There are a lot of sports that are best enjoyed under a summer sun. Many names of sports are gerunds, which means the noun came from the verb, usually ending in "-ing." So you have the sport "surfing," and to make a verb for it to describe participating in the sport, you add the word "go": you "go surfing."
With some sports, the noun does not end in "ing," such as the sport golf. In this case, you can "play golf" or "go golfing." With some sports, such as tennis, you can "play tennis." But it's incorrect to say you "go tennising."
Let's take a look at summer sports today and figure out afterwards which of those have noun gerunds, and whether the noun gerunds carry over into the related verb or not.
When you throw a frisbee, part of your spirit flies with it.
Caption 6, Movie Trailers - The Invisible String
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I found myself traveling around the world windsurfing.
Caption 11, Justin James - Booking Submission Video
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I'm not a scuba diving instructor yet.
Caption 1, Job Interviews - Mr. Alan Hint Monologue
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Caveman Skatetech delivers a very armchair appreciation to the sport of skateboarding.
Captions 2-3, Caveman Skatetech - Desert Vol 1
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It is also a popular recreational area for boating and other water sports.
Caption 36, The Last Paradises - America's National Parks
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If I'm in a kayak or a canoe, I have to be careful because if I move too much, then I can tip over.
Captions 53-55, Sigrid explains - The Tipping Point
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This effect is very important in sports like tennis, soccer, and golf.
Caption 30, Science - Surprising Applications of the Magnus Effect
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Sport name Non-gerund verb Gerund verb
Boating (none) Go boating, canoeing, kayaking
Diving (none) Go diving, scuba diving
Fishing (none) Go fishing
Frisbee Play frisbee (none)
Golf Play golf Go golfing
Skateboarding (none) Go skateboarding
Snorkeling (none) Go snorkeling
Surfing (none) Go surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing
Soccer Play soccer (none)
Tennis Play tennis (none)
Note too that with some sports, you can use a non-gerund verb to describe playing the sport: "I golf badly, I dive well, I fish very well, I skateboard like a pro, I can snorkel, and I can surf." But other sports require you to have a helping verb: "I play frisbee, soccer, and tennis."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch some of the videos above for more references to summer sports.
El verbo español prestar equivale a los verbos ingleses to lend y to borrow.
Tienes que pensar que "lend" es sinónimo de 'dar prestado', y que 'borrow' es sinónimo de 'tomar prestado'.
En inglés, el verbo to borrow significa tomar o utilizar algo que pertenece a otra persona durante un corto periodo de tiempo. El verbo to lend es dar algo a una persona durante un corto periodo de tiempo. Los hablantes de español suelen confundir estas dos palabras
En el siguiente ejemplo, Valentino presta la ropa y Sharon Stone la toma prestada. Al final, ella tiene que devolverlos.
So Valentino, the designer, lends me clothes to wear for appearances.
Así que Valentino, el diseñador, me presta ropa para usarla para [mis] apariciones.
Subtítulo 64, Ask Jimmy Carter Another interview with Sharon Stone
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La frase lend a hand (dar una mano) significa ayudar.
I would not lend a hand
Yo no daría una mano
Subtítulo 5, Phil Collins In The Air Tonight
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En la siguiente frase, Richard Wiseman le dice que utilice el dinero de su amigo para gastarle una broma.
Borrow a note from a friend. Ask them to place their hands palm down
Pida prestado un billete a un amigo. Pídales que pongan su mano con la palma hacia abajo
Subtítulo 49, Richard Wiseman 10 Bets You Will Always Win
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Así que ahora ya sabes que decir "Peter borrowed me ten dollars" no es correcto. Tienes que decir o bien " Peter lent me ten dollars" o "I borrowed ten dollars from Peter." Nuestra Annette O´Neil del equipo de Yabla ha producido este video sobre los verbos to borrow y to lend. Te invitamos a verlo: English with Annette O'Neil - Formally and Informally Asking for Help - Part 1 of 3
Aprendizaje adicional
Los verbos to borrow y pedir to lend forman parte de las palabras que no podemos traducir literalmente en español. Presta atención los videos de Yabla inglés en los cuales aparezcan estas palabras y elabora con ellas oraciones cotidianas que se te ocurran.
Spring and summer are the times of year that most flowers bloom in the Western Hemisphere. Let's take a look today at some of the more common types of flowers you'll come across in English.
This incredible variety of shades of purple lupines are springing up everywhere.Captions 25-26, New Zealand: 100% Pure New Zealand, Home of Middle-earth
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The Lupine (often spelled "Lupin" in British English), with its beautiful purple flowers, has become a problem in New Zealand, because it is not a native plant and has spread rapidly throughout the country.
If you come in June, you can see the roses.
Caption 11, Jessica: Brooklyn Sites
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The rose has been linked since ancient times to love, so it's the standard flower for people in love to give each other as a present.
