SIMPLE PRESENT

EL "SIMPLE PRESENT" SE UTILIZA:

 Para expresar hábitos y rutinas, hechos generales, acciones repetidas o situaciones,

emociones y deseos permanentes:
I smoke (hábito); I work in London (permanencia); London is a large city (hecho general)

 Para dar instrucciones o indicaciones:

You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.

 Para hablar de eventos programados, presentes o futuros:

Your exam starts at 09.00.

 Para referirse al futuro, detrás de algunas conjunciones: after, when, before, as soon as,
until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

¡Cuidado! El "simple present" no se utiliza para hablar de lo que está ocurriendo en este
momento.

EJEMPLOS

 Hábitos y rutinas
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.

 Eventos y acciones repetidos

We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.

 Hechos generales
Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.

 Instrucciones o indicaciones
Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.

 Eventos programados
His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March

 Construcciones de futuro
She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.

FORMACIÓN DEL "SIMPLE PRESENT": TO THINK

 Afirmativa Interrogativa Negativa

I think Do I think? I do not think

You think Do you think? You do not think

He thinks Does he think? He does not think

She thinks Does she think? She does not think

It thinks Does it think? It does not think

We think Do we think? We do not think.

They think Do they think? They do not think.

NOTAS SOBRE LA TERCERA PERSONA DEL SINGULAR DEL "SIMPLE PRESENT"

 En la tercera persona del singular, el verbo siempre termina en -s:

he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

 Para las formas negativa e interrogativa, se emplea DOES (= tercera persona del auxiliar
'DO') + el infinitivo del verbo.
He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.

 Verbos que terminan en -y : en la tercera persona del singular, se cambia la -y por -ies:
fly --> flies, cry --> cries
Excepción: cuando una vocal precede a la -y:
play --> plays, pray --> prays

 Añadimos -es a los verbos que terminan en:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

EJEMPLOS

 He goes to school every morning.

 She understands English.

 It mixes the sand and the water.

 He tries very hard.

 She enjoys playing the piano.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
FORMACIÓN DEL "PRESENT CONTINUOUS"
El "present continuous" de cualquier verbo se compone de dos partes: el presente del verbo to be +
el "present participle" del verbo principal.

(Para formar el "present participle": raíz+ing, e.g. talking, playing, moving, smiling)

Afirmativa

Sujeto + to be + raíz + ing

She is talking.

Negativa

Sujeto + to be + not + raíz + ing

She is not (isn't) talking

Interrogativa

to be + sujeto + raíz + ing

Is she talking?

EJEMPLOS: TO GO, "PRESENT CONTINUOUS"

 Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

I am going I am not going Am I going?

You are going You aren't going. Are you going?

He, she, it is going He, she, it isn't going Is he, she, it goin

We are going We aren't going Are we going?

You are going You aren't going Are you going?

They are going They aren't going Are they going?

Nota: contracciones de las formas negativas: I'm not going, you're not going, he's not going etc.

FUNCIONES DEL "PRESENT CONTINUOUS"

Como ocurre con todos los tiempos verbales del inglés, la actitud del hablante es tan importante
como el momento en que ocurre la acción o el evento. Al emplear el "present continuous", nos
estamos refiriendo a algo que no ha terminado o está incompleto

EL "PRESENT CONTINUOUS" SE UTILIZA:

 para describir una acción que está teniendo lugar en este momento: You are using the
Internet. You are studying English grammar.
 para describir una tendencia o una acción que está sucediendo en la actualidad: Are you
still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian.
 para describir una acción o evento futuros que ya están programados: We're going on
holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?
 para describir una situación o evento temporales: He usually plays the drums, but he's
playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the
moment.
 con "always, forever, constantly", para describir y enfatizar una sucesión de acciones
repetidas: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly complaining about
your mother-in-law!

¡CUIDADO! Hay algunos verbos que no suelen emplear la forma progresiva

VERBOS QUE NO SUELEN EMPLEAR LA FORMA
PROGRESIVA
Los verbos de la siguiente lista suelen utilizar la forma simple porque hacen referencia a estados,
más que acciones o procesos.

