Inglés Básico 3 PDF

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Hablan los lectores
A lo largo de estos años, mis libros han ayudado a miles de hispanohablantes a

mejorar su nivel de inglés.
Aquí tienes unos comentarios de los lectores sobre mis libros:
Lo elegí porque me gusta el autor y sigo sus cursos on line, realmente es un
profesor muy bueno y el libro contiene mucho ingles coloquial absolutamente
necesario para la vida moderna. – Luisa
Muy buen libro, todo se entiende perfectamente y los ejemplos son

acertados. Es muy útil para perfeccionar tu inglés y hablar como un nativo. –
Cliente Amazon
El libro responde a lo que anuncia y enseña lo que otros libros no hacen, el

inglés coloquial. Daniel se adelanta a errores, matices y dudas que a menudo
nos confunden a los hispanohablantes con ciertas expresiones. Así aprender
resulta más fácil. No promete milagros y hace más ameno el aprendizaje. Por
cierto, me encantan las introducciones de los temas. – Mar.
Muy buenos consejos, ideas claras, listas de palabras imprescindibles para

aprender inglés, complementario a otras obras del autor. Vale la pena. –
Caballero Ber
Me ha sido muy útil y lo recomiendo totalmente, al igual que Inglés Básico 2

que también he comprado. Se trata de un autor que comunica muy bien a la
hora de transmitir los conceptos. Además, tras contactar con él, me ha facilitado
de forma gratuita ambos libros en formato pdf, unos audios correspondientes a
dichos dos libros, al igual que tres vídeos correspondientes a una campaña de
promoción donde explica aspectos importantes del idioma inglés. – José Luis
Después de buscar un libro con el que comenzar la aventura en ingles, di

con este gracias a su buenas opiniones.
Solo puedo ratificar lo dicho, fácil lectura, ameno, claro, conciso y
entretenido, así da gusto aprender. Recomendable 100% en lo que llevo leído. –
Jorge
Desde mi punto de vista está muy bien y me ha servido de mucho. Todos los
libros que tiene el autor sobre ello están muy bien, son my prácticos y teniendo
una base sirven de mucha ayuda. – Cenobia.
Inglés Básico 3: Textos
Inglés Básico 3: Textos

Aprende gramática, vocabulario y más con estos textos sencillos en inglés
Escrito por Daniel Welsch
Mucho más en mis webs: aprendemasingles.com y madridingles.net
Copyright © 2018 Daniel Welsch
Contacta con el autor aprendemasingles.com/contactar
Cómo aprender más inglés con este libro
Bienvenido y ¡enhorabuena!
Comprar este libro es un importante paso para mejorar tu nivel de inglés.
Estoy seguro que te ayudará mucho a avanzar.
Si has intentado leer libros en inglés antes, sabes que puede ser frustrante.
Abres a la primera página, te pones a leer…
Y pronto encuentras una frase larga y retorcida llena de palabras que no has
visto jamás.
Dejas el libro, abres el diccionario – y te desanimas.
Este libro es diferente.
Aquí puedes aprender gramática, vocabulario y más con estos textos
adaptados para estudiantes.
Ponerte a leer en inglés puede ser difícil al principio, porque textos de nivel
“nativo” tienen mucho vocabulario y mucha gramática complicada.
Muchas cosas que tendrías que buscar en un diccionario para seguir
leyendo.
En este libro, en cambio, encontrarás textos sencillos para empezar a
“soltarte” en la lectura—el vocabulario es reducido y la gramática es
simplificada para que puedas leer con más facilidad, aunque no tengas un nivel
alto.
Aquí encontrarás textos que utilizan los tiempos verbales básicos verbos
modales como should, must, can y can’t. Textos sobre presente, pasado y futuro,
y sobre situaciones hipotéticas también.
Y algunos que usan los phrasal verbs más importantes del inglés.
Leer es una de las actividades que más te puede enseñar sobre un idioma—y
deberías empezar en cuanto antes.
Este libro te ayuda a empezar, con lecturas breves y fáciles de entender…
Para que te sientas que estás progresando desde el primer momento.
Además, todo el vocabulario clave está explicado, y en cada capítulo tienes
una breve explicación de la gramática relevante.
Mi revolucionario método de aprender vocabulario

En mi libro bestseller 6 Claves para Aprender Inglés, hablo de algo que llamo
“mi revolucionario método de aprender vocabulario”. Cuando mis estudiantes
me dicen “Daniel, necesito aprender más vocabulario” la respuesta
normalmente es “Muy bien. ¿Cuántos libros has leído en inglés?”
Después de leer una docena de libros, tus problemas con el vocabulario
desaparecerán.
Pero muchas personas no tienen nivel para empezar todavía con libros para
angloparlantes nativos. Para ellos, es mejor empezar con algo adaptado para un
nivel más básico.
Así pues, ¡no te preocupes! Todos empezamos donde estamos, y ya llegarás
al nivel que quieras. Todo con la práctica, la constancia y el tiempo.
Si no me conoces, soy Daniel Welsch y llevo más de 10 años enseñando
inglés (tanto en grupos y clases particulares como online).
En mis clases, he ayudado a gente de todo tipo a mejorar su inglés, desde
estudiantes universitarios a actores de cine y altos ejecutivos.
Hace unos 8 años que puse mi primera página web, madridingles.net y
todavía sigue ahí, después de varios millones de visitas de personas en casi
todos los países del mundo.
Ahora tengo también aprendemasingles.com, una página donde también
llegan casi un millón de personas al mes para aprender gramática, vocabulario,
pronunciación y más.
Y mi canal en YouTube tiene más de 400 videos que te pueden ayudar con
todas las preguntas que tengas.
Echa un vistazo aquí: youtube.com/mrdanielwelsch
Originalmente soy de Phoenix, Arizona, en Estados Unidos, pero ahora vivo
en la hermosa ciudad de Madrid, España. Puedes contactarme a través de la
web, ¡estoy encantado de saber algo de ti!
Escríbeme aquí (me llega directamente al correo electrónico) —
aprendemasingles.com/contactar
Buen aprendizaje,
Daniel Welsch.
Madrid, España, octubre 2018.
P.D. Por cierto, aquí en el libro pongo enlaces a muchos artículos gratuitos
en las dos webs que pueden ayudarte a entender mejor la gramática o el
vocabulario que encontrarás los textos. También hay explicaciones más
detalladas de muchos temas en mis otros libros de la serie Inglés Básico, y en
mis libros sobre phrasal verbs. Más sobre mis otros libros en
aprendemasingles.com/libros
¡Espera!
Antes de seguir, pásate por mi web para apuntarte a mis lecciones por correo.
Recibirás un par de ebooks gratuitos al suscribir: “7 errores comunes al hablar
inglés (y cómo evitarlos)” y “Aprende más inglés: Vocabulario y Expresiones
Esenciales”.
Después, recibirás mis lecciones nuevas (normalmente 2 o 3 veces por
semana). Es gratis y de esta forma estoy ayudando a miles de personas todas las
semanas con su inglés: aprendemasingles.com/suscribir
Primera Parte: Textos

Estos textos utilizan un vocabulario reducido, y cada uno está diseñado para
reforzar un punto diferente de la gramática o el vocabulario.
Así tenemos presente, pasado y futuro, además de textos que utilizan estructuras
para hablar de la habilidad, la obligación, comparativo, superlativo, los phrasal
verbs y más.
Cada texto tiene explicaciones del vocabulario clave y además preguntas de
comprensión después.
¡Buen aprendizaje!
Miguel's life in California
El presente simple en inglés se usa para cosas habituales o situaciones que

vemos como permanentes. Aquí hablamos de la vida de un chico que se llama
Miguel, que vive en California.
Después, tenemos el mismo texto en tercera persona.
La gramática es sencilla: el verbo en primera persona es igual al infinitivo, y
en tercera persona, se pone una -s o una -es al final.
Las negaciones se forman con don’t y doesn’t.
Eso con un par de irregularidades, como siempre – puedes ver todo lo que
necesitas saber en la web: madridingles.net/presente-simple
MIGUEL’S LIFE – PRIMERA PERSONA
I’m Miguel, and I’m 12 years old. I live with my parents in a small city in
California. The city is called Fresno. It’s about three hours from LA and about
three hours from San Francisco.
Every day I wake up early and go to school. I start school at 7:45. I hate
getting up early, but I have to do it. My mother wakes me up every day at 6:15. I
take a shower, have some cereal for breakfast, and go to catch the bus. The bus
is big and yellow and it takes about half an hour to get to my school.
I don’t like school much, but at least I can spend time with my friends. I like
language and history class—especially learning about world history and ancient
cultures—but I don’t like math or science very much. I find the teachers boring.
I have two sisters, Maria and Rosa. At home, my parents speak Spanish, but
in school I speak English. Some of my friends speak Spanish too.
My father is an auto mechanic, and my mother works in an office. She’s a
receptionist, so she spends most of the day answering phone calls and emails.
On the weekends I play basketball with my friends, or I play video games. I
also like reading books from the school library and watching TV. When I grow
up, I want to play basketball for the LA Lakers, but I’m also thinking about
becoming a history teacher. My parents think that being a teacher is a better
idea.
MIGUEL’S LIFE – TERCERA PERSONA

Miguel is 12 years old. He lives with his parents in a small city in California.
The city is called Fresno. It’s about three hours from LA and about three hours
from San Francisco.
Every day he wakes up early and goes to school. He starts school at 7:45. He
hates getting up early, but he has to do it. His mother wakes him up every day at
6:15. He takes a shower, has some cereal for breakfast, and goes to catch the
bus. The bus is big and yellow and it takes about half an hour to get to Miguel’s
school.
Miguel doesn’t like school much, but at least he can spend time with his
friends. He likes language and history class—especially learning about world
history and ancient cultures—but he doesn’t like math or science very much. He
finds the teachers boring.
Miguel has two sisters, Maria and Rosa. At home, his parents speak Spanish,
but in school he speaks English. Some of his friends speak Spanish too.
Miguel’s father is an auto mechanic, and his mother works in an office. She’s
a receptionist, so she spends most of the day answering phone calls and emails.
On the weekends Miguel plays basketball with his friends, or he plays video
games. He also likes reading books from the school library and watching TV.
When he grows up, he wants to play basketball for the LA Lakers, but he’s also
thinking about becoming a history teacher. His parents think that being a teacher
is a better idea.
VOCABULARY
Take a shower – ducharse
Spend time – pasar tiempo
Ancient cultures – culturas antiguas
Boring – aburrido
Auto mechanic – mecánico (que arregla coches)
Video games – videojuegos
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Does Miguel live in Oregon?
2. What time does he wake up in the morning?