This brief, rich time is crowned by the blooming of the alpine rose.
Caption 10, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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The alpine rose is a kind of rose that is found in the mountains of central and southern Europe.
Anticipating the second her ears would open like lotuses...
Caption 15, White House Poetry Jam: Joshua Bennett
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The lotus flower is usually pink in Asia, and yellow in North America. It is considered a sacred plant in some eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
And who can believe that a kind of rhododendron is growing in the Alps as well?
Caption 12, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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There are over a thousand kinds of rhododendrons. It's the national flower of Nepal.
There are Easter lilies and other flowers everywhere.
Caption 67, Holidays and Seasons with Sigrid: Easter
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The Easter lily is found most often in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. In Ireland, a badge shaped like an Easter lily is worn during the Easter holidays in remembrance of people who died fighting for Irish independence.
Beside the red carpets shines the deep blue gentian.
Caption 13, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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There are many different kinds of gentian, which usually have blue flowers. Some kinds are used medicinally or as a food or drink flavoring.
Dream if you can a courtyard, an ocean of violets in bloom.
Captions 4-5, Prince. When Doves Cry
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Violets are often—but not always—a shade of purple that is also called violet, but there are also blue varieties. People sometimes invent rhymes that start with the line "Roses are red, violets are blue..."
As did the queen of the Alps, the edelweiss.
Caption 18, The Last Paradises: The Alps, Realm of the Golden Eagle
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The edelweiss is usually found in the mountains of Europe.
So much for them daisy chains.
Caption 37, Diane Birch: Valentino
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"Daisy" is a common name for several different kinds of flowers, which if strung together in a garland, are called "daisy chains." But the term "daisy chain" is also used as a technical term for connecting things, such as computers, ropes for climbing, and even a kind of fishing lure!
Further Learning
Find out more about different kinds of flowers on English Wikipedia or Simple English Wikipedia. You can start by looking up some flowers from this list: daffodil, dahlia, hibiscus, jasmine, marigold, morning glory, pansy, petunia, tulip, sunflower, and lavender.
You can also go to Yabla English and find more videos that use the word "flower" or "flowers" to see the different ways it is used by native English speakers.
Let's take a look today at different idioms, or slang expressions, that are based on the verb "to run" and its noun version, "run." The primary meaning of "to run" is, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "to go faster than a walk; specifically, to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step." But there are a lot of other uses for this handy word whose meanings are meant as a figure of speech.
It's no secret that the both of us are running out of time
Caption 30, Adele Hello
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It just was a movie that didn't end with all the pizzazz that it should have because they ran out of money by the end.
Captions 70-71, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Robin Williams
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To "run out" of something means that you will soon have no more of something left. The phrase "to run out of gas" literally means that your car will soon have no more gas. But it is also a figure of speech meaning that you are getting tired and have very little energy left. "I wanted to finish my homework, but I ran out of gas."
In the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on.
Captions 1-2, Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven
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The phrase "in the long run" means over a long period of time, or eventually.
Yeah, she'd stay there till her blood ran cold.
Caption 22, Krayolas: La Conquistadora
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The saying "blood runs cold" means that somebody gets very frightened and fears for the worst.
And wonder runs in the family.
Caption 14, Selena Gomez: Ramona And Beezus
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If something "runs in the family," it suggests that some kind of illness is inherited in a family or some kind of behavior is seen in a family, as if it were inherited.
I was running late and I decided in order to make up the time, that I was gonna speed my car.
Caption 30, Drivers Wanted: Pizza Delivery
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To be "running late" does not necessarily mean that you are literally running—although people do often run when they are late—but simply that you are late for something like an appointment.
Further Learning
See if you can guess the meaning of the following figures of speech using "run." The answers are at the very bottom of the page, so you can check them afterwards.
A. to get off to a running start
B. to make a run for it
C. to run a fever or temperature
D. to run a tight ship
E. to run around in circles
F. to run into a stone wall
G. to run someone ragged
You can also go to Yabla English and find more videos that use run, running, ran etc. to see the different phrases used by native English speakers.
-------------------------------------------
A. to start something, such a project, very quickly and efficiently
B. to escape something, whether literally by running or any other means
C. to have a fever or a high temperature
D. to supervise very effectively and efficiently
E. to be inefficient, wasting time
F. to be stopped from making progress
G. to exhaust somebody by giving them too many tasks
En la gramática inglesa, la "voz" describe la relación entre el verbo y el sujeto que habla. Si el sujeto de la frase realiza la acción, el verbo está en voz activa. Si el sujeto no participa activamente en la acción descrita y la atención se centra en la propia acción, no en el sujeto, el verbo está en voz pasiva.
