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Connectors of sequence

4/19/2021

Category: Connectors

Sequence connectors are used to link opinions from one sentence to the next and to give paragraphs coherence. Connectors help us organize the events of the beginning, middle and end of a story.

Here is a list of connectors that we can use to show the sequence and order of events or ideas:

In the beginning

First.
Firstly.
Once.
Once upon a time.
One day.
To begin with.

In the middle

After.
After a while.
After that.
Afterward.
Also.
And.
As.
As soon as.
Before.
Later.
Moreover.
Next.
The moment.
Then.
When.

Interruptions

All of sudden.
But then.
Suddenly.
Unexpectedly.

Simultaneously

After all.
At last.
At the end.
By the end.
Eventually.
In the end.
Finally.
Lastly.

Examples

In the beginning

First, I went to the barber shop.
I had three reasons to visit my granny. Firstly, she always listens to me and gives me a good advice.
Once they finished their meals, they hopped into the bus.
Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl.
One day, she went to the river with her friends.
We had an awful time! To begin with, my girlfriend got sick on the first day.

In the middle

They were tired after playing so many matches last weekend.
But after a while I noticed things.
We went to the movies and after that out for ice cream.
My mom found a recipe on the Internet. Afterward, she went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients.
We had dinner and then went out.
I was really busy today. I had to send some e-mails and I also had to finish the project.
She went to the zoo and bought a stuffed hippopotamus.
As the cat left the kitchen, the rats came out.
As soon as he woke up, he checked his phone for messages.
Before he came, we didn't have a good teacher.
Later, I took a shower.
She worked in a shop. Moreover, she studied very hard.
I had a math class and next an English class.
It was the moment I knew I love her.
I called my mother and then I charged my cell phone.
I was happy when I was younger.

Interruptions

She showed up all of a sudden without any invitation.
For years my family used to ride a bicycle, but then they bought a car.
Suddenly, we heard a strange noise.
Unexpectedly, the children in the bedroom started crying.

Simultaneously

She talked during the whole meeting.
I was studying. Meanwhile, my brother was in the swimming pool.
She was cooking while the baby was sleeping.

In the end

I expected to fail the exam, but I passed after all.
At last, she passed the exam.
He scored a goal at the end of the match.
He reached home by the end of the day.
My parents eventually relented and let me go to the party.
My sister worked hard, and in the end, she passed her exam.
Finally, she got engaged in March.
Lastly, the party ended with the cake cutting ceremony.

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Conectores de secuencia en inglés

4/12/2021

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Category: Conectores

Los conectores de secuencia nos permiten indicar la secuencia de los hechos que estamos narrando o describiendo de manera lógica o cronológica. Los conectores nos ayudan a organizar los eventos del principio, desarrollo y desenlace de una historia.

Aquí hay una lista de conectores que podemos usar para mostrar la secuencia y el orden de los eventos o ideas:

In the beginning (Al principio)

First (Primero).
Firstly (Primeramente/En primer lugar).
Once (Una vez).
Once upon a time (Había una vez).
One day (Un día).
To begin with (Para empezar).

In the middle (En medio)

After (Después de).
After a while (Después de un tiempo/Al poco tiempo).
After that (Después de eso).
Afterward (Después de).
Also (También).
And (Y).
As (Cuando).
As soon as (Tan pronto como).
Before (Antes/Antes de).
Later (Más tarde).
Moreover (Además).
Next (A continuación/En seguida/Luego).
The moment (El momento).
Then (Entonces/luego).
When (Cuando).

Interruptions (Interrupciones)

All of sudden (De repente).
But then (Pero entonces/pero luego).
Suddenly (Repentinamente).
Unexpectedly (Inesperadamente).

Simultaneously (Simultaneamente)

During (Durante).
Meanwhile (Mientras tanto).
While (Mientras).

In the end (Al final)

After all (Después de todo).
At last (Al final/Por fin).
At the end (Al final).
By the end (Al final).
Eventually (Finalmente/eventualmente).
In the end (Al final).
Finally (Finalmente).
Lastly (Por último/Finalmente).

Examples

In the beginning

First, I went to the barber shop - Primero fui a la peluquería.
I had three reasons to visit my granny. Firstly, she always listens to me and gives me a good advice - Tenía tres razones para visitar a mi abuelita. Primero, ella siempre me escucha y me da buenos consejos.
Once they finished their meals, they hopped into the bus - Una vez que terminaron su comida, subieron al autobús.
Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl - Érase una vez una dulce niña.
One day, she went to the river with her friends - Un día, ella fue al rio con sus amigas.
We had an awful time! To begin with, my girlfriend got sick on the first day - ¡Lo pasamos fatal! Para empezar, mi novia se enfermó el primer día.

