Sinónimos: ejercicios

Here are some synonyms or near-synonyms of some words. Discover the odd man out in each case:

1.- to despise (despreciar) : to deride, to disdain, to hoard, to look down on, to shun, to scorn, to slight, to spurn

2.- to cry (llorar): to heal, to shed tears, to sob, to sniff, to snivel, to wail, to whine

3.- pale (pálido): emaciated, foul, gaunt, haggard, pallid, sallow

4.- fat (gordo): chubby, lanky, plump, obese, overweight, porky, stout, tubby

5.- magnificent (magnífico): admirable, gorgeous, grand, great, splendid, superb, spectacular, striking, glorious, weird, wonderful

6.- to confuse (confundir): to baffle, to ban, to bewilder, to confound, to disconcert, to mistify, to perplex

7.- horrible (horrible): awful, appalling, dreadful, frightful, soothing

8.- astute (astuto): artful, clever, crafty, cunning, guileful, harassed, shrewd

9.- to tolerate (tolerar, soportar, aguantar):  to bear, to endure, to get away with, to put up with, to suffer

10.- thin (delgado): bony, fleshy, skinny, underweight, scrawny, scraggy, puny, skeletal.

KEY

1.- to hoard (atesorar); 2.- to heal (curar); 3.- foul (asqueroso); 4.- lanky (largirucho); 5.-weird (extraño); 6.- to ban (desterrar); 7.- soothing (tranquilizante); 8.- harassed (acosado,-a); 9. -to get away with (quedar impune, escaparse con algo/alguien); 10.- fleshy (carnoso,-a).

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Pincelada gramatical': drunk/drunken,, shrunk/shrunken, sunk/sunken

Pregunta. ¿Cuándo se usan drunk, shrunk y sunk, y cuándo drunken, shrunken y sunken?

Respuesta. Drunk, shrunk y sunk se emplean como participios propiamente dichos:

I’ve drunk only a couple of beers – sólo he bebido un par de cervezas

mientras que drunken, shrunken y sunken sólo se usan generalmente como adjetivos delante de un nombre:

a drunken man – un hombre borracho

Práctica

Tacha la forma que no proceda

a.- The shirt has shrunk/shrunken.

b.- They found the wreck of a sunk/sunken ship.

c.- The Spanish vessel was sunk/sunken by an English battleship over one hundred years ago.

d.- Why haven’t you drunk/drunken your tea?

e.- Margaret was sitting near a shrunk/shrunken old woman.

CLAVE

formas correctas: a.- shrunk; b.- sunken; c.- sunk; d.- drunk; e.- shrunken

De mi libro Guía Práctica de Gramática y Léxico de la Lengua Inglesa en Preguntas y Respuestas, Editorial Comares, 2007.

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Phrasal verbs with take; exercises at three levels.

Complete the phrasal verbs with the appropriate particle, and translate into Spanish:

elementary level

1.- I'm afraid your plane has just taken ......

2.- The little one takes ...... me - he loves animals.

3.- He took the afternoon ......

4.- He has taken ...... drinking.

5.- That table takes ...... too much room.

6.- That's a lot of money; I'm afraid you've been taken ......

7.- Myrna took ...... judo when she was 10.

8.- You can take ...... four books at a time.

intermediate level

1.- They took ...... each other at once.

2.- The police took the room ...... looking for drugs.

3.- The Olympiad takes ...... next Sunday.

4.- He was taken ...... by her quick reaction.

5.- The rebels took ...... the embassy.

6.- Spanish economy is beginning to take ......

7.- If the shirt doesn't fit, you can take it ......

8.- We had a good laugh watching him take ...... the Prime Minister.

advanced level

1.- The flu takes it ...... of you.

2.- She earns some money by taking ...... some sewing.

3.- You're too old; employers prefer to take ...... younger people.

4.- When you take ...... insurance, read the small print.

5.- My husband is in the garage taking the car engine ......