SENSACIÓN / PERCEPCIÓN

 to feel*
 to hear
 to see*
 to smell
 to taste

OPINIÓN

 to assume
 to believe
 to consider
 to doubt
 to feel (= pensar)
 to find (= considerar)
 to suppose
 to think*

ESTADOS MENTALES

 to forget
 to imagine
 to know
 to mean
 to notice
 to recognise
 to remember
 to understand

EMOCIONES / DESEOS

 to envy
 to fear
 to dislike
 to hate
 to hope
 to like
 to love
 to mind
 to prefer
 to regret
 to want
 to wish
MEDIDAS

 to contain
 to cost
 to hold
 to measure
 to weigh

OTROS

 to look (=parecerse a)
 to seem
 to be (en la mayoría de los casos)
 to have (cuando significa "poseer")*

EXCEPCIONES
Los verbos de sensación y percepción (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) suelen utilizarse con can: I can
see... Pueden tomar la forma progresiva pero, en este caso, su significado suele variar.

 This coat feels nice and warm. (percepción de las cualidades del abrigo)
 John's feeling much better now (está mejor de salud)
 She has three dogs and a cat. (posesión)
 She's having supper. (está tomando)
 I can see Anthony in the garden (percepción)
 I'm seeing Anthony later (tenemos intención de vernos)

PASADO
En inglés, existen cuatro tiempos verbales de pasado. Los empleamos para hablar de acciones
que empezaron y terminaron en el pasado, o de acciones iniciadas en el pasado y que continúan
en el presente.

 Simple past para acciones que empiezan y terminan en el pasado.

 Past continuous para acciones iniciadas en el pasado que continúan en el presente.
 Past perfect para acciones que empezaron y terminaron en el pasado, con anterioridad a
otra acción también ocurrida en el pasado.
 Past perfect continuous para acciones que estaban ocurriendo en el pasado hasta que tuvo
lugar otra acción.
SIMPLE PAST
FUNCIONES DEL "SIMPLE PAST"
El "simple past" se utiliza para hablar de una acción que concluyó en un tiempo anterior al
actual. La duración no es relevante. El tiempo en que se sitúa la acción puede ser el pasado
reciente o un pasado lejano.

EJEMPLOS
 John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
 My father died last year.
 He lived in Fiji in 1976.
 We crossed the Channel yesterday.

Siempre se utiliza el "simple past" para referirse a cuándo ocurrió algo, de modo que va asociado
a ciertas expresiones temporales que indican:

 frecuencia: often, sometimes, always

I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.
 un tiempo determinado: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
We saw a good film last week.
Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work atseven o'clock
I went to the theatre last night
 un tiempo indeterminado: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago People lived in caves
a long time ago.
 She played the piano when she was a child.

Nota: el término ago es útil para expresar distancia temporal en el pasado. Se coloca después del
periodo de tiempo de que se trate: a week ago, three years ago, a minute ago.

Cuidado: el "simple past" del inglés puede parecerse a un tiempo verbal de tu propio idioma y, sin
embargo, su significado puede ser distinto.

FORMACIÓN DEL "SIMPLE PAST"

FORMACIÓN DEL "SIMPLE PAST" CON VERBOS REGULARES

Afirmativa

Sujeto + raíz + ed
I skipped.

Negativa

Sujeto + did not + infinitivo sin to

They didn't go.

Interrogativa

Did + sujeto + infinitivo sin to

Did she arrive?

Interrogativa negativa

Did not + sujeto + infinitivo sin to

Didn't you play?

TO WALK

Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

I walked I didn't walk Did I walk?

You walked You didn't walk Did you walk?

He walked He didn't walk Did he walk?

 Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

We walked We didn't walk Did we walk?

They walked They didn't walk Did they walk?

"SIMPLE PAST" DE LOS VERBOS TO BE, TO HAVE, TO DO

Sujeto Verbo

Be Have

I was had

You were had

He/She/It was had

We were had

You were had

They were had

NOTAS SOBRE LAS CONSTRUCCIONES

AFIRMATIVA, NEGATIVA E INTERROGATIVA
AFIRMATIVA
La forma afirmativa del "simple past" es sencilla.

 I was in Japan last year

 She had a headache yesterday.
 We did our homework last night.
NEGATIVA E INTERROGATIVA
Para las formas negativa e interrogativa del "simple past" del verbo "do" como verbo ordinario, se
emplea como auxiliar "do", e.g. We didn't do our homework last night.
La forma negativa del verbo "have" en "simple past" suele construirse utilizando el auxiliar "do",
aunque en ocasiones solo se añade not o la contracción "n't".

