SMX 2201 m03 Ud0

Hardware
Carles Mora Queralt
Anglès tècnic
Anglès tècnic Hardware
Índex
Introduction 5
Learning objectives 7
1 Learning a language 9
1.1 Grammar: nouns, determiners and personal pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.1.1 Nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.1.2 Articles, demonstratives and possessives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.1.3 Personal pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.2 Skills: listening and speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.2.1 Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.2.2 Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.3 Vocabulary: general terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.4 Translating a text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2 Computer hardware 31
2.1 Grammar: the auxiliary verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.1 The verb ’to be’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.2 The verb ’to have’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.1.3 The verb ’to do’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.2 Skills: reading and writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.2.1 Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
2.2.2 Writing: connectors and punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.2.3 Use of reference material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.3 Vocabulary: input and output devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3 Inside a computer 51
3.1 Grammar: quantifiers, intensifiers and numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.1.1 Quantifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.1.2 Intensifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.1.3 Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
3.2 Everyday language: greetings and introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3.2.1 Greetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3.2.2 Introducing people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.3 Vocabulary: internal components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Anglès tècnic 5 Hardware
Introduction
Each unit is composed of three separate sections, and each section includes a
reading text about a relevant topic, a grammar reference, a section about the use of
the language and finally a vocabulary section with a list of words and expressions
used in the context of computing.
In the unit called “Hardware”, there is a text about different aspects related to
the learning of a language online. We explain the characteristics of this type of
learning, which is relatively new, and we also give some ideas to deal with an
online English course. You can use it as a guide in your studies, but the main
objective is to provide some reading practice. Next, there is a text which describes
the main components of a computer hardware . The text includes language notes
that explain some words. The last text has the same format. In this case, you will
read about the internal components of a computer.
As for the grammar, you will learn about three basic aspects. In the first
section, there is information about three very important words in a language: the
nouns, which are used to define the material and inmaterial world around us;
the determiners, which are some small words that we add to nouns, like articles,
demonstratives and possessives; and the personal pronouns, which we use to refer
to nouns. The second grammar section deals with the auxiliary verbs. These verbs
are used to help other verbs form certain tenses, like the continuous tenses (verb
‘to be’) and the perfect tenses (verb ‘to have’); the passive (verb ‘to be’); and the
interrogative and negative sentences (verb ‘to do’). The third section in the unit
deals with three other types of important words: the quantifiers, which are added
to nouns to express quantity; the intensifiers, which we can add to adjectives and
adverbs to indicate different degrees of intensity; and the English numbers, which
form a type of quantifiers with some special characteristics.
In the first section of the unit, you will also find information about the oral skills
of the language (listening and speaking). These skills are the most difficult ones
to acquire in an online course because they require practice with another person,
especially speaking, but even so, you will find some advice and resources about
the best ways of practising these skills. In the second section, we introduce the
two remaining skills, the written skills (reading and writing). You will read about
the characteristics of both and you can also get some ideas on how to practice
each one, with a special reference to the use connectors and puctuation, which
are necessary to write a text correctly. The third section introduces what we call
‘everyday language’. This refers to a number of expressions which are used in
particular contexts and we can also use the terms ‘functional language’, or ‘social
language’, because they are used in our interaction with other people. In this unit,
we begin with the ways of greeting and introducing people, which are two very
basic examples of interaction.
There is also a vocabulary section in each part of the unit. In the first part, you will
find a list of general terms related to computers. In the second section, there is a
list of words related to the input and output devices, which agrees with the topic
of the text in this section. The last section includes a list of terms to describe the
internal components of a computer system.
Finally, the first section in this unit also includes information about translating a
text, with an example of a translation and some tips to make a good translation
and avoid syntactical and lexical mistakes.
Learning objectives
At the end of this unit, the student should:
1. Understand oral messages in standard language and analize the general meaning
of a message relating it to the corresponding language resources.
• Identify the context of the message.
• Identify the main idea of the message.
• Identify the purpose of a face-to-face or telephone message or any other oral

message received through any means of communication.
• Get specific information from oral messages common in the professional

and daily lives.
• Organize the elements of a message.
• Identify the main ideas in a speech about the professional field transmitted
through the mass media in standard language.
• Recognize oral instructions and follow instructions.
• Be aware of the importance of understanding the general meaning of a

message even if you dont’ understand everything.
2. Understand and make a comprehensive analysis of simple written texts.
• Read and understand written texts in standard language.
• Interpret the global meaning of a written message.
• Relate a written text to the corresponding professional field.
• Choose the appropriate reference material such as technical dictionaries and

automatic translators.
3. Produce clear, well-organized oral messages and take an active part in

conversations frequently used in the professional field.
• Identify and apply the correct style, formal or informal, in oral speech.
• Express an oral message by using a variety of communicative resources.
• Use the appropriate conventions in the production of oral messages.
• Describe the events that normally occur in the professional field
• Use the appropriate terminology as commonly used in the professional field.

• Express feelings, ideas or opinions.
• Express the basic activities in the professional field.
• Accept or reject other people’s proposals.
• Justify a decision taken.
• Ask other people to repeat or explain an oral message to make it more clear.
• Apply the appropriate conventions in oral communication in a variety of

situations.
4. Fill in basic documents in standard language by using the appropriate register

in each case.
• Write short texts about the professional and daily lives.
• Organize a text in a coherent way.
• Fill in documents related to the professional field.
• Summarize the main ideas in written texts by using your own words.
• Use the appropriate protocol in documents.
5. Show the appropriate attitude and behaviour in communicative situations as

established by international conventions.
• Define the most distinctive aspects of the customs of English-speaking

communities in the professional field of support to people with special
needs.
• Describe the social conventions of other countries.
• Identify the values and beliefs which are characteristic of English-speaking

communities.
• Identify the social and professional aspects of the professional field in all
types of oral and written messages.
• Apply the social conventions in English-speaking communities.

1. Learning a language
The italics in the text mean

that the concept is
commented in the language
Learning a foreign language is very important because we live in a globalized notes below.
society. This means that there are no frontiers, and that products and ideas
circulate freely throughout the world. Globalization is not a new phenomenon,
but the term has become popular only since the mid 1990s, when the Internet
arrived at our homes. Globalization has changed many things in our jobs. For
example, nowadays it is difficult to find a job near your home. In fact, it is difficult
to find a job anywhere, so many people must move to other countries. If you are
lucky enough to have a job, however, you will do better if you can interact and
share experiences with people from other countries. This will open your mind
and improve the quality of your work, but to do so, you must speak at least one
foreign language.
The most important language in the world is English because it is the language
used in our international relationships. Learning English is now a very important
aspect in the education of children and adults. You must know English to improve
at work, or even to do certain jobs. A person is not prepared for today’s world if
he or she cannot speak that language. This is the reason why today English is in
the curriculums of the majority of the vocational studies.
At this point, the obvious question is this: what can I do to learn English? The
answer is also obvious: you should go and live in an English-speaking country for
a time. So the next question is: what can I do if I cannot go to another country?
The answer: take up English classes with a teacher! But, what can I do if I have
no time to go to class? Well, there is also an answer to that question. Today we
are lucky enough to have an alternative. This alternative is called online learning. See the list of interesting
links in the web material
for websites with online
Learning a language online is a relatively new option, so many students still have English courses.
the idea that it is very difficult to learn without a teacher who monitors your study.
In fact, it is not so difficult, but you need to have the necessary qualities to be a
good online student. Here is a summary of these qualities:
• First of all, you must be familiar with the use of computers. You will
have to do all your learning activities online. You will carry out all your
communication with the teacher and other students in a virtual classroom.
You will have to write and read online messages, and upload and download
files, among other things.
• You must have a lot of learning autonomy. The virtual classroom cannot
cover everything that you need to learn English. This means that you should
look for information and practice outside the course. When you learn a
language, you must practise a lot, especially the four skills (reading, writing,
listening and speaking). Of these, speaking is the most difficult to practise
online, so you will have to find someone to speak to you. You can also look
for internet websites that offer extra practice on other aspects of English,
like grammar and vocabulary.
The terms schedule (Cat:
calendari) and deadline
(Cat: termini) are very
important in an online
course. You will find the • You must be very well organized. These are good qualities in all the
learning activities distributed
throughout the course. It is aspects of life, but they are especially important in online studies. Your
necessary to do and submit
the activities before the study time will be very flexible. This means that you can study any day
deadline.
of the week and at any time of day and night, but it is very important that
you organize your work so you can do everything progressively, and not
everything at the same time. You should remember that in online studies
the schedule is very strict.
• You must have a strong will. Your objectives must be clear and you must
work hard to achieve those objectives. You will sometimes have the feeling
that you cannot do it. You may probably have the same feeling in many
other aspects of your life, but you must be aware that you can do everything.
You will often find that things are not easy, but you must try hard to do them
anyway.
• You must contact the teacher and the other students when you need
anything. In online studies, you might have the impression that you are
alone, but this is not true. The teacher can follow your progress all the time.
You can contact him or her to explain your problems or ask questions and
doubts. You can also contact the other students and share your experience
with them and collaborate in your studies. Online communication can be
very effective, but you must get used to ‘speaking’ online.
• You must have a lot of patience. Learning a language means practising a

lot. The results will be obvious only with time, but not immediately. You
will probably have the impression that you do not advance in your learning,
but you must persevere and continue studying after the end of the present
course if you want to improve your English.
The conclusion is that learning online is a very good option for the students who
have no time to go to school, but if you want to be successful in your studies,
it is necessary to change your traditional points of view on education and adapt
yourself to online learning.
Language notes
• Nowadays (Cat. avui en dia, actualment): this adverbial is used to speak about the present
time. Other adverbials with the same meaning are: now, today and at present. Do not confuse
with the word actually (Cat. de fet, realment), which has a totally different meaning. This is an
example of a ‘false friend’.
• To do so (Cat. per fer això): in this context, so refers back to the statement in the previous
sentence (open your mind and improve the quality of your work ). Here we use so to avoid
repeating the whole sentence.
• Vocational studies (Cat. estudis de formació professional). Also called vocational training or
career training. The term refers to the education based on employment. It is equivalent to the
FP in the Spanish school system.
• Take up (Cat. fer, iniciar, començar a fer una activitat). This is an example of a phrasal verb
(a verb composed of verb + adverb). Other examples of phrasal verbs are: get up, turn on/off,
break up, etc.
• Carry out (Cat. portar a terme, realitzar). Another example of phrasal verb.
• Practice (Cat. pràctica). This is a noun. We always spell this word with a c.
• Practise (Cat. practicar). This word is a verb. In British English, we always spell the verb with
an s, but in American English, it is spelt with a c, as the noun. The pronunciation of practice
and practise, however, is the same.
1.1 Grammar: nouns, determiners and personal pronouns
A noun is a very important part of speech. We use nouns to give names to people,
things, places, qualities or ideas. A few examples of nouns are: student, Mike,
book, dog, fire, London, love, importance and sensation.
On the other hand, determiners are small words that go before a noun. There are
different types of determiners. Three of the most important types are the ‘articles’
(for example, the), the ‘demonstratives’ (for example, this) and the ‘possessives’
(for example, my).
Finally, pronouns are words that take the place of a noun. Examples of pronouns
are: I, he, you, them, or mine. We very often use pronouns to avoid the repetition
of a noun. For example, look at this sentence without pronouns:
Harry goes out with Jane and Mark and Harry always takes Jane and Mark to
the park.
It is much better to say:
Harry goes out with Jane and Mark and he always takes them to the park.
In this sentence, ‘he’ refers to ‘Harry’ (3rd person singular) and ‘them’ refers to
‘Jane and Mark’ (3rd person plural).
There are different types of pronouns. The two pronouns in the example sentence
above (he, them) are both ‘personal pronouns’ because they refer to the gramma-
tical persons (first, second or third), but they belong to different categories: ‘he’
is a subject pronoun because it is the subject of the sentence; ‘them’ is an object
pronoun because it is the direct object of the sentence.
1.1.1 Nouns
Nouns are divided into ‘proper nouns’ and ‘common nouns’. Proper nouns refer to
individual people, places, companies or products (for example: Susan, England,
Sony, or Sprite). They always begin with a capital letter. The common nouns are
all the rest.
English nouns have number (singular and plural), but they do not have gram-
matical gender, as in the Romanic languages. In English, however, there is a
distinction between ‘countable’ and ‘uncountable’ nouns. This distinction is not
very important in Catalan or Spanish, but it is important in English because
sometimes it can affect the grammar. The English nouns also have a peculiar way
of expressing possession, which is very different from the Romanic languages.
Number
To form the plural of the majority of nouns, the English language adds an -s to the
singular form, as in Catalan and Spanish. For example:
• telephone > telephones
• car > cars
• building > buildings
• victim > victims