In the middle

They were tired after playing so many matches last weekend - Estaban cansados después de jugar tantos partidos el fin de semana pasado.
But after a while I noticed things - Pero después de un tiempo noté cosas.
We went to the movies and after that out for ice cream - Fuimos al cine y después de eso a tomar un helado.
My mom found a recipe on the Internet. Afterward, she went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients - Mi mamá encontró una receta en Internet. Después, fue al supermercado a comprar los ingredientes.
We had dinner and then went out - Cenamos y luego salimos.
I was really busy today. I had to send some e-mails and I also had to finish the project - Hoy estuve muy ocupado. Tuve que enviar algunos correos electrónicos y también tuve que terminar el proyecto.
She went to the zoo and bought a stuffed hippopotamus - Ella fue al zoológico y compró un hipopótamo de peluche.
As the cat left the kitchen, the rats came out - Cuando el gato salió de la cocina, salieron las ratas.
As soon as he woke up, he checked his phone for messages - Tan pronto como se despertó, revisó su teléfono en busca de mensajes.
Before he came, we didn't have a good teacher - Antes de que viniera, no teníamos un buen maestro.
Later, I took a shower - Más tarde, me bañe.
She worked in a shop. Moreover, she studied very hard - Ella trabajaba en una tienda. Además, estudió mucho.
I had a math class and next an English class - Tuve una clase de matemáticas y luego una clase de inglés.
It was the moment I knew I love her - Fue el momento en que supe que la amaba.
I called my mother and then I charged my cell phone - Llamé a mi madre y luego cargué mi celular.
I was happy when I was younger - Era feliz cuando era mas joven.

Interruptions

She showed up all of a sudden without any invitation - Ella apareció de repente sin ninguna invitación.
For years my family used to ride a bicycle, but then they bought a car - Durante años, mi familia solía andar en bicicleta, pero luego se compraron un automóvil.
Suddenly, we heard a strange noise - De repente, escuchamos un ruido extraño.
Unexpectedly, the children in the bedroom started crying - Inesperadamente, los niños en la recámara comenzaron a llorar.

Simultaneously

She talked during the whole meeting - Ella habló durante toda la reunión.
I was studying. Meanwhile, my brother was in the swimming pool - Estaba estudiando. Mientras tanto, mi hermano estaba en la piscina.
She was cooking while the baby was sleeping - Ella estaba cocinando mientras el bebe estaba durmiendo.

In the end

I expected to fail the exam, but I passed after all - Esperaba reprobar el examen, pero lo pasé después de todo.
At last, she passed the exam - Por fin, aprobó el examen.
He scored a goal at the end of the match - Marcó un gol al final del partido.
He reached home by the end of the day - Llegó a casa al final del día.
My parents eventually relented and let me go to the party - Mis padres finalmente cedieron y me dejaron ir a la fiesta.
My sister worked hard, and in the end, she passed her exam - Mi hermana trabajó duro y al final aprobó su examen.
Finally, she got engaged in March - Finalmente, se comprometió en marzo.
Lastly, the party ended with the cake cutting ceremony - Por último, la fiesta terminó con la ceremonia del corte del pastel.

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Adverbios de tiempo y expresiones temporales usadas con el pasado simple en inglés

4/5/2021

1 Comment

Category: Gramática

Cuando queremos expresar en qué momento se realiza una acción, utilizamos adverbios de tiempo o expresiones temporales. Los adverbios de tiempo modifican o le dan un sentido temporal (de momento, duración o frecuencia) a la acción. Hay una serie de palabras y frases que se utilizan a menudo para mostrar cuándo sucedió una acción o situación en el pasado.

Veamos ahora cuáles son las expresiones temporales y adverbios que van siempre acompañadas del pasado simple.

Yesterday

Este adverbio de tiempo se usa para referirse al día anterior a hoy, y no especifica la hora exacta en que sucede la acción.

Ejemplos:

I saw him yesterday at home - Yo lo vi ayer en casa.
We received your email yesterday morning - Recibimos su correo electrónico ayer por la mañana.
He left the hospital yesterday afternoon - Él salió del hospital ayer por la tarde.
Yesterday evening, she called me - Ayer por la noche me llamó.
Yesterday, she went to the beach with her friends - Ayer, ella fue a la playa con sus amigas.
Where were you yesterday? - ¿Dónde estabas ayer?

