GRAMMAR UNIT 2

INDIRECT WAYS OF ASKING QUESTIONS

Se pueden utilizar muchos tipos de expresiones para hacer preguntas de forma indirecta. Este
tipo de preguntas hará que parezcas más educado que si utilizas preguntas directas.

Could you tell me what time it is?

Would you mind telling me where he works?

We’d like to know when you first started singing.

Cuando haces este tipo de preguntas, el orden de la frase se queda como si hiciéramos una
afirmación. Es decir, S + V + O. Los verbos auxiliares, do, does y did se omiten.

If o whether son nexos que se utilizan en caso de que no aparezcan pronombres interrogativos
como where, what, why, when, who y how.

Could you tell us if/whether you are married?

GERUND AND INFINITIVES

A. El gerundio se utiliza en los siguientes casos:
1. Como sujeto/objeto/complemento de una frase u oración.
 Subject: Reading in the car makes me feel sick.
 Object: I find shopping for clothes really boring.
 Complement: My favourite sport is swimming.
2. Detrás de una preposición
 I’m not very good at making things.
3. Detrás de ciertos verbos
 Peter suggested going for a picnic.
B. El infinitive con ‘to’ se usa para:
1. Expresa una finalidad:
 I’m learning English to help me get a better job.
2. Detrás de muchos adjetivos como delighted, disappointed, easy, happy,
important, lucky, necessary, normal, posible, surprised.
 I was surprised to hear she had failed the exam.
3. Detrás de ciertos verbos:
 He offered to give her a lift, but she decided to walk.
C. El infinitive sin to se utiliza:
1. Detrás de los verbos modales:
 You can look at it, but you mustn’t touch.
2. Detrás del verbo help, let, make, would rather, had better:
 I’d better go- it’s late. I’d rather stay here, though.
“To” es opcional is se utiliza un infinitivo detrás del verbo “help”:
Classical music helps me (to) relax.
D. Gerundios e infinitivos detrás de los verbos:
1. Verb + gerund:
 Have you finished cleaning your room?
2. Los siguientes verbos van seguidos de un verbo en gerundio:
  Vebros que expresan gustos: adore, detest, dislike, enjoy, don’t mind,
can’t stand
 Otros verbos: admit, avoid, can’t help, consider, delay, deny, feel like,
forgive, give up, imagine, involve, keep, mind, miss, postpone, put off,
practise, prevent, regret, resist, risk, suggest.
3. Verb + infinitive with to:
 Los siguientes verbos: promise, (can’t) afford, agree, appear, arrange,
ask, attempt, choose, decide, deserve, expect, fail, hesitate, hope,
learn, manage, offer, prepare, pretend, refuse, seem.
 Con estos verbos se necesita un objeto directo: advise, allow, enable,
encourage, forcé, invite, order, persuade, recommend, remind, teach,
tell, warn: My job enables me to use my language skills.
4. El infinitive con “to” también se usa detrás de:
 Would like, would love, would hate, would prefer
5. Verb + gerund or infinitive with “to”:
 Like, love, hate y prefer normalmente van seguidos de un verbo en
gerundio. Sin embargo, también es posible utilizar un verbo en
infinitivo con “to”. Dependiendo del que utilizamos hay una pequeña
variedad en el significado:
 I love going/to go for long walks in the hills
El infinitivo con “to” es común detrás del verbo “like” cuando significa
“hábito” y detrás del verbo “hate” para situaciones específicas:
 I hate to interrupt, but we really must be going.
 I like to have a shower when I get home from work.
 Begin, start, continue y intend pueden ir seguidos de un verbo en
gerundio o infinitivo sin cambio en el significado:
 She fell over and started crying/to cry.
 Forget, remember, go on, mean, need, stop y try pueden ir seguidos de
un verbo en gerundio o infinitive con “to” pero su significado cambia:
 Remember + gerund = Recordar una acción pasada
o I remember coming here when I was young.
Forget + gerund no se utiliza normalmente para hablar
de una acción que no recuerdas. En su lugar se utiliza
not remember.
I don’t remember seeing Jim at the party
 Remember/forget + infinitive = (no) recorder lo que tienes que
hacer.
o We must remember to feed the cat before we go.
Don’t forget to phone me if you need any help.
 Go on + gerund = Continuar con la misma actividad
o Some footballers go on playing professionally until
they’re nearly 40.
 Go on + infinitve = cambiar a otra actividad distinta:
o After a successful career as a football player, Johan
Cruyff went on to become a respected manager.
 Mean + gerund = Significa / Supone
o Dieting usually means giving up things you enjoy.
 Mean + infinitive = Tener la intención de
o I meant to pone the electrician but I forgot.
 Need + gerund = (passive meaning):
o This house needs painting. (=needs to be painted)
 Need + infinitive = (active meaning):
o I need to get some new shoes.
 Stop + gerund = Parar de hacer algo:
o I’ve stopped smoking, it’s too expensive.
 Stop + infinitive = Parar de hacer algo para hacer otra cosa:
o Let’s stop to buy some sweets on the way home.
 Try + gerund = Experimentar para ver qué ocurrirá
o Try resting for a while: you might feel better then.
 Try + infinitive = Intento de hacer algo
o Alan tried to stop the thief as he ran away.