La forma interrogativa del verbo "have" en "simple past" suele emplear el auxiliar "do".

EJEMPLOS
 They weren't in Rio last summer.
 We didn't have any money.
 We didn't have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.
 We didn't do our exercises this morning.
 Were they in Iceland last January?
 Did you have a bicycle when you were young?
 Did you do much climbing in Switzerland?

Nota: para construir las formas negativa e interrogativa de todos los verbos en "simple past", se
utiliza siempre el auxiliar 'did''.

"SIMPLE PAST": VERBOS IRREGULARES

Algunos verbos hacen el "simple past" de forma irregular. Estos son los más comunes.

TO GO

 He went to a club last night.

 Did he go to the cinema last night?
 He didn't go to bed early last night.

TO GIVE

 We gave her a doll for her birthday.

 They didn't give John their new address.
 Did Barry give you my passport?

TO COME

 My parents came to visit me last July.

 We didn't come because it was raining.
 Did he come to your party last week?
PAST CONTINUOUS
FUNCIONES DEL "PAST CONTINUOUS"
El "past continuous" describe acciones o eventos situados en un tiempo anterior al presente, cuyo
comienzo se sitúa en el pasado y que todavía no ha concluido en el momento de hablar. Dicho
de otro modo, expresa una acción incompleta o inconclusa del pasado.

Se utiliza:

 Con frecuencia, para describir el contexto en una historia escrita en pasado, e.g. "The
sun was shining and the birds were singing as the elephant came out of the jungle. The
other animals were relaxing in the shade of the trees, but the elephant moved very quickly.
She was looking for her baby, and she didn't notice the hunter who was watching her
through his binoculars. When the shot rang out, she was running towards the river..."
 para describir una acción incompleta que se vio interrumpida por otra acción o evento, e.g.
"I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang."
 para expresar un cambio de opinión: e.g. "I was going to spend the day at the beach but I've
decided to get my homework done instead."
 con 'wonder', para formular una petición muy educada: e.g. "I was wondering if you could
baby-sit for me tonight."

EJEMPLOS
 They were waiting for the bus when the accident happened.
 Caroline was skiing when she broke her leg.
 When we arrived he was having a bath.
 When the fire started I was watching television.

Nota: con los verbos que no suelen conjugarse en "past continuous" se emplea normalmente el
"simple past".

FORMACIÓN DEL "PAST CONTINUOUS"

El "past continuous" de cualquier verbo está compuesto de dos partes: el pasado del verbo "to be"
(was/were) y la raíz del verbo principal +ing.

Sujeto was/were raíz + ing

They were watching

Afirmativa
Sujeto was/were raíz + ing

She was reading

Negativa

She wasn't reading

Interrogativa

Was she reading?

Interrogativa negativa

Wasn't she reading?

TO PLAY, "PAST CONTINUOUS"

Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

I was playing I was not playing Was I playing?

You were playing You were not playing Were you playing

He was playing He wasn't playing Was he playing?

We were playing We weren't playing Were we playing

They were playing They weren't playing Were they playin

Cursos de inglés Política de Privacidad Cook

PRESENT PERFECT
FORMACIÓN DEL "PRESENT PERFECT"
El "present perfect" de cualquier verbo está compuesto por dos elementos: la forma apropiada del
verbo auxiliar to have (en presente) y el "past participle" del verbo principal. La forma del "past
participle" de un verbo regular es raíz+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. En cuanto a los verbos
irregulares, consulta la Tabla de verbos irregulares de la sección 'Verbos'.

Afirmativa

Sujeto to have past participle

She has visited.

Negativa

Sujeto to have + not past participle

She has not (hasn't) visited.

Interrogativa

to have sujeto past participle

Has she visited?

 Interrogativa negativa

to have + not sujeto past participle

Hasn't she visited?

TO WALK, "PRESENT PERFECT"

Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

I have walked I haven't walked Have I walked?

You have walked You haven't walked. Have you walked?

He, she, it has walked He, she, hasn't walked Has he, she, it walk

We have walked We haven't walked Have we walked?

You have walked You haven't walked Have you walked?

They have walked They haven't walked Have they walked?

FUNCIONES DEL "PRESENT PERFECT"

El "present perfect" se emplea para señalar un vínculo entre el presente y el pasado. El tiempo en
que transcurre la acción es anterior al presente pero inespecífico y, a menudo, recae un mayor
interés sobre el resultado que sobre la propia acción.