¡Cuidado! Se usa last night, pero nunca yesterday night, para referirnos a la noche anterior a hoy (anoche).

Last + (time reference)

Se usa para referirse a una cierta referencia en el tiempo anterior a hoy, y no especifica la hora exacta en que sucede la acción.

Ejemplos:

I called you last night - Te llamé anoche.
She didn't come to school last week - Ella no vino a la escuela la semana pasada.
Last weekend, I looked after my little niece - El fin de semana pasado cuidé a mi sobrinita.
They ate pizza last Saturday - Ellos comieron pizza el sábado pasado.
He arrived in Cuba last May - Él llegó a Cuba el pasado mes de mayo.
We bought a new house last month - Nosotros compramos una casa nueva el mes pasado.
My family and I went to Paris last year - Mi familia y yo fuimos a París el año pasado.
I visited my parent last Christmas - Visité a mis padres la Navidad pasada.
Last spring, I took a trip to Madrid - La primavera pasada, hice un viaje a Madrid.

¡Cuidado!
Está expresión temporal puede tener un significado diferente si se incluye el artículo indefinido "the".

"last Saturday" significa el sábado pasado, el anterior a que estemos hablando.
"the last Saturday" significa el último sábado en un período de tiempo, es decir: "the last Saturday of February (the fourth Saturday in February)".

Para referirse al día anterior (ayer) no se usa "last day", en su lugar debe usar "yesterday".

(time reference) + ago

Este adverbio establece cuanto tiempo hace que sucedió la acción en el pasado.

Ejemplos:

Who switched off the lights a minute ago? - ¿Quién apagó las luces hace un minuto?
The movie ended ten minutes ago - La película terminó hace diez minutos.
I got here a half-hour ago - Llegué hace media hora.
Your mother called about an hour ago - Tu madre llamó hace una hora.
They left two weeks ago - Ellos se fueron hace dos semanas.
I worked in a factory three years ago - Trabajé en una fábrica hace tres años.
The dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago - Los dinosaurios se extinguieron hace 65 millones de años.
The concert happened a long time ago - El concierto ocurrió hace mucho tiempo.
How long ago did he arrive? - ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que llegó?

the other day/night

Se usa para referirse a un cierto día o noche anterior a hoy, y no especifica la hora exacta en que sucede la acción.

Ejemplos:

I saw her the other day - La vi el otro día.
He called the other night - Él llamó la otra noche.

the day before yesterday

Esta expresión temporal tiene el mismo significado que two days ago (hace dos días).

Ejemplo:

My wife left me the day before yesterday - Mi esposa me dejó anteayer/antier.

in, on & at

Usamos las preposiciones "in", "on" y "at" para decir cuándo sucedió algo.
Usos:

Usamos "in" con meses, años, décadas y siglos.
Usamos "on" con fechas específicas.
Usamos "at" con horas específicas del día.

Ejemplos:

I moved to North Korea in June - Me mudé a Corea del Norte en junio.
They got married in 1995 - Ellos se casaron en 1995.
The Beatles were a popular band in the 60's and 70's - Los Beatles fueron una banda popular en los años 60 y 70.
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the 18th century - La Revolución Industrial comenzó en Gran Bretaña en el siglo XVIII.
The attack was on September 11, 2011 - El ataque fue el 11 de septiembre de 2011.
On my last birthday, I had the best birthday ever - En mi último cumpleaños, tuve el mejor cumpleaños de mi vida.
She had breakfast at 9 - Ella desayunó a las 9.
We went for a walk at noon - Salimos a caminar al mediodía.
I talked to them at lunchtime - Hablé con ellos a la hora del almuerzo.

during

Usamos esta preposición para referirnos a un periodo específico en el tiempo pasado.

Ejemplos:

I read that fairy tale during my childhood - Leí ese cuento de hadas durante mi infancia.
The following events happened during 2011 in Colombia - Los siguientes hechos ocurrieron durante 2011 en Colombia.

when + (time reference)

Usamos este adverbio cuando una acción se cruza con otra o cuando se interrumpe la acción que estaba en progreso.

Ejemplos:

My parents moved to Chicago when I was a baby - Mis padres se mudaron a Chicago cuando yo era un bebé.
When I was at school, I used to wear a uniform - Cuando estaba en la escuela, solía usar uniforme.

for + (period of time)

Esta expresión temporal indica durante cuánto tiempo sucedió la acción en el pasado. For debe ir seguido por un periodo de tiempo y se coloca al final de oración.