3. How does he get to school?
4. What does Miguel’s father do?
5. Does Miguel speak Spanish?
6. Does he have any brothers or sisters?
7. What does he want to do when he grows up?
ANSWERS
1. No, he doesn’t. He lives in California.
2. He wakes up at 6:15.
3. He gets to school by bus.
4. He’s an auto mechanic.
5. Yes, he does.
6. Yes, he does. He has two sisters.
7. He wants to play basketball for the LA Lakers.
Tom's terrible day at the office
La mayoría de este texto se escribe en pasado simple. El pasado simple

normalmente no cambia mucho de primera persona a tercera persona. Aparte
del verbo to be (que tiene dos conjugaciones en pasado, was y were) el pasado
simple es igual en todas personas.
En todo caso, sí cambian los pronombres. Y hay que tener en cuenta que
tenemos verbos regulares e irregulares. Los regulares tienen la terminación -ed
para indicar el pasado, y los irregulares cambian de muchas formas. Así
tenemos:
work - worked (regular)
go - went (irregular)
Puedes descargar un PDF con los verbos irregulares más importantes del
inglés en la web: madridingles.net/irregulares
Las negaciones se hacen con didn’t + infinitivo, y como siempre, el verbo to
be tiene sus propias reglas, que puedes ver en este artículo: madridingles.net/
tobe
Empezamos con tercera persona, y a continuación tenemos primera persona.
Fíjate que este texto tiene unos phrasal verbs como go off y wake up.
Los phrasal verbs son muy comunes en inglés (más sobre ellos en otro
capítulo, más adelante.)
Aquí la historia…
TOM’S TERRIBLE DAY – TERCERA PERSONA
Tom had a terrible day at work.
But really, the problems started at home. First thing in the morning, his alarm
didn’t go off. So when Tom finally woke up, he was already late for work. He
arrived nearly an hour late, and his boss was angry.
Tom had a lot to do all day long. He received emails from the departments in
other countries, and he answered them. He made a plan for the next big project
the company is going to work on. He got a lot of phone calls. He drank a lot of
coffee.
At 1 o’clock he went to lunch. He went to the café on the corner and had a
turkey sandwich. It was good, but not great.
After lunch he had a meeting with his boss. They talked about Tom’s plan for
the next big project. Tom’s boss wasn’t very impressed. He made some
suggestions that Tom didn’t like, and sent Tom back to his office to think about a
new plan.
Tom spent the rest of the day in his office. He answered more emails and he
returned more phone calls.
When he finally finished work, he was exhausted. He went home, had
dinner and went to bed.
Y AHORA EN PRIMERA PERSONA
I had a terrible day at work.
But really, the problems started at home. First thing in the morning, my alarm
didn’t go off. So when I finally woke up, I was already late for work. I arrived
nearly an hour late, and my boss was angry.
I had a lot to do all day long. I received emails from the departments in other
countries, and I answered them. I made a plan for the next big project the
company is going to work on. I got a lot of phone calls. I drank a lot of coffee.
At 1 o’clock I went to lunch. I went to the café on the corner and had a
turkey sandwich. It was good, but not great.
After lunch I had a meeting with my boss. They talked about my plan for the
next big project. My boss wasn’t very impressed. He made some suggestions that
I didn’t like, and sent me back to my office to think about a new plan.
I spent the rest of the day in my office. I answered more emails and I returned
more phone calls.
When I finally finished work, I was exhausted. I went home, had dinner and
went to bed.
VOCABULARY
Go off – sonar (el despertador)
Wake up – despertarse
Nearly – casi
All day long – a lo largo de todo el día

Boss – jefe
Impressed – impresionado
Suggestions – sugerencias
Answer an email – contestar a un correo electrónico
Return a phone call – devolver una llamada
1. Did Tom have a good day at work?
2. Did he arrive at work on time?
3. Did he drink a lot of coffee?
4. What did he have for lunch?
5. Was Tom’s boss impressed with Tom’s plan?
6. How did Tom feel when he was finished with work?
ANSWERS
1. No, he didn’t.
2. No, he didn’t. He arrived nearly an hour late.
3. Yes, he did.
4. He had a turkey sandwich.
5. No, he wasn’t.
6. He felt exhausted.
Mary's holiday in Barcelona
Aquí tenemos la historia (casi todo en pasado simple) de Mary y su novio Bill,
dos ingleses que van a pasar unos días en Barcelona de vacaciones.
Si caigo en algunos tópicos sobe los ingleses, lo siento mucho – a veces me
pasa.
Esta historia tiene un poco más de vocabulario – si quieres una explicación
más completa del pasado simple, está en la web: madridingles.net/pasado-
simple
MARY AND BILL IN BARCELONA
Mary went to Barcelona on her last holiday.
She didn’t go alone, she went with her boyfriend Bill. They flew from London
to Barcelona on a cheap flight early in the morning. They arrived at around 10 in
the morning and caught a taxi to the hotel.
Neither of them had been to Spain before, and neither of them spoke
Spanish, so they were a little bit confused. But the city was beautiful and they
enjoyed walking around and looking at the architecture. Mary took a lot of
pictures and shared them on Facebook. They went to lunch in a little restaurant
close to the cathedral. They decided that they didn’t like Spanish food.
In the afternoon they went to an art museum and looked at a lot of paintings.
Then they went to a bar. They decided they didn’t like Spanish beer either.
The next day they went to the beach. It was a hot sunny day in June and the
beach was full of people.
Bill went swimming in the sea, but Mary didn’t. She preferred to sit in the
sun. In London it was never sunny. In London it just rained and rained and
rained… Even in summer it rained.
The next day they had an argument about something silly. Mary felt angry all
morning. But in the end they Bill apologized and she forgave him. “I can’t stay
angry with you!” she said.
They were very happy, at least until they had to go back to London.
VOCABULARY
Alone – solo (sin acompañante)
A cheap flight – un vuelo barato
Catch a taxi – tomar un taxi
Neither of them – ni uno ni otro
A hot sunny day – un día caluroso y soleado
Go swimming – nadar
Have an argument – discutir
Silly – tonto
Angry – enfadado
Apologize – pedir perdón
Forgive – perdonar a alguien
Go back to London – volver a Londres
1. Is Mary single?
2. What time did Bill and Mary arrive in Barcelona?
3. Did they like Spanish food?
4. Does Mary speak Spanish?
5. Was it sunny when they were at the beach?
6. Did Mary go swimming?
ANSWERS
1. No, she isn’t. She has a boyfriend.
2. They arrived at around 10 in the morning.
3. No, they didn’t.
4. No, she doesn’t.
5. Yes, it was.
6. No, she didn’t. She preferred to sit in the sun.
Teresa's life in the Midwest
Aquí se usan varios tiempos verbales para hablar del pasado, presente y futuro
de una joven universitaria que se llama Teresa.
En Estados Unidos, utilizamos “Midwest” para hablar de los estados del
centro del país – tierras muy planas con mucha nieve en invierno y mucho maíz
en verano.
Y aquí en el texto, usamos mucho presente para hablar de su vida actual en
Chicago, además del pasado para su vida en su pueblo natal.
TERESA’S LIFE IN THE MIDWEST
Teresa is 22 years old. She’s a student. She lives in Chicago and studies
architecture at the University of Illinois.
She finished high school 4 years ago. At the time, she was living in her home
town in Iowa, where she grew up. She was living with her parents and her
brother in a house on the edge of town. But she wanted to study architecture at
a big university, so she got a scholarship and went to Chicago.
She had a boyfriend in her town, and they tried to stay together when she
left, but in the end they broke up. Now she’s single. She doesn’t have much free
time, so her social life isn’t very exciting.
She started her degree 4 years ago, and she’s been studying hard ever since.
She usually wakes up at 7 AM for her first class at 8. She has three or four
classes every day, and then she works on projects and studies for exams. She
hopes to be finished with her degree in a couple of years.
Now, she lives in a shared apartment near the university. She shares with two
girls. She gets along very well with one, but doesn’t get along well with the
other. On weekends, she studies, or she spends time with a couple of her
friends. Occasionally she goes running in a park near her house, but she doesn’t
like exercising.
In summers, she goes back to her home town, but she doesn’t enjoy it much.
It’s very boring compared to Chicago. Plus, she always runs into her ex-
boyfriend, which is kind of awkward.
When she finishes her degree, she hopes to become an architect in a big firm
in Chicago or New York. She wants to design hotels and shopping malls. But
first, she has a lot of exams to pass!
VOCABULARY
Home town – ciudad (o pueblo) natal
Grow up – crecer, pasar la niñez
Scholarship – beca
Stay together – seguir juntos
Break up – terminar una relación
Degree – carrera universitaria
Go running – correr (para hacer deporte)
Shared apartment – un piso compartido (en inglés americano, “apartment”
puede tener muchas habitaciones). En otro texto utilizo la palabra “flatshare”
que llega a ser lo mismo, pero en inglés británico.
Get along with someone = llevarse con alguien. En inglés británico, se dice
“get on”.
Run into someone – cruzarse con alguien
Awkward – embarazoso, incómodo
Firm – bufete (de arquitectos, abogados, etc)
Shopping malls – centros comerciales
Pass – aprobar (un examen)
1. Did Teresa grow up in Chicago?
2. When did she finish high school?
3. What is she studying at university?
4. Does she get along well with both of her roommates?
5. Why doesn’t she like visiting her home town?
6. What does she hope to do when she finishes her degree?
ANSWERS
1. No, she didn’t. She grew up in a town in Iowa.
2. She finished high school 4 years ago.
3. She’s studying architecture.

4. No, she doesn’t. She only gets along well with one of them.
5. Because it’s boring compared to Chicago, and because she always runs
into her ex boyfriend.
6. She hopes to become an architect at a big firm in Chicago or New York.
Rebecca's plans for the rest of her life
Los estadounidenses tienen muchas ambiciones materiales y pocas vacaciones.

Así Rebecca está pensando en viajar a Europa dentro de 40 años, después de
jubilarse. Aquí se usa going to para hablar de planes para el futuro. Para planes,
se usa going to (el futuro con “will” habla de otras cosas, pero no planes.)
La estructura going to es un poco más larga y conviene practicarse: am / is /
are + going to + infinitivo.
Tengo un par de artículos sobre ello , puedes ver todos aquí:
madridingles.net/will-going-to
Como los verbos cambian de primera persona a tercera persona, veremos el
texto en las dos.
REBECCA’S PLANS – PRIMERA PERSONA
I have a lot of plans for my future.
I grew up in Brooklyn, and now I’m studying biology at New York University.
I’m going to finish my degree in a few months, and after that I’m going to relax
all summer.
In the future, though, I have big plans. I’m going to Medical School!
I’m going to study very hard and I’m going to become a doctor. After that, I’m
going to get a job in a prestigious hospital, and keep studying to become a heart
surgeon. I’m going to earn a lot of money and have patients who fly in to see me
from all over the world.
At some point, I’m going to meet the man of her dreams. He’s going to be tall
and handsome, and I hope he’ll also be a doctor. We’re going to move to
Connecticut and have three children. I’m going to get a job in a private clinic in
Connecticut, and my husband is going to continue working in New York. We’re
going to be very happy.
When our children grow up, I’m going to send them to the best universities
on the East Coast. Maybe Harvard or Yale. When I’m 60, I’ll have enough money
to retire, and my husband and I will finally be able to travel. I want to go to
Europe, to see Paris, Rome, Venice, Prague. All the beautiful places I’ve only
seen pictures of… so far.
I’m happy because I have less than 40 years to wait!
REBECCA’S PLANS – TERCERA PERSONA
Rebecca has a lot of plans for her future.
She grew up in Brooklyn, and now, she’s studying biology at New York
University. She’s going to finish her degree in a few months, and after that she’s
going to relax all summer.
In the future, though, she has big plans. She’s going to Medical School!
She’s going to study very hard and she’s going to become a doctor. After that,
she’s going to get a job in a prestigious hospital, and keep studying to become a
heart surgeon. She’s going to earn a lot of money and have patients who fly in to
see her from all over the world.
At some point, she’s going to meet the man of her dreams. He’s going to be
tall and handsome, and she hopes he’ll also be a doctor. They’re going to move
to Connecticut and have three children. She’s going to get a job in a private
clinic in Connecticut, and her husband is going to continue working in New
York. They’re going to be very happy.
When her children grow up, she’s going to send them to the best universities
on the East Coast. Maybe Harvard or Yale. When she’s 60, she’ll have enough
money to retire, and she and her husband will finally be able to travel. She
wants to go to Europe, to see Paris, Rome, Venice, Prague. All the beautiful
places she’s only seen pictures of… so far.
She’s happy because she has less than 40 years to wait!
VOCABULARY
Become – convertirse en, llegar a ser
Earn a lot of money – ganar mucho dinero
Heart surgeon – cirujano cardiovascular
All over the world – todas partes del mundo
Tall and handsome – alto y guapo
Retire – jubilarse
Be able to – poder (se usa en tiempos donde no se permite el uso de can)

