Level 4 (B1+) :: Unit 2

Gramática

Verbos modales
poder/ ser permitido
can - a able to, allowed to
I can speak English- Sé hablar inglés muy I am able to speak English
very well. bien. very well.
Can I visit you - ¿Puedo visitarte esta Do you allow me to visit
tonight? noche? you tonight?
could
La forma pasada del verbo "can"

I could speak German when I - Era capaz de hablar alemán cuando

was at school. estaba en la escuela.
Forma cortés

Could you lend me - ¿Podrías prestarme More polite than "Can you lend
some money? dinero? me some money?
may - capaz de / permitido a able to / allowed to
Pedir permiso

May I smoke in this - ¿Puedo fumar en Is it all right if I smoke in this

compartment? este vagón? compartment?
Predicciones y probabilidad

The sky is cloudy so it - El cielo está nublado así There is a possibility that
may rain in the que podría llover esta it will rain in the evening.
evening. tarde.
might
Forma pasada del verbo "may"

The soldiers were coming - Los soldados estaban You ran the risk of
and they might have viniendo y pudieron being caught by the
caught you. haberte cogido. soldiers.
Predicciones y probabilidad (no tan fuerte como "may"):

You might take the - Puedes tomar el The taxi is one of the options
taxi. taxi. available.
should / ought to - debería
You should work - Deberías trabajar Deberías trabajar tu Working on your
on your tu vocabulario. vocabulario. vocabulary is a
vocabulary. good idea.
Jack ought to - Jack debería It is a good idea for
give up smoking. dejar de fumar. Jack to give up
smoking.
must - tener que (no choice in the matter)
I must sell my house - Tengo que vender mi casa Selling my house is the
to get some money para conseguir algo de only way to get some
for my family. dinero para mi familia. money for my family.
Cuando se usa el verbo must en la forma negativa, significa contra las
reglas.
You mustn't - No puedes fumar en You are forbidden to smoke at
smoke at work. el trabajo. work.
She mustn't drive - No puedes conducir She is not allowed to drive a car.
a car. un coche.
Minors mustn't - Los menores no It is against the rules for minors
vote. pueden votar. (people under 18) to vote.
También está el verbo "have to", el cual no es igual que los verbos modales
principales. Se usa para indicar "must" cuando la orden viene de "alguién
más".

I have to go to school every day! (Tus padres o el gobierno lo ordena)

I must study hard to get the best (Es mi propia orden hacia mí
results! mismo)
Los verbos modales sólo tienen una forma, en infinitivo sin "to":

I can swim. - Sé nadar.

You could be an actor. - Podrías ser un actor.
She may come late. - Puede que ella llegue tarde.
Shall I open the window? - ¿Puedo abrir la ventana?
Children should learn a lot. - Los niños deberían aprender mucho.
You ought to go to school. - Debes ir a la escuela.
I must go to the cinema. - Tengo que ir al cine.
Todos los verbos modales cambian de la misma forma:

I can work. Can I work? I can't work.

She can work. Can she work? She can't work.
I could work. Could I work? I couldn't work.
She could work. Could she work? She couldn't work.
I might work. Might I work? I mightn't work.
She might work. Might she work? She mightn't work.
Most common short forms:
cannot - can't
must not - mustn't
should not - shouldn't

Dear Sir or Madam,

I saw your apply for  for a job as a teacher in your School of English and I
would like to --  it.

I'm an graduated  teacher. I have worked for many private schools of

English before. Please see my CV forward  for more details.

I began working as a teacher when I graduated from the University of

Silesia in 1999. I've successfully managed to complete additional studies
since then. I also received a diploma in the methodology of teaching. I am
ready for new challenges.

I am available for an interview at any time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Elige la opción correcta.

Total de puntos recibidos: 10

verde - correcto
rojo - incorrecto
I've been working as a welder for 23 years now.

All the staff are under 40 years of age.

Susan says Tom is at work.

I'm available for an interview at any time you set.

I don't know why she made up this story about being so rich.

You made  a great job, Sam.

Make  me a favour and just go home.

I've finally made up my mind. I'll never go to work again.

She always makes me feel so good! She's an angel!

If you want to leave for a cigarette break, you can  ask for permission!

I stood for hours and hours at the end of the queue.

What's the best thing about being a flight attendant?

I don't know if I should apply for a new job.

What do you have to be good in  to become a successful doctor?

I've read it somewhere on  the local newspaper.