The term spelling (Cat.
ortografia) refers to the way
in which we write a word.
When we add an -s, sometimes there are changes in the spelling. For
example:
• Nouns ending in consonant + y form the plural with -ies: ferry >
ferries, baby > babies, party > parties, etc.
• Nouns ending in -sh, -ch, -s, -x,-z form the plural with -es: bus > buses,
box > boxes, crash > crashes, boss > bosses, etc.
• A few nouns ending in -o have plurals in -oes: echo > echoes,

potato > potatoes, tomato > tomatoes, tornado > tornadoes, volcano
> volcanoes, but most nouns in -o have regular plurals in -s: radio >
radios, kilo > kilos, photo > photos, etc.
• Some nouns ending in -fe or -f form the plural with -ves: knife > knives,
life > lives, shelf > shelves, half > halves, etc.
A few nouns have an irregular plural. For example:
• child > children (Cat. nen/nens)
• man > men (Cat. home/homes)
• woman > women (Cat. dona/dones)
• foot > feet (Cat. peu/peus)
All the nouns ending in -man/-woman are also irregular:
• policewoman > policewomen (Cat. dona policia/dones policia)
• fireman > firemen (Cat. bomber/bombers)
• Englishman > Englishmen (Cat. anglès/anglesos)

Finally, there are some nouns that do not change in plural:
• Japanese > Japanese (and all the nationality nouns ending in -ese) (Cat.
japonès/japonesos)
• headquarters > headquarters (Cat. quarter general/quarters generals)
• series > series (Cat. sèrie/sèries)
• sheep > sheep (Cat. ovella/ovelles)
Countable and uncountable nouns
The distinction between countable and uncountable nouns is important because it

affects the way we express the nouns and other words that we use with the nouns,
as verbs or quantifiers.
We use countable nouns to refer to names of objects, people, ideas, etc., that we
can separate into units and count. Examples of countable nouns are: book, student,
An asterisk (*) indicates that
the word or sentence is year, country, hour, friend, computer, etc. We can express these nouns in plural.
incorrect. We use it to
indicate an incorrect use.
We use uncountable nouns to refer to names of materials, liquids, abstract
qualities and other things that we see as masses, and not as separate objects. Some
examples of uncountable nouns are: paper, water, friendship, money, love, news,
advice, etc. These nouns have no plural form. We cannot say: *papers, *waters,
*friendships, etc.
In general, it is easy to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns, but

sometimes the difference is not very clear because the English language has two
words (one countable and one uncountable) and Catalan or Spanish have only one
word. For example:
• job (countable) (Cat. feina, lloc de treball): I have got a good job (Cat. tinc
una bona feina).
• work (uncountable) (Cat. feina, treball): I have a lot of work (Cat. tinc
molta feina).
• trip (countable) (Cat. viatge, desplaçament): the trip between Barcelona

and Tarragona is not very long (Cat. el viatge entre Barcelona i Tarragona
no és molt llarg).
• travel (uncountable) (Cat. viatge): I am tired of so much travel (Cat. estic

cansat de tant de viatge).
Sometimes, the same word can be countable and uncountable. This depends on
the meaning. For example:
The word news ends in -s,
but it is a singular noun. It
cannot be plural because it
is an uncountable noun, and
• glass (Cat. vidre) / a glass (Cat. un got)
this type of nouns have no
plural forms.
• coffee (Cat. cafè) / a coffee (Cat. un cafè, una tassa de cafè)
We can change an uncountable noun into a countable noun. We do so with certain

expressions like a piece of :
• news (Cat. notícies) > a piece of news (Cat. una notícia)
• advice (Cat. consell) > a piece of advice (Cat. un consell)
• paper (Cat. paper) > a piece of paper (Cat. un paper)
Possessive with ‘s
The English language has a special way of expressing possession with a noun. It is
called the ‘Saxon Genitive’. To express a noun in the possessive form, we add an ‘s
(apostrophe + s) to the noun, but only when the noun refers to a person. Examples:
• Mike’s job (Cat. la feina del Mike)
• My friend’s office (Cat. el despatx del meu amic)
• Mr Smith’s speech (Cat. la xerrada del Sr. Smith)
• My sister’s car (Cat. el cotxe de la meva germana)
• The people’s opinion (Cat. l’opinió de la gent)
When the noun is in plural and it ends in -s, we only add the apostrophe (’):
• My friends’ office (Cat. el despatx dels meus amics)
• My sisters’ car (Cat. el cotxe de les meves germanes)
When the noun does not refer to a person, we express possession with the
preposition ‘of’ (Cat. de), as in Catalan or Spanish:
• The streets of Barcelona (Cat. els carrers de Barcelona)
• The name of the street (Cat. el nom del carrer)
• The windows of the building (Cat. les finestres de l’edifici)
Apart from using the Saxon Genitive with people, we also use it to express
possession with time adverbials. For example:
• Yesterday’s weather (Cat. el temps d’ahir)
• The day’s work (Cat. la feina del dia)
• Last week’s accident (Cat. l’accident de la setmana passada)

1.1.2 Articles, demonstratives and possessives
The general term for the words that we normally use before a noun is ‘determiner’.
The determiners serve to express the reference of the noun in a specific context.
There are several types of determiners: articles, demonstratives, possessives, quan-
tifiers, or numerals, for example. Let’s now study the articles, the demonstratives
and the possessives.
The determiners always refer to a noun, but sometimes there is an adjective or

some other word before the noun. In this case, the determiner goes before all the
words: a fire, a big fire, a very big fire.
Articles
The articles say if we are talking about things in general or about specific things.
In English, the articles are invariable, that is, they only have one form. In Catalan
and Spanish, however, the articles have different forms depending on the number
and gender of the noun.
There are two types of articles:
• Indeterminate article: a(n) (Cat. un/una)
• Determinate article: the (Cat. el/la/els/les)
The indeterminate article refers to things and people in general. We say a before a
word starting with a consonant (for example: a fire) and an before a word starting
with a vowel or a mute ‘h’ (for example: an accident, an hour). However, we
pronounce the initial ‘u’ as a consonant (equivalent to the Spanish sound of ‘y’),
so we must say and write: a university, a unit, etc.
We use a/an in these cases:
1. To speak about people and things in general: a bad storm is always a

complicated situation.
2. Before the names of jobs: I am a teacher, she is an administrative assistant,

etc.
3. Before nouns of nationalities and religions: she is an American, he is a

Catholic, etc.
4. In certain expressions of measurement: 20 km an hour, etc.
5. Before singular nouns and after the words what and such to express surprise:
what a shame!, such a good film!
The determinate article refers to specific things and people. We use the article the
in these cases :
1. To speak about something mentioned before or something that we know:

the storm killed three people.
2. To speak about things that are unique: the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, etc.
3. To speak about organizations: the fire brigade, the United Nations, etc.
4. Before names of countries in plural or countries that have a common noun:

the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc.
5. Before the names of seas, rivers, mountains and regions in the world: the
Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Alps, the Far East, etc.
6. Before the name of the four points of the compass: the north, the south, the
east, the west.
Sometimes, we do not use an article. Then we normally speak of the zero article
(Ø). For example, we do not use any article in these cases:
1. Before the names of countries in singular: Ø Germany is a rich country,

etc.
2. Before the names of languages: do you speak Ø English?, etc.
3. Before the names of meals: I make Ø breakfast in the morning, etc.
4. Before the names of cities, streets, stations and airports: he lives in Ø

Barcelona, the bank is in Ø London Rd., I arrived at Ø Waterloo station,
the plane leaves from Ø Barajas airport, etc.
5. Before nouns with the possessive ‘s: Ø John’s car, etc.
6. Before titles: Ø Mrs Johnson, Ø Princess Diana, etc.
7. Before uncountable nouns: Ø Time is Ø money, etc.
8. Before countable nouns in plural with a general reference: Ø snowstorms in

the mountains are very dangerous, etc.
9. Before years: I was born in Ø 1965, etc.
Demonstratives
We use the demonstratives to speak about specific people or things and distinguish
them from other people or things.
The English demonstratives are:
• Singular: this, that (Cat. aquest/a, aquell/a)
• Plural: these, those (Cat. aquests/es, aquells/es)

We use this and that with singular nouns, and these and those with plural nouns.
For example: this car (Cat. aquest cotxe), these cars (Cat. aquests cotxes.)
On the other hand, this and these refer to people or things that are near the speaker,
and that and those refer to people or things that are further away from the speaker,
or are absent. For example: this man (Cat. aquest home), that man (Cat. aquell
home). In the past, we always use that or those.
We do not use the demonstrative with uncountable nouns. For example, it is

incorrect to say *this paper or *that advice. We must say: this piece of paper,
that piece of advice.
Here are more examples of the use of demonstratives:
• Is this your son? (Cat. és aquest el teu fill?).
• I don’t know these people (Cat. no conec aquestes persones).
• Go to those trees over there (Cat. vés cap aquells arbres d’allà).
• That night I couldn’t sleep (Cat. aquella nit no vaig poder dormir).
In Catalan and Spanish, the demonstratives have number and gender

inflexions, but in English there is only number inflexion (singular and plural).
In Catalan, as in English, there are only two demonstratives: aquest (this)
and aquell (that), but in Spanish there are three: este (this), ese (that) and
aquel (that).
Possessives
The possessives form another type of determiners. Obviously, we use them to

express possession. The English possessives are these:
• Singular: my, your, his, her, its
• Plural: our, your, their
There are three forms in the 3rd person singular: his (masculine), her (feminine),
and its (neuter), but only one form in the 3rd person plural: their (masculine,
feminine and neuter).
The use of these three forms in English is different from the use of the
equivalent forms in Catalan or Spanish. In these languages, the possessive
agrees in gender and number with the noun. For example:
• Carme i el seu marit (singular, masculine).
• Roger i les seves germanes (plural, feminine).
In English, however, the possessive agrees in gender with the person of

reference (in the examples above, Carme and Roger):
• Carme and her (=Carme’s) husband.
• Roger and his (=Roger’s) sisters.
Here are some examples of the use of the possessive determiners:
• Here is my ID card (Cat. aquí està el meu DNI).
• What is your position? (Cat. quina és la seva posició [=de vostè]?).
• There is a father and his daughter (Cat. hi ha un pare i la seva filla).
• In the car there is the mother and her two babies (Cat. al cotxe hi ha la mare
i els seus dos bebès).
• The fire and its consequences were disastrous (Cat. el foc i les seves
conseqüències van ser desastrosos).
• This is our job (Cat. aquesta és la nostra feina).
• Please give me your addresses (Cat. si us plau, doneu-me les vostres