¡CUIDADO! Puede que, en tu idioma, exista un tiempo verbal con una estructura similar pero es
probable que su significado NO sea el mismo.

EL "PRESENT PERFECT" SE UTILIZA PARA DESCRIBIR

  Una acción o situación iniciada en el pasado y que continúa en el presente. I have lived in
Bristol since 1984 (= todavía vivo allí.)
 Una acción realizada durante un periodo de tiempo aún no concluido. Shehas beento the
cinema twice this week (= la semana todavía no ha terminado.)
 Una acción repetida en un periodo temporal inespecífico situado entre el pasado y el
presente. We have visited Portugal several times.
 Una acción que ha concluido en un pasado muy reciente, lo que se indica
mediante 'just'. I have just finished my work.
 Una acción para la cual no es importante el momento preciso en que aconteció. He has
read 'War and Peace'. (= lo relevante es el resultado de la acción)

Nota: Cuando queremos dar o pedir información sobre cuándo, dónde o quién, empleamos el
"simple past". Consulta cómo elegir entre el "simple past" y el "present perfect".

ACCIONES INICIADAS EN EL PASADO Y QUE CONTINÚAN EN EL PRESENTE

 They haven't lived here for years.

 She has worked in the bank for five years.
 We have had the same car for ten years.
 Have you played the piano since you were a child?

CUANDO SE HACE REFERENCIA A UN PERIODO TEMPORAL INACABADO

 I have worked hard this week.

 It has rained a lot this year.
 We haven't seen her today.

ACCIONES REITERADAS EN UN PERIODO INESPECÍFICO, ENTRE EL

PASADO Y EL PRESENTE.

 They have seen that film six times

 It has happened several times already.
 She has visited them frequently.
 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

ACCIONES CONCLUIDAS EN UN PASADO MUY RECIENTE (+JUST)

 Have you just finished work?

 I have just eaten.
 We have just seen her.
 Has he just left?

CUANDO LA DIMENSIÓN TEMPORAL NO ES RELEVANTE O CONOCIDA

 Someone has eaten my soup!

 Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
 She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

Consulta cómo utilizar el "present perfect" con los términos "ever", "never", "already", y "yet" y
cómo utilizar el "present perfect" con los términos "for" y "since".
PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
FORMACIÓN DEL "PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS"
El "present perfect continuous" está compuesto por dos elementos: el "present perfect" del
verbo 'to be' (have/has been) y el "present participle" del verbo principal (raíz+ing)

Sujeto has/have been raíz+ing

She has been swimming

Afirmativa: She has been / She's been running.

Negativa: She hasn't been running.
Interrogativa : Has she been running?
Interrogativa negativa: Hasn't she been running?

EJEMPLO: "PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS", TO LIVE

Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

I have been living I haven't been living Have I been living

You have been living You haven't been living Have you been li

He, she, it has been living He hasn't been living Has she been livi

We have been living We haven't been living Have we been liv

You have been living You haven't been living Have you been li
 Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

They have been living They haven't been living Have they been l

FUNCIONES DEL "PRESENT PERFECT

CONTINUOUS"
El "present perfect continuous" se refiere a un periodo temporal inespecífico situado entre el
pasado y el presente. El hablante se refiere a algo que empezó y que puede no haber concluido en
ese periodo de tiempo. Le interesa tanto el proceso como el resultado, y es posible que dicho
proceso acabe de terminar o que aún no haya finalizado.

ACCIONES INICIADAS EN EL PASADO Y QUE CONTINÚAN OCURRIENDO EN

EL PRESENTE
She has been waiting for you all day (= todavía está esperando).
I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= todavía no lo he terminado).
They have been travelling since last October (= todavía no han vuelto).

ACCIONES QUE ACABAN DE CONCLUIR Y DE LAS QUE NOS INTERESAN

SUS RESULTADOS
She has been cooking since last night (= y la comida preparada tiene un aspecto delicioso).
It's been raining (= y las calles aún están mojadas).
Someone's been eating my chips (= quedan la mitad).

VERBOS SIN FORMAS PROGRESIVAS

Con verbos que no suelen utilizar la forma progresiva, empleamos el "present perfect". Por
ejemplo: I've wanted to visit China for years.
She's known Robert since she was a child.
I've hated that music since I first heard it.
I've heard a lot about you recently.
We've understood everything.
we've heard this morning.

