January 2011

Aprender ingles gratis con La Mansion del Ingles. Un podcast para mejorar la gramatica, el vocabulario y la pronunciacion del inglés. Una leccion del ingles con ejemplos y ejercicios.
Learn English free with podcasts from La Mansion del Ingles. Improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. This English lesson contains examples and exercises.

Podcast Transcription

Hello, and thank you for downloading this Mansión Inglés podcast, recorded for January 2011. Happy New Year to all of you and your families. Wow another year, 2011. Time passes so fast. Time flies – el tiempo pasa volando.

En el nivel básico este mes hemos tenido vocabulario del viaje. Escucha algunas palabras en español y intenta decir la traducción en inglés antes que lo digo yo. Llego repite las palabras para practicar la pronunciación:

Recepción = Reception

habitación individual = A single room. - I’d like a single room. Please.

habitación doble = A double room. - A double room for 3 nights.

planta baja = The ground floor. - It’s on the ground floor.

el ascensor = The lift (lift es en el inglés británico. ¿Sabes como se dice ascensor en el inglés americano? =  elevator . Repeat: – elevator). Excuse me, where’s the elevator? - Excuse me, where’s the lift?

registrarse = To check in – Excuse me, I’d like to check in. Where can I check in, please?

la llave =  The key. Could I have the room key?

bolsas,. Equipaje = bags – These are my bags

servicio de habitaciones = Room service. Do you have room service? Is there room service?

pagar y marcharse = To check out. When do we have to check out? What time do we have to check out?

deletrear = to spell – can you spell your name, please? How do you spell that?

firmar = to sign – please sign here – por favor firma aquí – would you sign here, please?

En el dialogo del hotel, el recepcionista dice “Here’s your key. It’s room 396, on the third floor.” – the third floor = la tercera planta. Third es un número ordinal. Escucha y repite más números ordinales en inglés:

One - first

Two - second

Three - third

Four – fourth

Five – fifth

Six - sixth

Seven – seventh

Eight – eighth

Llego añadas ‘th’ al final de cada número – nine – ninth, ten – tenth etc. Hasta el viente – twenty – twentieth. - twenty-one - twenty-first

twenty-two - twenty-second

twenty-three – twenty-third. Los dificiles son los primeros 3 – first, second, third. Repeat: first, second, third. Los demas terminan en ‘th’

Escucha y repite las frases del ejercicio de gramática. Nota la pronunciación de las contracciones:

Where’s he from? – Where is = where’s – Where’s he from?

What’s that? – What’s = what is - What is that? = What’s that?

It’s a key – It is a key – It’s a key

Holland, Greece and Portugal are European countries - European countries - are European countries - Holland, Greece and Portugal - Holland, Greece and Portugal are European countries

Is she David’s girlfriend? – David’s girlfriend – la ‘s’ en David’s no es una contraction es la ‘s’ possesivo. La novia de David = David’s girlfriend. – Is she? - Is she David’s girlfriend?

What does she do? – do – she do – What does…? - What does she do?

She’s a housewife. – She’s = she is – she’s – She’s a housewife - She’s a housewife

What does she do? - She’s a housewife

I really like listening to rap music. – rap music – listening to – nota la preposición con el verbo  listen – listen TO. – like listening to - I like listening to rap music. - I really like listening to rap music. “really” es para intensificar. I like = me gusta. I really like = me gusta muchisimo. Repeat: I really like listening to rap music.

My girlfriend’s angry – My girlfriend is angry - girlfriend’s angry – My girlfriend’s angry.

I’m always late. – late – always late – I’m – I am – I’m – I’m always late.

I usually go to work on foot – on foot – go to work – go to work on foot – I usually go to work on foot

She can’t speak English very well. – very well – speak English – estas dos palabras se juntan – no se dice “speak English” se dice speakenglish – repeat: speakenglish. – speak English very well – She can’t – she cannot – she can’t - She can’t speak English very well - She can’t speak English very well.

In the intermediate section this month, we studied some prepositions. Prepositions can be difficult in English because sometimes they’re different from the Spanish translation. The good news is if you make a mistake with a preposition, people will probably still understand you. But of course, you want to get it right, so listen and repeat the following prepositions of time:

Use at for the time of day (precise time):

at 7 o´clock – Repeat:   at 7 o´clock        

at noon  (noon=mediodia) at noon

at lunchtime      

at 10.30

at the moment        

at sunset

at midnight   

Use on for days and dates:

on Monday

on Fridays

on New Year's Eve

on my birthday

on 17th January

on Christmas Day

Use in for longer periods (for months/years…etc)

in January – Repeat: in January

in 2007

in the Ice Age

in the summer

in the 19th century

in the past/in the future

Be careful, because we do not use at, in or on. with the words: last, next, every and this. Repeat:

We went to Madrid last March

She’s coming back next Thursday.