adreces).
• These are Carme and Roger and their dog Blacky (Cat. aquests són la Carme
i el Roger i el seu gos Blacky).
We also use the possessive determiners in two very common questions:
• What’s your name? (Cat. com et dius?).
• What’s your job? (Cat. a què et dediques?, què fas?, quina feina fas?).
Finally, in English we often use the possessives with parts of the body, but in
Catalan and Spanish we normally use the article:
• Give me your hand! (Cat. dóna’m la mà!).
• Be careful with her arm (Cat. compte amb el seu braç [=el d’ella]).
• Can you move your legs? (Cat. pots moure les cames?).
1.1.3 Personal pronouns
The personal pronouns refer to people and things. We often use them instead of
a noun to avoid repeating the same noun in two adjacent contexts. The personal
pronouns distinguish the grammatical person (first, second and third persons), the
gender (but only in the 3rd person singular) and their function in the sentence
(subject, object or possessive).
The table shows the different forms of the personal pronouns in English:
Tau l a 1 . 1 . The English personal pronouns
Singular Plural
Subject I you he she it we you they

pro-
nouns:
Object me you him her it us you them

pro-
nouns:
Possessive mine yours his hers (its) ours yours theirs

pro-
nouns:
Subject pronouns
The subject pronouns are always the subject of the sentence. For this reason, they
Please notice that we
always write the personal can only take the place of a noun when this is the subject. For example:
pronoun in the first person
singular with a capital letter
(I). It is incorrect to write *i.
• I speak a little English (Cat. [jo] parlo una mica d’anglès).
• Are you alright? (Cat. estàs bé [tu]?; està bé [vostè]?).
• John is my brother. He is a policeman (Cat. John és el meu germà. [Ell] és

policia).
• This is Teresa. She lives in Sabadell (Cat. aquesta és la Teresa. [Ella] viu a
Sabadell).
• There’s a fire. It is in a flat in the city centre (Cat. hi ha un incendi. És en

un pis del centre de la ciutat).
• Don’t worry. We are firemen (Cat. no s’amoïni. [Nosaltres] som bombers).
• Where are you? (Cat. on sou [vosaltres]? ; on són [vostès]?).
• There are three people. They are waiting (Cat. hi ha tres persones. [Elles]
estan esperant).
In English, it is very important to write and say the subject pronoun. In

Catalan and Spanish, it is not very important because the verb form tells us
about the number and the person, but in English we only have the information
of the pronoun. For this reason, we cannot omit the pronoun. It is wrong to
say: *in English, is very important to write and say the subject pronoun.
As you can see in the examples, Catalan and Spanish very often omit the
pronoun, and we always omit it in the 3rd person singular form it. In English,
this is not possible.
Object pronouns
The object pronouns are always the objects of a sentence. They can be the direct
object, the indirect object, or they can go after a preposition (prepositional object).
Here are some examples of their use:
• Can you help me? (Cat. em pots ajudar?).
• I can see you now (Cat. ara et veig [a tu]; ara el veig [a vostè]).
• Do not move him! (Cat. no el moguis!).
• Please call her now! (Cat. si us plau, truca-la ara!).
• There’s a fire there. Put it out! (Cat. hi ha un foc per allà. Apaga’l!)
• They call us when they need money (Cat. ens criden quan necessiten
diners).
• I’ll see you in a minute (Cat. us rebré [a vosaltres] en un minut; els rebré [a
vostès] en un minut).
• Your hands are cold. Try to warm them up (Cat. té les mans fredes. Tracti
d’escalfar-les).
And these are a few examples with prepositional objects:
• Speak to me! (Cat. parli’m).
• I’m with you (Cat. estic amb tu/vosaltres; estic amb vostè/vostès).
• This is for him (Cat. això és per a ell).
• Don’t go without your equipment! No, I won’t go without it (Cat. no marxis

sense l’equip! No, no me n’aniré sense [ell]).
Possessive pronouns
The name of these pronouns tells us clearly their function: we use them to express
possession. Here are examples of their use:
• That jacket is mine (Cat. aquella jaqueta és meva).

• Is this yours? (Cat. això és teu; això és seu [de vostè]?).
• I think it’s Peter’s jacket. Yes, it’s his (Cat. crec que és la jaqueta del Peter.
Sí, és la seva [d’ell]).
• Is this Clara’s husband? No, it’s not hers (Cat. és aquest el marit de la Clara?
No, no és el seu [d’ella]).
• Don’t touch! This meal is ours (Cat. no toquis! Aquest dinar és nostre).
• We need some blood. Can you give us some of yours? (Cat. necessitem
sang. Ens podeu donar una mica de la vostra [de la de vosaltres]?; Ens
poden donar una mica de la seva [de la de vostès]?).
• The idea is theirs (Cat. la idea és seva [d’ells, d’elles]).
As in the case of the possessive determiners, the possessive pronouns in the 3rd
person singular agree with the person of reference. For example:
• Is this Peter’s house? Yes, it is his (Cat. és aquesta la casa del Peter? Sí, és
la seva [d’ell]).
• Are these Peter’s houses? Yes, they are his (Cat. són aquestes les cases del
Peter? Sí, són les seves [d’ell]).
• Is this Clara’s car? Yes, it’s hers (Cat. és aquest el cotxe de la Clara? Sí, és
el seu [d’ella]).
• Are these Clara’s cars? Yes, they are hers (Cat. són aquests els cotxes de la
Clara? Sí, són els seus [d’ella]).
There is a very close relationship between possessive pronouns and possessive

determiners. The following table compares the forms of the two types of
possessives:
Tau l a 1 . 2 . The English possessive pronouns and possesive determiners
Singular Plural
Possessive mine yours his hers (its) ours yours theirs

pro-
nouns:
Possessive my your his her its our your their

determi-
ners:
As you can see, there is a coincidence in form in the 3r person singular his and its.
The meanings are equivalent, but there is a difference in their use: the determiners
go before a noun; the pronouns do not go before a noun. See the following
example:
• That is my jacket (Cat. aquesta és la meva jaqueta).
• That jacket is mine (Cat. aquesta jaqueta és la meva).

1.2 Skills: listening and speaking
Listening and speaking are the two oral skills of a language. Listening is a passive
skill, that is, it means understanding an oral message. On the other hand, speaking
is an active skill, and this means that we produce an oral message. For many
people, the oral skills are difficult because they need a lot of practice, but they are
very important in a language. You will probably need to use your English skills
in oral interactions, so you must be prepared to understand people and speak to
them.
The oral language is quite different from the written language. The following are
some characteristics of the oral language:
• It uses more contractions to facilitate the pronunciation (for example, we

A telephone conversation
say: I’m, he’s, I’ve got, etc.)
• It has colloquial words and expressions (hi, bye, see you, etc.)
• It has frequent interjections (wow!, no!, really?, etc.)
• The sentences are usually shorter than in the written language.
• The speech is full of hesitations, interruptions, self-corrections, etc.
There are two basic types of oral texts:
• A speech: one person speaks and other people listen.
• A conversation: a minimum of two people speak and respond to each other.
Both types have the characteristics of the oral language, but a speech is more
formal than a conversation. In fact, a speech often consists on reading a written
text aloud. On the other hand, a conversation is more informal because it is full of
colloquial words and interjections, and the speech is faster and full of hesitations
and interruptions. Sometimes, we can also find a variety of accents among the
speakers. All this makes a conversation more difficult to understand than a speech.
1.2.1 Listening
See the annex “The
Phonetic Alphabet” for a
Listening is relatively easy compared to speaking. However, you must train your description of the sounds
of the English language.
ear to the sounds of the English language. To have that training, the only option is
to practise, practise and practise... And to practise your listening comprehension,
you must listen to the English language as much as possible.
An English course must offer the student the opportunity of listening to the
language, but we must be conscious that a virtual environment has some obvious
limitations. On the other hand, the oral practice of a language should go beyond
the limits of a four-month course. For this reason, it is very important that you
find the opportunity of listening to the English language as often as you can.
You have probably observed the different spellings between ‘practise’ and
‘practice’. This is no mistake. In British English, the verb is with an
‘s’: ‘practise’ (Cat. practicar), and the noun is with a ‘c’: ‘practice’ (Cat.
pràctica). In American English, however, they prefer writing ‘practice’ both
for the verb and for the noun.
The same thing happens with the words ‘advise’ (Cat. aconsellar) and
‘advice’ (Cat. consell).
In our daily life there are many opportunities of listening to the English language.
The secret is to practise your listening comprehension in a context which you can
enjoy. For example, if you like going to the cinema, choose a film in the original
English version (which are the majority of films) and read the Spanish subtitles.
You can also watch films, series and documentaries on television in their original
version. If you like music, you probably listen to songs in English. You can read
the lyrics if you want, but do not worry about the meaning of the words: just relax,
listen to the sounds of English, and enjoy the music. Perhaps you do not notice it,
but you are practising your English. Think that in a language you will learn many
Check the “Interesting things unconsciously.
links” in the web material
for a list of online courses
with listening On the other hand, the Internet offers many opportunities of practising your
comprehension exercises.
listening skills. There are thousands of websites where you can find listening texts
for the students of English. These texts usually go with questions and exercises
to check if the student understands the text correctly. The language is generally
standard English, and the speech is very clear in order to facilitate the student’s
comprehension. You will find some exercises like this in the web material of the
present course. These type of exercises are very good to train your ear, but you
should also listen to more ‘authentic’ English. This is the language that the people
normally speak, with a variety of accents and voices and intonations. This is the
type of language that you can usually hear in the streets of any English-speaking
country, but you can also hear it in films and in many websites with authentic
material, as for example in video-sharing websites like ‘YouTube’or ‘Vimeo’.
When you practise your listening skills, you must also have a right attitude. Do
not try to understand all the words that you hear. This is impossible when you
are learning a language. If you start your practice with no level of English at all,
at first you will understand nothing; later on, you will only understand what the
people are talking about; as you continue practising, you will understand more
and more details of what the people say; finally, when you reach a high level, you
will understand almost everything. This process may take a long time, sometimes
years. This depends on several factors like the natural disposition of the student,
the frequency of the practice, or the people’s accent. Remember that two very
important qualities when you are learning a language are to have patience and be
persistent.
1.2.2 Speaking
Many students say that speaking is the most difficult aspect of English. It is true.
You can read and write very well in a relatively short time. With some practice,
you can even understand an English conversation quite well. But to speak English
correctly, you need a lot of practice.
The most important difficulty is the pronunciation. English is not a phonetic

language, like Spanish. This means that there is little correspondence between
the pronunciation of a word and the spelling of that word. For this reason, we
must always learn the meaning of a new word together with its pronunciation. You can find a list of the
phonetic symbols and
their meaning in the annex
“The Phonetic Alphabet”.
Most dictionaries include the pronunciation of the words. You will find it
next to the entry, generally in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This
alphabet is composed of phonetic symbols that represent the sounds of the
language.
On the other hand, many online dictionaries, like ‘Wordreference’, offer the
possibility of listening to the words. These online dictionaries are very good
options to practise the pronunciation of individual words.
Now the question is: what can we do to learn how to speak English? As in the
case of the listening skills, the answer is very clear: we can only learn English by
speaking in English. Again, it is practice, practice and practice.
Speaking is the most difficult aspect to achieve in an online course because

of the technical limitations. It is possible to record a speech and submit the
sound file to the teacher, who can listen to the recording and check the student’s
pronunciation. But for the moment it is very difficult to have a conversation online.
The technology exists (for example, Skype or video conferences), but it is not
possible to reach all the students in a large class because of time limitations. You can find the link to the
text-to-speech website in
the “Interesting links”
What can you do to practise speaking then? You can start by practising section.
your pronunciation. You can do this online with text-to-speech programs that
transform text into speech. For example, there is a website called ‘text-to-
speech.imtranslator.net’ where you can introduce a text and then the program
reads that text in the language that you choose. You can practise by imitating
the pronunciation and the intonation that you can hear. Of course, you can also do
this by listening to a recording or by singing your favourite songs.
With this you can improve your pronunciation, but your pronunciation will be
useless if you cannot use it in a conversation. For this, you obviously need the
help of another person. As always, the best option is to go to an English-speaking
country and speak with the people. If this is not possible, then you can find
someone who speaks English and who can talk to you, for example, a friend or
another student.
In a conversation, it is very common that you do not understand the other person’s
message. In this case, do not be afraid of asking the other person to repeat. Here
are some expressions that you can use in that situation:
• Pardon? (Cat. perdó? / perdoni?).
• Excuse me, could you repeat, please? (Cat. perdoni, ho podria repetir, si us
plau?).
• Could you say that again please? (Cat. ho podria tornar a dir, si us plau?).
• What’s that again? (Cat. què dius?) (Colloquial, especially in American