1. Portada
 2. Gramática inglesa

3. Verbos

4. La forma -ing

GERUND
El "gerund" de los verbos ingleses se escribe exactamente igual que el "present participle":
entender en qué se diferencian ambas formas es realmente útil. El "gerund" siempre cumple las
mismas funciones que el nombre, a pesar de parecer un verbo. En esta página, consideramos
algunos de los usos del "gerund". En página aparte, se examinan los verbos seguidos de "gerund".

EL "GERUND" COMO SUJETO DE LA ORACIÓN

EJEMPLOS
 Eating people is wrong.
 Hunting tigers is dangerous.
 Flying makes me nervous.
 Brushing your teeth is important.
 Smoking causes lung cancer.

EL "GERUND" COMO COMPLEMENTO DEL VERBO 'TO BE'

EJEMPLOS
 One of his duties is attending meetings.
 The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.
 One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.

EL "GERUND" DESPUÉS DE PREPOSICIÓN

Cuando un verbo sigue a una preposición, es necesario emplear el "gerund". Esto también es
cierto para determinadas expresiones que acaban con una preposición, por ejemplo "in spite
of" o "there's no point in".

EJEMPLOS
  Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
 She is good at painting.
 She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
 We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
 My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
 There's no point in waiting.
 In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.

EL "GERUND" DESPUÉS DE "PHRASAL VERB"

Los "phrasal verbs" están compuestos por un verbo + adverbio o preposición.

EJEMPLOS
 When will you give up smoking?
 She always puts off going to the dentist.
 He kept on asking for money.
 Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.

Existen algunos "phrasal verbs" que incluyen el término "to" como preposición, por ejemplo: to look
forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to get around to, to be used to. Es importante darse
cuenta de que, en estos casos, la palabra "to" es una preposición, porque debe ir seguida por un
"gerund". Este "to" no es parte del infinitivo del verbo. Para saber si "to" es una preposición o es
parte del infinitivo, comprobamos si se puede añadir el pronombre "it" a continuación del "to" y
formar una oración con sentido; de ser así, "to" es una preposición y debe seguirse de un "gerund".

EJEMPLOS
 I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 I look forward to it.
 I am used to waiting for buses.
 I am used to it.
 She didn't really take to studying English.
 She didn't really take to it.
 When will you get around to mowing the grass?
 When will you get around to it?

EL "GERUND" EN NOMBRES COMPUESTOS

En los nombres compuestos que incluyen un "gerund" queda claro su significado nominal y que no
estamos ante la forma progresiva de un verbo. Por ejemplo, el término "swimming pool" hace
referencia a una piscina para nadar, no a una piscina que esté nadando.

EJEMPLOS
 I am giving Sally a driving lesson.
 They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
 I bought some new running shoes.

EL "GERUND" TRAS DETERMINADAS EXPRESIONES

El "gerund" es la forma verbal que debe emplearse tras las siguientes expresiones: can't help, can't
stand, to be worth, it's no use.

EJEMPLOS
 She couldn't help falling in love with him.
 I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
 It's no use trying to escape.
 It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.

PRESENT PARTICIPLE
El "present participle" de la mayoría de los verbos sigue la estructura raíz del verbo + -ing. Se usa
de muy diversas maneras.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" EN LAS FORMAS PROGRESIVAS DEL VERBO

EJEMPLOS
 I am working.
 He was singing.
 They have been walking.
 We will be staying.
 She would have been expecting me.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" TRAS VERBOS DE MOVIMIENTO Y POSICIÓN

Esta construcción es particularmente útil con el verbo "to go".

EJEMPLOS
 She went shopping.
 I go running every morning.
 He lay looking up at the clouds.
 She came running towards me.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" TRAS VERBOS DE PERCEPCIÓN

En este uso, la estructura seguida es verbo + objeto + "present participle". Cuando estas
oraciones contienen un infinitivo sin "to" en lugar de un participio, el significado varía. El infinitivo se
refiere a una acción terminada, mientras que el "present participle" implica una acción en progreso.
EJEMPLOS
 I heard someone singing.
 He saw his friend walking along the road.
 I can smell something burning!
 I watched the birds flying away.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" COMO ADJETIVO

EJEMPLOS
 It was an amazing film.
 Dark billowing clouds often precede a storm.
 He was trapped inside the burning house.
 Many of his paintings show the setting sun.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" CON LOS VERBOS "SPEND" Y "WASTE"

Con estos verbos, la construcción sigue la forma verbo + expresión de tiempo o dinero +
"present participle".