6.- The rebels have taken ...... the mountains.

7.- The skirt's too long; we'll take it ...... a bit.

8.- I can see you're quite taken ...... my niece.

KEY

elementary level

1.- off - me temo que su avión acaba de despegar.
2.- after - el pequeño ha salido a mí - le encantan los animales.
3.- off - se tomó la tarde libre.
4.- to - se ha dado a la bebida.
5.- up - esa mesa ocupa demasiado espacio/sitio.
6.- in - eso es mucho dinero; me temo que te han engañado.
7.- up - Myrna empezó clases de yudo cuando tenía 10 años.
8.- out - puedes sacar cuatro libros de una vez.

intermediate level

1.- to - se gustaron inmediatamente/enseguida.
2.- apart - la policía revolvió la habitación buscando drogas.
3.- off - la Olimpiada empieza el domingo que viene.
4.- aback - le sorprendió su rápida reacción.
5.- over - los rebeldes se apoderaron de la embajada.
6.- off - la economía española está empezando a despegar.
7.- back - si la camisa no te está bien, puedes devolverla.
8.- off - nos reímos de buena gana viéndole imitar al primer ministro.

advanced level

1.- out - la gripe te deja hecho polvo.
2.- in - gana/saca algo de dinero cogiendo costura para hacer en casa.
3.- on - eres demasiado mayor; los empresarios prefieren contratar gente más joven.
4.- out - cuando te hagas un seguro, léete/lee la letra pequeña.
5.- apart - mi marido está en el garaje desmontando el motor del coche.
6.- to - los rebeldes se han echado al monte.
7.- up - la falda es demasiado larga; le meteremos/la acortaremos un poco.
8.- with - veo que te gusta bastante mi sobrina.

Source: Diccionario Pedagógico Bilingüe, online version (under construction).

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Idioms: being/getting angry.

Here are some idioms you can use to indicate that someone is angry or getting angry, or sth that makes sb angry:

to hit the roof/ceiling
to drive sb up the wall
to drive sb round the bend/twist
to go off the deep end
to be foaming at the mouth
to have kittens
to cut up rough
to go bananas
to blow a fuse
to jump down sb's throat
sth is like a red rag to a bull
to get/put sb's back up


Complete the following sentences:

1.- My mother .... bananas when I said I was going to leave the job.

2.- He .... a fuse and started shooting at people. 

3.- I went into the boss’s office and asked him for a rise -  it was like a .... rag to a bull.

4.- He hit the .... when he saw his wife kissing another man. 

5.- He’s always so sure of himself – frankly, he puts my back .... 

6.- She nearly .... kittens when she saw her boyfriend dancing with  another girl. 

7.- She’ll .... up rough if you don’t give her what she’s asked for.

8.- The baby’s been crying for two hours - it .... me up the wall.

9.- There’s no reason for you to go off the .... end.

10.- He was .... at the mouth because they had robbed him of his wallet.  


KEY

1.- went; 2.- blew; 3.- red; 4.- roof/ceiling; 5.- up; 6.- had; 7.- cut; 

8.- drives; 9,. deep; 10.- foaming


SOURCE: Diccionario Bilingüe de Modismos, e-book version. 

Amazon (Kindle).http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00Q1HHDLK

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Verbos frasales con to set

Completa los verbos frasales en las siguientes oraciones y traduce al español:

1.- The advantages must be set ...... the disadvantages.

2.- Well, a cup of tea or coffee will set you ...... only 40p. 

3.- She was wearing a turquoise blouse which set ...... her blue eyes.

4.- Winter seems to have set ...... early this year.

5.- It’s about time you set ...... your differences.

6.- He set ...... his own business when he was only twenty.

7.- When are we going to set ...... our fireworks?

8.-  The pilot managed to set the plane ...... on a wheat field.

9.- After the operation, the doctor recommended a cruise to set her ...... again.

10.- If you get into his garden, he’ll set his dogs ...... you.

