Lend vs. Borrow

The confusion between 'lend' and 'borrow' is that both mean prestar. So, which one to use? Simple, if prestar is being received by the subject, it is 'borrow' and if prestar is being performed by the subject, then it is 'lend'.

Can I borrow your pen? → 'I' (subject) receives prestar.
¿Puedo yo usar tu lápiz?

You have borrowed many DVDs. → 'You' (subject) receives prestar.
Tu tienes muchos DVD prestados.

I will lend you the books. → 'I' (subject) performs prestar.
Te prestaré los libros.

Can Enzo lend her his phone? → 'Enzo' (subject) performs prestar.

Remind vs. Remember

I REMIND you: Te RECUERDO
I remind you to do your homework.
Te recuerdo que hagas tus tareas.

I REMEBER you: Me ACUERDO de ti
I remember you from the party.
Me acuerdo de ti del carrete.

You REMIND me: Me RECUERDAS
You remind me of Tonka Tomicic.
Me recuerdas de la Tonka Tomicic.

You REMEMBER me: Te ACUERDAS de mí
Do you remember me?
¿Te acuerdas de mí?

Reported Speech

When we report someone’s words we can do it in two ways. We can use direct speech with quotation marks (“I work in a bank”), or we can use reported speech (He said he worked in a bank.)

In reported speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns may be different from those in the original sentence.

Present simple and present continuous tenses

• Direct speech: “I travel a lot in my job.”  Reported speech: He said that he travelled a lot in his job.
• Direct Speech: "Yo viajo mucho en mi trabajo." Reported speech: Él dijo que viajaba mucho en su trabajo.

The present simple tense (I travel) usually changes to the past simple (he travelled) in reported speech.

• Direct speech: “Be quiet. The baby’s sleeping.” Reported speech: She told me to be quiet because the baby was sleeping.
• Direct speech: "No hagas ruido. La guagua está durmiendo." Reported speech: Ella me dijo que no haga ruido porque la guagua estaba durmiendo.

The present continuous usually changes to the past continuous.

NB:

• “I work in Italy.” Reported speech: He told me that he works in Italy.
• Direct speech: “Yo trabajo en Italia.” Reported speech: Él me dijo que trabaja en Italia.

It isn’t always necessary to change the tense. If something is still true now – he still works in Italy  (él aún trabaja en Italia)– we can use the present simple in the reported sentence.

Past simple and past continuous tenses

• Direct speech: “We lived in China for 5 years.” Reported speech: She told me they had lived in China for 5 years.
• Direct speech: “Ellos vivieron en China por 5 años.” Reported speech: Ella me dijo que ellos vivieron en China por 5 años.

The past simple tense (we lived) usually changes to the past perfect (they had lived) in reported speech.

• Direct speech: “I was walking down the road when I saw the accident.” Reported speech: He told me he’d been walking down the road when he’d seen the accident.
• Direct speech: “Estuve caminando en la calle cuando vi el accidente.” Reported speech: Él me dijo que él habia estado caminando en la calle cuando él habia visto el accidente. [Él me dijo que él habia estado caminando en la calle cuando él vio el accidente]

The past continuous usually changes to the past perfect continuous.

Perfect tenses

• Direct speech: “They’ve always been very kind to me”. Reported speech: She said they’d always been very kind to her.
• Direct speech: “Ellos siempre me han sido muy amables”. Reported speech: Ella dijo que ellos siempre le habían sido muy amables.

The present perfect tense (have always been) usually changes to the past perfect tense (had always been).

• Direct speech: “They had already eaten when I arrived.” Reported speech: He said they’d already eaten when he’d arrived.
• Direct speech: “Ellos ya habían comido cuando llegué.” Reported speech: Él dijo que ellos ya habían comido cuando él llegó.

The past perfect tense does not change in reported speech.

Adapted from: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/print/grammar-reference/reported-speech-1

Obligation

Obligation to do:

I have to wear a helmet at work.
Tengo que usar un casco en el trabajo.

Obligation not to do:

We mustn't smoke in the offices.
No debemos fumar en la oficina

Obligation to do (question):

Do we have to finish early?
¿Tenemos que terminar temprano?

Not an obligation:

He doesn't have to get up early in the mornings.
Él no tiene que levantarse temprano en las mañanas.