So far – hasta ahora
1. Where did Rebecca grow up?
2. What is she going to do this summer?
3. Is she going to be a brain surgeon?
4. Is she planning to get married?
5. What does she want to do after she retires?
ANSWERS
1. She grew up in Brooklyn.
2. She’s going to relax all summer.
3. No, she’s not. She’s going to be a heart surgeon.
4. Yes, she is.
5. She wants to travel to Europe.
Charlie's plans for the weekend
Aquí tienes los planes de un tal Charlie – esta vez sólo para el fin de semana. En
el texto, tenemos más ejemplos de “going to” para hablar de planes e
intenciones de futuro. También hay ejemplos del presente simple para dar
contexto y hablar de su rutina semanal – entre otras cosas.
Vamos allá…
THE BIG PLAN
It’s Friday afternoon, and Charlie is at work. It’s 4 o’clock, so he finishes in an
hour.
When he finishes work, he’s going to go to the gym. He’s going to work out
for about an hour. He likes working out because it makes him feel good.
After he finishes at the gym, he’s going to take a shower and meet his
girlfriend for dinner. His girlfriend’s name is Ashley and they’ve been together for
about 6 months. Charlie is hopelessly in love with Ashley. He thinks she’s the
most beautiful girl in Denver, Colorado. And maybe she is.
Tonight, Charlie is going to take his girlfriend to one of her favorite
restaurants, because it’s her birthday. It’s a Chinese restaurant downtown. After
dinner, they’re going to see a movie.
Since it’s winter, Charlie and his girlfriend are going skiing tomorrow. They’re
going to a nearby town in the mountains. Charlie usually only goes skiing a
couple of times a year, and it’s Ashley’s first time. She’s from LA, where there’s
not much snow, so she’s never gone skiing before.
On Sunday, Charlie is going to see his friends. They’re going to watch the big
football game on TV. It’s the Dallas Cowboys playing against the Denver
Broncos. He’s going to his friend Matt’s house, because Matt has a big screen TV.
Charlie’s going to take some beer and some chips, and Matt’s going to make
hotdogs for everyone to eat.
They’re all fans of the Denver Broncos, and they hope their team wins. All in
all, it looks like it’s going to be an exciting weekend.
VOCABULARY
Work out – hacer deporte o ejercicio

Hopelessly in love – perdidamente enamorado
Downtown – el centro de la ciudad
Go skiing – hacer esquí
A football game – un partido de futbol (en este caso, futbol americano)
Play against – jugar en contra de
A big-screen TV – un televisor de pantalla grande
All in all – considerando todo
Exciting – emocionante (no es igual que excitante)
1. What time does Charlie finish work?
2. What is Charlie going to do after work?
3. What’s his girlfriend’s name?
4. How long have Charlie and his girlfriend been together?
5. Whose birthday is it?
6. What are Charlie and his girlfriend going to do tomorrow?
7. Why is Charlie going to Matt’s house on Sunday?
8. What football team does Charlie support?
ANSWERS
1. He finishes work at 4 o’clock.
2. He’s going to work out at the gym.
3. His girlfriend’s name is Ashley.
4. They’ve been together for about 6 months.
5. It’s Ashley’s birthday
6. They’re going to go skiing.
7. Because Matt has a big screen TV.
8. He supports the Denver Broncos.
I've had an interesting life... (presente perfecto)
Esta historia se cuenta en primera persona. Utiliza mucho el presente perfecto,

porque el presente perfecto en inglés se usa para hablar de experiencias vividas
y situaciones no terminadas.
Fíjate, en cambio, que utiliza el pasado simple para hablar de momentos
específicos del pasado.
El presente perfecto se forma con have / has + participio pasado.
Y como dije, habla de experiencias vividas en algún momento de tu vida –
cuando no estamos diciendo exactamente cuándo paso. (Cuando quieres hablar
especificar el momento cuando pasó, tienes que usar pasado simple.)
Lo de presente perfecto y pasado simple es un tema bastante largo, y lo
aclaro en la web y en video: aprendemasingles.com/presente-perfecto
ROBERT’S INTERESTING LIFE
I’m Robert. I’m 75 years old. I guess you could say I’ve had a very interesting
life.
I was born in 1940 and I grew up in New Jersey, just outside the city. I’ve had
a lot of different jobs. I was a cook in an Italian restaurant, I worked in a bakery,
and for a couple of years I delivered messages on my bicycle in New York.
I became a journalist almost 50 years ago, and I’ve been a writer since then.
My first job was with a smaller newspaper in New York, but then I got a job with
the New York Times as a foreign correspondent.
I’ve travelled around the world more times than I can count. I’ve been to
Asia, I’ve been to Africa, I’ve been to Europe. The only place I haven’t been is
South America.
The first time I went to Asia was in the 1970s. I was in China for a couple of
months. Since then I’ve been to China 7 or 8 more times. It’s changed a lot since
the first time. It’s become a lot more modern.
Of course, I’ve met a lot of interesting people. I met Nelson Mandela before
he became President. And I’ve met Bill Clinton several times. Actually, I’ve met
the presidents of 10 or 12 countries. And I’ve interviewed a lot of important

artists, politicians, and businesspeople.
Now I’m retired, and I don’t travel much. But I still write. I’ve written 3 books
about all my travels. I haven’t sold too many copies, but at least I’ve published
them.
I live in a house close to the beach here in New Jersey, and I spend time with
my children and my grandchildren. Sometimes, in winter, I go to Florida, where
it’s warmer. I’ve had a good life.
VOCABULARY
Outside – fuera
Bakery – panadería
Deliver messages – entregar mensajes
Journalist – periodista
Newspaper – periódico
Foreign correspondent – corresponsal (periodista que trabaja en el
extranjero)
Businesspeople – hombres y mujeres de negocios. Si necesitas especificar el
genero, puedes decir businessman y businesswoman.
Retired – jubilado
Published – publicado
Grandchildren – nietos
1. How old is Robert? When was he born?
2. Did he grow up in New York?
3. Has he always worked as a journalist?
4. Has he been to South America?
5. How many times has he been to China?
6. How many books has he written?
7. Does he have children?
8. Where does he go in winter?
ANSWERS
1. He’s 75 years old. He was born in 1940.

2. No, he didn’t. He grew up in New Jersey.
3. No, he hasn’t. He’s been a journalist for 50 years, but before that he had
other jobs.
4. No, he hasn’t.
5. He’s been to China 7 or 8 times.
6. He’s written 3 books.
7. Yes, he does.
8. He goes to Florida.
Should, must, have to (obligaciones)
Se usa “should” para recomendar cosas y “must” para recomendaciones fuertes

o obligaciones de una persona a otra. En cambio, se usa “have to” para
obligaciones que dependen de reglas o de la ley… Cuando hay consecuencias
claras si no haces algo, mejor usar “have to.”
El primer párrafo aquí son recomendaciones de persona a persona y usa
bastante “must”. La segunda habla de las leyes sobre los visados, etc, usando
“have to.”
Una explicación más completa del tema de should, must y have to la puedes
encontrar en la web aquí: aprendemasingles.com/must
Otra cosa: la falta de obligación se expresa con don’t have to o doesn’t have
to, dependiendo de la persona. Una prohibición puede hacerse con mustn’t, y
una sugerencia de no hacer algo con shouldn’t.
Aquí la primera historia…
COME TO MADRID!
If you visit Madrid, there are several things you must do. You must visit the
Prado Museum—it’s one of the best art museums in the world. And you must go
to Plaza Mayor and to Retiro Park. If you want, you can also visit the Royal
Palace and the cathedral. You should plan to stay in Madrid for at least 3 days.
If you’re from a country in Europe, you don’t have to apply for a visa to visit
Spain. But if you’re coming from some other countries, you have to get a tourist
visa before you arrive. You should check online or ask at the Spanish embassy to
find out.
VOCABULARY
Stay – quedarse, permanecer, hospedarse y más
Apply – solicitar (un trabajo, un visado, etc)
Tourist visa – visado de turista
Find out – enterarse, informarse
1. Is the Prado one of the worst art museums in the world?
2. How long should people plan to stay in Madrid?

3. Do Europeans have to apply for a Spanish visa?
ANSWERS
1. No, it isn’t. It’s one of the best.
2. At least 3 days.
3. No, they don’t.
Seguimos…
Aquí hablamos de las obligaciones que tiene Paul, tanto en el trabajo como
los que le impone su doctor. Así que usamos más “have to”. La tercera persona
es “has to”.
PAUL’S LIFE IN FIRST PERSON
I’m Paul. Every morning, I have to wake up very early to catch the train to
work. I work in New York, but I live in a small town about an hour away. There’s
a train at 7 AM, and I have to catch that. If I miss the 7 AM train, I have to wait
until 8 AM, and then I arrive at work an hour late.
When I get to work, I usually have to answer a lot of emails. I work in
finance, and my job is very international, so I get emails all night long from
different parts of the world. Today, I have to go to a meeting at 10. I have to
prepare a presentation to give to several people from different departments. After
that, I have to call the office in London to talk about the quarterly projections.
I’m a member at a gym close to my office. I know I should go more often, but
I can’t motivate myself. My doctor told me I have to lose weight, and to lose
weight I have to exercise. But I don’t like exercising much.
PAUL’S LIFE IN THIRD PERSON
Every morning, Paul has to get up very early to catch the train to work. He
works in New York, but he lives in a small town about an hour away. There’s a
train at 7 AM, and he has to catch that. If he misses the 7 AM train, he has to
wait until 8 AM, and then he arrives at work an hour late.
When he gets to work, he usually has to answer a lot of emails. He works in
finance, and his job is very international, so he gets emails all night long from
different parts of the world. Today, he has to go to a meeting at 10. He has to
prepare a presentation to give to several people from different departments. After

that, he has to call the office in London to talk about the quarterly projections.
Paul is a member at a gym close to his office. He knows he should go more
often, but he can’t motivate himself. His doctor told him he has to lose weight,
and to lose weight he has to exercise. But Paul doesn’t like exercising much.
VOCABULARY
An hour away – a una hora de distancia
Miss the train – perder el tren
Quarterly projections – previsiones trimestrales
Lose weight – perder peso
1. Where does Paul live? Where does he work?
2. What happens if he misses the 7 AM train?
3. What does he have to talk about with the London office?
4. Why doesn’t he go to the gym more often?
5. What did his doctor tell him?
ANSWERS
1. He lives in a town about an hour away from New York. He works in New
York.
2. If he misses the 7 AM train, he has to wait until 8 AM for the next one.
3. He has to talk about the quarterly projections.
4. Because he can’t motivate himself. He doesn’t like exercising much.
5. His doctor told him that he has to lose weight.
Can and can't (habilidades)
La palabra can se usa para hablar de habilidades, y la forma negativa es can’t.

La conjugación es muy sencilla: no cambia según la persona, y después se usa
un verbo en infinitivo (sin to).
Lo que sí cambia en una de las frases es el futuro: se usa will be able to para
hablar de habilidades futuras. Más sobre las habilidades con can, could y be
able aquí: madridingles.net/can-could
Aquí las historias…
SPORTY SONIA
Sonia is very sporty. Now, she’s training for a marathon. She can run about
20 miles. She can’t run very fast. She prefers running long distances, so she runs
slowly. Sometimes she goes swimming, to take a break from running. Swimming
is a lot harder than running. She can swim about two miles.
A couple of times a week, she does yoga. She’s not very good at it, but she
enjoys it. It makes her feel very good. She can’t do the more difficult poses, but
her teacher tells her not to worry. She’ll be able to do them all eventually, if she
practices.
INJURED DAVE
Dave can’t run at all. He broke his leg a few days ago, and he has to stay in
bed. He can’t run, and he can’t walk either. He’s a little bit bored. He can’t get
up to go to the bathroom and he can’t walk to the kitchen when he’s hungry. He
has to stay in bed for at least a couple of weeks. His wife, Shirley, is helping
him. Thank God for Shirley! Without her, he’d have to stay in the hospital.
On the other hand, he has a lot of time. Since he can’t go to work, he doesn’t
have much to do. So he can read a lot, and watch a lot of movies. He can think,
or he can talk to his wife. He can sleep. He’s been sleeping a lot since he broke
his leg.
DORA THE POLYGLOT
I’m Dora. I grew up in Hungary, and I can speak several languages. I can
speak Hungarian, of course, which is a very difficult language. And I can speak
Russian, because it was important to learn Russian when I was young. Now, I
can speak English because it’s important for my job. And I can speak some
German and French. I can’t write very well in German or French, but I can speak
and understand enough to have a conversation. I can’t speak Arabic or Chinese,
which are important languages too. And I can’t speak Spanish. I might learn a
new language in the future, but I’m not sure which one.
A HARD-WORKING COOK
I’m a cook, and I work in the restaurant of a big hotel. I can cook a lot of
different things. I love Italian food, and Spanish food and French food. I can
make excellent pasta and pizza. But I can’t cook Asian food—I’ve never learned!
I’d love to go to Japan and learn how to make Japanese food. Maybe some day I
will…
I wake up early and I work a lot, so I usually can’t spend much time with my
girlfriend. I can’t wait for my next holiday. We’re going to Cancún, and we’re
going to relax at the beach for a couple of weeks. It’s going to be great!
VOCABULARY
Miles – millas (algo así como 1,6 kilómetros)
Take a break – tomar un descanso
Injured – lesionado
He broke his leg – se rompió la pierna
Thank God! – Gracias a Dios
Grow up – crecer, pasar la niñez, hacerse adulto
I’ve never learned – nunca he aprendido
I can’t wait – no puedo esperar (tengo mucha ilusión)
Sporty Sonia
1. How far can Sonia run?
2. How far can she swim?
3. Which is harder for Sonia: swimming or running?
4. Does yoga make her feel bad?
Injured Dave
1. Why can’t Dave run?

