Determiners

Countable and Uncountable
Countable
These can be plural
+ I have got four pounds.
-  He has not got one pen.
? Have you got two chairs? 


Uncountable
These have no singular or plural
   SOME/ANY

+ They have got some money.
-  We have not got any new clothes.
? Has she got any food in the fridge?

Articles

*The use of articles is often determined by the context, and depends on information given earlier in a text or conversation.

A and AN; pronunciation of THE

A before consonants, /i corta+u corta/ and h
a doctor, a university, a housewife

AN before vowels or mute h
an apple, an hour

Before vowels, THE is pronunced  /d vibrante + i corta/
the egg, the Italians

Before consonants, THE is pronuncied /d vibrante + schwa/
the book, the problems


Expressions without articles
at home                    go home               in bed

at school
                                                              
AT versus IN
at university          Está estudiando en la universidad.                (Función)
in the university    Está dentro del edificio de la universidad.    (Físicamente)

at work
in the office 

Impersonal

Impersonal sentences


IT

It+BE+Adjective+Infinitive
It's very important to know...
Es muy importante saber que...

The time
It's half past two.
Son las dos y media.

It was in 1999 (nineteen ninety-nine).
Fue en 1999. 

The weather 
It's raining. 
Está lloviendo.

It's a sunny day.
Hace un día soleado.



GERUND AS INFINITIVE
Smoking is bad for health. 
Fumar es malo para la salud.

 

PASSIVE VOICE*
Active voice: Peter give me the book.
                       Peter me dió el libro.
Passive voice: The book is given by Peter.
                        El libro me lo dió Peter.

"SE"
La ley se aprobó ayer. The bill was passed yesterday.


Causative Structura = Pasiva Refleja with "SE"
Subject+have/get+direct complement or object+past participle
I had my hair cut yesterday.                                                 
Me corté el pelo ayer.                                                           
Let's have our hair cut.
Cortemonos el pelo.
I will get my house painted next summer.
Pintaré mi casa el verano que viene.
Have a good time.
Pásatelo bien.

Have/Get + Something Done  
Have:
Encargar a otros que lo hagan (Profesionales)
I'm having my car repaired
The inspector had him arrested (hizo que lo detuvieran)
Significado pasivo
I had my bag stolen. 
Get:
En el inglés coloquial, el sujeto es más activo pone su parte en ello.
When I've got all the exams checked, I'll tell you the marks.
Finally she got the book published.  

EMPHASIS*
She wrote a crime 
A crime she wrote 
Se ha escrito un crimen.



*New or important information is given behind the setences for emphasizing.

Question tags

Structure: Auxiliary and modal verbs + Personal Pronouns?
                                                   

 Main setence: Affirmative,            Question tag: Negative and vice versa
                        Interrogative              

Informal writing or ends of sentences in speech 
Not a very good film, was it?
No es una buena película, ¿verdad?

That's the postman, isn't it?
Es el cartero, ¿sí? 

Negative
Informal
You do take sugar in tea, don't you?
Te pones azúcar en el té, ¿sí?
 
Formal
They promised to repay us within six months, did they not? 
Prometieron reembolsarnos dentro de seis meses, ¿sí?  

Uses:
1. To check whether something is true 
    
2. To ask for agreement
    
3. Requests: Negative statement + question tag
    You couldn´t lend me a pound, could you?
   ¿Podrías prestarme una libra, no?



Bibliography
Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage, 1998. Oxford. Pag.478-479
 

If only

I wish...=   If only...! (more emphatic)
Ojalá    =   Si solo/ Ay, si...
 
Uses:
1. If only + Subject + Past Tense = Present
    If only I knew more people. 
    Si solo conociese/ra a más personas
    If only I was/were better-looking! (were: more formal)
     ¡Ay si fuera más guapo/a!
 
2.  Would + Infinitive = Future 
    If only it would stop raining, we could go out. 
    Solo si parase/ra de llover, nosotros podríamos salir.
    If only somebody would smile!
    ¡Ay si alguien quisiera/ese sonreir!

3. Past Perfect (had + past participle) = Past
    If only she hadn't told the police, everything would have been all right.
    Solamente si ella no se lo hubiera contado a la policia, todo podría haber estado bien.

Bibliography
Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage, 1998. Oxford. Page.253