Obligation to do:

You must read the manual.
Tienes que leer el manual.

Obligation to do:

My sister has to travel a lot.
Mi hermana tiene que viajar mucho.

Prepositions of Time: at, in, on.

We use:

• at for a PRECISE TIME
• in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
• on for DAYS and DATES

at	in	on
PRECISE TIME	MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS	DAYS and DATES
at 3 o'clock	in May	on Sunday
at 10.30am	in summer	on Tuesdays
at noon	in the summer	on 6 March
at dinnertime	in 1990	on 25 Dec. 2010
at bedtime	in the 1990s	on Christmas Day
at sunrise	in the next century	on Independence Day
at sunset	in the Ice Age	on my birthday
at the moment	in the past/future	on New Year's Eve

Look at these examples:

• I have a meeting at 9am.
• The shop closes at midnight.
• Jane went home at lunchtime.
• In England, it often snows in December.
• Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?
• There should be a lot of progress in the next century.
• Do you work on Mondays?
• Her birthday is on 20 November.
• Where will you be on New Year's Day?

Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:

Expression	Example
at night	The stars shine at night.
at the weekend*	I don't usually work at the weekend.
at Christmas*/Easter	I stay with my family at Christmas.
at the same time	We finished the test at the same time.
at present	He's not home at present. Try later.

Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:

in	on
in the morning	on Tuesday morning
in the mornings	on Saturday mornings
in the afternoon(s)	on Sunday afternoons
in the evening(s)	on Monday evening

When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on.

• I went to London last June. (not in last June)
• He's coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
• I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
• We'll call you this evening. (not in this evening)

Adapted from: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-at-in-on-time.htm

Prepositions of Place: at, in, on.

In general, we use:

• at for a POINT
• in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
• on for a SURFACE

at	in	on
POINT	ENCLOSED SPACE	SURFACE
at the corner	in the garden	on the wall
at the bus stop	in London	on the ceiling
at the door	in France	on the door
at the top of the page	in a box	on the cover
at the end of the road	in my pocket	on the floor
at the entrance	in my wallet	on the carpet
at the crossroads	in a building	on the menu
at the front desk	in a car	on a page

Look at these examples:

• Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
• The shop is at the end of the street.
• My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
• When will you arrive at the office?
• Do you work in an office?
• I have a meeting in New York.
• Do you live in Japan?
• Jupiter is in the Solar System.
• The author's name is on the cover of the book.
• There are no prices on this menu.
• You are standing on my foot.
• There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.
• I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:

at	in	on
at home	in a car	on a bus
at work	in a taxi	on a train
at school	in a helicopter	on a plane
at university	in a boat	on a ship
at college	in a lift (elevator)	on a bicycle, on a motorbike
at the top	in the newspaper	on a horse, on an elephant
at the bottom	in the sky	on the radio, on television
at the side	in a row	on the left, on the right
at reception	in Oxford Street	on the way

Adapted from: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-place-at-in-on.htm

British vs. North American

SPANISH	BRITISH	NORTH AMERICAN
reservar	to book	to reserve
Tenemos nuestro aniversario pronto, entonces voy a reservar una mesa para dos en un restaurante romántico.	We have our anniversary soon, so I´m going to book a table for two in a romantic restaurant.	We have our anniversary soon, so I’m going to reserve a table for two in a romantic restaurant.
cheque	check	pay check
La mayoría de los lugares no aceptan cheques, solamente aceptan efectivo o tarjetas.	Most places don’t accept checks; they only take cash or plastic.	Most places don't accept pay checks, they only take cash or plastic.
la cuenta	the bill	the check
Amor, es tarde, ¿pido la cuenta?	Darling, it's late, shall I ask for the bill?	Darling, it's late, shall I ask for the check?
un billete	a note	a bill
Tú nunca vas a creer mi suerte, estaba caminando por la calle y me encontré un billete de 10 lukas	You'll never believe my luck, I was walking down the street and I found a ten pound note on the floor.	You'll never believe my luck, I was walking down the street and I found a ten dollar bill on the floor.
la caja	the till	the cashier
Amor, ya tenemos todo, voy a la caja.	Babes, I have everything now, I’m going to the till.	Honey, I’ve got everything, I’m going to the cashier.