2. Who is helping him?
3. How long does he have to stay in bed?
4. Can he read?
5. Has he been sleeping a lot?
Dora the Polyglot
1. Where did Dora grow up?
2. Is Hungarian a difficult language?
3. Why did she learn Russian?
4. Can she speak Arabic?
A hard-working cook
1. Does the cook work in a small hotel?
2. What would he love to do?
3. Does he spend a lot of time with his girlfriend?
4. Where are they going on their next holiday?
ANSWERS
Sporty Sonia
1. She can run about 20 miles.
2. She can swim about 2 miles.
3. Swimming is harder for her than running.
4. No, it doesn’t. It makes her feel very good.
Injured Dave
1. Because he broke his leg a few days ago.
2. His wife, Shirley, is helping him.
3. He has to stay in bed for at least a couple of weeks.
4. Yes, he can.
5. Yes, he has.
Dora the Polyglot
1. She grew up in Hungary.
2. Yes, it is.
3. Because it was important when she was young.
4. No, she can’t.

A hard-working cook
1. No, he doesn’t. He works in a big hotel.
2. He’d love to go to Japan and learn how to make Japanese food.
3. No, he doesn’t.
4. They’re going to Cancún.
Mary usually goes running...
En estos textos cortos podemos ver la diferencia entre presente simple y presente
continuo. El presente simple habla de hábitos o de lo que la gente hace
normalmente (hábitos y rutinas). Y el presente continuo habla de lo que la gente
está haciendo ahora mismo.
También vemos la diferencia entre primera persona y tercera persona. En
primera persona, los verbos en presente simple son iguales al infinitivo. En
tercera persona se ponen una -s al final.
En presente continuo, lo que cambia es el verbo auxiliar: I am, you are, he is,
she is, etc. El presente continuo es siempre am / is / are + el gerundio, pero el
gerundio no cambia nunca.
Ten en cuenta que una expresión como go running, go swimming etc no es
presente continuo. Utiliza el gerundio, pero con go. Es una forma de hablar de
una actividad. Más información aquí: aprendemasingles.com/doplaygo
A RAINY DAY
En tercera persona: Mary usually goes running on Saturday mornings, but
today she’s staying at home. It’s raining outside, and she doesn’t want to go
running and get dirty.
Instead, she’s cleaning the house. Right now, she’s in the kitchen washing the
dishes. If the rain stops later, she’ll do some exercise.
En primera persona: I usually go running on Saturday mornings, but today
I’m staying at home. It’s raining outside, and I don’t want to go running and get
dirty. Instead, I’m cleaning the house. Right now, I’m in the kitchen washing the
dishes. If the rain stops later, I’ll do some exercise.
VOCABULARY
Get dirty – ensuciarse
Instead – en vez de
Clean the house – limpiar la casa
Wash the dishes – lavar los platos
BILL’S GOT A COLD

En tercera persona: Bill sometimes goes to the movies on Friday nights, but
tonight he’s not going anywhere. He’s got a bad cold, so after work he went
home and went straight to bed. He can’t sleep, so he’s watching a movie on TV.
He’s watching Star Wars, which is one of his favorite movies. He’s drinking some
hot tea and hoping he feels better in the morning.
En primera persona: I sometimes go to the movies on Friday nights, but
tonight I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got a bad cold, so after work I came home
and went straight to bed. I can’t sleep, so I’m watching a movie on TV. I’m
watching Star Wars, which is one of my favorite movies. I’m drinking some hot
tea and hoping that I’ll feel better in the morning.
VOCABULARY
He’s not going anywhere – no se va a ningún sitio
A bad cold – un resfriado serio
Straight to bed – directamente a la cama
Feel better – sentirse mejor
SYLVIA THE WAITRESS
En tercera persona: Sylvia works as a waitress in a nice restaurant. She
usually spends all evening working very hard, taking orders and serving
customers. Today, she’s not working very hard, because there aren’t very many
customers. Right now, she’s in the kitchen talking to one of the cooks. They’re
talking about their plans for Monday, when the restaurant closes. She’s going to
ride her bike in the mountains!
En primera persona: I work as a waitress in a nice restaurant. I usually spend
all evening working very hard, taking orders and serving customers. Today, I’m
not working very hard, because there aren’t very many customers. Right now,
I’m in the kitchen talking to one of the cooks. We’re talking about our plans for
Monday, when the restaurant closes. I’m going to ride my bike in the mountains!
VOCABULARY
Waitress – camarera
Orders – pedidos (en un restaurante)
Customers – clientes
Ride my bike – montar en bicicleta
BILLY GOES TO VISIT HIS GRANDPARENTS
En tercera persona: Billy usually plays soccer with his friends on Sunday
mornings, but today he’s not playing soccer. He’s going to visit his grandparents
in another town. Right now, he’s sitting in the car. He’s a little bit bored, so he’s
playing a game on his smartphone. His father is driving, and his mother is sitting
in the front seat. His sister is sitting next to him on the back seat. She’s reading a
book.
En primera persona: I usually play soccer with my friends on Sunday
mornings, but today I’m not playing soccer. I’m going to visit my grandparents in
another town. Right now, I’m sitting in the car. I’m a little bit bored, so I’m
playing a game on my smartphone. My father is driving, and my mother is sitting
in the front seat. My sister is sitting next to me on the back seat. She’s reading a
book.
VOCABULARY
Play soccer – jugar al futbol
Grandparents – abuelos
A little bit bored – un poco aburrido
Next to me – al lado mío
The front / back seat – el asiento delantero / trasero
A rainy day
1. What does Mary usually do on Saturday mornings?
2. What is she doing today?
3. What’s happening outside?
4. What will she do if the rain stops?
Bill’s got a cold
1. Why isn’t Bill going to the movies tonight?
2. Did he do anything before going to bed?
3. What is he watching on TV?
4. What is he drinking?
Sylvia the waitress
1. What does Silvia do?
2. Is she working hard today?
3. What is she doing right now?
4. What is she going to do on Monday?
Billy goes to visit his grandparents
1. What does Billy usually do on Sunday mornings?
2. What is he doing this Sunday morning?
3. How is he feeling?
4. What are the other people in the car doing?
ANSWERS
A rainy day
1. She usually goes running.
2. She’s staying at home and cleaning the house.
3. It’s raining.
4. If the rain stops, she’ll do some exercise.
Bill’s got a cold
1. Because he’s got a bad cold.
2. No, he didn’t. He went straight to bed.
3. He’s watching Star Wars.
4. He’s drinking some hot tea.
Sylvia the waitress
1. She’s a waitress in a nice restaurant.
2. No, she’s not.
3. She’s talking to one of the cooks.
4. She’s going to ride her bike in the mountains.
Billy goes to visit his grandparents
1. He usually plays soccer with his friends.
2. He’s going to visit his grandparents.
3. He’s feeling a little bit bored.
4. His father is driving, his mother is sitting in the front seat, and his sister is
reading a book.
Bob used to have hair...
Se usa la expresión used to para hablar de situaciones y hábitos en el pasado. Se

usa antes de un verbo en infinitivo. La forma negativa es didn’t use to.
Si quieres una explicación, pásate por mi web: aprendemasingles.com/
usedto
Aquí tienes la vida de Bob, que ha cambiado mucho desde que se casó y
tuvo hijos. Se habla del pasado con used to y de situaciones actuales con el
presente simple.
Por cierto, no confundes a used to con usually – usually habla de
normalmente y puede usarse con presente, pasado o futuro.
MARRIED LIFE
Bob used to live in a small flat, but now he lives in a house. He used to be
single, but now he’s married. He definitely didn’t use to have kids, but now he
has three kids.
He used to work in a shop, but now he works in an office. He didn’t use to
earn very much money in the shop, but he used to have a lot of fun. Now he
earns more money, but he also has more expenses.
A lot of other things have changed in Bob’s life. He used to have a lot of
black hair, but now he’s bald. He used to be very thin, but now he’s getting a
little bit fat. He didn’t use to eat so much… That’s why he was thin. These days,
he eats and eats. His wife is a very good cook!
His wife used to work with him in the shop, but now she stays at home with
the kids. She studied art at university. Before she had kids, she used to draw and
paint for fun, but now she doesn’t have much time. She spends most of her time
cooking and cleaning up the house.
Their oldest child is 6 years old. His name is Jimmy. He used to be very
small, but now he’s a lot bigger and more active. He didn’t use to go to school,
but now he’s in first grade.
The babies are still very small. They’re twins, and they’re only two years old.
Soon they’ll be bigger too!
VOCABULARY
Kids – hijos, niños
Bald – calvo
Fat – gordo
Thin – delgado
Expenses – gastos
Draw and paint – dibujar y pintar
Oldest – el mayor
First grade – primer año de la escuela primaria
Twins – gemelos
Bigger – más grande
1. Does Bob live in a small flat now?
2. Did he use to earn a lot of money when he worked in the shop?
3. Does Bob have a lot of hair?
4. What is his wife good at?
5. How old is Jimmy? How old are the twins?
ANSWERS
1. No, he doesn’t. He lives in a house.
2. No, he didn’t.
3. No, he doesn’t. He’s bald.
4. She’s good at cooking.
5. Jimmy is 6 and the twins are 2.
Bob talks about his life: verb patterns
Aquí tenemos el mismo Bob de antes, hablando de su vida. En este texto, utiliza
muchos verb patterns. Los verb patterns son lo que pasa cuando ponemos un
verbo al lado de otro: like + un gerundio, love + un gerundio, want + to +
infinitivo, etc.
Hay mucho que se puede decir sobre los verb patterns – puedes aprender
mucho más en la web: madridingles.net/verb-patterns
BOB TALKS ABOUT HIS LIFE
I’m Bob. I’m a manager at a big manufacturing company. I like my job,
because I really enjoy dealing with people. I love solving problems and making
plans.
There are a couple of things about my job that I don’t like. I don’t like sitting
in meetings very much. And I don’t like working late. Actually, I hate working
late. But my boss often wants me to work late, and he’s the Vice President of the
company. You can’t say no to the VP.
After work, I go home and all I want to do is relax. I like spending time with
my kids. I even enjoy helping them with their homework. I have three kids. I
come from a big family and I’d like to have a fourth. But my wife doesn’t want to
have more. And in the end, she’s the one who has to do the hard work. So I
understand.
Of course, life at home is pretty busy with the three kids. Sometimes, I’d
prefer to be on vacation with my wife. I’d like to take her to some remote island
for a few days, and leave the kids with their grandparents.
On weekends, I enjoy getting up late and having a big breakfast. I like taking
a the kids to the park and watching them run around. They have so much
energy!
And of course, I like watching football on TV. My favorite team is Manchester
United. I sometimes invite a couple of friends to the house to watch the matches
with me. It’s a great way to spend the afternoon!
VOCABULARY
Manager – jefe, encargado

A manufacturing company – una empresa que fabrica algo
Deal with people – tratar con gente
Solve problems – solucionar problemas
Work late – trabajar hasta tarde
Pretty busy – bastante ocupado
Take the kids to the park – llevar a los niños al parque
Run around – correr por todos lados
1. What does Bob do for a living?
2. Does he enjoy his job?
3. What does Bob hate about his job?
4. How many kids does he have?
5. Does his wife want to have more kids?
6. Where would Bob like to take his wife?
7. What’s his favorite football team?
ANSWERS
1. He’s a manager at a big manufacturing company.
2. Yes, he does.
3. He hates working late.
4. He has 3 kids.
6. He’d like to take her to some remote island for a holiday.
7. His favorite team is Manchester United.
Hopes and worries about the future
Estas historias hablan de esperanzas y preocupaciones para el futuro.

