If he weren't so pigheaded, he might have accepted the proposal.  Third conditional - for unreal situations If + past perfect // would/could/might + past participle Example: If they had surrendered after the first battle, nobody would have defeated them. Example: If she had had the chances, she could have studied in the university. Example: If ...

Will + infinitive: To indicate future predictions based on opinions or experiences For detailed arrangements or activities  For spontaneous decisions made in a certain moment Some examples: If you continue behaving in that way you'll have big problems! The meeting will start punctually at 8.00 in the conference hall. I'm tired I'll take the next metro back home. Going to + infinitive: For predictions based on evidence To indicate intentions or decisions Some examples: During the rains season in India, it's pretty sure that it's going to rain every evening. Tomorrow I'm going to visit my dentist to have my tooth taken. Shall + infinitive: To substitute will with I and we (not so used nowadays) for offerings Some examples: I shall take my umbrella next time I see a cloud in the sky. We shall study in order to pass the exam with a positive result. Shall I prepare some food for you? Present continuous: For...

Future perfect simple: For events that will take place in the future Some examples: I will have finished my project by the end of next week. Future perfect continuous: To indicate the extension at a specific time in the future Some examples: We'll have been friends for ten years next Friday 29th of May. More information about Perfect Tenses

Present perfect simple: situations in the past that are still true present consequences of something that took place in the past a recent event or situation something that will take place in the future Some examples: I've worked in the same place for five years. I've lost my job so I have to find a new one. My father has just left home to go to the market. As soon as you have arrived, give me a phone call. Present perfect continuous: Sometimes it can be used to replace present perfect simple to emphasise the amount of time involved in an action to make notice that on action is still ongoing to emphasise the present effects of a recent event to make notice that one action has recently stopped Some examples: I've been working in the same place for five years. I've been doing housework all the weekend! The number of people without job has been growing since the beginning of the crisis. In Bo...

This part of the exam takes about 19 minutes. General objectives assessed: Grammar accuracy Vocabulary range Ability to express opinions and abstract ideas Pronunciation Interaction with your partner(s) Part 1 - Interview:  The interviewer will ask you to talk about yourself and to express some personal opinions (3 minutes). That part gives you the opportunity to relax a little bit and start feeling a bit more confident talking about yourself, and things you already know. Typical questions (you can have previously prepared ideas!!): Are you working or studying at the moment? Where do you live? How do you spend your leisure time? What would be your ideal job? How do you travel to work/college every day? What are your plans of future? What is important to you, to have a well-paid job or to do something to help people? It is advisable to avoid responding with too typical answers. For example if you are asked about your leisure try to avoid m...

 Dear Kevin, I'm writing to you becase I have just read your letter in the magazine and that has struck a chord with me. When I was reading your words it came to my mind those days when I was your age. I had similar problems with my parents. Being a teenager is not as easy as one might initially think, some times you can feel really alone. As you mentioned in your letter you seem to have problems to takling with your parets. In my case it was the main problem. You should try to deal with it as soon as possible as it might be the cause of other conflicts. You could try to find at the weekend the manner in which to spend more time with them. They should start realising that you are not a child anymore. You are becoming an adult. So you should behave like and adult, and live in adult's world, things are solved by talking. As soon as you show them your level of maturity they will be more comprensive about the way you organise your time. That power involves a great responsibi...

Last Wednesday I attended a course at Saint George's College entitled “Descriptive writing”. Initially it seemed a gloomy and a good-for-nothing activity. What could be said about this topic that you haven'nt heard a hundred of times before at school by the language teacher? As you see my expectations for that evening weren't too high. Now, I must admit that I couldn't have been more pleased with the lesson received during those four hours. Time seemed to fly during that evening. The main issue of that course was on how we could improve our writing skills in order to produce more appealing texts. The importance of this topic came out of the blue when the teacher made us notice how little time we spend reading something until we decide if we really want to end it or give it up. The most powerful examples were provided he showed the statistics on the few minutes we spend reading somethingon the Internet or just reading the headings of the news in the newspaper. ...