KEY

1.- against - Hay que sopesar los pros y los contras.

2.- back - Bueno, una taza de té o café te saldrá por 40 peniques solamente.

3.- off - Llevaba puesta una blusa color turquesa que realzaba sus ojos azules.

4.- in - El invierno parece haber llegado pronto este año.

5.- aside - Ya es hora de que dejéis a un lado vuestras diferencias.

6.- up - Creó/montó/estableció su propio negocio cuando sólo tenía veinte años. 

7.- off - ¿cuándo vamos a lanzar nuestros cohetes?

8.- down - El piloto consiguió aterrizar el avión en un campo de trigo.

9.- up - Tras la operación, el médico recomendó un crucero para levantarle el ánimo.

10.- on/upon - Si entras en su jardín, azuzará los perros contra ti/te echará los perros.

Fuente. Dicionario Pedagógico Bilingüe, versión online (en construcción).

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Léxico: antónimos (ejercicio)

EJERCICIO

Completa las siguientes frases con un antónimohttp://sanchezbenedito.blogspot.com.es/2014/03/preparing-for-oposiciones-antonyms.html del adjetivo subrayado que empiece con la letra dada:

1.- The baby’s not asleep, it’s a - - - -

2.- The film wasn’t exciting, I found it rather b - - - - -

3.- You shouldn’t be so contemptuous, you should be more r - - - - - - - -

4.- The road is quite narrow, I expected it to be w - - - -

5.- I don’t like long speeches, I prefer them to be b - - - -

6.- The street we live in isn’t peaceful at all, it’s rather n - - - -

7.- The letter wasn’t signed, it was u - - - - - - -

8.- That suit isn’t cheap, it’s a bit e - - - - - - - -

9.- He’s never idle, he’s always b - - -

10.- Your shirt isn’t smooth, it’s quite w - - - - - - -

KEY

1.- awake, 2.- boring; 3.- respectful; 4.- wider; 5.- brief; 6.- noisy; 7.- unsigned; 8.- expensive; 9,. busy; 10.- wrinkled

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Modismos con nombres propios de persona.

En mi post de hoy encontraréis algunos modismos ingleses con nombres propios de persona, un ejercicio para practicar, la clave y algunas teorías acerca de su origen

Ejercicio: Completa las frases con el nombre propio de persona adecuado y traduce al español:

1.       It’s a Harley Davidson – the real ..............

2.       Now that the neighbours has bought a Mercedes, my wife       wants me to buy one too. To keep up with the ...................;     that’s all she cares about.

3.       Stop complaining. You’re living the life of ............

4.       Our new neighbour is a nosy ...............

5.       I don’t like him. He’s a Peeping ............    

6.       He’s always been a doubting ..................

              

KEY

1.- McCoy - Es una Harley Davidson, la auténtica.

2.- Joneses - Ahora que los vecinos se han comprado un Mercedes, mi mujer quiere que yo compre uno también - seguir el mismo tren de vida que los vecinos o amistades , aun sin poder permitírselo; eso es todo lo que le importa

3.- Riley . Deja de quejarte. Te das la gran vida/vives a cuerpo de rey.

4.- Parker - Nuestro nuevo vecino es un metomentodo.

5.- Tom - No me gusta. Es un mirón
6.  Thomas - Siempre ha sido un incrédulo, como Santo Tomás.

          Origen de los modismos

1.- the real McCoy

Frase de origen incierto. Hay varias teorías: Podría venir del nombre de un famoso boxeador estadounidense (Kid 'the Real McCoy'), de finales del siglo XIX, o tal vez de un canadiense de mediados de dicho siglo, Elijah McCoy, inventor entre otras cosas de una tabla de planchar y de un aspersor para el césped, que la gente demandaba especialmente por su gran calidad. Sea como sea, lo que parece fuera de toda duda es que en Escocia, gran exportadora de esta bebida a EE.UU. y Canadá, desde aprox. 1880 dan este nombre al whisky auténtico.