English).
• Sorry, I didn’t understand. What did you say? (Cat. perdoni, però no l’he
entès. Què ha dit?).
When you practise your speaking skills, remember that it is not necessary to speak
English perfectly. You can only do this if you live in an English-speaking country
for many years. It is correct to have a foreign accent. The important thing is that
the other people can understand what you say. And finally, remember that learning
the speaking skills takes time, so be patient.
1.3 Vocabulary: general terminology
computer (n): ordinador.
computer data (n): dades
computer expert (n): expert en ordinadors, informàtic
computer geek (n): geni dels ordinadors, friqui
computer lab (n): sala d’ordinadors
computer programmer (n): programador
computer science (n): informàtica computer skills (n): coneixements informà-

tics
computer-illiterate (n): persona sense nocions d’informàtica
computer-literate (n): persona amb nocions d’informàtica
computing (n): v. computer science
desktop computer (n): ordinador de sobretaula
hardware (n): hardware
laptop (n): ordinador portàtil

on/off button (n): botó d’engegar i apagar
PC (n): v. personal computer
personal computer (n): ordinador personal
smartphone (n): smartphone, telèfon intel·ligent
software (n): software
tablet (n): tablet, tauleta
to crash (v): caure el sistema
to reboot (v): reiniciar
to run (v): executar (un programa)
to switch off (v): desendollar
to switch on (v): endollar
to turn off (v): apagar
to turn on (v): engegar
to upgrade (v): actualitzar
upgraded (adj): actualitzat/da
upgrading (n): actualització
web page (n): pàgina web
website (n): lloc web
1.4 Translating a text

The target language refers
to the language that we are
learning. It is the opposite of
At the early stages in the learning of a language, we translate all the time from the mother tongue.
our own language into the target language. When we read a text in English, we
mentally translate it into the mother tongue in order to understand it. When we
write a text, first we think what we want to say in our language and then we translate
it into English. When we try to speak, first we think in Catalan or Spanish and then
we translate our thoughts into English. This is the normal process when you study
the language outside an English speaking context. As you advance in the study of
the language, you ‘learn’ to think in English. Then you do not need to translate
because the thoughts come naturally in the target language.
But apart from the personal use of translation that we may make in our learning
process, we should also learn how to make a good translation of written texts.
Considering that the greatest part of professional documents, manuals and corres-
pondence is in English, it is important to learn how to translate a text for the benefit
of others.
The most basic tool for translation is a bilingual dictionary to look up the meaning
of unknown words. It is also very important to have a good knowledge of
the grammar structures of both the mother tongue and the foreign language
because we must not only translate the words, but also the sentence structures.
As Catalan and English belong to different linguistic families (Romanic and
Germanic, respectively), their syntactical structures are often very different. For
example, imagine that we must translate the English sentence ‘I’m 25 years old’
into Catalan. Here we do not need a dictionary because we know all the words.
But if we translate only the words, the result is ‘Jo sóc 25 anys vell’, which makes
little sense in Catalan. We must also translate the syntactical structure and think
which is the correct way of transmitting the same idea in Catalan. In this case, it
is not difficult to understand the idea and translate that sentence as ‘Tinc 25 anys’.
The example is very simple, but it illustrates very well how both languages express
the same idea with two different syntactical structures.
Automatic translators, like the Google Translator, are increasingly popular nowa-
days. They are very useful at work for understanding the meaning of short
texts, like emails or instructions, but we should not use them systematically to
understand written texts in English. If you want to learn English, you must work
on the vocabulary and the syntactical structures of the language. Do not let an
automatic translator to do all the work for you!
A good translation should transmit the original idea as well as possible. The
resulting text should adjust to the syntactical rules of the language into which you
translate.
Here is an example of translation of a technical text from English into Catalan.

As you compare both texts, notice the different syntactical structures and how this
difference has been solved:
English version:
As with many computer-related devices, mice are being combined with
other gadgets and technologies to create improved and multipurpose devices.
Examples include multi-media mice, combination mice/remote controls,
gaming mice, biometric mice, tilting wheel mice and motion-based mice.
(from the website www.howstuffworks.com)
Catalan version:
Com és el cas en molts aparells relacionats amb els ordinadors, els ratolins
es combinen amb altres aparells i tecnologies per tal de crear dispositius
millorats i polivalents. Alguns exemples són els ratolins multimèdia, la
combinació de ratolins i comandaments a distància, els ratolins utilitzats
en els jocs, els ratolins biomètrics, els ratolins amb la roda inclinada i els
ratolins basats en el moviment.
In the example above, we can see that the most important thing in a translation is
to transmit the same idea of the original language as approximately as possible,
but using the structures of the language into which you are translating the text.
The process is the same in the case of what is called a ‘reversed translation’, a
translation from the mother tongue into a forein language. We normally use a
‘reverse translation’ when we have to write a text in English because we tend to
think in our own language and then translate into the foreign language.
2. Computer hardware
The hardware is composed of the physical elements that form a computer system.
According to their function, these elements can be divided into input devices and
output devices. All the units which are connected to the computer are generally
called peripherals.
Input devices are the pieces of hardware that allow us to introduce information
into the computer. Two of the most most important input devices are the keyboard
and the mouse. The keyboard is a set of keys that are used to introduce characters
to write texts, much in the same way as the old typewriters used to do. Apart from
the keys that are used for writing, a keyboard also has a set of other keys (called
function keys) that give access to different options of the programmes.
The mouse is a hand device that allows you to move a pointer (also called ‘cursor’)
and select elements on the screen. A mouse normally has two buttons (the left
button and the right button) to communicate with the computer, and a wheel to
move through web pages or documents. With a mouse you can perform different
actions. You can click (press the left button), double-click (press the left button
twice), drag (hold down the button, move the pointer and then release it) to change A wireless mouse, an example of an
input device
the position of certain elements, like files or images, and right-click (press the
right button) to display a list of options. Both the keyboard and the mouse are
usually connected to the computer through cables, but they can also be wireless (or
cordless), which means that they have no cable. These send data to the computer
by using infrared signals.
Other examples of input devices are the joystick, which is used to interact with
video games; the microphone, which introduces sound into the system; the
webcam, which allows us to send and receive video pictures through the Internet,
and the scanner. The scanner is a peripheral used to capture and introduce images
into the computer. We can also connect digital cameras to introduce photos
and video into the system, where we can manipulate them with the appropriate
software.
On the other hand, the output devices are those pieces of hardware that display
the results obtained by the computer. The most obvious of these is the monitor (or
screen), which sometimes is also called VDU (Visual Display Unit). The monitor
is the place where we can visualize all the results sent out by the computer.
Another example of an output device is the printer, which prints text or images on
paper. There are different types of printers: the dot-matrix printers create a group
(matrix) of dots to make letters or images; the ink-jet printer creates the text and
the images by spraying dots of ink onto the paper; the laser printer uses a laser to
fix the ink on the paper, in the same way as a photocopier does. The plotter is a
special type of printer with some fine pens that draw detailed designs. Plotters are
normally used by designers and illustrators to print their work.
Speakers and headphones are two examples of audio output systems. Speakers
are used to display sound; the speakers can be connected to a computer or they
can be built-in speakers. Headphones have the same function, but they are used to
display sound directly into our ears.
Language notes
• Hardware. This is an uncountable noun, so we cannot say, for example, *a hardware; we

must say a piece of hardware, as you can see in the text.
• Information. Another example of uncountable noun. Do not say *I’ve got an information; you
must say: I’ve got a piece of information. Uncountable nouns are not used in plural, so you
must not say: *important informations, but important information.
• Data (Cat. dades). This word is always plural (the singular form datum is hardly used
nowadays), so we must use the plural forms of the verbs to agree with that word: The data
displayed are very important).
• By using (Cat. utilitzant). The structure by + V-ing is very much used to say how we do
something. For example, we introduce data into the computer by using the input devices.
• In the same way as a photocopier does (Cat. igual que ho fa una fotocpiadora). In this
case, we use the auxiliary does to substitute a whole sentence (the laser printer uses a laser
to fix the ink on the paper ).
2.1 Grammar: the auxiliary verbs
The auxiliary verbs are used with another verb (the full verb) to form a compound
tense (the continuous or the perfect tenses), the passive voice, an interrogative
sentence or a negative sentence. We add the word ‘to’ before
a verb to indicate that the
verb is in the infinitive form.
In English there are three auxiliary verbs: to be, to have and to do. Apart from
auxiliary verbs, the three can also be full verbs.
Full verbs are those which have a meaning of their own. They include all the
verbs, except the auxiliary verbs and the modal verbs. They are also called
lexical verbs.
2.1.1 The verb ’to be’
The conjugation of a verb refers to the different forms that a verb can have. Unlike
Catalan, Spanish and, in general, all the Romanic languages, the conjugation of
the English verbs is very simple because they only have two different forms in the
present and only one for the past. The verb ‘to be’ is an exception because it has
three forms in the present and two in the past.
The table below shows the conjugation of the verb to be in the present tense. The short forms are used in
the oral language or in the
written language when we
Taula 2.1. The present forms of ’to be’ want to reproduce the oral
language. In formal written
Affirmative Negative Interrogative texts, the short forms are
Long form Short form Long form Short form not used.
I am ’m am not ’m not am I...?
you are ’re are not aren’t are you...?
he, she, it is ’s is not isn’t is he / she /

it...?
we are ’re are not aren’t are we...?
you are ’re are not aren’t are you...?
they are ’re are not aren’t are they...?
The following table shows the different forms of the verb ‘to be’ in the past tense.
Taula 2.2. The past forms of ’to be’
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Long form Short form
I was was not wasn’t was I...?
you were were not weren’t were you...?
he, she, it was was not wasn’t was he / she / it...?
we were were not weren’t were we...?