View: - exhibit: The sculpture was on view at a gallery. - observe: As the fog disappeared the mountain came into view. - opion/knowledge: There's a widespread view that smoking is bad for your health. Serious: - consideration: The offer needed some serious consideration. - situation: The situation is so serious that the goverment had been forced to take measures. - character: Although his funny character, he has a serious side when he is working. Bear: - show: My sister and I both bear a strong resemblance to my father. - hold: Those neighbours bear a grudge for an old conflict. - stay: When you reach the crossroad, bear right and follow until the end of the street. Clear: - out: Keep clear of trouble said the mother before departing. - decisions/thoughts: Now that I have finished my degree I should clear abaut my future plans. - views: From the top of the mountain you could see the sea in a clear day. If you want to read a more detailed explanation on how to...

A good film for entertainment purposes in the evening, when there’s nothing better to do after Sunday lunch, is “The Tourist”. The only reason to watch this film is because of the fact that is a typical Hollywood film with a light plot, famous actors and lots of action. The main characters are the handsome Johnny Depp and the beautiful Angelina Jolie. The story is quite a simple one. It’s a about an American maths teacher, Frank who is travelling around Europe after having broken up a relationship. Suddenly, while going by train from Paris to Venice he met a beautiful and mysterious woman, Elise who is going to play havoc with Frank’s peaceful journey. Elise is being closely tracked down by the international police organizations, as they want to catch up with her old lover, Alexander who made fame and fortune stealing a lot of money from a powerful and dangerous gangsters. The police are really interested in following her as they suspect that Alexander had received plasti...

Dear Editor, I have read the opinion of Mr. Henry Reid-Streebling in your magazine on the attitudes of young people. I couldn’t disagree more with the strong views forwarded in yesterday’s edition. I think that we can’t generalize on such issues. It’s true that in the media it has been proven that there’s a percentage of young people that don’t study or work at all. I think that this has created a stereotyped image of youth, although that is not the real problem. The problem is the high rates of unemployment among the young. The vast majority of the youngsters I know try to combine part-time working and studying. It’s not easy nowadays to do both, as studying a degree in the University is really demanding. Otherwise if you don’t put much effort into your studies, it’s going to be a whole waste of time. Finding a job is becoming more difficult day after day, and companies only employ those with the best qualifications. Even trying to do their best during the degree there’re litt...

If he has asked to… → If he should ask to... → Should he ask to... If he had asked to... → Had he asked to...

Recognise → Recogni sable /Recogni zable Likely  → Likel ihood History → Histor ians ( not historicians ) Fruit → Fruit ful ( not fructiferous ) Rely → Rel iance ( not reliation ) Notoriety → Notori ously ( not notably ) Certain → As certain (meaning to determine) Rigour → Rigo rous ( not rigourous ) Rain → Rain fall Appreciate → Apprecia bly ( not appeciately ) Go → Under go Ambiguous → Ambigu ity ( not ambiguousity ) Notice → Notice able ( not noticiable ) Maintain → Maint e nance ( not maintainance ) High → H ei gh t Anxious → Anxi ety See → Insight Lonely → Lonel i ness Repeat → Repeat edly (different from repetitively) Just → Just ice Break → Break through Press → Press ure ( not pression ) Retail → Retail ers Exceed → Exc e ss ive ( not exceedful ) Efficient → Efficient cy (noun) /   Efficient ly (adverb) Bring ...

A young panter prowling in the grass. Prowl: walk in bad intentions, like if in search of a prey Trudge: walk in a military attitude or slowly Stroll: relaxed walk in nice place such a city center or a park Stumble: momentary lose of one's balance (also errors when speaking) The thief prowled next to the old lady like a cat next to a pigeon. The teacher left the class trudging towards the directors office. The tourists were stollinging in the city centre when the music began. The rock in the middle of the path made me strumble .

After one session the copule made up. Build up: accumulate Take up residence: stablish in one place Put up: provide accommodation Make up: reconcile His godfather built up an enourmous sales company. A lot of people are nowadays taking up residence in Canda. If you want to spend few days in Barcelona I can put you up in my place. At the end both parts made up and fogave the previous conflicts.

Over the threshold: over a certain limit When any Tom, Dick or Harry: When anyone that since: as Strive: try to do the best Grumble: complain Ripen: mature (applied to fruit) Examples: You have to score over the threshold to get the certificate. The mother complained to his son for opening the door when any Tom, Dick or Harry knocked it. It's more probably that since in my work I spend most of the time, you find me there. When I'm working on a project, I'm always striving . You musn't grumble when something is given for free. The fruit becomes more sweet as it ripens .