EJEMPLOS
 My boss spends two hours a day travelling to work.
 Don't waste time playing computer games!
 They've spent the whole day shopping.
 I wasted money buying this game.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" CON LOS VERBOS "CATCH" Y "FIND"

La construcción con estos verbos sigue la estructura verbo + objeto + "present participle". En el
caso de "catch", el participio siempre hace referencia a una acción que genera molestia o enfado, a
diferencia de lo que ocurre con "find", que no conlleva carga emocional.

EXAMPLES
 If I catch you stealing my apples again, there'll be trouble!
 Don't let him catch you reading his letters.
 I caught him going through my bag.
 We found some money lying on the ground.
 They found their mother sitting in the garden.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" PARA DOS ACCIONES SIMULTÁNEAS

Cuando dos acciones ocurren al mismo tiempo y son realizadas por el mismo sujeto (persona o
cosa), podemos emplear un "present participle" para describir una de ellas. Cuando una de las
acciones sucede muy poco después de otra realizada por el mismo sujeto, podemos expresar la
primera mediante el "present participle".

EJEMPLOS
  Whistling to himself, he walked down the road. = He whistled to himself as he walked down
the road.
 They went laughing out into the snow. = They laughed as they went out into the snow.
 Dropping the gun, she put her hands in the air. = She dropped the gun and put her hands in
the air.
 Putting on his coat, he left the house. = He put on his coat and left the house.

EL "PRESENT PARTICIPLE" PARA EXPLICAR MOTIVOS

El "present participle" puede utilizarse en lugar de una frase introducida por "as",
"since" o "because". En este uso la frase de participio explica la causa o la razón de una acción.

EJEMPLOS
 Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
 Being poor, he didn't spend much on clothes.
 Knowing that his mother was coming, he cleaned the flat.
 He whispered, thinking his brother was still asleep.

INFINITIVO
FORMACIÓN DEL INFINITIVO
El infinitivo es la forma básica de un verbo. En inglés, cuando hablamos del infinitivo normalmente
nos referimos al "present infinitive", que es el más utilizado. Sin embargo, existen otras cuatro
formas verbales compuestas con infinitivos en inglés: el "perfect infinitive", el "perfect continuous
infinitive", el "continuous infinitive" y el "passive infinitive".

El infinitivo tiene dos formas:

 infinitivo con to = to + raíz del verbo

 infinitivo sin to o "zero infinitive" = raíz

Esta raíz del "present infinitive" es la forma verbal recogida en los diccionarios.

Infinitivo con "to" Infinitivo sin "to"

to sit sit
 Infinitivo con "to" Infinitivo sin "to"

to eat eat

to have have

to remember remember

La forma negativa del infinitivo se construye añadiendo la partícula "not" delante del infinitivo, con o
sin "to".

EJEMPLOS
 I decided not to go to London.
 He asked me not to be late.
 I'd like you not to sing so loudly.
 I'd rather not eat meat.
 I might not come.

FUNCIONES DEL INFINITIVO CON "TO"

El infinitivo con "to" o "to-infinitive" se emplea en numerosas construcciones sintácticas. A menudo,
expresa un propósito u opinión. Hay un número considerable de verbos que van seguidos por esta
forma del infinitivo. Consulta esta página sobre verbos seguidos de infinitivo.

INFINITIVO CON "TO" PARA INDICAR PROPÓSITO O INTENCIÓN DE UNA

ACCIÓN
En este caso, "to" significa lo mismo que las expresiones "in order to" o "so as to".

EJEMPLOS
 She came to collect her pay cheque.
 The three bears went to find firewood.
 I am calling to ask you about dad.
 You sister has gone to finish her homework.

INFINITIVO CON "TO" COMO SUJETO DE LA ORACIÓN

Este uso es propio del registro formal y es mucho más habitual en el inglés escrito que en la lengua
hablada.

EJEMPLOS
  To be or not to be, that is the question.
 To know her is to love her.
 To visit the Grand Canyon is my life-long dream.
 To understand statistics, that is our aim.

INFINITIVO CON "TO" PARA INDICAR EL USO POSIBLE O PREVISTO DE

ALGO
En esta construcción, el infinitivo con "to" sigue a un nombre o a un pronombre.