Se usa el auxiliar “might” para decir que algo puede pasar o no. Es como
“quizá” o “puede que” y se usa con un verbo en infinitivo. Luego se usa un
poco del primer condicional también. El primer condicional habla de las
consecuencias futuras de ciertas acciones o situaciones.
Más sobre el primer condicional aquí: madridingles.net/primer-condicional
En resumen, se forma con “If + presente simple, will + infinitivo” y habla de
algo que puede pasar en el futuro.
TOM’S EXAMS
Tom has a lot of ideas for his future. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do
when he finishes university. He might look for a job immediately, or he might
travel for a while. If he has enough money, he’ll travel. But he might not have
enough money to go anywhere. So if he doesn’t have money, he’ll look for a
job.
He’s going to finish university in June… Or at least that’s the plan. He’s a little
bit worried. Some of his final exams are going to be very difficult, and he might
not pass them. If he passes them, everything will be okay. If he doesn’t pass, he’ll
have to study all summer.
If he studies all summer, he’ll probably pass the exams again in September.
But if that happens, he won’t be able to travel. What should he do? Study hard
and try to pass his exams in June!
VOCABULARIO
Enough money – suficiente dinero
Look for a job – buscar un trabajo
At least – por lo menos
Pass your exams – aprobar tus exámenes
What should he do? – ¿Qué debería hacer?
1. Does Tom know what he’s going to do when he finishes University?

2. What will he do if he has enough money?
3. Is he sure he’ll pass his final exams?
4. What will happen if he doesn’t pass?
5. Will he be able to travel if he doesn’t pass his exams?
ANSWERS
2. If he has enough money, he’ll travel.
3. No, he isn’t.
4. If he doesn’t pass, he’ll have to study all summer.
5. No, he won’t.
PEDRO IN LONDON
Pedro has just moved to London. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do yet.
He might try to find a job in a shop or a restaurant. Or he might concentrate on
studying English to improve his level. Back in Madrid, he studied to be an
engineer, so he hopes to find a job in an engineering company. But it might be
difficult with the level of English he has now. When he has a better level of
English, he’ll look for a job as an engineer.
He also doesn’t know where he’s going to live yet. Right now he’s staying in a
hostel, but he’s looking for a room to rent in a flatshare. He might look for
something close to the center, or he might look for something outside the city.
Living outside the city is much cheaper, but if he lives far from the center, he’ll
have to spend more time on the Underground. He wants to find something
cheap and close to the center, but it might be impossible.
VOCABULARY
Find a job – encontrar un trabajo
Engineer – ingeniero
A room to rent – una habitación en alquiler
A flatshare – un piso compartido
Much cheaper – mucho más barato
Far from the center – lejos del centro
Close to the center – cerca del centro

1. What did Pedro study?
2. Does he have a job yet?
3. What will he do when he has a better level of English?
4. Where is he staying?
5. Is it more expensive to live outside the city?
ANSWERS
1. He studied engineering.
3. He’ll look for a job as an engineer.
4. He’s staying in a hostel.
5. No, it isn’t. It’s cheaper.
Mary and Laura: cómo usar "have" y "have got"
En inglés muchas veces usamos have y have got para significar lo mismo.
Las dos expresiones se usan para hablar de posesión. La excepción son unas
expresiones que no tienen que ver con posesión, como veremos más adelante.
“Have a glass of wine” es tomarse una copa de vino. “Have a nice day” es pasar
un buen día. Ahí usamos simplemente have. Las expresiones de have got y has
got (en tercera persona) se usan únicamente para posesión.
Hay más sobre este tema en el curso básico en mi web: madridingles.net/
curso-basico
Aquí veremos un texto sobre dos chicas que van de compras. Primero con
have y luego con have got.
PRIMERO, EL TEXTO CON HAVE
Maria loves going shopping. She goes shopping every weekend. She usually
goes with her friend Laura, and they spend the afternoon walking from shop to
shop.
Maria already has a lot of clothes. She has lots of shoes, and lots of boots.
But today she’s shopping for some new brown boots. She had some brown boots
that she liked a lot, but they were very old. She threw them away.
She has several pairs of jeans that she wears in winter, but spring is coming,
and she wants to buy some dresses. She doesn’t have any nice dresses to wear in
spring.
Sometimes, after they go shopping, Maria and Laura go to the hair salon.
Maria has dark, curly hair, and she sometimes gets her hair done if she’s going
out or if there’s an important event coming up. Laura has blonde hair, and she
gets highlights.
After they finish shopping (or finish at the hair salon) they usually go have a
glass of wine at their favorite wine bar. It’s a nice place on the main shopping
street in town, and the waiters are Italian. Maria likes one of the waiters, but he’s
a little bit shy. Laura thinks Maria should ask him out, but Maria would rather
die than ask a guy out. Anyway, he probably has a girlfriend. He’s so handsome!
AHORA CON HAVE / HAS GOT (EN PRIMERA PERSONA)

I’m Maria. I love going shopping. I go shopping every weekend. I usually go
with my friend Laura, and we spend the afternoon walking from shop to shop.
I’ve already got a lot of clothes. I’ve got lots of shoes, and lots of boots. But
today I’m shopping for some new brown boots. I had some brown boots that I
liked a lot, but they were very old. I threw them away.
I’ve got several pairs of jeans that I wear in winter, but spring is coming, and I
want to buy some dresses. I haven’t got any nice dresses to wear in spring.
Sometimes, after we go shopping, Laura and I go to the hair salon. I’ve got
dark, curly hair, and I sometimes get my hair done if I’m going out or if there’s
an important event coming up. Laura’s got blonde hair, and she gets highlights.
After we finish shopping (or finish at the hair salon) we usually go have a
glass of wine at our favorite wine bar. It’s a nice place on the main shopping
street in town, and the waiters are Italian. I like one of the waiters, but he’s a
little bit shy. Laura thinks I should ask him out, but I’d rather die than ask a guy
out. Anyway, he’s probably got a girlfriend. He’s so handsome!
VOCABULARY
Go shopping – ir de compras
Throw something away – tirar algo (phrasal verb)
Get your hair done – peinarse o arreglar el pelo (en la peluquería)
Coming up – se usa para decir que algo pasará pronto.
Highlights – mechas
Waiter – camarero
Shy – tímido
Ask someone out – invitar a alguien a salir (phrasal verb)
Maria would rather die than… – prefiere morir antes de… (Se puede decir
con otras personas, por ejemplo “I’d rather die than spend the day at
Disneyland.”)
Handsome – guapo, apuesto (Se usa para hombres. Para mujeres se usa más
pretty o beautiful.)
1. How often does Maria go shopping?

2. Has Maria got a lot of clothes?
3. Do Maria and Laura have the same color hair?
4. What do they usually do after shopping?
5. Who does Maria like?
ANSWERS
1. She goes shopping every weekend.
2. Yes, she has.
3. No, they don’t.
4. They have a glass of wine at their favorite café.
5. She likes one of the waiters at the café.
Actions and descriptions: pasado simple y continuo
El pasado simple suele usarse para hablar de acciones puntuales en el pasado.

El pasado continuo se usa para acciones más largas, acciones con duración.
Ya vimos cómo formar el pasado simple – o con el sufijo -ed o con los
verbos irregulares. El pasado continuo se forma con was o were y un gerundio.
Así es parecido al presente continuo, pero con el auxiliar en pasado. (El
gerundio no cambia nunca. Solo tiene una forma, que termina con -ing.)
Aquí se describe la escena con pasado continuo, y las acciones puntuales
con pasado simple:
IN A CAFÉ
It was a cold day in January. It was raining and the wind was blowing. People
were walking slowly up the street, wearing coats and holding umbrellas over
their heads. I was sitting in a cafe reading a book. It was a really good book, and
I was enjoying it a lot. I was drinking a cappuccino and waiting for my friend.
Suddenly my phone rang. It was my friend. He said he was going to be late. It
was raining so much that the traffic was moving really slowly.
ELSA’S FRIENDS
I’m from a small town in Sweden. When I was 18 I moved out of my parents
house to study at university in Stockholm.
I was working in a law firm when I met Richard. We were working in the
same building. I was working on the fourth floor, and he was working in the
advertising agency on the fifth floor. I saw him on the elevator and in the café
downstairs several times. Eventually we became friends. Now we’re flatmates.
He was living with his brother, but his brother moved to London. So Richard
moved in with me. We’ve been living together for 2 years.
A CALL FROM PEDRO
I was eating dinner yesterday when the phone rang. I picked it up, and when
I heard Pedro’s voice, I was shocked. I met Pedro years ago, when we played
basketball together on weekends. I moved to a new city a couple of years ago,
and we lost contact. But Pedro told me he was living in the same town as me
now. We were talking for about half an hour and finally we agreed to meet the
next weekend for lunch.
VOCABULARY
The wind was blowing – el viento soplaba
Holding umbrellas – sujetando paraguas
Law firm – bufete de abogados
Advertising agency – agencia de publicidad
Eventually – al final (no es igual que la palabra “eventualmente”)
Flatmates – compañeros de piso
We’ve been living together for 2 years. – llevamos viviendo juntos 2 años.
(Este es el presente perfecto continuo, un tiempo verbal un poco más avanzado.)
I picked it up – contesté (al teléfono). En general, “pick up” es levantar algo o
recoger algo.
We lost contact – perdimos el contacto
Agree to meet – quedar (ponerse de acuerdo para encontrarse en un
momento específico)
In a café…
1. Was it a warm day?
2. What was I reading?
3. Why was my friend late?
Elsa’s Friends
1. Where is Elsa from?
2. What did she do when she was 18?
3. What does Richard do for a living?
4. Where did Richard’s brother go?
5. Who does Richard live with now?
A Call from Pedro
1. What was I doing when the phone rang?
2. How did I feel when I heard Pedro’s voice?
3. What sport does Pedro play?
ANSWERS
In a café…
1. No, it wasn’t.
2. I was reading a really good book.
3. Because the traffic was moving really slowly.
Elsa’s Friends
1. She’s from a small town in Sweden.
2. She moved out of her parents’ house to study at university in Stockholm.
3. He works in an advertising agency.
4. Richard’s brother moved to London.
5. He lives with Elsa.
A Call from Pedro
1. I was eating dinner.
2. I was shocked!
3. He plays basketball.
Laura's new boyfriend: comparativo
Aquí utilizo el comparativo para comparar los el nuevo novio de Laura con su
ex. El comparativo se usa para comparar entre dos cosas.
Se puede formar con more en el caso de adjetivo más largos (more
handsome, more expensive, etc) o con el sufijo -er para adjetivos más cortos.
Tengo una explicación más completa en la web: madridingles.net/comparativo-
superlativo
Aquí va el texto…
LAURA’S NEW BOYFRIEND
Laura’s got a new boyfriend. His name is Rick, and he’s very handsome. He’s
much more handsome than her old boyfriend, Steve.
Steve was taller thank Rick, and he also dressed better. Rick doesn’t have
good taste in clothes. But Laura hopes to change that. She’s going to take him
shopping this weekend and find some better clothes for him.
She likes Rick a lot, but he’s not perfect.
Of course, she also liked Steve… for a while. He was nice, but Rick is nicer.
And he was rich, but Rick is richer. (Laura only goes out with rich men… Why
waste your time on men with no money?)
Rick’s car is much more expensive than Steve’s car. And his house is bigger
and more beautiful. Also, he lives in a better neighborhood. His lifestyle is much
better than Steve’s, too. He travels more and his friends are more interesting.
The only thing Laura is worried about is Rick’s ex-girlfriend. Laura is
beautiful, but she worries that Rick’s ex-girlfriend is more beautiful. Also, his ex-
girlfriend is a little bit thinner than Laura is. But there’s probably a good reason
why they broke up. At least, Laura hopes there’s a good reason. Rick is the
handsomest man she’s ever gone out with, and she hopes to marry him
someday.
But it will be okay either way. If Rick goes back to his ex-girlfriend, Laura can
always go back to Steve.
VOCABULARY
Handsome – guapo, apuesto