Es importante que cuando escribas en inglés distingas entre la voz activa y la pasiva. Si quieres que el foco de atención esté en el sujeto, el o los que ejecutan la acción, utiliza la voz activa. Si quieres que el énfasis esté en la acción en sí, y no en quien hace la acción, utiliza la voz pasiva.
Aquí tienes dos ejemplos de la voz activa tomados de Yabla Inglés:
He created the mythology. He actually said in some of the letters he wrote...
Él creó la mitología. Él de hecho dijo en algunas de las cartas que escribió...
Subtítulo 54, New Zealand 100% Pure 'The Hobbit' cast talks about New Zealand
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Now, we'll have a demonstration from some of your instructors.
Ahora, tendremos una demostración de algunos de sus instructores.
Subtítulo 15, Karate Kids, USA The Little Dragons - Part 16
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En el primer ejemplo, la atención se centra en que el sujeto he ha creado la mitología. Suele ser fácil hacer una frase en voz pasiva a partir de la activa utilizando el verbo to be y el participio pasado del verbo original. En este caso, podemos escribirlo en voz pasiva así:
The mythology was created by him.
La mitología fue creada por él.
El enfoque aquí no es el hecho de que él la creó, sino el hecho de que fue creada.
En el segundo ejemplo, podemos ponerlo en pasiva así:
Now, there'll be a demonstration for us from some of your instructors.
Ahora, habrá una demostración para nosotros de algunos de sus instructores.
Ya no se enfatiza we como los que serán el público de la demostración, sino que el hecho de la demostración es lo más importante.
Más información
Lee más sobre la voz activa y la voz pasiva aquí y encuentra ejemplos en Yabla Inglés para verlas utilizadas en un contexto real.
En inglés, los números cardinales (por ejemplo, one, two o three) se refieren a la cantidad, mientras que los números ordinales (first, second or third) se refieren a la distribución. Los números ordinales se utilizan en fechas y fracciones. Se emplean como adjetivos para describir la importancia, la posición en una lista y la ubicación en el tiempo.
Generalmente, los números ordinales se crean añadiendo -th al final del número cardinal. Sin embargo, hay excepciones para los números first (primero), second (segundo), third (tercero), fifth (quinto), eighth (octavo), ninth (noveno) y twelfth (décimo segundo).
I've been nervous. I think you know it's my first video ever.
Me he puesto nervioso. Creo que sabes que es mi primer vídeo.
Subtítulo 31, Adele The Making of "Chasing Pavements"
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It is the world's sixth largest country by total area.
Es el sexto país más grande del mundo por superficie total.
Subtítulo 3, Soccer World Cup Australia
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On the twelfth day after Christmas, we have to take down all the decorations and the tree.
El decimosegundo día después de Navidad hay que quitar todos los adornos y el árbol.
Subtítulo 47, Christmas Traditions in the UK
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A partir del veinte, los números ordinales de los múltiplos de diez, por ejemplo: thirty o ninety, se crean sustituyendo la y por la ieth.
And we've got the one year celebration on the thirtieth of May.
Y tenemos la celebración de un año el treinta de mayo.
Subtítulo 30, FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 New Zealand getting the word out
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Esto puede parecer mucho para recordar. Sin embargo, en otros números superiores a veinte, sólo se escribe la última cifra como número ordinal:
English is the language of the twenty-first century.
El inglés es el idioma del siglo ventiuno
Subtítulo 8, Strothoff International School Imagefilm
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Aprendizaje adicional
En español también tenemos números ordinales y cardinales con reglas muy similares. Es una ventaja, ¿No?. Entonces, ahora puedes memorizar con la ayuda de esta extensa lista de números y encuentra más ejemplos en Yabla Inglés.
In Part II, we are going to continue to talk about the names of some major countries, the main languages they speak, and the adjectives used to describe somebody from that country. Usually, the noun for the language spoken is the same as the adjective for somebody who resides there. For instance, in France, the French speak French. But there are also exceptions: In the United States, most Americans speak English. Note too that in English, unlike many other languages, even the adjectives are usually written with a capital letter.
Let's start off with two countries whose nationalities end with -ian or -ean:
Off the coast of Queensland, Australia, it is one of the richest ecosystems on the planet.
Caption 3, Greenpeace Australia Pacific: Eyes On The Reef
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One third of mammal species lost in the world are Australian.
Captions 56-57, BBC Planet Wild: Alien Animals
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And what about North Korea?
Caption 41, Jimmy Kimmel: Kids Answer "What is the Best Country in the World?"
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I know a little Korean. Let's try it.
Caption 10, Hemispheres: The Amazing Cell Phone
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And next some countries whose nationalities end with -ese:
You do know that in China it's not going to be a problem.
Caption 23, ABC Science Online: An interview with Douglas Adams
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There's a large Chinese population in London.
Caption 8, London: Multicultural Britain
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You came with a friend from Portugal to the United States?
