Comprehensive First Term English Review and Final Study Guide

Welcome and Introduction to the English Review Course

This study guide is a comprehensive review for the English course during the first term. The author of these notes expresses a sincere hope that the information provided herein will be beneficial and a source of good for all students. The introduction emphasizes the power of kind words to change hearts and wake souls. If the student finds benefit in this work, they are asked to offer a sincere prayer for the success and happiness of the creators. The document concludes the introduction with a call for God to grant success to everyone in their academic pursuits.

Lecture 1: Countries, Nationalities, and Basic Grammar

This lecture focuses on correctly identifying countries and their corresponding nationalities. For countries using the suffix "-an," we have Brazil ($\text{Brazilian}$), Germany ($\text{German}$), India ($\text{Indian}$), Mexico ($\text{Mexican}$), Italy ($\text{Italian}$), Russia ($\text{Russian}$), and Korea ($\text{Korean}$). For the suffix "-ese," the pairings are Japan ($ext{Japanese}$) and China ($\text{Chinese}$). For countries using the "-i" suffix, the list includes Kuwait ($\text{Kuwaiti}$) and Oman ($\text{Omani}$). For the "-ish" suffix, the pairings are Poland ($\text{Polish}$), Spain ($\text{Spanish}$), Sweden ($\text{Swedish}$), and Turkey ($\text{Turkish}$). Other unique pairings include France ($\text{French}$), Greece ($\text{Greek}$), The UK ($\text{British}$), and The USA ($\text{American}$).

In grammar, the usage of the Verb to be is detailed. For the first person, "I am" contracts to "I’m," and the negative is "I’m not." For plural subjects or "you," "You are," "We are," and "They are" contract to "you’re," "we’re," and "they’re," with negatives being "you’re not," "we’re not," and "they’re not." For third-person singular, "He is," "She is," and "It is" contract to "he’s," "she’s," and "it’s," with negatives "he’s not," "she’s not," and "it’s not." Pronouns can be replaced by specific nouns: "He" can be Ahmad, "She" can be Sarah, "It" can be a car or cat, and "They" can be Ahmad and Ali, or even plural nouns like engineers or men. To form questions, the order is reversed, such as converting "He is fine" into "Is he fine?" Responses follow the format "Yes, he is" or "No, he is not."

Rules for the articles "a" and "an" are provided for singular nouns. "An" is used with nouns beginning with vowel sounds ($e, i, o, a, u$) and words starting with a silent "h," such as "an hour" or "an honor." "A" is used with consonant sounds and specifically with words starting with "u" or "eu" when they produce a "y" sound, such as "a university," "a uniform," or "a European." Examples include "a city," "a picture," "a problem," "an address," "an interest," and "an office." The use of articles is prohibited with plural nouns, meaning "They are an architects" is grammatically incorrect.

Lecture 1 Continued: Question Words and Communication Styles

Question words include "Who," used for people with "is" for singular ($Who is$) and "are" for plural ($Who are$); "Where," used for places ($Where is / Where are$); and "What," used for things or information ($What is / What are$). Example sentences include "What is your job?", "What are their names?", "Who is your boss?", "Who are they?", "Where is my case?", and "Where are the files?"

Communication is categorized into Formal and Informal styles. Formal communication is intended for strangers, workplaces, clients, or management. It typically begins with "Dear" and includes phrases like "I am writing to thank you for all your help," "I look forward to seeing you next week," and "With best wishes." Full names ($Ali Ahmad$) should be used. Informal communication is for well-known people, birthday greetings, or colleagues. It begins with "Hello" or "Hi," and uses phrases like "Many thanks for your help," "See you next week," or "Cheers." Only the first name ($Ali$) is typically used, and short forms or abbreviations like "CU" (see you) or "TNX" (thanks) are acceptable.

