Hey buddies! Hoy os dejamos algunas frases útiles a la hora de socializar. ¿Qué dirías en estas situaciones?
Someone sneezes > Bless you!
You’re just going to start eating > Enjoy your meal! / Bon appetite!
Someone says, «Have a nice day!” > You too / Same to you
Someone thanks you for something > It’s no problem / you’re welcome / not at all
Your friend is ill > Get well soon / I hope you get better soon
A friend has just had a baby > Congratulations!
A friend is leaving for the airport > Have a good flight / a safe journey
You’re late for a meeting > Sorry, I’m late
Someone spilt coffee on your clothes > Never mind / it doesn’t matter/ don’t worry
You just finished talking to someone > It was really nice talking to you but I must leave now
A friend can’t come to dinner > What a pity! Maybe next time
A friend offers you a lift home > That’s very kind of you
A co-worker helped you a lot with a problem > That’s very kind of you / You’re a hero – a star – a lifesaver
A co-worker is losing his job, he/she just told you > I’m (very) sorry to hear that
A colleague gives you a birthday present > That’s really nice of you / You really shouldn’t have
You want someone to give a greeting to someone else > Give my regards to Pete / Say hello to Pete
You offer to pay for a meal > I’ll get this / It’s on me
Te han resultado útiles? Se te ocurren más? Escríbelas en los comentarios 😉

Hey buddies, hoy toca post de phrasal verbs, I know, they can be hard y no siempre es fácil entenderlos y luego ponerlos en práctica. Hoy nos centramos en los 15 Phrasal verbs con take que ya tendrías que conocer. No worries, si aún no los conoces te los explicamos con significado y ejemplos, uno por uno.
To take after someone – to look like someone, to have a similar appearance or personality- parecerse a alguien
E.g.
Mike takes after his mother; they both have the same blue eyes and blond hair.
Everybody says Beth takes after her grandmother, they have a talent for art.
To take something apart – to disassemble, to separate something into smaller parts- desmontar
E.g.
He’s always taking apart all types of mechanical toys.
I think I should take apart my computer and clean it properly.
To take away something – to separate, to remove – apartar, quitar, llevarse
E.g.
Could you take away this old chair? I don’t want it anymore.
If you don’t study harder, we’ll have to take away your telephone.
To take something back
1) to return something – devolver algo
E.g.
He bought some shoes but they don’t fit. He will ned to take them back.
2) to admit that you did/say something wrong – retirar (algo que has dicho)
E.g.
Sorry for saying those words to you, I take it back.
To take something down
1) to separate something into parts – desmontar
E.g.
After the concert finished, the crew took down the stage.
2) to write on paper – escribir, tomar nota de algo
E.g.
Let me take down your phone number, just in case.
To take someone in – to let someone stay in your house – dejar que alguien se quede en tu casa.
E.g.
He was having a hard time finding an apartment, so we took him in for a month.
You are so nice to take me in, I cannot thank you enough.
To take something in – to assimilate or understand information – comprender o asimilar información.
E.g.
The speaker said interesting things but it was a lot to take in.
I’m reading this manual and I can’t take it in.
To take off
1) to rise in the air (an airplane) – despegar (un avión)
E.g.
The plane will take off in 30 minutes.
2) also to become successful or popular very fast – despegar en sentido figurativo.
E.g.
Recently, their blog has taken off and now they are very popular.
Her career took off when she started working in publicity.
To take something off
1) to remove (clothes) – quitarse (ropa)
E.g.
As soon as I get home I take off my shoes and change my clothes.
2) not to work for a period of time – tener un día/semana libre (sin ir al trabajo)
E.g.
She took a week off to visit her family in France.
I’ll take two days off next week.
To take someone on – to hire someone – contratar a alguien.
E.g.
We need to take on a new cleaning lady.
Our company is taking on more employees next month.
To take something on – to accept some work or responsibility – aceptar/asumir responsabilidades
E.g.
Do you have time to take on a new project?
She took on more tasks in order to get promoted.
To take (it) out on someone – to make someone feel bad, because you are feeling bad too – tomarla con alguien
E.g.
Hey, I understand that you’ve had a horrible day, but don’t take it out on me.
I was stressed and I took it out on him.
To take over something – to take control of something – asumir el control de algo
E.g.
His real intention was to take over the company.
A large holding has taken over our company and there will be some changes.
To take up something
1) to fill space or time – ocupar espacio o tiempo
E.g.
These books are taking up all the space in my room.
This project is taking up more time than I expected.
2) to start doing something regularly – comenzar un nuevo hábito
E.g.
I’ve recently taken up yoga.
Why did you took up golf?
To take somebody up on something – to accept an offer- aceptar una invitación.
E.g.
You’re always welcome to stay with us when you’re in Paris.
Thank you, I’ll take you up on that the next time I come to France.
Esperamos que no haya sido demasiado para asimilar, a lot to take in y que te animes a poner algunos de ellos en práctica, verás que tu confianza con los phrasal verbs pronto despega, it will soon take off, y si por el contrario te has quedado con ganas de más phrasal verbs aquí tienes «Los mejores phrasal verbs con get, descúbrelos!»