Caption 13, Groucho Marx: You Bet Your Life
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While speakers of Spanish and Portuguese can often understand each other.
Caption 55, TED-Ed: How languages evolve
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The Netherlands presents a special case:
He has been told he has a long lost cousin in the Netherlands.
Caption 7, Naish Kiteboarding TV The Real Stig
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The Dutch came sharing coleslaw and cookies.
Caption 8, The History of English: American English
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So while the Netherlands (usually with the definite article "the") is the proper name of the country, it is still often called Holland—although strictly speaking, Holland is only a region of the Netherlands. The standard adjective for people from here is "Dutch." There is also the term "Netherlandish," but this does not usually refer to the language. It's an art history term used to refer to the northern part of the Low Countries in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and find more videos that use some of the following country names, dominant languages, and nationalities. You can also see a more complete list of countries, their people, and their languages here.
Country Language Nationality
Australia English Australian
Brazil Portuguese Brazilian
Chile Spanish Chilean
China Chinese Chinese
Egypt Arabic Egyptian
Hungary Hungarian Hungarian
Italy Italian Italian
Japan Japanese Japanese
Korea Korean Korean
(the) Netherlands Dutch Dutch
Portugal Portuguese Portuguese
Russia Russian Russian
United States English American
Thanks to you all for reading this, keep up the good work! If you have any good ideas for lesson topics, please email them to us at newsletter@yabla.com, and you can tweet us @yabla.
Existe un conjunto estándar de adverbios (palabras que modifican los verbos) los cuales describen la frecuencia con la que ocurre algo, éstos van desde never (nunca) hasta always (siempre).
Veamos algunos ejemplos
I've never done that in my life.
Nunca lo he hecho en mi vida.
Do you think Goldstein's Brotherhood really exists?
¿Crees que la Hermandad de Goldstein en verdad existe?
Subtítulo 70, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four - BBC TV Movie
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I very rarely have a day off.
Yo muy pocas veces tengo un día libre.
Subtítulo 11, Ask Jimmy Carter - Another Interview with Sharon Stone
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Do you have someone who can, kind o'... lower the air,
¿Tienes alguien que pueda, como... bajarte el aire,
take the air out of your tires occasionally?
sacarte el aire de los neumáticos de vez en cuando?
Subtítulos 40-41, Will Smith - Enemy of the State
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Well, when I write songs, I sometimes will write it on a piano.
Bueno, cuando escribo canciones, a veces la escribo en un piano.
Subtítulo 27, Bee and Flower - Interview
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Whales feed at depth in waters that are often pitch dark.
Las ballenas se alimentan a profundidad en aguas que a menudo están totalmente oscuras,
Subtítulo 19, Sustainable Human - How Whales Change Climate
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OK, I usually leave it to simmer a little bit. -OK.
Bueno, yo generalmente lo dejo a fuego lento un poco. -Muy bien.
Subtítulo 85, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives - Pam's Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen
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It is always held in Leicester Square.
Siempre se lleva a cabo en Leicester Square.
Subtítulo 25, In London with Lauren - Piccadilly Circus
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Los adverbios están escritos en negrita arriba en orden creciente de frecuencia: nunca, rara vez, ocasionalmente, a veces, a menudo, normalmente o casi siempre, siempre.
Aprendizaje adicional
Busque ejemplos de adverbios de frecuencia en inglés de Yabla Inglés para verlos usados en un contexto real.
Un gerundio es un sustantivo que se ha formado añadiendo el sufijo -ing a un verbo. El gerundio funcionará a menudo como un verbo dentro de la oración, pero en el contexto de la frase completa puede formar un sujeto. Los verbos progressive active participle (participio activo progresivo) también terminan en -ing, pero conservan la forma verbal. Aprendamos a diferenciar entre un gerundio (sustantivo) y un progressive active participle (verbo).
But believing ends in seeing
Pero el creer termina en el ver
Subtítulo 44, Katie Melua - A Happy Place
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You will be seeing them again.
Tú los verás de nuevo.
Subtítulo 37 George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four - BBC TV Movie
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En el primer ejemplo, "ver" y "creer" son sustantivos de gerundio. Intenta colocar el artículo definido "the" antes de las palabras y observa si la frase aún tiene sentido: But the believing ends in the seeing. (Pero el creer termina en el ver). El hecho de que funcione gramaticalmente muestra que tanto seeing como believing son gerundios. Pero en el segundo ejemplo, You will be the seeing them again sería gramaticalmente incorrecto, porque en este caso seeing funciona como verbo (to see).
I'd like your opinion about fast driving on the highway.
Me gustaría tu opinión sobre correr velozmente en la carrera.
Subtítulo 21, James Dean - Interview & Famous Drive Safely Spot
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I'm in a truck, we're driving through the bush.