Good taste – buen gusto
Waste your time – perder el tiempo
Neighborhood – barrio (en inglés británico se escribe con una “u” extra —
neighbourhood)
Thinner – más delgado
A good reason – una buena razón
The handsomest – el más guapo
Go back – volver
1. What’s Laura’s old boyfriend’s name? What’s her new boyfriend’s name?
2. What is Laura going to do this weekend?
3. Does Laura go out with men who don’t have a lot of money?
4. What is Laura worried about?
5. Will she be okay?
ANSWERS
1. Her old boyfriend’s name is Steve. Her new boyfriend’s name is Rick.
2. She’s going to take Rick shopping.
4. She’s worried about Rick’s ex-girlfriend.
5. Yes, she will.
Shawn's free time: Hábitos, rutinas, verb patterns
El presente simple se usa para hablar de hábitos y rutinas. Este texto también usa
algunos verb patterns, que son lo que pasa cuando se juntan dos verbos. Aquí
tienes una lista de los verb patterns más importantes del inglés, para descargar
en PDF: madridingles.net/verb-patterns
Los verb patterns, como ya mencioné, son lo que pasa cuando se juntan dos
verbos. La forma del segundo verbo depende del primero.
Unos ejemplos comunes son:
like + gerundio – I like watching TV.
enjoy + gerundio – He enjoys reading books.
want + to + infinitivo – I want to go home.
SHAWN’S WEEKLY ROUTINE
Shawn works from 9 to 5 every day. He doesn’t like his job very much, but
he earns enough money to enjoy his free time.
Every day after work he does something. He doesn’t like sitting at home
watching television. He prefers to be more active.
On Monday, he goes running in the park with a couple of friends. They
usually run 5 or 6 miles , which takes less than an hour.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays he goes to the gym and lifts weights. He enjoys
lifting weights, but he can’t lift very much. He’s just starting out.
On Wednesdays he plays tennis with some friends from work. There’s a
tennis court near their office, and they go when they finish work at 5 PM. On
Fridays he usually sees his friends. They go out to dinner and have a couple of
drinks.
On Saturdays, Shawn goes hiking or climbing. There are some mountains
north of his city, and he loves being out in the country and breathing fresh air.
He has some friends who like hiking, but sometimes he goes alone. He goes
early in the morning, and comes back in the afternoon.
On Sundays he usually relaxes at home for a while. He cleans the house a

bit, and he goes shopping in the morning. He goes to his parents’ house for
lunch. His mother usually asks him when he’s going to get married. He tells her
he’s happy being single. And anyway, he’s only 28! His mother doesn’t
understand. She always wants to introduce him to her friends’ daughters. Shawn
loves his mother, but he gets a bit annoyed at having the same conversation
every weekend.
After lunch, he goes to see a friend, or he goes home and reads a book. He
goes to bed early on Sunday nights, because on Monday he has to go back to
work.
VOCABULARY
Go running – correr
A tennis court – una pista de tenis
Lift weights – hacer pesas
Go hiking – hacer senderismo, andar en las montañas
Go climbing – hacer escalada (el deporte)
Breathe – respirar
Get annoyed – molestarse
1. Does Shawn like his job?
2. Does he like watching TV?
3. Does he go running alone?
4. What does he do on Saturdays?
5. Does Shawn love his mother?
6. Why does he get annoyed?
7. Why does he go to bed early on Sundays?
ANSWERS
1. No, he doesn’t like it much.
3. No, he doesn’t. He goes running with a couple of friends.
4. He goes hiking or climbing.
5. Yes, he does.
6. Because his mother always asks him when he’s going to get married.
7. Because on Monday he has to go back to work.
Falling in love (amores, desamores y phrasal verbs)
Aquí tenemos un pequeño texto sobre el amor y el desamor, que utiliza varios
phrasal verbs importantes. Tienes la explicación del significado de los phrasal
verbs al final. Y para mucho más, he escrito un par de libros sobre phrasal verbs
también – el más completo se llama La Guía de los Phrasal Verbs.
Antes de empezar, debería mencionar que fall in love se traduce literalmente
por “caer en el amor”. Fíjate que no es feel de sentir. Lo contrario, fall out of
love, sería algo como “desenamorarse”.
FALLING IN LOVE, FALLING OUT OF LOVE
I remember the day I asked Maria out. We were studying in the library at
university, and I sat down next to her and started a conversation. We talked for
about an hour, and we got along really well, so I asked her to go out for coffee
the next day.
We went out for coffee, and then the next day we went out for dinner, and
before we knew what was happening, we fell in love.
We were together for about a year before I suggested we move in together.
She had to move out of her flat at the end of the month, so I just asked her to
move in with me.
A year later, when we finished university, we ended up moving to a bigger
flat. Maria got a job in a big company, doing graphic design. I found a job in
marketing. We were together for about three years.
Eventually, things started going badly. She turned out to be a different kind of
person than I thought. I thought she was nice, happy and optimistic, but she
turned out to be… less nice, less happy and less optimistic than I hoped. We fell
out about almost everything.
We broke up last year and I still feel a little bit down. Maria moved out. She
gave up her job and went back to her town in the North, and I’m still here in
London. When I feel down, I talk to my friends. They help me cheer up. I don’t
know. I guess I’ll find someone else… Some day.
VOCABULARY
Ask someone out – invitar a alguien a salir
Get along well – llevarse bien con alguien
Go out – salir (en este caso—pero no siempre—hablamos de una situación
romántica)
Fall in love – enamorarse (la conjugación del verbo es fall, fell, fallen y
significa “caer”)
Move in – entrar a vivir en una casa
Move out – dejar de vivir en una casa
End up – terminar (habla del resultado de un proceso)
Eventually – al final (fíjate que no es lo mismo que “eventualmente” en
español)
Turn out – resultar
Fall out – discutir
Give up your job – dejar el trabajo
Go back – volver.
Feel down – sentirse mal
Cheer up – animarse, sentirse mejor
1. Where did they meet?
2. What did they do on their first date?
3. Did they move in together immediately?
4. What does Maria do for a living?
5. When did they break up?
6. Where did Maria go after they broke up?
ANSWERS
1. They met in the library at university.
2. They went out for coffee.
3. No, they didn’t. They went out for about a year before they moved in
together.
4. She’s a graphic designer in a big company.
5. They broke up last year.

6. She went back to her town in the North.
Más phrasal verbs: Going out and catching up
Otro texto con phrasal verbs…

El phrasal verb go out quiere decir “salir” pero no siempre habla de una
relación romántica. En este caso, hablamos simplemente de hacer algo fuera de
casa.
El otro phrasal verb, catch up, significa algo como “ponerse al día”… entre
otras cosas.
Así tenemos este texto que habla de dos amigos que se ven después de un
tiempo, para ponerse al día.
Vamos allá…
CATCHING UP WITH MY FRIEND JIM
A lot of times I stay in on Friday nights, but last night I went out for dinner.
I love going out to restaurants. When I find out there’s a new restaurant in
town, I’m usually one of the first to go. Last night it was a new Italian restaurant
a few blocks from the office.
I got off work at 6 and I walked around for a while. I was going to meet up
with my friend Jim at 7.
I walked around some of the shopping streets… I wasn’t really looking for
anything specific, but I went into one shop and tried on some shoes. I liked
them, but they were a bit too expensive.
A few minutes before seven, I got a message from Jim: “Hang on. I’ll be
about 5 minutes late.”
I wrote back “Don’t worry. See you soon.”
He ended up being 10 minutes late, but it’s okay. We went and had a drink at
a bar I like. He told me about his problems at work. He doesn’t get along very
well with his boss. He’s thinking about quitting.
After our drink we went to the Italian restaurant. We took off our coats and
sat down at a table next to the window. Jim asked for a pasta with red sauce,
and I asked for the fish.
We asked for some wine to drink, and a bottle of water also.
As we ate, I told Jim about my new job and my plans to go out of town the
next weekend. I’m planning to go to see my parents for a couple of days. It’s
good to get away, from time to time.
He told me about his kids. He has three. The youngest, he said, was just
getting over a cold.
All in all, it’s good to catch up with friends.
VOCABULARY
Stay in – quedarse en casa
Go out – salir, hacer algo fuera de casa
Get off work – salir del trabajo
Walk around – caminar sin objetivo
Meet up – quedar, encontrarse
Look for – buscar
Try on some shoes – probarse unos zapatos
Hang on – esperar un rato
Write back – contestar (por escrito)
Show up – aparecer
Get along well – llevarse bien
Take off your coat – quitarte el abrigos
Sit down – sentarse
Go out of town – salir de la ciudad, irse de vacaciones
Get away – hacer una escapada
Get over a cold – recuperarse de un resfriado
Catch up – ponerse al día
1. Was Jim late?
2. Does Jim get along well with his boss?
3. Did they eat Japanese food for dinner?
4. What did they drink with dinner?
5. How many kids does Jim have?
ANSWERS
1. Yes, he was. He was about 5 minutes late.

3. No, they didn’t. They ate Italian food.
4. They drank wine and water.
5. He has three kids.
My life in Spain
En mi página web tengo una foto del artista brasileño Roberto Joele. El proyecto
de Joele, You Are Welcome, consiste en sacar fotos de gente de muchos países
que ahora viven en España. Luego todos escribimos un pequeño texto que
explica como hemos llegado a Madrid.
Aquí tienes la foto que me sacó:
Foto de Roberto Joele. Mas en instagram.com/robertojoele

Y este es el texto. Si quieres, pásate por mi web, donde también hay un
listening basado en el mismo texto, y algo de explicación
aprendemasingles.com/joele
2 Oct 2015
I’m Daniel Welsch and I’m from Phoenix, Arizona in the USA. I’m 32 years
old. I moved to Madrid when I was 21, so now it’s been 11 years—basically my
whole adult life.
I moved to Madrid because I needed a change in my life. A BIG change.
Everyone tried to convince me to stay in the country, but I’m pretty stubborn,
and wanted to try European life. There were a couple of women involved in the
decision, too, of course. One relationship was ending and another seemed more
promising—but she was in Madrid.
I arrived on a rainy morning in October 2004. Pretty much everything that’s
happened since then is a series of happy accidents. Well, mostly. (It depends on
your point of view I guess.)
I’ve had a series of jobs, some better than others. I’ve fallen in love and had
my heart broken a few times. I’ve learned a couple of languages and a lot more.
It’s all very different than what my life was “supposed to” be like. In a very
good way. And now I don’t think I can go back. Even if I wanted to.
Now I’ve finally achieved my lifelong ambition of being a professional writer,
so I’m happy. No idea what the future holds, but I expect it’ll be interesting at
least.
Daniel Welsch.
(Este texto lo escribí sin pensar mucho en mis estudiantes, así que utilizo
unas palabras algo más avanzada… Pero tampoco tanto.)
Vocabulario:
Stubborn – tenaz, difícil
Pretty much everything – básicamente todo
What my life was “supposed to” be like – como se supone que mi vida tenía
que ser.
My lifelong ambition – mi ambición de toda la vida
What the future holds – lo que depare el futuro
Antes de terminar, vamos a ver unas conversaciones en inglés, que utilizan
algunas de las estructuras que hemos visto hasta ahora.
Segunda Parte: Conversaciones