Tau l a 2 . 2 (continuació)

you were were not weren’t were you...?
they were were not weren’t were they...?
As an auxiliary verb, ‘to be’ is used in these forms:
The continuous tenses:
• They are surfing the net. (present continuous) (Cat.ells estan navegant per
internet).
• He was watching a film on TV. (past continuous) (Cat. ell estava mirant una
pel·lícula per la tele).
The passive voice:
• English is spoken in many countries (Cat. l’anglès es parla a molts països).
• The house was destroyed by the fire (Cat. la casa va ser destruïda pel foc).
As a full verb, ‘to be’ has the meaning of Cat. ser or estar, as in the following
examples:
• I am a student (Cat. sóc estudiant).
• He is at home (Cat. ell és a casa).
• They are lost (Cat. estan perduts).
There is / There are
The verb ‘to be’ is also used in the expression ‘there is / there are’. The sentences
with ‘there is / there are’ express the notion of existence and translate the meaning
of the Catalan impersonal verb haver and the Spanish haber. In English, there are
two forms: one is used with a singular noun (there is) and the other one is used
with plural nouns (there are). In Catalan and Spanish, however, there is only one
form: Cat. hi ha, Sp. hay.
In the table below, you can see the conjugation of ‘there is / there are’ in the present
tense.
Tau l a 2 . 3 . Conjugation of ’there is/there are’

Long form Short form Long form Short form
there is there’s there is not there isn’t is there...?
there are there’re there are not there aren’t are there...?
The following table shows the conjugation of this form in the past tense.
Taula 2.4. Conjugation of ’there was/there were’

there was there was not there wasn’t was there...?
there were there were not there weren’t were there...?
In this expression, the verb form agrees with the noun that follows, so we must say:
there is one house, but there are two houses.
Here are some examples of the use of this verb:
• There is a new secretary in the office (Cat. hi ha una nova secretària a la

oficina).
• There are many web pages to practise English (Cat. hi ha moltes pàgines
web per practicar l’anglès).
• There was a problem at home (Cat. hi va haver un problema a casa).
• There were many people at the convention (Cat. hi havia molta gent a la
convenció).
2.1.2 The verb ’to have’
In the following table, you can see the conjugation of the verb ‘to have’ in the
present tense.
Taula 2.5. The verb ’to have’ in present

Long form Short form Long form Short form
I have got ’ve got have not got haven’t got have I got...?
you have got ’ve got have not got haven’t got have you
got...?
he, she, it has got ’s got has not got hasn’t got has he / she / it
got...?
we have got ’ve got have not got haven’t got have you
got...?
you have got ’ve got have not got haven’t got have you
got...?
they have got ’ve got have not got haven’t got have you
got...?
As a full verb, the conjugation of the verb ‘to have’ in American English
is different from that of British English. In AmE., the negative and
interrogative forms of the present and the past tenses are formed with the
auxiliary do (as in all the full verbs). For example: I don’t have. Do you
have...? He didn’t have. Did they have...?
In the following table, you can see the forms of ‘to have’ in the past tense.
Tau l a 2 . 6 . The conjugation of ’to have’ in the past

I had had not got hadn’t got had I got...?
you had had not got hadn’t got had you got...?
he, she, it had had not got hadn’t got had he / she / it
got...?
we had had not got hadn’t got had we got...?
you had had not got hadn’t got had you got...?
they had had not got hadn’t got had they got ...?
The particle ‘got’ is not common in the affirmative form of the past, but it is
normally used in the negative and the interrogative forms.
As an auxiliary verb, ‘to have’ is used to form the following tenses:
The perfect tenses:
• I haven’t seen anybody. (present perfect) (Cat. no he vist ningú).
• He had arrived when I called. (past perfect) (Cat. (ell) havia arribat quan
jo vaig trucar).
The particle ‘got’ has no
meaning. It only indicates
that ‘to have’ is used as a As a full verb, ‘to have’ is Cat. tenir. In this case, it usually goes with the particle
full verb in the sense of Cat.
tenir. ‘got’. We can also use ‘to have’ in more or less the sense of Cat. prendre. For
example:
• I have got a brother (Cat. tinc un germà).
• A computer has got many advantages (Cat. un ordinador té molts avantat-

ges).
• I am having a shower (Cat. m’estic prenent una dutxa / m’estic dutxant).
• He has breakfast at 8 (Cat. es pren l’esmorzar a les 8 / esmorza a les 8).
2.1.3 The verb ’to do’
The auxiliary verb ‘to do’ is very important because it is used to form the negative
and the interrogative forms of the present simple and the past simple tenses.
The table below shows the conjugation of the verb ‘to do’ in the present simple
tense.
Taula 2.7. The conjugation of “to do” in present simple

I do do not don’t do I...?
you do do not don’t do you...?
he, she, it does does not doesn’t does he / she /

it...?
we do do not don’t do we...?
you do do not don’t do you...?
they do do not don’t do you...?
Notice that the 3rd person singular takes the form ‘does’.
The following table shows the forms of the verb ‘to do’ in the past simple tense.
Taula 2.8. The conjugation of ’to do’ in past simple

I did did not didn’t did I...?
you did did not didn’t did you...?
he, she, it did did not didn’t did he / she / it ...?
we did did not didn’t did we...?
you did did not didn’t did you...?
they did did not didn’t did you...?
The auxiliary verb ‘to do’ has no translation into Catalan or Spanish. It is used in
these cases:
Negative sentences:
• Peter doesn’t live with his parents (Cat. Peter no viu amb els seus pares).
• I don’t speak Greek (Cat. no parlo grec).
Interrogative sentences:
• Does James work in a bank? (Cat. treballa James en un banc?).
• Where do you live? (Cat. on vius?).
As a full verb, ‘to do’ means Cat. fer, as in these examples:
• I do the shopping (Cat. jo faig la compra).
• He does exercise everyday (Cat. ell fa exercici cada dia).

• What are you doing? (Cat. què estàs fent?).
When ‘to do’ is conjugated as a full verb, it follows the same rules as all the other
verbs. For this reason, in the negative and interrogative forms, we can find the
verb ‘to do’ in its auxiliary sense and in its lexical sense within the same sentence.
For example:
• I don’t do the shopping (Cat. jo no faig la compra).
• Do you do any exercise? (Cat. fas exercici?).
• What does Mary do? (Cat. què fa Mary?).
2.2 Skills: reading and writing
Reading and writing are the two written skills of a language. Reading is a passive
skill, and this means understanding a written text or message. On the other
hand,writing is an active skill, that is, it implies the production of a written text or
message. These two skills are relatively easy to learn in an online course because
you can practice on your own.
There are two types of language: formal (generally used in business letters, formal
emails, reports and manuals), and informal (used in the written communication
See the annex “Writing: with friends and colleagues, in notes and informal emails and letters).
emails and letters” for
samples of formal and
informal language. Formal texts have these characteristics:
• They always use complete sentences: the next meeting will be at four.
• They often use long, complex sentences: although everybody has arrived,
the meeting will start in three hours.
• They often use the passive voice: it was decided to ask for a pay rise.
• They use formal words and expressions: request, would appreciate, inform,
etc.
• They don’t use contractions: I will, we do not, he is, etc.
On the other hand, informal texts have these characteristics:
• They sometimes use incomplete sentences: next meeting, at 4 pm.
• They often use short simple sentences: everybody is here, but the meeting
will start in three hours.
• They generally use the active voice: we decided to ask for a pay rise
• They use informal words and expressions: ask, would like, tell, etc.
• They generally use contractions: I’ll, we don’t, he’s, etc.
Now compare these two texts. They have the same information, but the style is
different:
Formal style:
Dear Sir
This is to inform you that I am interested in the post of computer programmer advertised in
the ‘Computer World’ magazine of 3rd March. I would appreciate it if you could send me
further details.
Yours sincerely,
Francisco Paredes
Informal style:
Hi
Do you remember the ad for a job as a programmer? It was in ‘Computer World’ of last
3rd March. Well, I’d like to say that I’m interested in the job. Can you tell me more about it,
please? Thanks.
Bye,
Paco
2.2.1 Reading
Reading is probably the easiest activity to practise your English. It is individual.

Therefore, you do not need to look for anyone to help you, and you can easily find a
lot of reading material at all the levels. In fact, in our daily lives, we are submitted
to the English language all the time. You can find it in film and song titles, in
advertising, or when you use a computer.
Reading is very good to learn new vocabulary, and it also helps you internalize the
structure of the English sentences and see how they are organized in a text. For
all this, reading is also very helpful to learn the writing skills.
Here is some advice to help you practise the reading skills:
• Find something to read. This is obvious. If you like reading fiction, there
are many graded readers in the market which offer English texts at all levels,
from beginners to advanced students. They are usually short texts with
a simple vocabulary, very often adaptations of classical works from the
English or American literature. If you prefer reading online, the Internet
offers an enormous quantity of material. The Wikipedia, whose English
version currently has 4.5 million articles, is only one among millions of
examples. If it is too difficult for you, you should know that there is an easy
version of the Wikipedia in Simple English, which is specially addressed
to English learners. The Simple English Wikipedia now has more than
112,000 articles.
• Be selective. You don’t often need to understand all the words in a text to
understand the main idea, so don’t worry about unknown words. Read the
whole text first and see if you understand what the text is about and what the
main points are. Also, think that many words in English have a Latin origin,
so they are easy to understand. For example, you don’t need a dictionary to
understand words like: family, future, university, special, excuse, dictionary,
and many others.
We should be careful because not all the words with a Latin origin have the
same meaning as in our own language. For example, the word ‘actually’ does
not mean ‘actualment’ in Catalan. ‘Actually’ means ‘de fet’, ‘en realitat’. To
express the idea of the Catalan word ‘actualment’, in English we must say
‘nowadays’, ‘at present’, or ‘today’. These words are called false friends,
because they apparently have one meaning, but in fact they have another.
• Try to guess the meaning of unknown words. We don’t need to know all the
words, but we can often guess the meaning of certain words from the context.
For example, if we read the sentence: James was very rich, but I was broke
because I lost all my money, and we want to know the meaning of broke,
we can guess that it means ‘poor’(the opposite of ‘rich’). With practice, you
can easily develop the ability to guess the meaning of unknown words.
• Read the text carefully. Take your time to read your text. Read a sentence as
many times as necessary and don’t worry about starting again when you
finish. You may need two or three readings before you understand the
meaning of the text.
• Keep reading. Try to read as much as you can on your free time. Reading
will help you in different ways: you will learn new words and structures and
your writing skills will improve.
2.2.2 Writing: connectors and punctuation
Writing in a foreign language may be difficult at first. As in all the skills, you need
practice, and to get practice, it is necessary to write. In your job, you may need to
write letters and mails in English. When you are trying to have a good business
relationship with people in other countries, it is very important to consider these
things:
• Clarity: the meaning must be as clear as possible.
• Politeness: we must be careful not to be rude or to offend other people.