Estoy en un camión, estamos conduciendo a través de los matorrales.
Subtítulo 23, Kiting for Conservation - Kenya
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En el primer ejemplo, the fast driving (conducir rápido) funciona, por lo que es un sustantivo de gerundio. En el segundo ejemplo, si agregamos el articulo: we're the driving... no funciona gramaticalmente, así que es un verbo.
Aprendizaje adicional
Intenta tomar ejemplos de algunos verbos en inglés y añade -ing -al final de ellos para hacer sustantivos de gerundio, luego busca ejemplos en inglés de Yabla Inglés para observar cómo son usados en un contexto real.
In today's lesson, we are going to talk about the names of some major countries, the main languages they speak, and the adjectives used to describe somebody from that country. Usually the noun for the language spoken is the same as the adjective for somebody from that country. For instance in France, the French speak French. But there are also exceptions: In the United States, most Americans speak English. Note too that in English, unlike many other languages, even the adjectives are usually written with a capital letter!
Let's start off with two countries whose names have only one syllable.
And where would I like to go? That's easy: France.
Caption 8, Parts of Speech - Question Words
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People speak French in France, and as noted above, the adjective for something from France is also "French." One of the few national adjectives in English that is not standardly written with a capital letter is in the term "french fries." This is what is called a "misnomer" or mistaken name, because so-called french fries probably came from Belgium or the Netherlands!
He was throwing french fries at you?
Caption 38, 7-10 Split - Short Film
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And on to the Greeks in Greece, who speak Greek:
...especially those who were considering going to Greece.
Caption 15, Job Interviews - Mr. Alan Hint Monologue
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"K" is a very old letter. It comes from the Greek letter "kappa."
Caption 12, The Alphabet - The Letter K
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There are a lot of countries whose languages and nationalities end in the letters -ish. Note that the adjective for somebody from Britain is "British," but they usually speak "English" in the form of "British English":
The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day in Britain.
Caption 38, Christmas Traditions - In the UK
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We also drop the letter "r" at the end of words in British English.
Caption 29, British vs American - English Pronunciation Lesson
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And on to Spain, where the Spanish speak Spanish:
I should speak in Spanish because Custo Barcelona is a Spanish designer.
Caption 13, New York Fashion Week - Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Take Over
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Here I am in Southern Spain in the height of summer
Caption 2, Tara's Recipes - Delicious Fruit Salad with Greek Yoghurt
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and find more videos that use some of the following country names, languages, and nationalities. You can also see a more complete list of countries, their people, and their languages here.
Country Language Nationality
France French French
Greece Greek Greek
Britain English British
Denmark Danish Danish
Finland Finnish Finnish
Poland Polish Polish
Spain Spanish Spanish
Sweden Swedish Swedish
Turkey Turkish Turkish
A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or sentences. The easiest conjunctions to remember are "and" and "or." But there are conjunctions that do more than just connect—they give meaning to a sentence by expressing the time that something is happening: conjunctions of time.
You can easily tell if a conjunction of time is being used in a sentence because the sentence will tell you when something happens or for how long something is occurring. If you can make a "when" or "for how long" question from the sentence, and that question can be answered by the other half of the sentence, then you know that the sentence is using a conjunction of time.
In Part I, we learned about when, before, after, while, as, by the time, until, and till. Let's continue today with the remaining conjunctions of time.
Since
There have been ravens here since the reign of Charles the Second,
Caption 9, The London Story - Tower of London
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And I've been doing that since I was ten years old.
Caption 6, Ashley Tisdale - Thanksgiving Traditions
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Be careful not to confuse the conjunction of time "since" with the preposition "since," which means "because."
As soon as
As soon as your baby is born, you will give it to me.
Caption 41, Fairy Tales - Rapunzel
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As soon as we showed up, the bears raced off into the forest.
Caption 8, Alaska Revealed - Tidal Bores, Icebergs and Avalanches
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Whenever
You should try to ignore cyberbullying whenever possible.
Caption 4, Bob Parsons - Cyberbullies
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You can listen to Radio One whenever you want.
Caption 56, Hozier - Someone New
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The first (second, third etc.) time
The first time was a very good experience
and the second time is also a very good experience.
Captions 5-6, The Olympics - Teresa Gabriele (Canada)
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That was the third time we were in the studio.
Caption 22, MTV News - Selena Gomez Decodes Her Instagram Pics
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and find other sentences (not questions) that contain the conjunctions of time "since," "as soon as," "whenever," and "the first time"—or any time you care to choose! Write these sentences down and practice making questions and answers from the sentences like we did above.
A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or sentences. The easiest conjunctions to remember are "and" and "or." But there are conjunctions that do more than just connect—they give meaning to a sentence by expressing the time that something is happening: conjunctions of time.