Aprender otro idioma no siempre es fácil y aunque cometer errores es una parte natural del proceso de aprendizaje parece que hay ciertas cosas que se nos resisten y no hay manera de que se nos queden grabadas. Una de las razones es que las estructuras gramaticales a veces varían y nuestra mente inconscientemente recurre a nuestra lengua materna, en este caso el español, cuando intentamos decir lo mismo en inglés. Para ayudarte en este proceso, hemos recopilado una nueva serie de errores frecuentes en inglés que la experiencia con nuestros alumnos nos dice que cometemos de manera recurrente 😉
Toma nota que empezamos! Let’s get started!
I have seen Martha yesterday.
I saw Martha yesterday.
I have visited my aunt last weekend.
I visited my aunt last weekend.
Es incorrecto porque: en inglés si hay una referencia temporal de un periodo de tiempo que ya ha finalizado, se usa past simple y no present perfect.
You must to call him immediately.
You must call him immediately.
She can to run really fast.
She can run really fast.
Es incorrecto porque: los modal verbs como can, must, should, will, would… no van seguidos de la preposición to. Las excepciones serían cuando usamos have to y también need to. Por ejemplo, I have to finish this today.
When I will arrive I will phone you.
When I arrive I will phone you.
Es incorrecto porque: después de palabras como when (before, after, until…) en una frase subordinada usamos presente aunque nos estemos refiriendo al futuro. Algo parecido sucede cuando utilizamos la primera condicional observa
If I will be in London, I will contact you.
If I am in London, I will contact you.
Es incorrecto porque: la estructura correcta de la primera condicional es if + present simple / will + verb.
El siguiente es uno de los errores frecuentes en inglés que más nos cuesta, seguro que te suena
He has lived here since three months (ago).
He has lived here for three months.
He moved here three months ago.
Es incorrecto porque: no usamos ago con present perfect, solo con past simple. Además se usa for + un periodo de tiempo y since + un punto determinado en el tiempo. Más detalles de for, since y present perfect aquí
The man which lives next door is from Russia.
The man who lives next door is from Russia.
Es incorrecto porque: en las frases con pronombres relativos, por lo general which se usa al referirse a una cosa y who al referirse a una persona.
She was boring at the party.
She was bored at the party.
It was a confused situation.
It was a confusing situation.
Es incorrecto porque: palabras como bored, interested, excited, confused… hablan sobre cómo nos sentimos. Palabras como boring, interesting, exciting, confusing se refieren a lo que causa ese sentimiento (sea una cosa o una persona).
Where I can find a bank?
Where can I find a bank?
You can give me information?
Can you give me some information?
Es incorrecto porque: las preguntas en inglés siguen una estructura bastante bien definida y además se inverte el orden de sujeto-verbo, es decir, en una pregunta se pone antes el sujeto y después el verbo. Esto es muy general para no extendernos, pero aquí tienes más información sobre preguntas en inglés.
Éste es uno de los los errores frecuentes en inglés que no deberíamos cometer never ever 😉
People at my office is very friendly.
People at my office are very friendly.
Es incorrecto porque: people es el plural de person, es uno de esos plurales irregulares como child-children, man-men, woman-women… y sí, es verdad que en nuestra cabecita tiene sentido decir «gente» en lugar de personas, pero aún así, recuerda que en inglés es siempre people are, no excuses!
I did it by my own.
I did it by myself.
I did it on my own.
Es incorrecto porque: o bien decimos by myself, o bien on my own, pero nada de mezclar las dos cosas para decir que lo hemos hecho nosotros mismos.
She didn’t want that I go.
She didn’t want me to go.
Do you want that I help you?
Do you want me to help you?
Es incorrecto porque: algunos verbos en inglés (como want, aunque no es el único) van seguidos de objeto + infinitivo, como en I want you to help them, y la estructura con that, I want that you help them, no es correcta.
Otro de los errores frecuentes en inglés con el que a menudo metemos la pata es con el verbo explain
Please explain me how improve my English.
Please explain to me how to improve my English.
Es incorrecto porque: en inglés you explain something o you explain to someone something. Puedes ver más ejemplos sobre cómo usar explain aquí.
They were waiting during 3 hours.
They were waiting for 3 hours.
We will go for summer time.
We will go during summer time.
Es incorrecto porque: usamos for para referirnos a un periodo de tiempo y contesta a la pregunta How long…? . En el caso de during, se usa para referirse al momento en el que algo pasa y contesta a la pregunta When…?
My sisters and me will have dinner together.
My sisters and I will have dinner together.
She wanted to speak to my sisters and I.
She wanted to speak to my sisters and me.
Es incorrecto porque: cuando esta parte es el sujeto de la frase decimos and I, pero cuando es el objeto (o complemento) del verbo decimos and me.
Esperamos que con estos ejemplos y breves explicaciones ahora lo entiendas mejor. Toma nota de los crees que te confunden más para ir corrigiéndolos poco a poco. Éstos son solo algunos de los errores frecuentes en inglés que cometemos todos los que estamos aprendiendo inglés, pero no son los únicos, puedes ver más common mistakes de este tipo aquí.