2.- to keep up with the Joneses

Frase inventada por Arthur R. Mommand ('Pop'), dibujante de tiras cómicas, para una serie de ese nombre, que apareció por primera vez en el periódico Globe, de Nueva York el 1 de abrl de 1913 y que siguió publicándose durante 28 años. Al parecer, el autor se inspiró en sus propios intentos de seguir el mismo tren de vida que sus vecinos, sin poder permitírselo en realidad.

3.- to live the life of Riley

La expresión 'to live the life of Riley', 'pegarse la buena vida', viene de la canción cómica 'Is That Mr Reilly', cantada por Pat Rooney, muy popular en los Estados Unidos en la década de los 1880, que describía qué haría el tal personaje si se hiciera rico de la noche a la mañana.

4.- to be a nosey/nosy Parker

Según afirma Brewer, en su famoso Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, la expresión, aplicada a una persona entrometida, un 'metomentodo', viene de Matthew Parker, arzobispo de Canterbury en tiempos de Enrique VIII (siglo XVI), nombrado para investigar los bienes y la conducta de los clérigos, tras la disolución de los monasterios. Por razones de su cargo, tenía que hacer muchas preguntas en sus visitas, por lo que se decía que era 'very nosey' (muy fisgón). No hay constancia, sin embargo, de que la expresión 'nosey Parker' o 'nosy Parker' empezara a usarse hasta 1907. Al parecer, antes de esa fecha, 'nosey' se decía de personas narigudas, como el Duque de Wellington.

5.- a Peeping Tom

La frase viene de la leyenda de Lady Godiva, esposa de Leofric, duque de Mercia, que en 1040, cabalgó desnuda por la ciudad de Coventry, de la que era 'protectora', porque su marido le había prometido que si lo hacía, eliminaría unas tasas abusivas, que acababa de imponer a los ciudadanos. En el día señalado, todos los habitantes de Coventry mostraron su respeto quedándose en sus casas, a excepción  de un sastre llamado Tom, que se asomó a la ventana para verla, quedándose ciego como castigo y recibiendo el apodo de 'Peeping Tom' ('mirón'). El apodo hizo fortuna y sigue usándose desde entonces. Desde 1768, el hecho se conmemora en Coventry con una procesión en la que una moderna Lady Godiva cabalga por las calles de dicha ciudad, sin más ropa que una malla ajustada a su cuerpo. 

6.- to be a doubting Thomas

La expresión, aplicada a una persona incrédula, que no cree nada sin tener pruebas fehacientes, viene del apóstol Santo Tomás que, según se cuenta en el Evangelio de San Juan (20: 25-29), no creyó que Jesús había resucitado hasta que no metió su mano en la herida de su costado. 

Fuente principal: Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, revisado por Adrian Room, Cassell, 2000.

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Invitation to Murder: Suggestions for exploiting the story in the classroom

Here are some suggestions to exploit the story 'Invitation to Murder'http://sanchezbenedito.blogspot.com.es/2014/12/historias-y-humor-invitation-to-murder.html in the classroom for the students' benefit:

Role-play

Inspector Caulder and Sergeant Turner discuss the case.

Motives

State the motives each of the following characters in the story may have had to murder Lord Thumbleton:

Barton -

Borderlow -

Helen - 

Miss Prescott -

Salford - 


Synonyms 

Find synonyms or near-synonyms for the following words and expressions:

a.- to do sb in -

b.- astonished - 

c.- bewildered

d.- cunning

e.- to impersonate

f.- to take one’s own life

Antonyms

Find antonyms for the following words:

a.-comfortable

b.- to fail

c.- guilty

d.- harmless

e.- irrelevant

f.- needy

Partitives 

Fill in the blanks with an adequate partitive, then translate into Spanish:

1.- a .... of chocolate                            

2.- a .... of soap                                

3.- a .... of furniture                      

4.- a .....of sugar                          

5.- a .... of wind                                

6.- a .... of fog/mist                           

7.- a .... of laughter                           

8.- a .... of toast                                

9.- a .... of salt                      

10.- a ....of good/bad weather            

Unless

Re-write the following sentences using unless without changing the meaning:

  a.- Don’t format the hard disk without backing it up first

  b.- You will be taken to court if you don’t pay up

  c.-  The lid will leak if you don’t do it up tightly

  d.- If I can borrow my brother’s motorbike, I’ll be able to get there by 9 o’clock

  e.- Without a change in their attitude, they’ll never be champions

  f.- There will be no Christmas bonus this year if you don’t make greater efforts to sell more

Ways of killing

  Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb from the lexical field of killing:

     a.- Martin Luther King was ............ in Memphis in 1968

     b.- The jury found him guilty of ........... not murder

     c.- More than 300 people were killed in the battle; it was a real ...........

     d.- The prisoner will be .......... next Monday

     e.- The horse was suffering badly from its wounds, so its owner had to ...... it ......

     f.- The gunman opened fire with a machine gun and ......... at least ten people

     g.- The two gangsters were ........ at the pizza parlor

     h.- The lambs will be taken to the village abattoir to be ...........

Idioms

Complete the following sentences:

1.- If you want to adopt a child, you have to fill in a lot of forms. There’s a lot of .......tape

          a.- black; b.- red; c.- brown

     2.- I wouldn’t do that for all the tea in ...........

          a.- China; b.- India; c.- Russia

3.- “How do you know that George’s going to be promoted?” “I got it straight from the........mouth”

          a.- bull’s; b.- dog’s; c.- horse’s

     4.- The boss ....... him on the carpet for being late to work

          a.- had; b.- set; c.- laid

5.- You could have knocked me down with a .......... when I heard they were divorcing

     a.- hammer; b.- feather; c.- pin

6.- It’s a high salary for an easy job. It’s money for .........

     a.- biscuit; b.- butter; c.- jam

7.- Now they want me to work overtime without any money compensation. That’s the last ..........

     a.- drop; b.- grain; c.- straw

8.- I’m not saying that thieves should be ill-treated, but I don’t think they should be handled with ......gloves either

     a.- leather; b.- kid; c.- silk

9.- They hadn’t been on speaking terms for years, but then one day they decided to bury the ........... and be friends

     a.- hatchet; b.- gun; c.- knife

10.- The pension she gets from the government is scarcely enough to keep the ....... from the door

     a.- wolf; b.- dogs; c.- rats

Phonetics: Silent 'b'

The 'b' is not pronounced in the words debt and debtor, appearing in the story. What other words do you know with a silent 'b'? 

KEY

Role-play : students' own answers, taking the story as a basis

Motives: students' own answers, taking the story as a basis

Synonyms:

a.- to kill, to murder
b.- surprised, amazed, astounded
c.- baffled, puzzled, perplexed
d.- clever, astute, crafty
e.- to pass oneself off as
f.- to commit suicide, to kill oneself

Antonyms

a.- uncomfortable
b.- to succeed
c.- not guilty, innocent
d.- harmful
e.- relevant
f.- rich, wealthy, well-off


Partitives

1.- a bar/square/piece of chocolate – una barrita/tableta/onza/pedazo de chocolate

2.- a bar/cake of soap – una pastilla de jabón

3.-a pìece/an item of furniture – un mueble

4.- a cube/lump of sugar - un terrón de azúcar

5.- a gust/puff of wind – una ráfaga/una racha de viento

6.- a patch of fog/mist – un banco de niebla/neblina

7.- a peal/roar of laughter – una carcajada

8.- a piece of toast – una tostada

9.- a grain/pinch of salt – un grano/una pizca de sal

10.- a spell of good/bad weather – una racha de buen/mal tiempo

Unless

Suggested answers: 

a.- Don’t format the hard disk unless you have backed it up first

b.- Unless you pay up, you’ll be taken to court

c.- Unless you do up the lid tightly, it will leak

d.- Unless I can borrow my brother’s motorbike, I won’t be able to get there by 9 o’clock

e.- Unless they change their attitude, they’ll never be champions

f.- Unless you make greater efforts to sell more, there will be no Christmas bonus this year.