You can easily tell if a conjunction of time is being used in a sentence because the sentence will tell you when something happens or for how long something is occurring. If you can make a "when" or "for how long" question from the sentence, and that question can be answered by the other half of the sentence, then you know that the sentence is using a conjunction of time.
When
When I flew in on the float plane, they were all there on the boat.
Caption 4, Alaska Revealed - Endless Wave
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Q: When were they all there on the boat? A: When I flew in on the float plane.
Before
Be sure to put your mask on before helping them.
Caption 18, Air New Zealand - An Unexpected Briefing
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Q: When should I be sure to put my mask on? A: Before I help them.
After
They have to defend their breed from predators
for up to four weeks after they're born.
Captions 49-50, Evolution - Deep Ocean
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Q: When do they have to defend their breed? A: After they are born.
While
We have to tread lightly while filming.
Caption 40, Nature & Wildlife - Search for the Ghost Bear
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Q: When do we have to tread lightly? A: While filming.
As
We paddle along and we pick up trash as we go
Caption 23, Alison's Adventures - Your Passport To the World (LONDON)
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Q: When do we pick up trash? A: As we go.
By the time
By the time I got to New York,
I was living like a king
Captions 10-11, David Bowie - Lazarus
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Q: When were you living like a king? A: By the time I got to New York.
Note that some conjunctions of time are also phrases, not just a single word.
Until, till
The conjunctions of time "until" and "till" are interchangeable and you may use either word. Many people wrongly think that "till" is just shortened version of "until," but in fact "till" is the older word, in use since the 9th century. The variant "until" has been in use since the 12th century. These two words are unusual in that they express a length of time rather than a point in time, so we should ask the question using "for how long" instead of "when."
She sat until she broke the chair.
Caption 28, Story Hour - Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
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Q: For how long was she sitting? A: Until she broke the chair.
So he sat on a chair,
till he died of despair,
Captions 20-21, Sigrid explains - The Limerick
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Q: For how long was he sitting? A: Till he died of despair.
Further Learning
Don't despair, and by all means stay healthy! Go to Yabla English and find other sentences (not questions) that contain the conjunctions of time "when," "before," "after," "while," "as," "by the time," "until" and "till." Write these sentences down and practice making questions and answers from the sentences like we did above. You can also read more about "until" and "till" on the Merriam-Webster website.
This is the last part in our three-part Yabla series about sayings in English (called "idioms") that are not always so easy to understand, but that you will often hear native English speakers say.
But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time.
Caption 11, Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
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To do something "in the nick of time" means to do it at the last possible moment. This comes from a 17th century meaning of "nick" that is otherwise no longer used, which means "a critical moment." Thus "in the nick of time" means "at a critical moment in time."
Having a serious deadline like that it caused
the whole team, to really buckle down and get it together.
Captions 43-44, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
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To "buckle down" means to "start working hard." Its origin is American, where it first appeared in print in the mid-19th century. The idiom "get it together" is probably related to the phrase to "get your act together," which means to get organized so that you can accomplish something effectively.
And I am sick and tired of my phone ringing.
Caption 58, Lady Gaga - Telephone, featuring Beyoncé
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This doesn't really mean that somebody is either ill or exhausted, but rather that something is annoying or getting on their nerves. It probably originated in North America in the 18th century.
You better step your game up on that.
Caption 40, Java - The "Java Life" Rap Music Video
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To "step up your game" means to improve your skills. This probably started as a phrase used in sports, but is now commonly used for any subject.
You keep your nose out of this.Caption 36, Dream to Believe - aka Flying
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The phrase "to stick your nose in somebody's business" means to involve yourself in something that is none of your concern. Thus "to keep your nose out" means to "not get involved" in something.
You wanna just kind of take it easy and rest?
Caption 52, Leonard Nimoy - Talking about Mr. Spock
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To "take it easy" means "to relax," but if someone "takes something hard" it means that something has had a negative emotional impact on them.
Because if they don't get him, we're up that creek without a paddle.
Caption 47, Karate Kids, USA - The Little Dragons
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As common sense implies, if you are in boat with no way to control it or make it move, you are in trouble. So "up a creek without a paddle" means to be in trouble!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and review the three-part Yabla series about English idioms. See if you can make your own sentences using the idioms in different contexts to see if you understand them correctly.
An idiom is basically a phrase that is figurative and used to describe literal situations with words that may not be clear to a non-native speaker. Last month we went through a selection of common idioms, and in this lesson we can go through some more that you may hear when you are speaking English with somebody.
So I think to kitesurf all year around,
um, as a job and to do it 24/7,
you need a break, and I mean, it may not seem like time off!
Captions 19-21, Sam Light - In a Nutshell
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The slang expression "24/7" is best explained in this video:
It's basically 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Caption 22, World's Toughest Job - Official Video
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What do you want to get off your chest?