Escritura

Ejemplo de una carta formal

No uses contracciones (I'd, I'll, she's...)
Es importante usar lenguaje formal y estructuras.
Composición de una carta
2 Grant St.
Birmingham
NE4 6JG
Tel 01967 78909
Fax 01967 78900

Monday 19 May
(sender's address
+ phone number
+ fax
+ date)
Roger Bacon
Loggie Investments
32-320 Katowice
(recipient's address)
Dear Sir / Madam - Estimado(a) Señor / Señora
Dear Mr / Mrs / Ms Bacon - Estimado(a) Sr. / Sra. Bacon
Ejemplos de oraciones iniciales
(I am writing) In connection with your - Escribo con respecto a su
letter / advertisement / fax from October carta / anuncio / fax del 12 de
12. octubre
With reference to your advertisement, - En lo referente a su anuncio,
We received your order for...
Thank you for your last letter.
Final
Yours sincerely / faithfully,
I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Ejemplo de una carta (formal)
56 Bradford Rd
Birmingham
NW6 3LM
UK
March 13th, 2003
Dear Mr Cronos,
I would like to apply for the
position of Marketing Consultant
which was advertised last week in
Financial Times.
I graduated from the University of
Economics in 2002 and received a
degree in Economics. I've already
received some experience in
marketing working in the Polish
Embassy in Australia for about a
year to the satisfaction of the
management.
I speak very good English and I
would enjoy working in the
international environment.
The job you are offering matches
my professional and personal
interests. Should there be any
queries, I am available for an
interview at any time you set.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Conversación
Respuestas afirmativas cortas
- Hemos recibido su orden de...
- Gracias por su última carta.
- Suyo sinceramente,
- Espero tener noticias suyas,
Me gustaría postular al puesto de
Consultante de Mercado que fue
anunciado la semana pasada en el diario
Financial Times.
Me gradué de la Universidad de
Economía en el 2002 con título de
economista. Ya he ganado experiencia
en el mundo del Mercado trabajando en
la Embajada de Polonia en Australia por
aproximadamente un año en el buen
clima de la administración.
Hablo ingés perfectamente y disfrutaría
mucho trabajando en un ambiente
internacional.
El trabajo que usted ofrece calza con
mis intereses profesionales y personales.
En caso de cualquier pregunta, estoy
disponible para una entrevista cuando a
usted le acomode.
Espero tener noticias suyas,
Atentamente,
 So + auxiliary + persona

I like watching TV a lot. - Me gusta un montón ver TV.

So do I / So does he/she/it. - A mí también.

We/you/they hate going to school. - Detestamos / detestas / detestan ir a la

escuela.

So do we/you/they. - Nosotros/ tú / ellos también.

They can drink a lot of wine. - Pueden beber un montón de vino.

So can we. - Nosotros también.

They went home. - Se fueron a casa.

So did she. - Ella también.

I've been here before. - He estado aquí antes.

So have we. - Nosotros también.

The oceans will dry out by the year - Los océanos se secarán para el año 2030.
2030.

So will lakes and ponds. - También los lagos y lagunas.

Persona + auxiliary + too / as well

I like watching TV. - Me gusta ver TV.

I do too/Me too. - A mí también.

His brother does as well. - A su hermano también.

I've done my homework. - He hecho mis deberes.

She has done it. - Ella lo ha hecho.

They have too / So have they. - Ellos también.

Her mother has as well. - Su madre también.

I've got terrible toothache. - Me duelen horriblemente las muelas.

I have too / So do I. - A mí también.

She has as well. - A ella también.

Respuestas negativas
John isn't at school today. - John no está en la escuela hoy.
Neither is Josh. - Tampoco Josh.

I don't like him. - No me gusta él.

Neither does he. - A mí tampoco.

I/You/We/They don't smoke. - Yo / tú / nosotros / ellos no fuman.

Neither do I/you/we/they. - Yo / tú / nosotros / ellos tampoco.

She doesn't like eating sweets. - A ella no le gusta comer dulces.

Neither does he/she/it. - A él / ella tampoco.

She can't speak English. - No sabe hablar inglés.

Neither can I. - Yo tampoco.

They didn't go to work yesterday. - Ayer no fui a trabajar.

Neither did they. - Ellos tampoco.

Dos negaciones en una oración

I neither slept nor stayed awake. - Ni dormí ni estuve despierto.

They neither played well nor looked even - Ni juegan bien ni parecen

decent. decentes.

Neither I nor my mother was at home. - Ni mi hermano ni yo estábamos en

casa.

Neither of us was at home. - Ninguno de nosotros estaba en

casa.

Profesiones, trabajos.
Profesiones básicas.
engineer - ingeniero

shop assistant - dependiente(a)

bank clerk - cajero(a) de banco

teacher - profesor(a)

office worker - oficinista

accountant - contador

waiter/waitress - camarero/camarera

manager - administrador

psychologist - psicólogo
doctor - médico

butcher - carnicero

pharmacist - farmaceuta

journalist - periodista

lecturer - profesor de universidad

plumber - fontanero

decorator - decorador

welder - soldador(a)

electrician - electricista
Preguntas sobre el trabajo
What's your job/profession? - ¿En qué trabajas?