Ways of killing a.- assassinated; b.- manslaughter; c.- massacre; d.- executed; e.- finish off; f.- mowed down; g.- bumped off/knocked off/ done in; h.- slaughtered/butchered

Idioms

1-b; 2-a; 3-c; 4-a; 5-b; 6-c; 7-c; 8-b; 9-a; 10-a

Phonetics: Silent 'b'

- The 'b' is silent in words ending in mb and derived: bomb (bomba), bomber (bombardero), to climb (escalar), climber (escalador), comb (peine), crumb (migaja), dumb (mudo), lamb (cordero), limb (miembro, extremidad), plumb (plomada), plumber (fontanero), thumb pulgar), tomb (tumba), etc.

- the 'b' is also silent before 't' in words like: debt (deuda), debtor (deudor), doubt (duda), doubtful (dudoso), doubtless (indudable), undoubtedly (indudablemente), subtle (sutil), subtlety (sutileza), etc. 

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Gramática: Nombres frasales

Nombres frasales

De los verbos frasales se derivan a veces nombres, llamados comúnmente nombres frasales (phrasal nouns), de uso muy extendido actualmente, sobre todo en lenguaje periodístico o profesional (fotografía, cine, informática, etc.):

back-up          copia de seguridad (inform.)

blow-up           ampliación (fotografía)

check-up         chequeo (médico)

flyover            paso elevado

go-between     intermediario

lay-by             aparcamiento en carretera

lockout          cierre patronal

mix-up confusión

setback           revés, inconveniente

write-off          siniestro total (seguros); (fig) caso perdido

EXERCISE

Complete the sense with the following phrasal nouns: breakdown; mix-up; walkout; breakthrough; lockout; write-off; setback; pile-up:

1.- Recently a significant ..........was announced in the search for a cure for ebola.

2.- My husband is recovering from a ......caused by too much stress.

3.- The plan has suffered a ............ Our sponsor has withdrawn  his support.

4.- As a result of the .........on the motorway his car was a .........

5.- When the car workers staged a .........in protest at the cutting of their tea-break, the employers retaliated with a ............

6.- There was a .........over the time of the interview which resulted in his losing the job. 

TIP: Appendix 9 in my Gramática Inglesa, 9ª ed. can help you to do the exercise (pp. 726-730).

KEY

1.- breakthrough; 2.- breakdown; 3.- setback; 4.- pile-up; write-off; 5.- walk-out/walkout, lockout; 6.- mix-up 

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verbos + preposición -2

Verbs + preposition 

Exercice

Fill in the gaps with the correct preposition:

1.- Our neighbour is always borrowing things .........us Nuestro vecino siempre nos está pidiendo

  cosas prestadas

2.- I bumped .... him at the races Me lo tropecé en las carreras

      

3.- This ship doesn’t call .... Genoa Este barco no hace escala en Génova

4.- Money is all she cares .... El dinero es todo lo que le importa

5.- Who will care .... him when he gets old? ¿Quién cuidará de él cuando sea viejo?

6.- Their flat is lovely, but I don’t care .... the furniture Su piso es encantador, pero no me gustan  los muebles

7.- Would you care .... a cigar? ¿Te apetece un puro?