Caption 16, Comic-Con 2015 - Jennifer Lawrence
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To "get something off your chest" is to admit something that has been bothering you.
Alaska's wide and very isolated mountains ranges are a paradise for these animals,
but a nightmare for us,
because it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Captions 35-37, Nature & Wildlife - Search for the Ghost Bear
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A needle is a small, very fine object, and to find it in a haystack, which consists of countless fine pieces of hay, is very difficult indeed—and this phrase thus means that something is very difficult or nearly impossible.
If I was, for instance, being put into a courtroom with lawyers,
I am not a lawyer,
so therefore, I would feel like a fish out of water.
Captions 14-16, English - Common Phrases
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To feel "like a fish out of water" thus means to feel out of place or uncomfortable.
Hang in there, guys!
Caption 56, Movie Trailers - Disney's Frozen
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To "hang in there" means to be patient and to wait for something.
But they don't know where they're going
in the fast lane.
Captions 16-17, Echosmith - Cool Kids
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This is often used in the expression "to live life in the fast lane," which means figuratively to live an exciting or stressful lifestyle, which may, depending upon the context, be a good or bad thing. The phrase is often about somebody who is on the verge of losing control of their life. A song by the 1970s pop group the Eagles called "Life in the Fast Lane" states that it will "surely make you lose your mind."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the "Common English" videos Part I and Part II to learn more about some English idioms.
Fair elections are an essential part of a working democracy. It's important to know the English words relating to elections when you read or hear the English-language news about an election. The recent US presidential election has been in the media a lot this month, and you may have heard many of the following words in news reports.
The verb "to vote" means "to choose" the person you are voting for:
We try really hard to persuade people
that we're right,
and then people vote.
Captions 47-49, Barack Obama - On Trump Presidential Victory - Part 2
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There is also the noun "vote," and a synonym for a vote is a ballot. A ballot is also the actual paper that you use to write your vote on.
The place you go to vote is called a "poll":
When it comes to election day, the public go to the polls to vote for one presidential ticket.
Caption 66, US Elections - How Do They Work?
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But a "poll" is also a survey that asks people who they intend to vote for:
That supports Jeb Bush, who has been struggling in some polls.
Caption 19, ABC News - The Broncos Win Super Bowl 50
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The person who is running for political office is a candidate:
So the candidate with the most votes wins.
Caption 48, US Elections - How Do They Work?
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Candidates often confront each other before the election in a debate:
Remember, he was just on the stage with Joe Biden at that debate.
Caption 19, ABC News - President Trump and First Lady Test Positive for COVID-19
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If somebody has "been elected," it means that they got the most votes and won the election:
Senators, like members of the House of Representatives,
are also elected to their seats by the public.
Captions 42-43, US Elections - How Do They Work?
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When a candidate for US President has won the election in November, he does not take office until the 20th of January the following year. In the two and a half months before he takes office, he is called the "President-elect." After the 20th of January, he is called the "President" and the person who left office is called the "former President."
So I have instructed my team to follow the example
that President Bush's team set eight years ago
and work as hard as we can
to make sure that this is a successful transition
for the President-elect.
Captions 25-28, Barack Obama - On Trump Presidential Victory - Part 1
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the US Elections: How Do They Work? video for a detailed description of the US national elections process.
The English language, which is spoken as an official language in countries as widely ranging as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, has gathered many idioms over the centuries that are still in use today. An idiom is basically a phrase that is figurative and used to describe literal situations with words that may not be clear to a non-native speaker. Let's take a look today at a few common idioms that you may hear when you are speaking English with somebody.
A team of scribes with the "wisdom of Solomon" "went the extra mile"
to make King James' translation "all things to all men."
Captions 6-7, The History of English - The King James Bible
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The idiom "to go the extra mile" means to make an extra effort at something. If you are not familiar with the Bible or the Quran, you may not know who Solomon (also written "Sulayman") was. To say someone is as "wise as Solomon" means they are very smart indeed, as King Solomon is considered by religious people to have been a very wise prophet.
So it's going to be forever
or it's going to go down in flames.
Captions 19-20, Taylor Swift - Blank Space
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The idiom "to go down in flames" probably originates from the time of the First World War, when airplanes were first used in combat and would literally "go down in flames." Its figurative meaning is to fail suddenly and dramatically. A similar phrase, "to be shot down in flames," means to be suddenly rejected.
So, the expression "once in a blue moon"
is a way of saying, "very, very rarely—almost never."
Captions 42-43, The Alphabet - the Letter M
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The meaning of this idiom is nicely explained in the example sentence. A "blue moon" has several different meanings, but all of them mean a type of moon that is not actually blue to the eye, but only occurs every several months or years. The phrase first appeared in print in the early 1500s and has thus been in common usage for 500 years!
But he said he could cut us some slack.