• Style: we must use the appropriate language for formal and informal
situations.
It is also very important to make a good impression on the reader. For this, we
must use: The term ‘layout’ refers to
the way in which the
information of a document is
organized. For example, in a
• the correct grammar, vocabulary and spelling. letter, it says where the
address, the date or the
heading must go.
• the correct layout for each document.
Connectors
Connectors (also called ‘linking words’) are words and expressions that connect
different ideas in a text. In writing, it is very important to use connectors in order
to link the different sentences and paragraphs together and give internal cohesion
to the text. However, an excessive use of these words and expressions may alter
the fluency of a text, so we should combine connectors and punctuation to create
fluent and well-written texts.
Next you will find a list of English connectors and their Catalan equivalents.
They are classified according to the logical relationship between sentences or
paragraphs. There is also an example of their use:
Positive addition:
• And - i (‘I like reading and listening to music’)
• As well as - així com (també) (‘I play football as well as handball’)
• Also / too / as well - també (‘He likes music. - I also like music / I like
music, too. / I like music as well’.)
• Besides / Moreover / In addition - a més a més (‘It rained all the time.
Besides, it was cold. / Moreover, it was cold. / In addition, it was cold’.)
Negative addition:
• Or - ni (‘I don’t like getting up early or going out at night’)
• Neither ... nor - ni ... ni (‘We neither went to work nor stayed at home’)
• Either - tampoc (‘He doesn’t like music - I don’t like it either’)
Disjunctive conjunctions
• Or - o - (‘Do you prefer red or green?’)
• Either ... or - o... o (‘I like it either red or green, but not blue’)
Condition:
• If - si (‘I will help you if you want’)
• Unless - a menys que, si no (‘We can eat outside unless it’s very cold’)
Contrast:
• But - però (‘It’s quite good but very cheap’)
• However - malgrat tot, no obstant (‘It’s quite good. However, it’s very
cheap’)
• Although / even though - tot i que, encara que (‘It’s quite good although/e-
ven though it’s very cheap.’)
• In spite of - malgrat (‘In spite of the rain, we had a great time’)
• While / whereas - mentre que (‘In the morning it was fine whereas/while in
the evening it rained very hard’)
• On the other hand - per altra banda (‘I was tired. On the other hand, I had
not eaten anything’)
• On the one hand ... on the other hand - per una banda ... i per l’altra (’On
the one hand, I was tired. On the other hand, I had not eaten anything’)
• On the contrary - Al contrari (‘It was not cold. On the contrary, we were
very hot all the time’)
Exception:
• Except for - excepte, llevat de (‘I finished them all except for two or three /
Except for two or three, I finished them all’)
• Apart from - a part de (‘Apart from Tom, nobody came to the party / Nobody
came to the party apart from Tom’)
Explaining ideas:
• That is to say / That is - és a dir (‘It was snow white, that is to say, very
white’)
• In other words - en altres paraules (‘It was snow white. In other words, it
was very white’)
Giving examples:
• Like - com (‘We saw many wild animals like foxes and rabbits’)
• Such as - com ara (‘We saw many wild animals such as foxes and rabbits’)
• For example - per exemple (‘We saw many wild animals. For example, foxes
and rabbits.’)
• As for example - com per exemple (‘We saw many wild animals as for
example foxes and rabbits’)
Describing similarity:
• Similarly - de manera semblant (‘I wrote a report. Similarly, John wrote all
the letters we had to send.’)
• In the same way - de la mateixa manera (‘I wrote a report. In the same way,
John wrote all the letters we had to send.’)
Listing ideas:
• At first / firstly / In the first place / to begin with / first of all - primerament,
en primer lloc, per començar, abans de res (At first, /Firstly, /In the first
place, /To begin with, /First of all, I got up.)
• Secondly / After this / Next / Then - en segon lloc, després d’això, a

continuació, aleshores (Secondly, /After this, /Next, /Then, I had breakfast.)
• Finally / in the end - finalment, al final (Finally, /In the end, I went to work.)
’After’ and ’Afterwards’
Time: Do not confuse the meaning of

these two connectors: ‘after’
(Cat. després de...) is a
preposition and it goes before a
noun. ‘Afterwards’ (Cat.
• When - quan (‘He called me when I wasn’t at home.’) aleshores, després) is an adverb
and is followed by a sentence.
‘Afterwards’ and ‘then’ have the
• Whenever - sempre que (‘You can come whenever you want.’) same meaning.
• As soon as - tan aviat com, així que (‘Please call me as soon as you arrive
home.’)
• While - mentre (‘I was trying to concentrate while he was playing the
drums.’)
• Meanwhile - mentrestant (‘He was playing the drums. Meanwhile, I was

trying to concentrate.’)
• Before - abans de (‘Please turn off the lights before leaving the offi-
ce/...before you leave the office.’)
• After (prep.) - després de (‘We went out after the rain.’)
• Afterwards (adv.) - després, a continuació (‘It stopped raining. Afterwards,

we went out.’)
• Then - aleshores (‘It stopped raining. Then, we went out.’)
• Since - des que (‘I’ve been waiting since I arrived this morning’)
• until - fins a (‘I’ll wait until you come.’)

Purpose:
• To / in order to - per tal de, per a (‘I went out to / in order to see the Carnival
parade.’)
• In order not to - per a no (‘I didn’t go to work in order not to meet Jane.’)
Reason and cause:
• As - com que, ja que (‘As it was raining, we stayed at home.’)
• Because - perquè (‘We stayed at home because it was raining.’)
• Because of / Due to - a causa de, degut a (‘We stayed at home because of /

due to the rain.’)
• As a result of - Com a conseqüència de (‘As a result of the rain, we stayed

at at home / We stayed at home as a result of the rain’.)
Result:
• So - per tant, així que, de manera que (‘It was raining so we stayed at home.’)
• Therefore - en conseqüència, per tant (‘It was raining. Therefore, we stayed

at home.’)
• For this reason - per aquesta raó (‘It was raining. For this reason, we stayed
at home.)
Summarizing:
• In conclusion - en conclusió (‘We spent everything we had. In conclusion,

we have no money for you.’)
• In short - en resum, en poques paraules (‘We spent everything we had. In

short, we have no money for you.’)
• To sum up / summing up - resumint (‘We spent all the money we had. To

sum up,/Summing up, we have no money for you.’)
Now compare the same text with and without connectors.
Text without connectors:
The Internet has some advantages. It is useful to broaden your knowledge and meet new
people. It has some disadvantages. Its free access to pages which show violence and
crimes. There are people who think that the Internet should be a free space to express ideas.
Some people consider that the Internet can be dangerous. Its use is not controlled. The
Internet has both advantages and disadvantages. People must learn to use it for positive
aims.
Text with connectors (in bold type):
The Internet has some advantages because it is useful to broaden your knowledge and
meet new people, but it also has some disadvantages, as for example, its free access
to pages which show violence and crimes. On the one hand, there are people who think
that the Internet should be a free space to express ideas.On the other hand, some people
consider that the Internet can be dangerous if its use is not controlled. In conclusion,
the Internet has both advantages and disadvantages, but people must learn to use it for
positive aims.
Punctuation
Apart from connectors, when you are writing a text it is also important to use
punctuation marks correctly. You should remember that punctuation also includes
the use of capital letters, which in English are used differently from Catalan and
Spanish. Punctuation marks seem unimportant and we do not usually pay much
attention to writing commas or stops, but they contribute to give cohesion to the
text, so we should use them carefully and combine them with the connectors. We
are going to give some tips to produce a coherent text and to explain the most
important uses of the punctuation marks.
As for punctuation, remember the following:
• Do not write a comma (,) between the subject and the verb, although the
subject is very long.
• Write a full stop (.) at the end of a sentence. If the sentence ends with a
question mark (?) or with an exclamation mark (!), don’t write the full stop.
• The adverbials and connectors are usually separated from the sentence by a
comma. For example: in the mornings, I usually check my mail.
• Write a colon (:) to introduce a list of items or an explanation. For example:

the continents are: Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
• Write a comma to separate the elements in a list, except when they are
separated by ‘and’ or ‘or’. For example: I visit customers on Monday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
• Use a semi-colon (;) to separate the groups of items in a list. For example:in
computing, we must distinguish between hardware and software. Hardware
refers to the material parts of a computer ; software refers to programming
and includes operating systems, compilers, editors, etc.
• Use brackets () to add some extra information to a sentence. For example:

in writing, we must use connectors (also called ‘linking words’).
• Write a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence or after a full stop.

Other uses of capital letters

Apart from its common use in punctuation, a capital letter is used in these
cases:
• The pronoun ‘I’
• The adjectives derived from proper names: English, Londoner, etc.
• The days of the week and months of the year: Monday, Tuesday,
February, April etc.
• Names of personal and job titles: Mr., Miss, Sales Manager, Director,
etc.
Finally, here is is some advice on how to write a text in English:
• Choose the correct language: use the informal or semi-formal style for
colleagues and workmates and the formal style for superiors or customers.
• Think why you are writing: for example, to give information, to make a
request, to give instructions, to express an opinion, or to make a description.
Use the appropriate vocabulary in each case.
• Don’t worry about mistakes: first of all, concentrate on communicating the

main ideas. You will make corrections later.
• Write short, clear sentences: don’t use long, complicated sentences. This
normally happens when you think in your own language and then translate
into English.
• Don’t write in your own language first and then translate: write short notes
in English with your ideas for the text.
• Use a dictionary if you are not sure of the vocabulary, but first of all try
to write all you can with the words that you know. Never use an automatic
translator to write a text.
• Use a grammar reference if you are not sure of the grammar.
• Check for mistakes before submitting the text. Correct any grammar or
spelling mistakes that you find and think if the text is clear and has the right
language.
2.2.3 Use of reference material
The reference material refers to the different resources that we use to help us in our
reading and writing skills. The most important of these resources is the dictionary,
but nowadays the automatic translators are becoming very popular.
Dictionaries See the annex “The

Phonetic Alphabet” for a
description of the English
A good bilingual dictionary is an important tool for learning a language. We sounds and a list of the
phonetic symbols used in
normally use dictionaries to find the meaning of a word, but we can also use them dictionaries.
to check the spelling and the pronunciation. In many online dictionaries, you
can even listen to the word to hear its pronunciation. Nowadays, the automatic
translators are also becoming very popular among students, but they are little
recommended for learning a language.
Dictionaries are very important for the learner of English. However, it is not
always easy to find the meaning of a word because words may have different
meanings depending on the context. Let’s study a dictionary entry and see how
we can find the correct meaning. Imagine that we need to find the meaning of
the sentence I couldn’t start the car. The figure shows the dictionary entry for the
word start:
Figura 2.1
Dictionary entry
How can you find the appropriate meaning of start in our sentence? To do so,
follow these steps:
1. Ask yourself: is the word a noun?, a verb?, an adjective? The context will
give you the answer. In the example start the car, start is a verb because it
is in front of a noun, the car, which is the direct object.
2. Look at the abbreviations in the entry: n (nombre), vt (verbo transitivo),

vi(verbo intransitivo). Start is a transitive verb because it has a direct
object, so you must concentrate your attention on the translations under the
abbreviation vt.
3. As you can see, there are different translations of start as a transitive verb,
so which is the correct one? Now look at the words in brackets: they explain
the context in which the word may appear; sometimes they may also show
a synonym. Read the words carefully. You can see this: (car, engine).
4. Look at the translation of start when it refers to cars or engines. It says:

arrancar, poner en marcha, so the meaning of I couldn’t start the car is no
pude arrancar el coche.
The example is taken from a paper dictionary, but the process is exactly the same
in online dictionaries.
Automatic translators
Automatic translators are software programs that translate words and texts from
one language to another language of your choice. Probably the most widely used
is the Google Translator, but there are many others.
Nowadays, translators are quite accurate and they are improving every day, but
they have some disadvantages. First of all, the program does not often distinguish
the context, and this may generate mistakes in the translations of words and gram-
matical structures; secondly, the automatic translators do not identify mistakes in
the spelling: if you introduce a word with a mistake, the program won’t find it in
its dictionary; finally, translators do not allow the students to work on the language,
so they are not good for learning.
In spite of everything, an automatic translator may be very useful at work, as for

example, when you receive an email or any other document which you need to
understand immediately, but don’t use a translator for learning English. If you
need to write a text, it is not a good idea to translate it automatically, but if in spite
of everything, you use a translator, make sure that you revise your text carefully
and correct all the mistakes.
Grammar reference
A grammar reference (or grammar book) is a very good tool for the student
of English, and very useful for writing a text. You can use it, together with a
See the “Basic
bibliography” and the
dictionary, to organize your sentences and give the appropriate form to the words.
“Interesting links” section
for a list of grammar books
and grammar websites, There is a great variety of grammar books in the market, but, of course, you
respectively. can find thousands of websites in the Internet that explain the English grammar.
The advantage of grammar websites is that they are free and they usually have
interactive exercises to practice what you are learning.
2.3 Vocabulary: input and output devices
built-in (adj): integrat/da
cursor (n): cursor
function key (n): tecla de funció
headphones (n): auriculars

ink-jet printer (n): impressora d’injecció de tinta
key (n): tecla
keyboard (n): teclat
laser printer (n): impressora laser
monitor (n): monitor
mouse (n): ratolí
peripheral (n): perifèric
plotter (n): plotter
pointer (n): v. cursor
printer (n): impressora
scanner (n): escàner
screen (n): pantalla
speaker (n): altaveu
to click (v): clicar, fer clic
to display (v): mostrar
to double-click (v): fer doble clic
to drag (v): arrossegar
to press (v): prémer
to print (v): imprimir
to right-click (v): fer clic amb el botó dret
to scan (v): escanejar
webcam (n): webcam, càmera web