Capitalization rules are strictly defined for twelve specific categories: at the beginning of every sentence; for names of people ($Ahmad, Sarah$); for specific adjectives ($Chicago-style pizza$); for the pronoun "I" ($Sara and I$); for countries and cities ($Saudi Arabia, Egypt$); for nationalities ($American$); for languages ($Arabic, English$); for company names and brands ($Pepsi, Sony$); for days, months, historical eras, and holidays ($Monday, The Middle Ages$); for educational institutions ($Midocean University$); for mountains and towers ($The Eiffel Tower$); and for abbreviations or initials ($NASA, THX$).

Lecture 2: Business Vocabulary and Prepositions

This section defines various professional terms and perks. A "High salary" equates to "a lot of money," while "Long holidays" refer to "a lot of time away from work." "Helpful colleagues" are "good people to work with." "Travel opportunities" provide the "chance to go to different places on business." "Fast promotions" involve "moving quickly to a higher position at work." "Flexible hours" allows one to "change the times when you start and finish work." Other items mentioned include a "Mobile phone," "Company car," "Personal trainer," "Attend meetings," "Spend time," "Give presentations," "Parking facilities," "Friendly boss," "Sports facilities," "CEO," "Trade show," "Office day," and "Go skiing."

Prepositions of time are categorized into three groups. "At" is used for holidays without the word "day" ($At New Year’s, At Easter$), specific times ($At noon, At midnight, At night, At 6:00 PM, At 10:00 AM$), and for the term "At the weekend." "On" is used for holidays that include the word "day" ($On Labor Day, On my birthday$), specific days of the week ($On Monday$), days within a month ($On fourth of July$), and specific dates ($On April 15$). "In" is used for parts of the day ($In the morning, In the evening, In the afternoon$), months ($In April, In May$), years and centuries ($In 1997, In the 17th Century$), and seasons ($In the autumn, In the fall$). Note that "noon" uses "at" while "afternoon" uses "in."

Lecture 2 Continued: Present Simple Grammar

The Present Simple tense is used to describe routines, habits (like eating or exercising), and permanent situations (like having children). When using the auxiliary verbs "do," "does," "don’t," or "doesn’t," the main verb must remain in its base form without any "s" suffix regardless of the subject. A specific rule for adding "s" to the verb exists for third-person singular subjects ($She, He, It$). For example, "Amal works" or "Ahmad works." Verbs ending in "ch," "sh," "ss," "x," or "o" require an "es" suffix ($wishes, watches, goes$). Conversely, plural subjects ($You, They, We, I$) use the base verb without an "s" ($They work, We work$). In questions, "Do" is paired with "you, they, we, I" and "Does" is paired with "she, he, it."

Adverbs of frequency include "usually," "always," "ever," "never," "often," "sometimes," and "generally." These can appear at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis ($Once a year, we have a party$ or $We have a party once a year$), but they never appear in the middle between a main verb and object. They follow the verb to be ($I am never at work$) and precede the main verb ($Sara never works$). They are used to answer the question of "how often" an action occurs.

Lecture 3: Office Problems and Troubleshooting

This lecture identifies common workplace roles and technical issues. Roles include "an office worker," "factory worker," "shop/sales assistant," and "call center worker." Common problems include "always being busy," "difficult customers," "changes to orders," "Computer Crashes," "rude people," "missing documents," "delivery delays," and "machinery not working." Descriptors for these problems include a "Broken" printer, "Confusing" or "not clear" instructions, "Noisy" machinery, and "complicated" problems.

Grammar rules for negative Present Simple sentences involve adding "don’t" for "You, They, We, I" and "doesn’t" for "He, She, It," followed by the base form of the verb. Question formation begins with "Do" or "Does," often following question words like "When," "Where," or "What." For spelling changes with "s," if a verb ends in "y," change "y" to "i" and add "es" ($fly$ becomes $flies$). If it ends in "o, ch, sh, s, ss, x, z," add "es."

Adjectives for degree include "Enough," meaning sufficient, which typically follows an adjective in a negative sentence ($It isn't soft enough$). "Too" denotes an excess and precedes the adjective in positive sentences ($The bed is too hard$).