Ejemplos:

I stayed in London for three days - Me quedé en Londres durante tres días.
She lived in Portugal for a year - Ella vivió en Portugal durante un año.

always, never, often, frequently, seldom, once, twice, etc.

Estos adverbios de frecuencia también pueden ser usados en el tiempo pasado.

Ejemplos:

He always worked late - Él siempre trabajaba hasta tarde.
She was always by my side - Ella siempre estuvo a mi lado.
She never invited me to his parties - Ella nunca me invitó a sus fiestas.
It happened too often in the past - Ocurrió con demasiada frecuencia en el pasado.
Her father frequently changed jobs - Su padre cambiaba de trabajo con frecuencia.
My sister seldom stepped out of her room - Mi hermana rara vez salía de su habitación.
My mom talked to him once at my wedding - Mi mamá habló con él una vez en mi boda.

Estos adverbios se colocan antes del verbo en pasado. La única excepción ocurre cuando el verbo es "to be", en este caso, el adverbio se coloca después del verbo (was/were).

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Stop saying "You're welcome"

4/2/2021

1 Comment

Category: Speaking

There are some many different ways to respond to thank you. Let's see some examples:

Informal expressions

Anytime!
Anything for... (you/the team/the company).
Anything to make (you/her/them) (happy/smile).
Certainly!
Cool!
Don’t mention it!
Don't worry about it!
Forget about it!
Glad I could help!
Happy to help!
I know you’d do the same for me.
I should be the one thanking you.
It was nothing!
It was no trouble at all.
It was the least I could do.
It's all good!
It's nothing!
It's the least I could do for you.
I've got you!
Never mention!
No big deal!
No need to thank me.
No problem!
No prob!
No sweat!
No worries!
Not a problem!
Not at all!
Nothing at all!
Of course!
Sure!
Sure thing!
That's all right!
That's absolutely fine.
That's OK/alright!
You got it!

Formal expressions

(It's) my pleasure!
The pleasure is mine!
It was my pleasure!
I’m happy/glad to help!
I'm happy to be of assistance.
I'm happy to have helped you.
I'm glad that you're satisfied.
Happy to be of service.
No need at all!
You're most welcome!
Much obliged! [British English]
I'm very much obliged to you! [British English]

1 Comment

Stop saying "Thank you"

4/2/2021

1 Comment

Category: Speaking

There are some many ways to say "Thank you" in English, and of course it depends on the situation, you may want to use some more informal expressions or in a business situation or a formal environment. So, these expressions show how thankful you are:

Informal expressions

Thanks.
Thanks a lot.
Thanks a ton.
Thanks a million.
Thanks a bunch.
Thanks so much.
Thanks ever so much.
Thanks for having my back.
Thanks, you are a peach!
I really/truly appreciate it/that.
You shouldn't have (done that).
That's so kind.
That's very kind of you.
You're too kind.
You're a star, thanks.
You're a legend, thanks.
You're the best!
You are a lifesaver!
You rock!
I owe you one.
I owe you big time.
Oh, my God! This is so sweet!
Oh, God! I don't know what to say.
What would I do without you?
Much appreciated.
You made my day.
I can't thank you enough.
Saying thank you isn't enough.
I will never forget what you've done for me.
This means a lot to me.
How thoughtful of you.
Cheers. [British English]
Ta! [British English]

Formal expressions

I'm so thankful for... (that/the flowers/what you did/your visit/your help).
I'm so grateful for... (doing this/having you in my life).
I truly appreciate everyone's willingness to... (work overtime/help others/join us).
Thank you ever so much for... (giving me this opportunity).
Thank you for going through the trouble of... (answering all my questions/having a party for her/helping me).
Thank you for your assistance with... (this matter/this process).
It's so kind of you to... (offer).
It was kind of all of you.
I'm eternally grateful for...(all you have done).
I cannot thank you enough. [Written English]

Accept my endless gratitude. [Written English]
I really value your... (hard work/dedication/honesty/friendship). [Written English]
Words cannot describe/express how grateful I am (for...). [Written English]
Many thanks for... (all/everything/all your support). [Written English]
Your support is greatly appreciated. [Written English]
Thank you for your kind consideration. [Written English]
I'd like to express my appreciation for... [Written English]

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Connectors of sequence

Conectores de secuencia en inglés

Adverbios de tiempo y expresiones temporales usadas con el pasado simple en inglés

Stop saying "You're welcome"

Stop saying "Thank you"

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