3. Inside a computer
The most important element in a computer is the processor, which is generally

called the CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor is like the brain of the
computer. It has got three parts:
• The ‘control unit’ interprets the instructions in a program and activates the
different components of the computer to execute the functions which are
specified in that program.
• The arithmetic logic unit’ (ALU) makes mathematical calculations and

logical operations.
• The ‘registers’ are high-speed units of memory which store information.

There are two types of registers: the program counter, which controls the
next instruction to be executed, and the instruction register, which holds the
instruction that is being executed in that moment.
The CPU is built into a microprocessor chip. A chip is a small piece of silicon
which includes a complex circuit called ‘integrated circuit’. The chip executes
instructions and coordinates all the other units. The microprocessors are different,
depending on the quantity of data that they can manage at the same time. There
are 16, 32 and 64-bit processors.
The main circuit board is called ‘motherboard’, which contains the CPU, the A CPU, the brain of the computer
memory chips, the expansion slots, where you can fit the expansion cards, and
the controllers for the peripherals. All these elements are connected by internal
buses, also called paths, that carry the electronic signals.
The data which arrive at the CPU are loaded into the internal memory, where
they are processed. The internal memory is divided into the RAM and the
ROM areas. RAM means Random Access Memory and ROM means Read Only
Memory. When the user runs an application, the microprocessor sends a copy
of that application to the RAM area, where it is executed. The RAM memory is
temporary, so the information is lost when you turn off the computer. On the other
hand, the ROM memory is permanent . It is used to store the instructions that the
CPU needs to work.
The electronic circuits can detect the difference between two states: ‘on’ (the
current passes through the circuit) and ‘off’ (the current does not pass through).
These states are represented with the digits 1 and 0, which are called ‘bits’. Bits are
grouped into eight-digit codes that represent letters, numbers and symbols. The
groups of eight bits are called ‘bytes’. For example, 01000001 is used to represent
the letter ‘A’. To make calculations easier, we normally use bigger units than bytes:
a kilobyte (KB) is 1,024 bytes; a megabyte (MB) is 1,024 KB; a gigabyte (GB) is
1,024 MB and finally a terabyte (TB) is 1,024 GB. These units are used to describe
the RAM memory, the capacity of the disks and the size of a program or document.
The power of a computer depends on the speed of the microprocessor. The speed
is measured in MHz (megahertz) or GHz (gigahertz). When the speed is high (for
example, 1,600 MHz), the computer can work with very demanding applications,
but if the speed is too low, some applications will not be executed or will not work
properly.
Language notes
• Program. This is the common spelling in American English. In British English, you can also
find the alternative spelling programme, but in the context of computers the word is generally
spelt program.
• Bus (Cat. bus, canal) / Run (Cat. executar). Notice the technical meaning of these two words
in this context. In standard English, they have very different meanings.
• 1,024 (Cat. 1.024). Remember that in English we separate the thousands from the hundreds
with a comma (,) and not with a dot (.).
3.1 Grammar: quantifiers, intensifiers and numbers
A quantifier is a word or expression which is used to speak about quantity. We can

use quantifiers before a noun (for example, there are many people) or as a pronoun
(for example, there are many). To use the correct quantifier, we must consider three
things: the number (singular or plural), the type of sentence (affirmative, negative
or interrogative) and the type of noun (countable or uncountable).
An intensifier is a word which is used to make an adjective stronger, so we can say:

this is good or this is very good. We must place intensifiers before the adjective
that we want to intensify.
Numbers belong to the group of quantifiers. The difference is that numbers express
a specific quantity, for example: there are three people.
3.1.1 Quantifiers
The English quantifiers are:
• no
• a/an, some, any
• little, few, a little, a few
• a lot of, many, much
The table below shows the use of the English quantifiers:

Taula 3.1. The English quantifiers
Countable nouns no, a/an, some any any

a lot of, many many many
few, a few few, a few few, a few
Uncountable nouns no, some any any

a lot of much much
little, a little little, a little little, a little
Notice:
• A/an is the indeterminate article (Cat. un, una). We say a before a noun
beginning with a consonant or semi-vowel (like the pronunciation of initial
u); we say an before a noun beginning with a vowel or mute h (like in: an
hour)
• The quantifier no has a negative meaning, but it only goes with verbs in the
affirmative form. It has the same meaning as not... any: he hasn’t got any
friends = he has no friends.
• A lot of and many have the same meaning. We can use them with countable
nouns in affirmative sentences. The difference is that a lot of is normally
used in informal situations and many is used in more formal situations, as
for example, in business letters.
• Few / little and a few / a little indicate a small quantity. The difference is
this: few and little have a negative sense and indicate that the quantity is not
enough for a purpose. On the other hand, a few and a little have a positive
sense and indicate that the quantity is small, but it is enough.
Here are some examples of the use of quantifiers. The type of noun is indicated
in brackets:
• I’ve got a very interesting program (count.) (Cat. tinc un programa molt
interessant).
• There are some people (count.) in the room (Cat. hi ha algunes persones a
la sala).
• Have you got any money (uncount.)? (Cat. tens diners?).
• We didn’t find any books (count.) (Cat. no vam trobar cap llibre).
• There’s a lot of information (uncount.) in that website (Cat. hi ha molta

informació en aquest lloc web).
• Mr Larson controls a lot of / many companies (count.) (Cat. el Sr. Larson

controla moltes empreses).
• We haven’t got much time (uncount.) (Cat. no tenim molt de temps).
• Are there many people (count.) in the room? (Cat. hi ha molta gent a la
sala?).
• We have few computers (count.) for so many people (Cat. tenim pocs
ordinadors per a tanta gent).
• We have a few computers (count.), so we can work (Cat. tenim uns quants
ordinadors, així que podem treballar).
• There’s little time (uncount.) to finish the web page (Cat. hi ha poc temps
per a acabar la pàgina web).
• We can finish because we have a little time (uncount.) (Cat. podem acabar
perquè tenim una mica de temps).
• There are no books on the shelves. Where are they? (Cat. no hi ha cap
llibre a les prestatgeries. On són?).
3.1.2 Intensifiers
We can use intensifiers to intensify the meaning of an adjective or an adverb. Some

common English intensifiers are:
• very (Cat. molt)
• little (Cat. poc)
• a little (Cat. una mica)
• much (Cat. molt)
• quite (Cat. bastant, força)
• rather (Cat. bastant, força)
• enough (Cat. prou, suficientment)
• too (Cat. massa)
• really (Cat. realment)
• extremely (Cat. extremadament)
• unusually (Cat. inusualment)
• particularly (Cat. particularment)
• remarkably (Cat. extraordinàriament)
Notice the following:
• Much is only used with comparative adjectives. For example, much bigger,
much more interesting.
• Quite and rather are very similar in meaning. In Catalan and Spanish we do
not distinguish therm. In English, we use quite in a positive sense, normally
with positive adjectives, so we say: quite good, quite rich, etc. On the other
hand, we use rather in a negative sense, normally with adjectives that have
negative connotations, so we say: rather bad, rather poor. This is not a rule:
the choice between quite and rather very often depends on the point of view
of the speaker.
• All the intensifiers are placed before the adjective or the adverb except
enough, which is placed after the adjective or adverb, so we must say: this
is not good enough (Cat. això no és prou bo).
• Words like really, extremely, unusually, particularly and remarkably are in

fact adverbs of manner that function as intensifiers. We do not use them
with other adverbs of manner ending in -ly. For example, we do not say
*remarkably easily or *extremely badly.
We do not use the intensifier very with strong adjectives. Strong adjectives are
words like:
• enormous, huge (=very big) (Cat. enorme)
• tiny (=very small) (Cat. diminut),
• excellent, perfect, wonderful, ideal (=very good) (Cat. excel·lent, perfecte,

meravellós, ideal)
• awful, terrible, dreadful, horrible (=very bad) (Cat. terrible, horrible,

espantós)
• brilliant (=very intelligent) (Cat. brillant)
• delicious (=very tasty) (Cat. deliciós)
In English, we do not say that something is *very huge or someone is *very

brilliant, because the meaning of the strong adjectives already includes the idea
of very.
Here are some examples of the use of the English intensifiers with adjectives:
• He is very old (Cat. és molt vell).
• I’m little interested in politics (Cat. estic poc interessat en la política).
• I’m a little tired (Cat. estic una mica cansat).
• It’s much smaller than I thought (Cat. és molt més petit del que em pensava).
• I found it quite interesting (Cat. ho vaig trobar força interessant).
• The film was rather boring (Cat. la pel·lícula va ser bastant avorrida).
• This is not big enough (Cat. això no és prou gran).
• She’s too young for this job (Cat. és massa jove per aquesta feina).
• This restaurant is really good (Cat. aquest restaurant és realment bo).
• She was particularly agressive. (Cat. estava particularment agressiva).
• He was unusually brilliant (Cat. va estar inusualment brillant).
Here are some other examples of intensifiers with adverbs.
• He speaks Spanish very well (Cat. parla castellà molt bé).
• We must work much more efficiently (Cat. hem de treballar molt més
eficientment / ...de forma molt més eficient).
• He told me the story quite mysteriously (Cat. em va explicar la història

bastant misteriosament).
• We didn’t arrive early enough (Cat. no vam arribar prou d’hora).
• He was driving too carefully (Cat. conduïa amb massa compte).
• He did his work remarkably fast (Cat. va fer la feina extraordinàriament

ràpid / ...amb extraordinària rapidesa).
3.1.3 Numbers
Numbers are quantifiers that express a specific quantity. We place them before a
noun (as in: I’ve got two meetings today) or we can use them as pronouns (as in:
how many meetings have you got today? - I’ve got two).
There are two types of numbers: See annex “The English

numbers” to see a list of
cardinal and ordinal
numbers.
• Cardinal numbers express quantity: 1, 2 , 3, 4, ... (one, two, three, four...)
• Ordinal numbers express order; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ... (first, second, third,
fourth,...)
We should know the following thins about the English numbers:
Cardinal numbers:
• In English, we use a comma (,) to separate the thousands from the hundreds
and the millions from the hundred thousands: 1,000 (one thousand);
1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand).
• We use and between hundreds and tens: 130 (one hundred and thirty), but
we do not use it between tens and units, but we use a hyphen (-) instead: 45
(forty-five).
• Number 1 (one) is similar in meaning to the indeterminate article a/an. See

the difference in the following examples: there is one restaurant (= there are
not two or three restaurants); there is a restaurant (= there is not a bookshop,
for example).
Ordinal numbers are used in these cases: In English, we must write

the centuries in Arab
numbers, and not in Roman
numbers, as in Catalan or
• In titles: King James II (King James the second), Pope Francis I (Pope Spanish: the 20th century
(Cat. el segle XX).
Francis the first).
• To speak about centuries: the 20th century (the twentieth century).
• To speak about dates: December 3rd (December the third).