EJEMPLOS
 The children need a garden to play in.
 I would like a sandwich to eat.
 I don't have anything to wear.
 Would you like something to drink?

EL INFINITIVO CON "TO" TRAS ADJETIVOS

Existe un patrón habitual para el uso del infinitivo con "to" con un adjetivo. La estructura de estas
construcciones es:
sujeto + "to be" + adjetivo + ("for","of" + alguien) + infinitivo con "to" + (resto de la oración)

Sujeto + to be + adjetivo (+ "for", "of" alguien) + infinitivo con "to" (+ re

It is good to talk.

It is good of you to talk to me

It is important to be patient.

It is important for Jake to be patient with

I am happy to be here.

The dog is naughty to destroy our c

INFINITIVO CON "TO" PARA HACER UN JUICIO O COMENTARIO

Para emplear el infinitivo con "to" a la hora de hacer un comentario o emitir un juicio sobre un
nombre, la estructura es:
Sujeto + "to be" + frase nominal + infinitivo con "to"

Sujeto + to be + frase nominal + infinitivo con

It was a stupid place to park.

That is a dangerous way to behave.

What you said was a rude thing to say.

This is the right thing to do.

Those were the wrong kind of eggs to buy.

Jim is the best person to hire.

INFINITIVO CON "TO" ACOMPAÑADO DE ADVERBIOS

El infinitivo con "to" se emplea frecuentemente con los adverbios "too" y "enough" para expresar el
razonamiento que subyace a nuestra satisfacción o insatisfacción. En esta
construcción, "too" y "enough" se colocan antes o después del adjetivo, adverbio o nombre al que
modifican, en la misma posición que ocuparían de no haber un infinitivo con "to". A continuación,
situamos el infinitivo con "to" para explicar el motivo por el cual la cantidad que expresan resulta
excesiva, suficiente o insuficiente. Normalmente, el infinitivo con "to" y todo lo que le sigue puede
eliminarse sin que la oración deje de ser gramaticalmente funcional.

EJEMPLOS
 There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
 I had too many books to carry.
 This soup is too hot to eat.
 She was too tired to work.
 He arrived too late to see the actors.
 I've had enough food to eat.
 She's old enough to make up her own mind.
 There isn't enough snow to ski on.
 You're not old enough to have grand-children!

INFINITIVO CON "TO" DESPUÉS DE PARTÍCULAS INTERROGATIVAS

Los verbos "ask", "decide", "explain", "forget", "know", "show", "tell" y "understand" pueden ir
seguidos por un término interrogativo como "where", "how", "what", "who" y "when" + infinitivo con
"to".

EJEMPLOS
 She asked me how to use the washing machine.
 Do you understand what to do?
 Tell me when to press the button.
 I've forgotten where to put this little screw.
 I'm not sure I know who to call.

FUNCIONES DEL INFINITIVO SIN "TO"

INFINITIVO SIN "TO" DETRÁS DE VERBOS AUXILIARES

EJEMPLOS
 She can't speak to you.
 He should give her some money.
 Shall I talk to him?
 Would you like a cup of coffee?
 I might stay another night in the hotel.
 They must leave before 10.00 a.m.

INFINITIVO SIN "TO" TRAS VERBOS DE PERCEPCIÓN

Con verbos de sensación y percepción, la estructura seguida es verbo + objeto + infinitivo sin
"to".

EJEMPLOS
 He saw her fall from the cliff.
 We heard them close the door.
 They saw us walk toward the lake.
 She felt the spider crawl up her leg.

INFINITIVO SIN "TO" TRAS LOS VERBOS "MAKE" Y "LET"

EJEMPLOS
 Her parents let her stay out late.
 Let's go to the cinema tonight.
 You made me come with you.
 Don't make me study that boring grammar book!

INFINITIVO SIN "TO" TRAS LA EXPRESIÓN "HAD BETTER"

EJEMPLOS
 We had better take some warm clothing.
 She had better ask him not to come.
 We had better reserve a room in the hotel.
 You'd better give me your address.
 They had better work harder on their homework.

INFINITIVO SIN "TO" CON "WHY"

La partícula interrogativa "why" va seguida de infinitivo sin "to" para hacer una sugerencia.

EJEMPLOS
 Why wait until tomorrow?
 Why not ask him now?
 Why leave before the end of the game?
 Why walk when we can go in the car?
 Why not buy a new bed?