What do you do for a living? - ¿En qué te ganas la vida?

What do you do? - ¿Qué haces?

Are you a vet/policeman/lawyer? - ¿Eres veterinario / policía / abogado?

Respuestas
I'm an engineer. - Soy ingeniero.

She works as a teacher. - Trabaja como profesora.

His/Her job is an accountant. - Trabaja como contador.

Ejemplo de diálogo
 Hello. Could you tell us a little
about yourself first?
 Sure.
 First of all you weren't born
here in Brighton, were you?
 No, I wasn't. Neither was my
sister.
 Where do you live now?
 Me and my sister both live in
Edinburgh.
 How long have you been living
there?
 Not long. We moved away
from London about 4 months
ago.
 Hola. ¿Podríais contarnos un poco
de ti primero?
 Claro.
 Primero que nada, no nacisteis
aquí en Brighton ¿verdad?
 No, yo no. Tampoco mi hermana.
 ¿Dónde vivís ahora?
 Mi hermana y yo vivimos en
Edimburgo.
 ¿Hace cuánto tiempo que vivís
allí?
 No mucho. Nos mudamos de
Londres hace unos 4 meses.
 ¿Estáis felices allí?
 Sí, nos encanta esta ciudad. Mis
  Are you happy there?
 Yes, we are. We love this city.
My two best friends are
Scottish.
 What do you do for a living?
 Neither I nor my sister does
anything we don't like. We like
arts and we've decided to
become artists.
 Would you like to do
something different?
 I'm a painter and I like it. I
don't want to be either a
plumber or an engineer. I think
it's boring.
 Do you or your sister speak
Scottish?
 Yes, she does but I don't.
Neither do our parents. We
speak English and French and
that's enough.
 Thank you.
 Thanks.
dos mejores amigos son
escoceses.
 ¿Cómo te ganas la vida?
 No mi hermana ni yo hacemos
nada que no nos guste. Nos gusta
el arte y decidimos convertirnos
en artistas.
 ¿Os gustaría hacer algo diferente?
 Soy pintor y me gusta. No quiero
ser ni fontanero ni ingeniero. Creo
que es aburrido.
 ¿Tú o tu hermana habláis
escocés?
 Sí, ella sí, pero yo no. Tampoco
nuestros padres. Hablamos inglés
y francés y con eso basta.
 Gracias.
 Gracias.

Elige la mejor respuesta.

Total de puntos recibidos: 7

verde - correcto
rojo - incorrecto
I have never spoken to my great grandparents.

I haven't either.

I always go to the pub after work.

I never drink after work.

I don't smoke.

I smoke, but very little.

I'd love to see Rio de Janeiro.

Me too.
I was really anxious when our Prime Minister had an accident.

Me too.

I hate going to school.

Me too.

I haven't got much time to relax.

I don't mind.

I'd like to change my life.

I don't mind.

We didn't do anything interesting yesterday.

Neither did we.

I am not against killing animals.

But I am against it.

Do you think you're a relaxed person?

Yes, I think so.

How often do your parents go to the theatre each year?

No more than three times a year, I believe.

Have you or your brother touched anything in my office?

Neither of us even came near it!

Was Chris at work today? I haven't seen him.

Neither Chris nor Frank came to work. They called me yesterday to say
that they were ill.

Will your parents come to the wedding?

Yes, they will and so will my sister. I hope you don't mind.

I don't think this book was written for people with 3 children.
Neither does my neighbour. She's got four kids and she hasn't got time
for herself at all.

Hi Nick. Did your wife go out yesterday?

No, she didn't. Neither did I. We had a very hard day, both of us.

What did you do?

Nothing special. I finished my new project. You know I'm an architect.

And my wife was working on some design.

Really? What does she do?

She's a fashion designer. She works for one of the biggest fashion houses
in Berlin. And what did you do?

Oh, we went out to a pub with my friends, drank a couple of beers and
went home.

Was Charles there?

Yes and so was his wife, Francis. She's a very attractive woman, you
know.

I'm sure she is. Right, see you later.

Bye.

Completa las oraciones con "can", "can't", "could" o

"couldn't" y una palabra de la lista.

Total de puntos recibidos: 4

verde - correcto
rojo - incorrecto
I can't give you the information because I don't have it.

You could have  everything! Don't be so selfish!

Have you seen my children? I can't find them anywhere in the house.

I could swim  when I was 3 years old.

When I was a youngster I didn't like going to swimming pools because I can't  .

She wanted to buy her own car but she couldn't drive.