Lecture 3 Continued: Quantity and Possession

The words "Some" and "Any" are used for plural nouns when the exact quantity is undefined. "Some" is used in positive statements ($There are some deliveries today$). "Any" is used in negative statements or questions ($I don't have any apple, Are there any deliveries?$). Possession is expressed using "has" and "have." In positive sentences, "Has" is for singular subjects ($She, he, it$) and "Have" is for plural subjects ($You, they, we, I$). In negative sentences, "Hasn’t" and "Haven’t" are used. In questions, "Do" or "Does" is used followed by the subject and the base form "have" ($Does she have a car?, Do you have any money?$).

Lecture 4: Travel and Logistics

Travel vocabulary includes words like "Seat," "reservation," "Centre," "Receipt," "Passport," "Password," and "Passengers." Verbs related to travel include "Buy a ticket," "Confirm their flight," "collect their luggage," "go through security," "Queue at the check-in," "watch an in-flight movie," "check in at a hotel," "book a hotel room," "Take a bus or taxi," and "Do some shopping."

Logistics collocations describe activities: with "reservation," one can "make," "confirm," "change," or "book" one. For "flight," one can "book," "confirm," or "change" it. For "tickets," one can "reserve" or "buy" them. Standard opposites in travel include "to land" vs. "to take off," "to leave" vs. "to arrive," "to get on" vs. "to get off," "to catch" vs. "to miss," and "to be delayed" vs. "to be on time."

Modal verbs "Can" and "Can't" are used for ability and permission. "Can't" indicates inability or lack of permission ($I can't speak French, You can't sit here$). "Can" indicates ability or permission ($He can program a computer, Yes, you can sit here$). In question form, the structure is "Can he go now?"

Usage of "There is" and "There are" depends on number. "There is" is for singular items and is often followed by "a" or "an" ($There is an indoor pool$). "There are" is for plural items and does not use "a/an" ($There are three restaurants$). "Any" is used for plural negatives or questions in this context ($There aren't any flights, Is there any baggage?$).

Lecture 5: Food, Entertaining, and Dining

Dining vocabulary covers various categories of food. Meats include "Beef" (cow), "Chicken," "Lamb" (sheep), and "Veal" (calf). Seafood/Fish involves "Salmon," "Tuna," "Cod," "Prawns" (shrimp), and "Trout." Vegetables include "Onion," "Broccoli," "Carrots," "Cauliflower," "Peas," "Cabbage," and "Aubergine" (eggplant). Fruits include "Apple," "Peaches," "Grapes," and "Cherries."

A standard menu structure includes three sections: "Starter" (Soup, Snails, salad, Stuffed Mushrooms, Spring rolls, Pate, Prawn cocktail), "Main course" (steak, Roast duck, Grilled fish, Beef stew, sushi, Paella, Spaghetti), and "Dessert" (Ice cream, Apple pie, Tiramisu, Chocolate mousse, Cheese cake, fruit). Dining terminology mentions "Menu," "Dishes," "Tip," "Check" (New York usage), "Bill" (London usage), "Receipt," "Pay," "Meal," "Delicious," "I’m full," "Fast food," "Customer," "Spend," "Dinner," and "Lunch."

Specific definitions for professional food contexts are: "Salaries" are the money people earn for their jobs; "Demand" is the need people have for a service; "Adapt" means to change something; "Tastes" are the kind of things someone likes; and "Spicy" refers to a strong and hot flavor.

Rules for "Some" and "Any" in dining: "Some" is used in positive statements ($There are some restaurants$) and for offering and requesting items where a "Yes" answer is expected ($Can I have some tea?, Would you like some coffee?$). "Any" is used in most general questions ($Do you have any beef?$) and negative statements ($We haven't got any beef today$).