LA VOZ PASIVA
FUNCIONES DE LA VOZ PASIVA
La voz pasiva se utiliza para mostrar interés por la persona o cosa que es objeto de una acción, en
lugar de la persona o cosa que realiza dicha acción. Dicho de otro modo, la persona o cosa más
importante pasa a ser el sujeto de la oración.

EJEMPLOS
 The passive voice is used frequently. (= nos interesa la voz pasiva, no quién la usa.)
 The house was built in 1654. (= nos interesa la casa, no quién la construyó.)
 The road is being repaired. (= nos interesa la carretera, no quién la está arreglando.)

En ocasiones empleamos la voz pasiva porque desconocemos o no queremos mencionar quién

realizó la acción.

EJEMPLOS
 I noticed that a window had been left open.
 Every year thousands of people are killed on our roads.
 All the cookies have been eaten.
 My car has been stolen!
La voz pasiva suele utilizarse en textos formales. Cambiar a la voz activa hará que lo que escribes
resulte más claro y fácil de leer.

Pasiva Activa

A great deal of meaning is conveyed by a few well-chosen words. A few well-chosen words convey

Our planet is wrapped in a mass of gases. A mass of gases wrap around our

Waste materials are disposed of in a variety of ways. The city disposes of waste materia

Si queremos decir quién o qué realiza la acción en una construcción en pasiva, empleamos la
preposición "by". Cuando sabemos quién realizó la acción y el sujeto nos interesa, siempre es
mejor optar por la voz activa.

Pasiva Activa

"A Hard Day's Night" was written by the Beatles. The Beatles wrote "A Hard Day

The movie ET was directed by Spielberg. Spielberg directed the movie ET

This house was built by my father. My father built this house.

Consulta más información sobre la voz pasiva y sus equivalentes en activa para todos los tiempos
verbales del inglés.

FORMACIÓN DE LA VOZ PASIVA

En inglés, la voz pasiva está compuesta por dos elementos:
la forma apropiada del verbo "to be" + "past participle"

Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa Inter

The house was built in 1899. The house wasn't built in 1899. Was the house built in 1899? Was
Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa Inter

These houses were built in These houses weren't built in Were these houses built in Wer
1899. 1899. 1899? 1899

"TO CLEAN", VOZ PASIVA

Sujeto + "to be" (conjugado) + "past participle" + resto de l

Simple present

The house is cleaned every day.

Present continuous

The house is being cleaned at the mom

Simple past

The house was cleaned yesterday.

Past continuous

The house was being cleaned last week.

Present perfect

The house has been cleaned since you le

Past perfect
 Sujeto + "to be" (conjugado) + "past participle" + resto de l

The house had been cleaned before they

Future

The house will be cleaned next week.

Future continuous

The house will be being cleaned tomorrow.

Present conditional

The house would be cleaned if they had

Past conditional

The house would have been cleaned if it had bee

Inifinitivo

The house must be cleaned before we a

LA VOZ PASIVA CON INFINITIVOS

El infinitivo en la voz pasiva se emplea detrás de los verbos modales y de la mayoría de los verbos
que normalmente van seguidos de infinitivo.

EJEMPLOS
 You have to be tested on your English grammar.
 John might be promoted next year.
 She wants to be invited to the party.
 I expect to be surprised on my birthday.
  You may be disappointed.

LA VOZ PASIVA CON EL "GERUND"

El "gerund" en la voz pasiva se utiliza después de las preposiciones y verbos que normalmente van
seguidos de "gerund".

EJEMPLOS
 I remember being taught to drive.
 The children are excited about being taken to the zoo.
 The children are excited to be taken to the zoo.
 Most film stars hate being interviewed.
 Most film stars hate to be interviewed.
 Poodles like to be pampered.
 Poodles like being pampered.

USO DE "TO BE BORN"

"To be born" es una formación pasiva y suele emplearse en pasado. Sin embargo, en algunos
casos, el presente o el futuro resultan apropiados.

EJEMPLOS
 I was born in 1976.
 Where were you born?
 Around 100 babies are born in this hospital every week.
 We don't know on exactly which day the baby will be born.

En ocasiones, la voz pasiva se forma utilizando los verbos "to get" o "to have" en lugar del verbo "to
be". Estas particularidades se tratan en una página aparte, modos alternativos de formar la voz
pasiva.