If you smoke you can take  problems with your lungs.

Jack got the job because he can speak  English perfectly.

Cindy can't come to the party next Monday. She's going to London then.

I like Susy. She's so trustworthy that you can't talk  to her about all that
bothers you!

We can't part  in the conference because we had forgotten about it.

I could see  him in the dust. What's he doing now?

Total de puntos recibidos: 5

verde - correcto
rojo - incorrecto
I can't give you the information because I don't have it.

You --  everything! Don't be so selfish!

Have you seen my children? I can't find them anywhere in the house.

I can swim  when I was 3 years old.

When I was a youngster I didn't like going to swimming pools because I can't
swim  .

She wanted to buy her own car but she couldn't drive.

If you smoke you could have problems with your lungs.

Jack got the job because he should speak  English perfectly.

Cindy can't come to the party next Monday. She's going to London then.

I like Susy. She's so trustworthy that you can't see  to her about all that bothers
you!

We shouldn't part  in the conference because we had forgotten about it.

I should come  him in the dust. What's he doing now?

Total de puntos recibidos: 6

verde - correcto
rojo - incorrecto
I can't give you the information because I don't have it.

You should have  everything! Don't be so selfish!

Have you seen my children? I can't find them anywhere in the house.

I can't swim  when I was 3 years old.

When I was a youngster I didn't like going to swimming pools because I could
swim  .

She wanted to buy her own car but she couldn't drive.

If you smoke you could have problems with your lungs.

Jack got the job because he could speak English perfectly.

Cindy can't come to the party next Monday. She's going to London then.

I like Susy. She's so trustworthy that you can't come  to her about all that
bothers you!

We shouldn't take apart  in the conference because we had forgotten about it.

I can see  him in the dust. What's he doing now?

I mustn't go  to the supermarket because we have run out of sugar.

This is a secret. You mustn't hit  anyone about it.

She is the prettiest lady I've ever seen. You must tell  her.

As you are not 18, you mustn't smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol.

I must study  German. It's a useful language.

I must date  other girls as I already have a girlfriend.

You must hit  me some money because I don't have a penny.

She must study hard before and after the lesson.

You must lend  your younger brother. It's unacceptable.

The English test is next Monday. You must prepare for it.

When you go to the cinema you should buy a ticket first.

Jack works too hard. He should handle  it easy.

That's none of your business, which is why you shouldn't waste your time

on it.

It's dark and cold outside. You should take a taxi home.

As you're a young person, you shouldn't be so unhappy.

This drink is very strong and you're very tired. You shouldn't drink it or
you might get drunk.

If you find any time, you should see "Vanilla Sky". It's an excellent film.

If you decide to marry a man, you should choose someone who is decent.

You're such an optimistic person so you should handle problems easily.

You look pale. You should go to see the doctor.

Completa el diálogo usando

"should/should't/can/can't/must/mustn't".

Total de puntos recibidos: 3

verde - correcto
rojo - incorrecto
"I've lost my wallet!"

"I think you should report it to the police."

"I have problems falling asleep"

"Well, perhaps you can't  take some sleeping pills."

"I'm beginning to hate that job!"

"Maybe you mustn't  take it so seriously?"

"She's got a terrible stomach ache."

"I think she should go and see the doctor."

"I don't know how to behave when I'm with her."

"Why should  you just be yourself?"

"My friends keep ignoring me."

"Perhaps you must  change them."

"I haven't had a holiday since October."

"I think you can  take a day off next week."

"You don't have to work so hard! It's just another exam."

"But in my opinion he must really work harder now."

"Dad, can I pull that lever?"

"You must  do that son! It will stop the train immediately!"

"Look at that guy over there. He's so handsome.

Do you think I must  ask him out on a date?"

"I hate driving!"

"You shouldn't  always sell your car and ride a bike if you want."

"I've lost my wallet!"

"I think you should report it to the police."

"I have problems falling asleep"

"Well, perhaps you must  take some sleeping pills."

"I'm beginning to hate that job!"

"Maybe you should  take it so seriously?"

"She's got a terrible stomach ache."

"I think she should go and see the doctor."

"I don't know how to behave when I'm with her."

"Why can't you just be yourself?"

"My friends keep ignoring me."

"Perhaps you should change them."

"I haven't had a holiday since October."

"I think you should take a day off next week."

"You don't have to work so hard! It's just another exam."

"But in my opinion he must really work harder now."

"Dad, can I pull that lever?"

"You mustn't do that son! It will stop the train immediately!"

"Look at that guy over there. He's so handsome.

Do you think I can  ask him out on a date?"

"I hate driving!"

"You should  always sell your car and ride a bike if you want."

Do you think she'll have to take the exam again?

Who must study a lot now?