Aquí veremos unas conversaciones sencillas que utilizan algunos de las mismas
estructuras gramaticales que vimos antes.
Son conversaciones “adaptadas” – o sea, no son siempre muy naturales – pero
servirán para reforzar la gramática aprendida.
(Cuando digo que no son muy naturales, quiero decir que no es normal hacer
una conversación completamente en presente simple.)
Los diálogos se van haciendo más complicado según vamos avanzando.
¡Disfruta!
Conversaciones para conocerse
Empezamos con algo muy sencillo: aquí tienes unas conversaciones básicas
entre personas que se están conociendo.
Pongamos que hablamos de dos jóvenes americanos, Mary y Joseph, que
acaban de conocerse.
MARY MEETS JOSEPH
Mary: Hello, my name is Mary. What’s yours?
Joseph: Pleased to meet you, Mary. My name’s Joseph.
Mary: Nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Joseph: I’m from Michigan. Detroit, specifically. And you? Where are you
from?
Mary: I’m from Las Vegas.
Hasta ahora, todo bien. Tenemos el verbo to be en afirmaciones y también
unas preguntas. Además, frases hechas como Nice to meet you y formas cortas
del tipo what is = what’s.
Ningún problema. Seguimos…
Joseph: Oh wow! Las Vegas is a very interesting city. I’ve been there twice.
And what do you do, Mary?
Mary: I’m an accountant. I work in an office downtown.
Joseph: Oh, that’s nice. What’s the name of your company?
Mary: United Widgets Industries. It’s a big company. Have you heard of it?
Joseph: No, I haven’t. But it sounds fascinating! How old are you?
Mary: I’m 25 years old.
Joseph: Oh, that’s good. I’m 28.
Te recuerdo que en inglés se pregunta How old are you?
Fíjate que la respuesta se forma con I am – el verbo have no aparece. Otra
pregunta ahí, Have you heard of it? sería como “¿Te suena?”
Más conversación…
Mary: And what do you do, Joseph?
Joseph: Not much. I’m unemployed and live with my parents.
Mary: Oh, that’s nice. What do you like doing in your free time?
Joseph: I like playing video games and watching TV. What about you?
Mary: I’m more active. I like rock climbing and mountain biking. I have a lot
of fun.
Joseph: Wow. Where do you live?
Mary: I live in an apartment close to here. The rent is expensive, but it’s a
nice place.
Joseph: Cool. Have you lived there long?
Mary: Yes, I have. Well, a couple of years, anyway.
La pregunta Have you lived there long? quiere decir “¿Llevas mucho tiempo
viviendo ahí?”
Joseph: Wow. Do you like living in this neighborhood?
Mary: Yes, I do. I like the night life. Do you like living with your parents?
Joseph: Of course! I don’t have to pay rent, and my mom cooks all my meals.
And do you have a boyfriend, Mary?
Mary: Yes, I do. He’s big, strong and dangerous. He has lots of tattoos!
Joseph: That’s nice. Where is he?
Mary: Actually, he’s just at the bar ordering a beer. He’s a little bit drunk.
Joseph: Oh… Well, nice to meet you. I have to go now. I’m feeling a little
dizzy.
Mary: Bye!
En fin… conversaciones sencillas.
Antes de seguir, un poco de vocabulario.
VOCABULARY
Rock climbing – escalar
Unemployed – en paro, parado
Dangerous – peligroso
Order – pedir (en un bar o restaurante)
Dizzy – mareado
Seguimos con otras conversaciones un poco más avanzadas…
Rutina diaria: conversación en presente simple
Ahora tenemos otra conversación, esta vez sobre la rutina diaria (y semanal) de
un tal Peter.
Como siempre, se usa mucho el presente simple para hablar de los hábitos y
las rutinas. También usamos las expresiones de frecuencia como usually,
sometimes, ever, etc Más sobre este punto en la web: madridingles.net/
adverbios-frecuencia
Aquí el diálogo…
Susan: What time do you usually get up?
Peter: It depends. I get up at 7 on weekdays. Weekends, I sleep later.
Susan: How do you get to work?
Peter: I go by bus. It only takes about 20 minutes.
Susan: And what do you usually do when you get to work?
Peter: The first thing I do is check my email. After that, I usually have some
meetings.
Susan: Where do you usually go for lunch?
Peter: There are a few cafés near the office. I usually have a sandwich and a
cup of coffee, and then get back to work.
Susan: What time do you finish work in the afternoons?
Peter: I usually finish at 5, but once a week or so I have to stay late.
Susan: And what do you do after work?
Peter: I’m usually pretty tired after work, so I sometimes just go home and
watch TV all evening. In any case, I try to go to the gym a couple of times a
week – generally Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Susan: What do you do on weekends?
Peter: On Saturday mornings, I usually go shopping. I don’t have much time
during the week, so I go to the supermarket for whatever I need. I spend the rest
of Saturday with my friends. On Sundays, I sometimes go hiking, but I usually
just relax at home.
Susan: Do you ever get bored?
Peter: Not really. I enjoy my job. I just wish I had more holidays!
En cualquier conversación normal entre angloparlantes nativos, usamos
algunos phrasal verbs y expresiones con get. Aquí tienes el vocabulario del
diálogo…
VOCABULARY
Get up – levantarse
Get to work – llegar al trabajo
Whatever I need – cualquier cosa que necesite
In any case – de todas formas
Get bored – aburrirse
Ahora, Peter pregunta a Susan sobre su vida y sus rutinas.
Peter: So I hear you’ve just had a baby!
Susan: Yeah! My third.
Peter: What’s life like with 3 kids?
Susan: It’s busy. The baby takes most of my time.
Peter: Are you still on maternity leave?
Susan: Yes, I am. I’ve got 4 more weeks until I go back to work.
Peter: So you stay at home taking care of the kids?
Susan: Yeah. Well, the oldest is in preschool now. But I still have to take him
every morning. He starts at 9, so I drive him there before I go out to run errands.
Peter: But I’m sure you get up earlier.
Susan: Yes, of course. I’m usually up at about 6. I make breakfast for
everyone before they wake up.
Peter: Does your husband help out with the housework?
Susan: Yes, he does. But he’s at work all day, so he doesn’t have much time.
He usually makes dinner, though.
Peter: That’s good. How often do you go out to eat?
Susan: Once or twice a week, usually. We used to go out more, but we can’t
really afford it anymore.
Peter: And what do you do on weekends?
Susan: Not much, really. We take the kids to the park, or the zoo. And of
course, we sometimes visit my mother. She lives in a town about an hour away.
Peter: Sounds nice. Are you planning on having more kids?
Susan: Dear God no! Three is enough.
Aquí un poco de vocabulario. Fíjate en el verb pattern de plan on doing
something, que usa plan on más el gerundio.
VOCABULARY
Maternity leave – baja por maternidad
Help out – ayudar
Run errands – hacer recados
Afford – permitirse (un gasto)
Plan on doing something – pensar en hacer algo
Enough – bastante, suficiente
Seguimos con otra conversación sobre las vacaciones, esta vez con muchos
ejemplos del pasado simple.
Las vacaciones: conversación en pasado simple
Esta conversación usa mucho pasado simple porque habla de un evento que ya
ha terminado: concretamente, las vacaciones de Karen. Jim le hace muchas
preguntas sobre el tema, y Karen responde.
Puedes aprenderte estas preguntas de memoria para usar en la conversación
– no hace falta inventarte algo nuevo cada vez, cuando una cosa como “How
was the weather?” es como frase hecha.
Recuerda que las preguntas en pasado simple o usan was / were, o usan el
auxiliar did + infinitivo. Y las respuestas usan el verbo conjugado de forma
adecuada.
Aquí la conversación…
Jim: Hey, Karen, welcome back! How was your holiday?
Karen: It was great!
Jim: Oh yeah? Where did you go?
Karen: I went to Rome.
Jim: Oh, that’s interesting. I’ve never been. How was the weather?
Karen: It was nice. Warm and sunny.
Jim: Did you like the food?
Karen: Of course, it was wonderful. The pasta was amazing, and the pizza
was incredible. I really like Italian food.
Jim: Did you go by yourself?
Karen: No, I didn’t. I went with my friend Jessica. She has some friends living
there.
Jim: Where did you stay?
Karen: We stayed in a little hotel in the city center. The rooms were small, but
very nice.
Jim: Did you see all the famous monuments?
Karen: Yes, I did. I saw the Coliseum, and the Fontana Trevi, and all the rest.
It’s such a beautiful city!
Jim: Did you visit the Vatican City?
Karen: Yes, but it was very crowded. I walked around Saint Peter’s Square
and looked at all the beautiful architecture.
Jim: Sounds great. So did you have a good time?
Karen: Yes, I did. I hope to go back some day.
Jim: How did you get there?
Karen: I got there by plane. The flight only takes a couple of hours.
Jim: Was it expensive?
Karen: The ticket wasn’t very expensive, but Italy is generally more expensive
than Spain.
Jim: Sounds great. How long were you there?
Karen: All week! And you, Jim? Did you go on holiday yet?
Jim: No, not yet. But I’m going to Turkey next week!
La conversación es sencilla, pero tiene un poco de vocabulario y algunas
frases hechas que deberíamos ver…
VOCABULARY
Did you have a good time? – ¿Te lo pasaste bien?
How was the weather? – ¿Qué tal el tiempo?
(No te confundes entre time y weather, por cierto… Weather es
meteorológico, y time es cronológico.)
By yourself – solo/sola (sin acompañante)
Get here / there / to Rome / etc – llegar a un sitio
Take a couple of hours – tardar un par de horas
Where did you stay? – ¿Dónde te hospedaste?
How long were you there? – ¿Cuánto tiempo estuviste ahí?
Seguimos con otra conversación, esta vez sobre los planes de futuro con
going to…
Going to: planes de futuro
Aquí una pequeña conversación entre dos compañeros de trabajo.

Como hablamos del futuro, usamos mucho going to + infinitivo. Pero claro,
nadie se limita a usar un solo tiempo verbal en sus conversaciones.
Vamos a poner que Jim y Cindy son estadounidenses que viven en España, y
así están hablando de Holy Week – en EEUU no se celebra como aquí.
Aquí tienes la conversación…
Jim: Hi Cindy. How’s it going?
Cindy: Great, Jim. How are you?
Jim: Fine, thanks! Do you have any plans for Holy Week?
Cindy: Yes, I’m going to London. I’m quite excited!
Jim: Oh, cool… London’s lovely! Where are you going to stay?
Cindy: I’m going to stay in a hotel close to Piccadilly Circus.
Jim: Nice. Right in the center. Is it your first time in London?
Cindy: No, it isn’t. I’ve been there twice before.
Jim: Oh, you must like it a lot. How long are you going to stay?
Cindy: I’ll be there for 5 days.
Jim: And how are you going to get there?
Cindy: I got a cheap flight with RyanAir!
Jim: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.
Cindy: Me too. But it was a lot cheaper than other airlines.
Jim: RyanAir is the worst.
Cindy: Yeah, but I can’t exactly fly first class on my salary.
Jim: Are you going on your own?
Cindy: No, I’m going with my friend Sally.
Jim: Well, have a great time up there!
Cindy: Thanks! What are you up to?
Jim: Well, I’ve only got a few days off, so I figured I’d go to the beach.
Cindy: Oh, that’s nice.
Jim: Yeah, my girlfriend’s parents have a house in Benidorm.
Cindy: Sounds great. Don’t forget to take your sun cream!