Lecture 5 Continued: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Nouns are categorized as countable (objects that can be counted and pluralized, like table or apple) or uncountable (masses or concepts that do not use "a/an" and have no plural form, like water, sugar, bread, milk, tea, staff, transport, equipment, and information). For quantities, "Many" is used with countable nouns in questions and negatives ($How many hours?, I don’t go to many meetings$). "Much" is used with uncountable nouns in questions and negatives ($How much money does she earn?, I don’t get much time for holidays$). "A lot of" is versatile and can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns in all sentence types (positive, negative, question).

Specific categorization of nouns: Countable nouns include "reservation," "bathroom," "bill," "employee," "hotel," "seat," "flight," "menu," "receipt," "dish," "tip," and "suitcase." Uncountable nouns include "food," "air conditioning," "equipment," "information," "luggage," "money," "overtime," "transport," "soup," "work," "shopping," and "leisure."

Lecture 6: Buying, Selling, and Past Simple Grammar

Sales terminology includes "Great deals," "Low deposit" (small initial payment), "Interest-free credit" (no extra cost to pay over time), "12 monthly payments," and "Free delivery" (no transport cost). Roles are divided into "Seller" (gives guarantee, offers deals, delivers on time) and "Buyer" (places orders, compares prices, asks about stock/monthly payments).

Business expansion vocabulary includes: "Expansion" (growing in size), "Strategy" (detailed plan for achievement), "Relaunch" (introducing something new again), "Flagship store" (company's main, large store in an important area), "Hire" (employing someone), and "Collection" (clothes produced for a season).

The Past Simple tense is used for completed actions in the past. Standard verbs add "-d" or "-ed" ($Saved, launched, exported$). Irregular verbs change completely or not at all: "Go" becomes "went," "Be" becomes "was/were," "Grow" becomes "grew," "Give" becomes "gave," "Spend" becomes "spent," "Cost" stays "cost." Time references indicating the past include "Last year," "Yesterday," "Ago," "From… to," "During," and specific old dates like "In 1992."

The pronunciation of "-ed" endings follows three patterns: $/id/$ after "t" or "d" sounds ($wanted, needed$); $/t/$ after voiceless sounds like "p, k, f, sh, ch, ss, x" ($helped, looked, washed, watched, kissed$); and $/d/$ after voiced sounds like "l, n, r, g, v, s, b, m" ($called, cleaned, offered, loved, moved$). Words ending in vowel sounds also use the $/d/$ pronunciation (followed, played, tried).

Lecture 7: People and Management

Personality adjectives describe work behavior: "Sociable" (enjoys others' company), "Ambitious" (wants career heights), "Creative" (has new ideas), "Relaxed" (calm), "Hardworking" (spends time doing a good job), "Punctual" (on time), "Motivating" (encourages others), "Practical" (good at making things work), "Helpful" (helps others), and "Reliable" (does what they promise).

Management vocabulary includes "Results," "Risks," "Praise," "Team members," "Task," "Feedback" (avoiding sarcasm), "Objective," "Human-resources report," "Dealing with problems," "Find solutions immediately," and "Meet deadlines."

Past Simple grammar for negatives and questions utilizes "did." For negatives, use "didn't" followed by the base form of the verb ($You didn’t like your colleague$). For questions, use "Did" at the start or after a question word, followed by the base form of the verb ($Did he leave the company?$). The past form of the Verb to be uses "Was" for singular ($I, He, She, It$) and "Were" for plural ($We, They, You$). For example, "She was a good manager" or "They weren’t happy at work."

Lecture 8: Advertising and Comparisons

Advertising terms include "jingle" (short song), "logo" (visual design/picture), "Slogans" (phrases like 'Just do it'), "Home market" (inside producer's country), and "Export market" (outside producer's country).

Comparatives compare two things: short adjectives add "-er than" ($Higher than$) while long adjectives use "more… than" ($More expensive than$). Superlatives compare one against all: short adjectives use "the …-est" ($The highest$) while long adjectives use "the most…" ($The most expensive$). Irregular comparisons include: "Good - Better - The Best," "Bad - Worse - The Worst," and "Far - Farther - The Farthest."