Caption 30, Business English - Difficulties with Coworkers and Contracts
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The idiom "to cut somebody some slack" means to not judge someone too harshly. Some think that the phrase, which has been in use for some hundreds of years, comes from the way sailors tie a ship to a dock with ropes. To "give slack to" or "to slacken" means to loosen or allow more line or rope.
You can eat all my food, smash up my walls, but I draw the line...
Caption 20, A Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Goofy's Grandma
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The idiom "to draw the line" means that a limit has been reached and something must stop. The ancient Romans would draw a line in the sand and order their troops not to proceed past that point. It has been used as an idiom in English for hundreds of years in a figurative sense.
Further Learning
Try using the above idioms in your own sentences and have another student or your teacher check your work to see if you properly understood the meanings. Thank you for using Yabla English!
Los verbos en inglés que describen una acción, en lugar de una situación o un estado de ser, son el tipo más común de verbos. A diferencia de los otros tipos de verbos, tienen la característica común de terminar siempre en la letra "s" en tiempo presente en singular en tercera persona (he, she, it):
He takes a step back.
Él da un paso hacia atrás.
Subtítulo 5, David Gallo - Underwater Astonishments
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I travel the world telling stories to connect cultures.
Viajo por el mundo contando historias para conectar culturas.
Subtítulo 4, Alison's Adventures - Your Passport to the World (LONDON)
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He (subject) takes (action verb) a step (object).
I (subject) travel (action verb) the world (object).
Él (sujeto) da (verbo de acción) un paso (objeto).
Yo (sujeto ) viajo (verbo de acción) por el mundo (objeto).
Hay tres formas de oraciones en las que se puede encontrar un verbo de acción: una oración afirmativa (como en los ejemplos anteriores); una oración negativa; y una oración interrogativa, o pregunta.
Para cambiar las oraciones afirmativas anteriores por oraciones negativas, agregue el verbo "to do" (hacer) y "not", la forma declarativa de "no".
He does not take a step.
I do not travel the world.
No da un paso.
No viajo por el mundo.
Para cambiar la forma afirmativa por la forma interrogativa (o pregunta), añada el verbo "to do" al principio de la oración con un signo de interrogación al final:
Does he take a step?
Does he eat the fruit?
¿Da él un paso?
¿Come él la fruta?
Entonces, para reiterar:
Afirmativa: He takes a step.
Negativa: He does not take a step.
Interrogativa: Does he take a step?
Afirmativa: I travel the world.
Negativa: I do not travel the world.
Interrogativa: Do I travel the world?
Aprendizaje adicional
Busca algunos vídeos en Yabla English y encuentra otros ejemplos de frases afirmativas con verbos de acción. Practica convertirlas en oraciones negativas con "to do" y "not", y en oraciones interrogativas con "to do" y un signo de interrogación al final.
Estudia las otras lecciones que hemos preparado para ti.
El tiempo continuo (o progresivo) comprende dos partes: el verbo "to be" en presente, pasado o futuro, combinado con el participio presente del verbo principal. Es una forma verbal común en el idioma inglés, en realidad más común que el tiempo simple en el idioma hablado.
Encontremos un ejemplo en Yabla English del tiempo presente continuo:
Halloween is coming up! -Yes, it is. -Right?
¡Halloween se acerca! -Sí, así es. -¿Correcto?
Subtítulo 25, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - Camila Cabello at Taylor Swift's Halloween Party
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Para formar el tiempo presente continuo descrito, el tiempo presente del verbo "to be" ("es") se combina con el participio presente del verbo "to come up" (añadiendo "ing") al final del verbo. El tiempo presente continuo expresa algo que está actualmente incompleto o inacabado.
Y seguimos con el tiempo pasado continuo:
Rapunzel was tying these pieces together to make a rope.
Rapunzel estaba atando estas piezas para hacer una cuerda.
Subtítulo 39, Fairy Tales - Rapunzel
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Para formar el tiempo pasado continuo del ejemplo, el tiempo pasado del verbo "to be" ("was") se combina con el participio presente del verbo "to tie". El tiempo pasado continuo expresa algo que está incompleto o inacabado en el pasado.
Y por último, el tiempo continuo del futuro:
So, Julia, this is where you will be working from.
Entonces, Julia, aquí es desde donde va a trabajar.
Subtítulo 14, Business English - Starting on a New Job
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Para formar el tiempo futuro continuo anterior, el tiempo futuro del verbo "to be" ("será") se combina con el participio presente del verbo "to work". El tiempo continuo futuro expresa que algo está incompleto o inacabado que sucederá en el futuro. En este caso, el trabajo se realizará en algún momento en el futuro.
Aprendizaje adicional
Echa un vistazo a este artículo sobre formas verbales básicas y busca en Yabla English algunos verbos de participio presente (que terminan en -ing) y observa cómo se usan estos tiempos en el contexto cotidiano.