Jim: I won’t. We went last year and I got a terrible sunburn. I turned as red as
a beet.
Cindy: Yeah, I remember that. So how are things going with your girlfriend
anyway? What was her name? Puri?
Jim: No, Inma.
Cindy: Ah yes, Inma.
Jim: It’s going pretty well. She’s very passionate.
Cindy: Yeah, you know… Spanish girls!
Jim: Yeah, Spanish girls…
Aquí tienes algo sobre el vocabulario y las frases hechas en la conversación.
VOCABULARY
How’s it going? – ¿Cómo te va?
On your own – sólo, sin acompañante
Have a great time! – ¡Pásalo bien!
Days off – días libres
I figured I’d go to the beach – pensé ir a la playa
Pretty well – bastante bien
Passionate – apasionado/a
Terminamos con unas conversaciones más entre desconocidos, que utilizan
una variedad de estructuras gramaticales. ¡Vamos!
Hablar con desconocidos
Aquí tenemos unas conversaciones más, entre desconocidos. Son un poco

parecidos a las primeras conversaciones que vimos aquí, pero con más
vocabulario y una gramática más compleja.
Empezamos…
CONVERSACIÓN #1 — JUAN AND ASHLEY IN A BAR
Juan: Wow, I really like your shoes!
Ashley: Thanks! I just got them yesterday.
Juan: They look a little bit uncomfortable, though.
Ashley: Yes, they are. My feet are killing me, actually.
Juan: I’m Juan. What’s your name?
Ashley: I’m Ashley.
Juan: Nice to meet you, Ashley. I’m Juan. Would you like to dance?
Ashley: No thanks. I’d rather sit down. Like I said, my feet are killing me.
Juan: Okay… Well, would you like me to buy you a drink?
Ashley: Sure! Do you mind buying one for my boyfriend, too? He’s right over
there.
Juan: You have a boyfriend?
Ashley: Yes, of course!
Juan: Well, good for you. Oops, look at the time! I have to go.
Expresiones nuevas:
My feet are killing me. – Los pies me están matando.
Would you like…? – ¿Te gustaría?
Do you mind…? – ¿Te importa?
I’d rather sit down – prefiero sentarme
Yes, of course! – Sí, por supuesto.
Look at the time! I have to go. – ¡Mira qué hora es! Me tengo que ir.
Otra conversación, con un mejor resultado…
CONVERSACIÓN #2 — MIGUEL AND LIZ AT A BUS STOP
Miguel: Pardon me, do you know which bus I should take to Grand Central
Station?
Liz: You can take bus 3 or bus 12, I think.
Miguel: Thanks. I’ve just arrived in New York and I’m a bit lost.
Liz: Oh! Where are you from? Are you Italian?
Miguel: No, I’m Spanish.
Liz: Is that like Italian?
Miguel: I guess so… Spain is in Europe. It’s close to Italy. Kind of.
Liz: Wow, I love your accent!
Miguel: Thanks. I’m taking English classes every day. I’m getting better. So
what do you do, Liz?
Liz: I’m studying graphic design.
Miguel: That’s interesting. Do you like art?
Liz: Yes, I do!
Miguel: That’s interesting… I really love art. Would you like to go to an
art museum with me this weekend?
Liz: Sure, why not? Have you been to the Brooklyn Museum?
Miguel: No, I haven’t. I’ve never been to Brooklyn at all, actually.
Liz: Never? Oh my gosh, you’ve gotta go.
Miguel: Okay. Is Saturday okay for you?
Liz: I’m a bit busy on Saturday morning, but in the afternoon I’m free.
Miguel: Great! Can I have your phone number?
Liz: Sure.
VOCABULARY
I’m a bit lost. – Estoy un poco perdido
I guess so. – supongo que sí
Kind of – más o menos
Sure, why not? – Sí, ¿por qué no?
Oh my gosh – ¡Dios mío!
You’ve gotta go – tienes que ir
Notas: oh my gosh es una forma más suave de decir “dios mío”, ya que no
utiliza el nombre de dios. Y you’ve gotta go es una forma más corta de decir
“you have got to go” – se usa have got to para hablar de obligación, igual que
have to.
Y la última conversación de hoy…
CONVERSACIÓN #3 — ROB AND MARIA IN A CAFÉ
Rob: Do you mind if I sit here?
Maria: No, not at all.
Rob: Thanks. I’m Rob. What’s your name?
Maria: I’m Maria.
Rob: You look very familiar, Maria. Have we met before?
Maria: I don’t think so. I just arrived in London a few weeks ago.
Rob: Are you enjoying it so far?
Maria: Yes, it’s a beautiful city, but the weather is terrible!
Rob: Yeah, it’s pretty terrible alright.
Maria: And the coffee isn’t very good either.
Rob: I agree.
Maria: I miss Madrid a lot.
Rob: Well, what are you doing here in London?
Maria: I came to practice my English. In Spain it’s impossible to find a job if
you don’t speak English.
Rob: Well, your English is quite good.
Maria: Thanks! I feel like I’m not advancing at all.
Rob: Well, your vocabulary is good. You just need to work on your accent.
Maria: I try, but it’s difficult.
Rob: Oh, look at the time! I’ve got a meeting in 10 minutes.
Maria: Okay, bye. It’s been nice meeting you.
Rob: A pleasure. Listen… I’ll give you my phone number. If you want to
practice your English some day, just give me a call!
Maria: Okay.
VOCABULARY
Do you mind if…? – ¿Te importa que…?

You look familiar. – Me suena tu cara.
Have we met before? – ¿Nos conocemos?
I agree. – Estoy de acuerdo.
I miss Madrid a lot. – Echo mucho de menos Madrid.
Unas notas sobre el vocabulario ahí. Primero, por favor… ni intentes hacer
una traducción literal de la frase “me suena” con el verbo sound. No funciona
en inglés.
Luego, fíjate que agree funciona sin el verbo to be. Se puede decir I agree o
bien I disagree para decir que estás o no estás de acuerdo.
Y bueno. Miss tiene muchos usos. Aquí es “echar de menos” pero también
puede ser perder.
Antes de terminar, tengo unos recursos más que te pueden ayudar con el
inglés.
Sigue leyendo…
Conclusión
¡Gracias por leer! Espero que te haya gustado el libro, y que hayas aprendido
algo.
Si has llegado hasta aquí, tengo más que recomendarte
Aquí tienes una página en la web donde tengo otros libros recomendados, si
quieres leer más: aprendemasingles.com/queleer
Son para varios niveles, desde libros adaptados para nivel básico a novelas
sencillas para adolescentes y adultos.
Y no te olvides de suscribirte a mis lecciones por correo:
aprendemasingles.com/suscribir
Recibirás un par de ebooks gratuitos al apuntarte, y luego mis lecciones
nuevas, normalmente 2 o 3 veces por semana. Estoy siempre sacando algo
nuevo, sea de pronunciación, de gramática, de técnicas de aprendizaje o de
otro tema.
Y mientras estás ahí en la web, no te olvides de echar un vistazo a mis otros
libros: aprendemasingles.com/libros
Tengo varios libros que han ayudado a miles de personas a aprender más.
Algunos han llegado incluso al #1 en los ebooks más vendidos de España y
México. Aquí tienes 4 de mis libros más populares, que también se pueden
comprar en tapa blanda:
6 Claves para Aprender Inglés: Descubre los hábitos y las ideas que llevan a
personas normales a hacerse bilingües. Este libro ha ayudado a muchos miles de
estudiantes alrededor del mundo a enfocarse en lo que realmente se necesita
para llegar al próximo nivel con su inglés. (¡Cuidado! No es hacer más
ejercicios de gramática…)
Inglés Básico: la gramática y el vocabulario que necesitas para empezar. Este
libro empieza desde cero absoluto y explica en un español claro y sencillo lo
que necesitas para empezar a entender y hablar el inglés. Son 30 unidades y
unos 150 páginas de lo esencial para un principiante (o alguien que quiere
repasar lo que aprendieron antes).
La Guía de los Phrasal Verbs: aprende los 105 phrasal verbs más importantes
del inglés, además de las reglas y las pautas que te ayudarán a dominar este
tema tan importante del vocabulario del inglés. Este libro es bastante
completo… Aunque hay más phrasal verbs en inglés, realmente no hace falta
sabértelos todos. Te basta con unos cien, más o menos, y con entender las reglas
de cómo funcionan.
La Guía Definitiva de los Condicionales: No encontré una explicación
completa de las frases condicionales por ninguna parte, así que escribí una. En
este libro explico todo lo que necesitas saber de las frases hipotéticas (tanto
condicionales como con palabras como wish, want, would like y hope).
Otros recursos
Si estás buscando más inglés, también tengo más de 400 lecciones en YouTube.
Puedes ver todos mis videos en youtube.com/mrdanielwelsch
En el momento de escribir eso, tengo casi 60 mil suscriptores ahí, y ayudo a
muchos miles de hispanohablantes todos los meses con su vocabulario, su
pronunciación y más.
En mi web tengo varios pdfs para aprender vocabulario (y algo de gramática),
los puedes descargar gratis aquí: aprendemasingles.com/pdfs.
También tengo mi blog de toda la vida, madridingles.net – que tiene más de
700 artículos sobre muchos temas de gramática y vocabulario.
Estoy encantado de saber de ti, no dudes en contactarme con tus preguntas o
sólo para saludar: aprendemasingles.com/contactar
Buen aprendizaje,
Daniel Welsch.
Madrid, España, octubre 2018.
Última oportunidad
¡Enhorabuena! Has terminado. Antes de irte, quería darte otra oportunidad de

apuntarte para mis lecciones por correo. Como siempre, recibirás un par de
ebooks gratuitos al apuntarte, y después mis lecciones y actualizaciones
(normalmente 2 o 3 veces por semana). Te mandaré lo nuevo de vocabulario,
gramática, pronunciación, mis videos, y más.
Pásate por aquí: madridingles.net/suscribir

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Hablan los lectores

A lo largo de estos años, mis libros han ayudado a miles de hispanohablantes a

Muy buen libro, todo se entiende perfectamente y los ejemplos son

El libro responde a lo que anuncia y enseña lo que otros libros no hacen, el

Muy buenos consejos, ideas claras, listas de palabras imprescindibles para

Me ha sido muy útil y lo recomiendo totalmente, al igual que Inglés Básico 2

Después de buscar un libro con el que comenzar la aventura en ingles, di

Inglés Básico 3: Textos

Inglés Básico 3: Textos

Cómo aprender más inglés con este libro

Mi revolucionario método de aprender vocabulario

Primera Parte: Textos

Miguel's life in California

El presente simple en inglés se usa para cosas habituales o situaciones que

MIGUEL’S LIFE – TERCERA PERSONA

2. What time does he wake up in the morning?

Tom's terrible day at the office

La mayoría de este texto se escribe en pasado simple. El pasado simple

All day long – a lo largo de todo el día

Mary's holiday in Barcelona

Teresa's life in the Midwest

3. She’s studying architecture.

Rebecca's plans for the rest of her life

Los estadounidenses tienen muchas ambiciones materiales y pocas vacaciones.

Be able to – poder (se usa en tiempos donde no se permite el uso de can)

Charlie's plans for the weekend

Work out – hacer deporte o ejercicio

I've had an interesting life... (presente perfecto)

Esta historia se cuenta en primera persona. Utiliza mucho el presente perfecto,

the presidents of 10 or 12 countries. And I’ve interviewed a lot of important

1. He’s 75 years old. He was born in 1940.

Should, must, have to (obligaciones)

Se usa “should” para recomendar cosas y “must” para recomendaciones fuertes

2. How long should people plan to stay in Madrid?

prepare a presentation to give to several people from different departments. After

Can and can't (habilidades)

La palabra can se usa para hablar de habilidades, y la forma negativa es can’t.

1. Why can’t Dave run?

4. No, she can’t.

Mary usually goes running...

BILL’S GOT A COLD

Bob used to have hair...

Se usa la expresión used to para hablar de situaciones y hábitos en el pasado. Se

Bob talks about his life: verb patterns

Manager – jefe, encargado

Hopes and worries about the future

Estas historias hablan de esperanzas y preocupaciones para el futuro.

1. Does Tom know what he’s going to do when he finishes University?

Close to the center – cerca del centro

Mary and Laura: cómo usar "have" y "have got"

AHORA CON HAVE / HAS GOT (EN PRIMERA PERSONA)

1. How often does Maria go shopping?

Actions and descriptions: pasado simple y continuo

El pasado simple suele usarse para hablar de acciones puntuales en el pasado.

Laura's new boyfriend: comparativo

Handsome – guapo, apuesto

Shawn's free time: Hábitos, rutinas, verb patterns

On Sundays he usually relaxes at home for a while. He cleans the house a

Falling in love (amores, desamores y phrasal verbs)

5. They broke up last year.

Más phrasal verbs: Going out and catching up

Otro texto con phrasal verbs…