8,. We cater .... all your needs Satisfacemos todas sus necesidades                

9.- I chanced .... this bargain on the internet Me topé con esta ganga en internet

10.- After drinking the potion, Dr Jekyll changed .... Mr Hyde Tras beber la pócima, el Dr Jekyll se transformó en Mr Hyde

11.- They charged me ten euros .... the whisky  Me cobraron diez euros por el whisky

  

12.- They charged her .... murder La acusaron de asesinato

13.- The van collided .... a lorry La furgoneta chocó con un camión

14.- They're commenting .... the football match Están comentando el partido de fútbol

KEY

1.- from; 2.- into; 3.- at; 4.- about; 5.- for; 6.- for; 7.- for; 8.- for; 9.- upon/on; 10.- into; 11.- for; 12.- with; 13.- with; 14.- on/about

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Food idioms -2

A few weeks ago, you had the opportunity to learn some food idioms, but in case you haven't had your fill yet, here you have some more:

Exercise

Complete the following idioms with one of the following words: 
bacon, butter, butterfingers, cake, cheese, peach, onions, pie, potato, soup:

1.- You should get out more and watch less TV, you're turning into a real couch ........

2.- Except for a bit of ........ fuzz, the baby was born bald.
3.- When it comes to computers, he really knows his ........
4.- No one ever thought she was so naughty; she always looked as if .......... wouldn't melt in her mouth.
5.- My wife has had to bring home the ...... ever since I broke my leg.
6.- He's in the .......... It's the third time this month he's been caught exceeding the speed limit.
7.- The goalkeeper had the ball, but he dropped it. What a ........he is!
8.- Simon wants to have his .......... and eat it too. He won't marry me, but he doesn't want me to date anyone else.
9.- He was a very influential man; he seemed to have a finger in every ........
10. I thought I was just going to interview the secretary, but they let me talk to the big ........ himself.

KEY

1.- potato; 2.- peach; 3.- onions; 4.- butter; 5.- wife; 6.- soup; 7.- butterfingers; 8.- cake; 9.- pie; 10.- cheese.

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Léxico: False friends

FALSE FRIENDS

We say that a word is a ‘false friend’ or a ‘false cognate’ when it has the same or very similar form in two languages, but a different meaning in each. The similarity may cause students to use the word wrongly, giving rise sometimes to awkward misunderstandings: fastidious, for example, does not mean ‘fastidioso’ (annoying, bothersome), but ‘meticuloso’. 
Sometimes an English term is equivalent to a Spanish one, but only in one of its meanings: to assist can mean ‘asistir’, but only in the sense of ‘socorrer, ayudar’; for ‘asistir a un acto’ you must use to attend; café means ‘café’ only in the sense of the place where you can have coffee (the beverage). These terms can be described as partially false friends.


EXERCISE: Answer the following questions:

a.-When someone refers to the actual events, is he referring to events happening now?

b.- If a woman says she’s embarrassed, does it mean she’s expecting a baby?

c.- If your teacher asks you to resume your work, does he want you to summarize it?

d.- If I say that my mother was dismayed at the news, do I mean that she passed out?

e.- If your girlfriend forgot to buy you a birthday present, would you regard it as a deception?

f.- Is a comedian supposed to be gracious?

KEY

a.- no, he’s referring to the events themselves; b.- no, she means she’s confused or disconcerted; c.- no, he wants me to continue with my work; d.- no, you mean that she was upset; e.- no, as a disappointment; f.- no, funny

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The World Week of Phrasal Verbs -2

Here you have your phrasal verbs for Thursday and Friday, to complete the World Phrasal Verbs Week. On Friday, we bring to a close our 1st World Week of Phrasal Verbs. No phrasal verbs por Saturday or Sunday, as I guess you have better things to do on the weekend.

Phrasal Verbs for Thursday

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate particle:

1.- This computer is sold with the printer thrown .......
2.- I wish you would stop showing me ...... in front of my friends 
3.- The stress of her husband's illness is beginning to tell ...... her
4.- Someone will stand ......    ...... the main actor in that dangerous scene
5.- She set ...... her work with great enthusiasm
6.- Don't let your imagination run .......    ...... you
7.- He's really good at putting his message ......
8.- Stop frittering money ...... on clothes you're never going to wear

Phrasal Verbs for Friday

Complete each sentence with a phrasal verb with the same or almost the same meaning as the verb given in brackets. As an aditional help, the initial letter of each phrasal verb is provided:

1.- We'll w.......   ..... our campaign with a meeting in Madrid [end]
2.- It's rumoured that, because of the recesion, 20% of the workers are to be l.....   ..... next month [dismiss]
3.- As he passed the table he accidentally k.....   ...... a glass of beer [upset]
4.- The papers are all full of the scandal, but in a few days it will all have b.....   ...... [be forgotten]
5.- The government has made a serious mistake but, of course, they're doing what they can to  p...... it ...... [minimise]
6.- He was very ill last year but, thank goodness, he p.....   ..... [recover]
7.- They've r....   ..... a large phone bill [accumulate]
8.- Cholera was s.....   ...... in this country long ago [eradicate]

KEY

Thursday: 1.- in; 2.- up; 3.- on: 4.- in for; 5.- about; 6.- away with; 7.- across; 8.- away

Friday: 1.- wind up; 2.- laid off; 3.- knocked over; 4.- blown over; 5.- play down; 6.- pulled through; 7.- run up; 8.- stamped out

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The World Week of Phrasal Verbs - 1

The World Day of this, the World Day of that, the World Week of this, the World Week of that, but no world day or week of phrasal verbs. Well, this week is going to be 'The World Week of Phrasal Verbs' for us, OK?

Phrasal Verbs for Monday

Complete each sentence with a phrasal verb with the same or almost the same meaning as the verb given in brackets. As an additional help,  the initial letter of each phrasal verb is provided:

1.- Last year the company decided to b..... ......  into some new lines [expand]
2.- Capital punishment was d.....  .....   ..... in Britain fifty years ago [abolish]
3.- They l.....   ..... extra trains during the rush hour [provide]
4.- Jim f.....    .....   ..... his brother when they were in their twenties, and they didn't see each other for fifteen years [quarrel with]
5.- The TV program was so boring that I d.....   ..... [fall asleep]
6.- That music will never  c......   ..... [become popular]
7- Nick always relies on his wife to s.....   ..... all the arrangements for their holidays [organise]
8.- Our business went through a bad patch last year, but things seem to be  p.....   ..... now [improve]

Phrasal Verbs for Tuesday

Replace the verb in italics with a phrasal verb with the same meaning:

1.- The plane has just landed. You have an hour before it leaves again
2.- They were despised by almost everybody who knew them
3.- I'm not prepared to tolerate insolence from you
4.- I'm a bit squeamish. I always faint at the sight of blood
5.- A well known company is thinking of establishing a new factory in this town
6.- It was clear from the way they were huddled together in a corner that they were plotting something
7.- Raising a family on a teacher's pay is extremely difficult
8.- If you admit the offence, we shall deal with you leniently

Phrasal Verbs for Wednesday

Complete the sentences with an appropiate compound of to give or to take:

1.- As you can see, the rear of the building ......   ..... the river.
2.- The boy is quite gullible and easy to .....   .....
3.- I want you to .....   ...... everything I say
4.- Have you .....   ..... the money you borrowed from him earlier in the month?
5.- The rotten eggs were .....   ..... a most unpleasant odour
6.- This gentleman is going to .....   .....   ..... me while I'm away
7.- There was a tremendous crash as the roof .....   .....
8.- A man standing on the corner was trying to ....   ..... five-pound notes. but most people thought there was a catch in it

KEY

Monday: 1.- branch out; 2.- done away with; 3.- lay on; 4.- fell out with; 5.- dozed off; 6.- catch on; 7.- sort out; 8.- picking up

Tuesday: 1.- touched down, takes off; 2.- looked down on; 3.- put up with; 4.- pass out; 5.- setting up; 6.- were up to; 7.- Bringing up; 8.- own up to

Wednesday: 1.- gives onto; 2.- take in; 3.- take down; 4.- given back; 5.- giving off; 6.- take over from; 7.- gave way; 8.- give away

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