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UNIT 3
LANGUAGE REFERENCE
Adjectives with prepositions
ADJECTIVES + ABOUT
About can be used with adjectives often to refer to how you feel about something:

DOUBTFUL ABOUT: We are very doubtful about trans-national lists for European Parliament
elections. [dudoso]
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT: I feel really enthusiastic about the concert.
EXCITED ABOUT: Are you excited about going on holiday next week?
POSITIVE ABOUT: Its sometimes hard to stay positive about development in NYC.
PASSIONATE ABOUT: I am passionate about helping others.
UNDECIDED ABOUT: Are you still undecided about what career to choose?
HESITANT ABOUT: He was hesitant about committing himself to the oversight of the project.
SMUG ABOUT: Im not only proud of that, Im smug about it! [engredo, petulante]
ANXIOUS ABOUT: She is anxious about her fathers health. [nervioso]
CRAZY ABOUT: Marta is completely crazy about her boyfriend.
HAPPY ABOUT: The President will be happy about todays debate.
ANGRY ABOUT: Why are you so angry about it?
SAD ABOUT: She is sad about her birthday.
CONCERNED ABOUT: He was concerned about the future.

ADJECTIVES + WITH
We can use with with this adjectives to say how people feel about things or towards people:
SATISFIED WITH: He is quite satisfied with his results.
CONTENT WITH: He had to be content with third place. [conforme]
BORED WITH: Do you ever get bored with eating out all the time?
FED UP WITH: She was fed up with his complaints.
BUSY WITH: Are students busy with schoolwork or occupied with Arts & Crafts in the playground?
DISAPPOINTED WITH: Romania has a small number of newspaper readers, and most of them
were disappointed with those products.
CONCERNED WITH: I am concerned with books and music. (=devote oneself [UNIT 2])
With can also be used with some adjective to say how people feel towards others. However, we dont use
with to talk about how people act towards each other, we use to.

FURIOUS WITH: I am furious with my brother for having lied to me.

HAPPY WITH: The owner must be happy with their results.
UPSET WITH: I was upset with George for forgetting my birthday. [molesto]
CROSS WITH: I got crossed with George for forgetting my birthday. [enfadado]
ANGRY WITH: He was most bitterly angry with himself.
PLEASED WITH: She was pleased with herself, having passed her driving test at the first attempt.

Some adjectives can be used with both about or with when talking about things, with very little
difference in meaning.

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Adjectives + about + with / other prepositions

Some adjectives can be used with several different prepositions sometimes with slight differences in
meaning.

SORRY ABOUT / SORRY FOR

o Im sorry about your exam result.
o Im sorry for my sister: she has to jobs.
ANXIOUS ABOUT / ANXIOUS FOR / ANXIOUS + INFINITIVE WITH TO
o Im anxious about speaking in English on the phone.
o Im anxious for news of my sisters new baby.
o Im anxious to hear all about it.
ANGRY ABOUT / ANGRY AT / ANGRY WITH
o Whats he so angry about?
o Shes angry at him for being late.
o Shes with him for being late.
DISAPPOINTED ABOUT / AT / WITH / INFINITIVE WITH TO / IN
o Are you disappointed about the turnout?
o Are you disappointed at the turnout?
o Are you disappointed with the turnout?
o His parents were disappointed in his lack of interest.
o I was disappointed to hear they cant come to the wedding.

Other common adjectives + prepositions

CONFIDENT OF / ABOUT STH. / IN YOURSELF

o He was confident of victory despite the large Oxford crowd that had gathered.
o I feel much more confident about using the web now.
o You should be confident in yourself.
UNSURE ABOUT STH. / OF YOURSELF
o If you want to win the competition, you shouldnt be unsure of yourself.
o She is unsure about her pregnancy.
UNCERTAIN ABOUT / WHETHER
o I am uncertain about the correct usage in the following sentence.
o It is uncertain whether Job will get the job.
UNCLEAR ABOUT / AS TO / WHETHER
o Many people unclear about laws for guide animals.
o Im still a little unclear as to what just happened.
o It is unclear whether he knows it or not.
ENGROSSED BY / IN / WITH
o She was so engrossed by the book that she forgot the cakes in the oven.
o Tony didnt notice because he was too engrossed in his work.
o He was so absorbed by school that no guy wanted to date him.

ADVERBS
We can use an adverb to modify:
1.
2.
3.
4.

A verb: She sang beautifully.

An adjective: He seems reasonably happy.
A noun or prepositional phrase: Its really a form of baseball.
Another adverb: Weve read tour proposal extremely carefully.

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COMMON ADVERBS / ADJECTIVE COLLOCATIONS

HIGHLY + ADJ.:
o Competitive: He is a highly competitive person.
o Effective: The new Samsung smartphone is highly effective.
o Intelligent: That was a highly intelligent decision.
o Unlikely: Legislation on the question is highly unlikely.
o Significant: Staphylococcus aureus showed a highly singnificant relationship between its
occurrence at birth, till the end of the follow oup in Group 2 cases.
o Questionable: The problem in our day, which gives rise to highly questionable church
growth methods, is twofold.
PERFECTLY + ADJ.:
o Acceptable: It is perfectly acceptable to sample the food before you buy.
o Clear: It is perfectly clear that there is abuse, for example in connection with asylum claims.
o Normal: 'Seeing Jesus in toast' phenomenon is perfectly normal.
FULLY + ADJ.:
o Aware: I am fully aware of the implications of my action.
o Booked: In case an event is fully booked, we will send you a notice and will suggest an
alternative event if possible.
o Informed: It also aims to ensure that the sector is kept fully informed of productivity issues
and the economic situation in the various lines of production involved.
DEEPLY + ADJ.:
o Disturbed: The delegation of Indonesia is deeply disturbed andconcerned by the renewed
violence in the occupied Palestinian territory.
o Shocked: Josep Borrell said on behalf of this esteemed body that you were deeply
shocked, sickened and revolted by this statement'.
o Moved: They are deeply moved by their experience and they tell all their friends about it
and they want to do it again.