The names of the years are expressed in a special way in English:
• 1965: nineteen sixty five
• 2000: two thousand
• 2015 twenty fifteen (also: two thousand and fifteen)
On the other hand, we must say the telephone numbers one by one, but there are
some differences between British and American English. For example:
605 37 55 97:
• British English: six-oh-five-three-seven-double five nine seven
• American English: six-zero-five-three- seven-five-five-nine-seven
Notice the difference in the underlined numbers between British and American
English.
The number 0
The number 0 is expressed in a variety of ways in English. In American
English (AmE.), they prefer to say zero, but in British English (BrE.) people
normally say nought. Notice how we say number 0 in these examples:
• Spelling numbers: 20356: two-oh-three-five-six (BrE.); two-zero-

three-five-six (AmE.)
• Decimal numbers: 0.32: point three five (BrE. and AmE.); nought
point three five (BrE.); zero point three five (AmE.)
• Sports results: they won 3-0: three nothing (BrE. and AmE.); three nil
(BrE.); three zero (AmE.)
• Temperature: the temperature is 0º : zero degrees (BrE. and AmE.)
• In Mathematics: 0: zero (BrE. and AmE.)
Finally, to express mathematical operations and fractions, we can say:
• 2 + 3 = 5: two plus three is five
• 5 - 2 = 3: five minus two is three
• 3 x 2 = 6: three times two is six
• 6 : 3 = 2: six divided by three is two
• 1/2: one half
• 1/4: one quarter

• 1/3: one third
• 3/4: three quarters
• 2/3: two thirds
3.2 Everyday language: greetings and introductions
Learning a new language can sometimes be very difficult. With practice, you
will read and write very well in English, but you will probably notice that you are
uncomfortable with making conversation. The reason is that speaking is one of the
most difficult skills to acquire, especially in a short online course like the present
one.
Among the speaking situations, having a conversation is a very common one. We

can have a conversation at different levels, from ‘small talk’ with a friend to a
formal negotiation, and each will require a special type of language (formal and
informal).
Apart from language, interacting with other people requires the use of certain
social conventions, some of which will probably be different from the social
conventions in our own culture. Such conventions include shaking hands when
being introduced to another person, speaking in a quiet tone, respecting the other
person’s turn in conversation, avoiding personal questions in formal situations, and
so on.
Attitude is another aspect to take into account when learning how to make
conversation. In order to undertake such a task, you must be greatly motivated
and learn to fight off your shyness. You must gain confidence and take mistakes
as an opportunity for learning.
Introductions and greetings are important aspects of what is sometimes called

‘social language’, that is, the words and expressions that we normally use in our
interactions with other people. We may often find ourselves in the situation of
introducing someone or being introduced to someone. On the other hand, we must
greet and/or respond to a greeting almost everyday. Therefore, it is necessary to
know a few expressions which are used in these situations in order to improve our
English speaking skills.
3.2.1 Greetings
We greet people when we meet or when we leave them. In English (as in all the
other languages), there are different ways to greet people in formal and informal
situations.
When meeting people:
Formal Greetings
• Good morning / afternoon / evening (Cat. bon dia/bona tarda/bona nit).
• Hello (name), how are you? (Cat. hola, (nom), què tal?).
• Good day Sir / Madam (very formal) (Cat. bon dia, Sr./Sra.).
Informal Greetings
• Hi / Hello (Cat. hola)
• How are you? (Cat. què tal?/Com estàs?)
• What’s up? (very informal) (Cat. què hi ha?)
• How are you doing? (very informal) (Cat. com està?)
The questions How are you? or What’s up? do not necessarily need an answer.
However, if you decide to answer, you can say:
• Very well, thank you. And you? (formal) (Cat. bé, gràcies, i vostè?)
• Fine / Great (informal) (Cat. molt bé)
When leaving people:
Formal Greetings
• Good morning / afternoon / evening (Cat. bon dia/bona tarda/bona nit).
• It was a pleasure seeing you (Cat. ha estat un plaer).
• Goodbye (Cat. adéu).
Informal greetings
• Bye (Cat. adéu).
• See you (Cat. fins una altra)
After the greetings, it is customary to add a question or a comment in order to start

a conversation. For example, you can say:
• Hi, my name is Steve. It’s nice to meet you (Cat. hola, sóc l’Steve. Encantat
de conèixer-te).
You can respond to this by saying:
• It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jack (Cat. encantat. Em dic Jack).
If you meet someone unexpectedly, you can say:
• Hey Jack, it’s good to see you. What are you doing here? (Cat. ei, Jack,
m’alegro veure’t. Què fas per aquí?).
• What a surprise. I haven’t seen you in a long time. How have you been?
(Cat. quina sorpresa! Feia temps que no ens vèiem. Com va tot?).
3.2.2 Introducing people
To introduce people in very formal situations, you may say:
• May I introduce you to Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms (surname)? (Cat: Em permet que

li presenti el Sr/la Sra/la Srta (cognom)?)
• Let me introduce you to Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms (surname) (Cat: Permet’m que li

presenti el Sr/la Sra/la Srta (cognom)?
Mr is used for adult males;
Mrs is used for married
We normally respond with: how do you do? This is not really a question, so there women; Miss is used for
unmarried women. In the
is no answer. The response is: how do you do (without the question mark). Here 70s, the title Ms started to
be used for all women,
is an example of a formal introduction: without distinguishing their
marital status.
• Mr Smith: Mr Fernández, let me introduce you to Mrs Reynolds. (Cat: Sr

Fernándex, permeti’m que li presenti la Sra Reynolds)
• Mr Fernández: How do you do? (Cat: Encantat)
• Mrs Reynolds: How do you do. (Cat: Molt de gust)
In more informal situations, we may introduce other people simply with: This is...
The most common response is: Nice to meet you. After the introduction, the social
etiquette demands to follow up the conversation with some questions, but avoid
‘delicate’ topics (like politics, religion, marital status, etc.). You can ask questions
like: have you known each other for long?, Is it your first time here?, etc. Here is
an example:
• James: Carmen, this is Helen. (Cat: Carmen, aquesta és Helen)
• Carmen: Nice to meet you. (Cat: Molt de gust)
• Helen: Nice to meet you, too. (Cat: el gust és meu)
• Carmen: Have you and James known each other for long? (Cat: Fa temps
que us coneixeu, el James i tu?)
• Helen: Oh, yes, for more than twenty years now! (Cat: Ui, sí. Fa més de
vint anys)
When you are introduced to a woman for the first time, do not kiss her on
her cheeks, as is common in Spain. Shake hands instead. Kissing a woman’s
cheeks on the first meeting is not considered proper in Anglo-Saxon cultures.
Asking other people to repeat
If you do not understand what another person has just said, you can ask him/her
to repeat. To do so, you can say:
• What was that again? (Cat: Com diu?)
• Excuse me? (Cat: Perdó?)
• Pardon me? (Cat: Perdó?)
3.3 Vocabulary: internal components
ALU (n): v. arithmetical logic unit
arithmetical logic unit (n): unitat aritmètica lògica, UAL
bit (n): bit
byte (n): byte
central processing unit(n): unitat central de processament, CPU
chip (n): xip
CPU (n): v. central processing unit
driver (n): controlador, driver
expansion card (n): targeta d’expansió
expansion slot (n): ranura d’expansió
gigabyte (n): gigabyte, giga
gigahertz (Ghz) (n): gigahertz
graphics card (n): targeta gràfica, targeta de video
integrated circuit (n): circuit integrat
kilobyte (n): kilobyte
megabyte (n): megabyte, mega

megahertz (Mhz) (n): megahertz
memory card (n): targeta de memòria
motherboard (n): placa mare, placa base
processor (n): processador
RAM memory (n): memòria RAM (Random Access Memory)
register (n): registre
ROM memory (n): memòria ROM (Read Only Memory)
terabyte (n): terabyte
to execute (v): executar (un programa)

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Hardware

Carles Mora Queralt

At the end of this unit, the student should:

• Identify the context of the message.

• Identify the main idea of the message.

• Identify the purpose of a face-to-face or telephone message or any other oral

• Get specific information from oral messages common in the professional

• Organize the elements of a message.

• Recognize oral instructions and follow instructions.

• Be aware of the importance of understanding the general meaning of a

2. Understand and make a comprehensive analysis of simple written texts.

• Read and understand written texts in standard language.

• Interpret the global meaning of a written message.

• Relate a written text to the corresponding professional field.

• Choose the appropriate reference material such as technical dictionaries and

3. Produce clear, well-organized oral messages and take an active part in

• Express an oral message by using a variety of communicative resources.

• Use the appropriate conventions in the production of oral messages.

• Describe the events that normally occur in the professional field

• Use the appropriate terminology as commonly used in the professional field.

• Express feelings, ideas or opinions.

• Express the basic activities in the professional field.

• Accept or reject other people’s proposals.

• Justify a decision taken.

• Apply the appropriate conventions in oral communication in a variety of

4. Fill in basic documents in standard language by using the appropriate register

• Write short texts about the professional and daily lives.

• Organize a text in a coherent way.

• Fill in documents related to the professional field.

• Use the appropriate protocol in documents.

5. Show the appropriate attitude and behaviour in communicative situations as

• Define the most distinctive aspects of the customs of English-speaking

• Describe the social conventions of other countries.

• Identify the values and beliefs which are characteristic of English-speaking

• Apply the social conventions in English-speaking communities.

The italics in the text mean

• You must have a lot of patience. Learning a language means practising a

1.1 Grammar: nouns, determiners and personal pronouns

It is much better to say:

• telephone > telephones

• car > cars

• building > buildings

• victim > victims

• A few nouns ending in -o have plurals in -oes: echo > echoes,

A few nouns have an irregular plural. For example:

• child > children (Cat. nen/nens)

• man > men (Cat. home/homes)

• woman > women (Cat. dona/dones)

• foot > feet (Cat. peu/peus)

All the nouns ending in -man/-woman are also irregular:

• policewoman > policewomen (Cat. dona policia/dones policia)

• fireman > firemen (Cat. bomber/bombers)

• Englishman > Englishmen (Cat. anglès/anglesos)

Finally, there are some nouns that do not change in plural:

• headquarters > headquarters (Cat. quarter general/quarters generals)

• series > series (Cat. sèrie/sèries)

• sheep > sheep (Cat. ovella/ovelles)

Countable and uncountable nouns

The distinction between countable and uncountable nouns is important because it

In general, it is easy to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns, but

• trip (countable) (Cat. viatge, desplaçament): the trip between Barcelona

• travel (uncountable) (Cat. viatge): I am tired of so much travel (Cat. estic

We can change an uncountable noun into a countable noun. We do so with certain