Friday, February 22, 2013

Grammar Book

Curso de Gramática Inglesa




La Posesión. El Genitivo Sajón

This is Pepe / Este es Pepe

This is Pepe's Bar / Este es el Bar de Pepe





En inglés, el genitivo (relación de propiedad o posesión) se forma de dos maneras:

1. Mediante la preposición of, (de), que se usa normalmente cuando el poseedor no es una persona:
The window of the house (La ventana de la casa)

2. Cuando el poseedor es una persona, se emplea una forma particular, que se conoce como genitivo sajón (por su origen). Al nombre del poseedor, se añade un apóstrofo y una s ('s) y figura en la frase delante del nombre de la cosa poseída:

My brother's car (El coche de mi hermano)        John's dog (El perro de John)

También se emplea con nombres de animales, nombres de países, ciertas expresiones de tiempo, espacio, distancia, peso, etc..

The cat's ears (Las orejas del gato)        France's cities (las ciudades de Francia)
Yesterday's meeting (La reunión de ayer)    A mile's walk (Un paseo de una milla)

REGLAS DE LA 'S DEL GENITIVO SAJÓN 
1.Cuando el poseedor es solo uno, el orden de la frase es:
Poseedor
Apóstrofo + S
La cosa poseída
 Paul's heart (El corazón de Pablo)
Cuando el nombre termina en s, se añade otra s
Charles's bicycle (La bicicleta de Carlos)
2. Si los poseedores son varios, el orden de la frase es:

Los poseedores (plural)
Apóstrofo
La cosa poseída

My brothers' clock (El reloj de mis hermanos)

(Cuando el nombre en plural no termina en s se aplica la misma norma que para un solo poseedor):
The women's books (Los libros de las mujeres)

Cuando detallamos nombrando a los distintos poseedores, solamente el último refiere el genitivo:
That is John, Jim and Paul's flat (Ese es el piso de John, Jim y Paul)

¡Cuidado!. Fíjate en la diferencia:
John and Ann's cars --Los coches son de ambos
John's and Ann's cars --Cada uno tiene su propio coche


Combinado con of puede servir para distinguir el sentido de propiedad
A photo of Peter's (Una foto de Pedro, la foto es de su propiedad)
A photo of Peter (Una foto de Pedro, de su persona)



Friday, February 8, 2013

Making Questions



The basic rule for asking questions in English is straightforward: Invert the order of the subject and the first auxiliary verb.

  • It is snowing. = Is it snowing?
  • He can speak German. = Can he speak German?
  • They have lived here a long time. = Have they lived here a long time?
  • She will arrive at ten o'clock. = Will she arrive at ten o'clock?
  • He was driving fast. = Was he driving fast?
  • You have been smoking. = Have you been smoking?
  • You would travel to Germany if you had more time. = Would you travel to Germany if you had more time?
  • I should study tonight. = Should I study tonight?
  • She is reading. = Is she reading?
  • Robert was having lunch. = Was Robert having lunch?
  • We will be taking an exam on Saturday. = Will we be taking an exam on Saturday?
  • Ann would have gone with us if we had asked her. = Would Ann have gone with us if we had asked her?

If there is no auxiliary, use part of the verb 'to do'.

  • You speak fluent French. = Do you speak fluent French?
  • She lives in Brussels. = Does she live in Brussels?
  • They lived in Manchester. = Did they live in Manchester?
  • He had an accident. = Did he have an accident?
  • We have a break at 11:45. = Do we have a break at 11:45?

Most questions with question words are made in the same way:

  • How often does she use it?
  • Why don't you come?
  • Where do you work?
  • How many oranges did you buy?
  • What time did you go to the cinema?
  • Which restaurants do you like in Canovas?
  • Whose car were you driving?
  • When does class begin?
  • Why do you study English?
  • Who do you visit on Sundays?
  • Who do you know in Madrid? Who is the indirect object in these sentences

Note who, what and which can be the subject. Compare:
  • Who is coming to lunch? (who is the subject of the verb)
  • Who do you want to invite to lunch? (you is the subject of the verb)
  • Who plays football after lunch?
  • What’s wrong?
  • What happened? (what is the subject of the verb)
  • What did you do? (you is the subject of the verb)
  • What's new?

Note the position of the prepositions in these questions:

  • Who did you speak to?
  • What are you looking at?
  • Where does he come from?