To emphasize differences, use "much" or "a lot" before a comparative for large differences ($Australia is a lot bigger than New Zealand, much cheaper to run$). Note that "much" is more formal than "a lot." For small differences, use "a little" or "a bit" ($The PDX100 is a little more expensive, Our prices are a bit higher$). "A little" is more formal than "a bit."

Lecture 9: Companies and Present Continuous

Synonyms used in company descriptions include: "Started / Began," "Employs / Has a workforce of," "Exports / Sells abroad," "Manufacturers / Makes," "Introduced / Launches," and "Supplies / Provides."

The Present Continuous describes actions happening "now" or temporary situations. It is formed by "Be (am, is, are)" + "Verbing." Positive: "I am waiting," "He is coming." Negative: "I'm not working," "She isn't coming." Questions: "Am I?", "Is he/she/it?", "Are you/we/they?" It is also used for developments and unfinished ongoing projects ($We are building a new factory$). Time expressions for Present continuous include "At the moment, currently, now, today." This contrasts with Present Simple which uses "Always, every day, normally, usually" for permanent habits.

Company reputations: Rolls Royce is famous for "leadership," Apple for "innovation and creativity," Google for "inventing new products," Fairtrade for "looking after people," and Body Shop for being "environmentally friendly."

Lecture 10: Communication and Future Forms

Communication methods include "Print" (paper-based), "Face to Face" (direct contact), "Workplace" (physical environment), "Electronic" (computers/phones), and "Company intranet" (internal social media). Specific tools include "Download" (moving info from network to PC), "Blog" (written by an individual), "Post/Upload" (putting info onto a network), "Wiki" (knowledge-sharing site), "Forums" (discussion site), and "Briefings" (meetings for instructions).

Future forms include:

1. The Present Continuous for planned events ($He is playing tennis tomorrow, Sophie is going to the dentist on Friday$).

2. "Going to" for intentions or predictions based on evidence ($I'm going to buy some books tomorrow, It’s going to rain$).

3. "Will" (contracted as 'll) for decisions at the moment of speaking or offers ($I’ll carry it for you, I’ll phone you tomorrow$). "I think I’ll" or "I don’t think I’ll" are common for decisions.

4. "Shall I / Shall we" for suggestions or asking if an action is a good idea ($Shall I open the window?, Shall we go for a walk?$).

Questions & Discussion

This section captures various practice questions and scenarios provided in the transcript.

True/False Scenarios:

• A formal email sample starting with "Dear" is TRUE.

• An email where Jonathan Ross is a director of public relations while he is actually an assistant is FALSE.

• "We should capitalize countries and nationalities" is TRUE.

• "We should capitalize acronyms and initials" is TRUE.

• "Formal emails use contractions" is FALSE.

• "Mikael Ohlsson became a store manager in 1981" is TRUE.

• "The 2012 Beetle has a more masculine design than the 1987 model" is TRUE.

Numerical and Fact-Based Questions:

• What time is the train to Manchester? $14:40$.

• How much is the hotel per night? $120$ Euros.

• How many nights is the man staying? $Two$ nights.

• At what altitude is the pilot flying? $30,000$ feet.

• What is the cost of the new advertising campaign? $900,000$ euros.

• What was the market share last year? $10.3\%$.

• What is the target market share for next year? $11.5\%$.

• What was the unit sales of Sparkle? Over $850,000$ units.

• How much is the deposit for large orders (over $50$ units)? $15\%$.

• If you rent a smart car, how much can you save? Up to $30\%$.

Grammar Fill-ins:

• Ahmed and Abdullah "are" happy.

• I met "a" European actor.

• He "doesn't have" a lot of free time.

• Was he an "efficient" manager?

• He Usually "travels" to work by train.

• The Passat has a "more powerful" engine than the Mazda.

• Sarah is "the smartest" student.

• December is "the busiest" month.

• The contract was signed "on" 10th July 2012.