COMMON ADVERB / VERB COLLOCATIONS

DEEPLY / PROFUNDLY REGRET: We deeply regret this and will try to find other ways to increase
cooperation between Member States.
VIVIDLY REMEMBER: I vividly remember the moment when I first understood the choices this
commitment required.
STRONGLY SUPPORT: NASAA Strongly Supports the Investor Choice Act of 2013
HIGHLY / STRONGLY RECOMMEND: We strongly recommend that these people are invited to the
workshop.
THOROUGHLY ENJOY: I thoroughly enjoy your programme.
TOTALLY / ENTIRELY AGREE: I totally agree with you there.
FULLY RECOGNISE: EU members unlikely to fully recognise Syrian opposition.
STRONGLY BELIEVE: I strongly believe in God.

SHORT RESPONSES
We often use adverbs as single-word responses in conversation: absolutely, definitely, precisely,
probably, completely, certainly, exactly, possibly, totally, not really, hardly.

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LANGUAGE NOTES
FOCUS ON, WORK ON, CONCENTRATE ON
These expressions are often followed by a noun or a gerund.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

I need to concentrate on verb sentences.

I need to concentrate on using verb tenses correctly.
The physical examination focus on your heart.
We must focus on getting the facts across because the facts speak for themselves.
I hope that we can work together on this new assignment.
We must work on succeeding in this exam.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

Id find a dictionary a great help.

Id benefit from my background knowledge.
Waiting might be the solution.
I think the best way to do this is working together.
New treatments for cancer would be worth investigating.
Living in London might be worthwile / worth a try.
Ive considered the idea of leaving the degree.
I probably need more exposure to the language in order to speak Enlish fluently.

KEYWORDS WORTH, WORTHWHILE

Its worthwhile means its a good way to spend your time. You can also say its worth + -ing.
Its worth going on a summer course in Australia.
Worthwhile can come on its own or before a noun:
-

Its really worthwhile. [Merece la pena]

Its a worthwhile cause.

Worthwhile can also be split by a possessive: Its worth my while.

Other examples:
-

Its worth trying. Its worth a try.

Its worth visiting. Its worth a visit.

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Uses of the Present Simple:
a) Historic present, to make a narrative more immediate: Three years later, war between England and
Argentina breaks out over the Falklands.
b) In particular expressions: I hear you went to Bulgaria for your holiday.
c) To talk about a scheduled event in the future: The bus leaves at 10.15.
d) In formal expressions in letters: I write to inform you that you have been chosen

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Uses of the Present Continuous:

a) Historic present continuous, to make a past description more immediate: Were all waiting for
something to happen and then suddenly there was a terrible noise.
b) To talk about something thats definitely arranged in the future. Im leaving on the 17th and then
Im coming back a week later.
c) To say something happens too often or too much: Not again! Im always losing my wallet.

VOCABULARY
EXPRESSIONS RELATED TO LANGUAGE
EN
GET THE HANG OF

ES
pillar, coger el truco

TAKE UP
PICK UP
GET BY IN

Iniciar,
emprender
Mejorar
Arreglrselas

KEEP (A LANGUAGE) GOING

ACQUIRE
PRESERVE

Mantener
Desarrollar
Conservar

MASTER

Dominar

BODY LANGUAGE

Lenguaje corporal

LANGUAGE BARRER

Barrera idiomtica

PLAIN LANGUAGE

Lenguaje llano

COMMON LANGUAGE

Lengua comn

EXPOSURE

Exposicin a la lengua

GRASP OF THE LANGUAGE

Conocimiento de una lengua

BAD LANGUAGE

Taco

TO BE TONGUE-TIED

Mudo, con los labios sellados

CANT GET A WORD IN

EDGEWAYS
BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH

No poder meter baza

STRING
A
SENTENCE
TOGETHER
MAKE YOUR POINT

Hilar oraciones

comenzar,

Andarse por las ramas

Ir al grano

EX
At first the movie made no sense to me, but
after a while I got the hang of it.
He took up woodworking after inheriting his
grandfather's tools.
We hope that sales will pick up next month.
My French is really hopeless so I was glad to
discover that I could get by in simple English
in Paris.
Keep that language going!
How do children acquire language?
It's essential for us to carry out efforts to
preserve the languages and dialects for
sustaining the number of ethnicity in the
world and to form our own identity.
When I finish this degree I will be able to
master English.
I could tell from her body language that she
was disappointed.
Though there was a language barrier when I
traveled through Asia, I communicated with
gestures and drawings.
Plain language is clear, succinct writing
designed to ensure the reader understands as
quickly and completely as possible.
Linguists believe in the existence of an
ancient common language.
Reasons why early exposure to a language is
important for children.
You must have a good grasp of the English
language to apply for this job.
Children often learn bad language from their
parents and friends.
If you are concerned that you baby may be
tongue tied, please talk to your pediatrician
about this.
I couldnt get a word in edgeways.
Let's not beat about the bush; I know exactly
what you did.
I was so nervous that I couldnt string a
sentence together.
Quit talking in circles and make your point
already.