We stay with my parents every Christmas.

I'll call you this afternoon.

In the advanced section of this month’s newsletter, we practised the passive. Listen to the following active sentences and try to change them to the passive before you hear them. Ready?

They found him guilty. - He was found guilty.

They gave him a pair of sunglasses. - He was given a pair of sunglasses.

 What will they pay you for making the video? - What will you be paid for making the video?

 Someone should teach that bastard a lesson. - That bastard should be taught a lesson!

They had denied the father access to his son. - The father had been denied access to his son.

The order will be sent to you next week. - You will be sent the order next week.

 They felt the CEO was doing valuable work. - The CEO was felt to be doing valuable work.

They gave the woman artificial respiration. - The woman was given artificial respiration.

Someone has left me an inheritance of 200,000 euros. - I have been left an inheritance of 200,000 euros.

We must give job creation priority over everything else. - Job creation must be given priority over everything else.

I wish they had taught me more English at school. - I wish I had been taught more English at school.

OK, very good! Now, listen and repeat these expressions and sentences from the business English section:

He's worked at BMW for nearly seven years. Use present perfect to connect the past to the present. He started at BMW seven years ago and he’s working there now. So he’s worked or he’s been working there nearly seven years. Repeat: – nearly seven years - He's worked at BMW for nearly seven years.

Three point seven nine  - I think you say ‘coma’ in Spanish, but in English it’s ‘point’. Sales have risen by 6.8 percent this year. Repeat: Sales have risen by 6.8 percent this year.

After “mind”, “don’t mind”, “doesn’t mind” etc, use a gerund: I don’t mind = no me importa/no me molesta - He doesn't mind helping you” no se dice Xto help”. Repeat: I don’t mind helping you. - I don’t mind helping you. - Do you mind meeting at 6? - Do you mind meeting at 6? - Do you mind meeting at 6? -  He doesn’t mind eating Chinese food. - He doesn’t mind eating Chinese food.

He demanded to see the manager. After the verb demand we use an infinitive – I demand to see the manager – I demand to receive a refund – I demand to talk to your supervisor.

I hope to hear from you soon. After the verb ‘to hope’ use an infinitive. With most verbs that refer to the future we use an infinitive after the verb. ‘Intend’, for example – I intend to meet with him as soon as I can. Another verb is ‘to plan’. ‘To plan’ usually speaks about the future, future plans, so infinitive. - I plan to go to New York. Another verb is ‘to expect’. I expect to hear from them soon. - I expect to hear from them soon.

I'll look into this. – the phrasal verb “to look into” means examiner o investigar algo – The police are looking into the death of her husband.” “My boss is looking into my request for a rise in salary.”

To grow – G-R-O-W is a verb. It means crecer. The noun is growth – G-R-O-W-T-H. There’s been steady growth in sales. Repeat: There’s been steady growth. There’s been dramatic growth. There’s been little growth.

I suggest postponing our meeting until next week. After the verb “suggest” use a gerund Repeat: I suggest sending him an email.” “He suggests selling the car.”

 “I didn’t catch that” means I didn't understand or I didn’t hear. Repeat: I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. - I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.

An extension is an internal telephone number. When you phone a large company, you may have to give an extension number. “Can I have extension 395, please” Can you put me through to extension 438, please?

You can say “I'm afraid I don't see your point.” to disagree formally and politely with someone. Repeat: I'm afraid I don't see your point.” I'm sorry, I don't see your point.”

Well, that’s it for this month. Thanks for listening. And don’t forget to visit our online shop where you can find our business English cd, our First Certificate cd for the Cambridge FCE exam, our audio cds and special packs to save you money. Just go to the mansioningles.com webpage and click on the cds on the right side of the home page. You can also follow us on Twitter, just search for MansionTwit, and don’t forget to join our growing community of students and teachers on our Facebook fan page. Search Facebook for La Mansión del Inglés.

Thanks again and we’ll see you next month. Bye!

Puedes ver el cuaderno mensual de enero aquí. 

Puedes ver todos los cuadernos anteriores aquí. 

Puedes recibir gratis nuestro Cuaderno mensual de Inglés aquí. 

The music in this month’s podcast was by Revolution Void, the album was The Politics of Desire and the track was Outer Orbit. Also by Azhrak, the track was Below the Arctic Circle. Creative Commons licence from Jamendo.com