ni2 16/5/12

Homework: read the notes at the end of the entry about “Short answers (also echo questions) and question tags” and do ex.6 p. 115. + writing p.124( but you choose the topic)

grove /ɡrəʊv/

Re‧nowned

Known and admired by a lot of people, especially for a special skill, achievement, or quality [= famous]

Flea market [countable]

A market where old or used goods are sold

.. Strollers, carry cots, car seats, buggies - For Babies –

Sick to death of something (spoken)

Extremely bored with something: We are sick to death of the constant talk of a baseball strike.

Convertible car

Hacer sus necesidades (euf) to relieve oneself (euph)

…

Interested in

We would like to know how many rooms the house has

As you told me…

Are there beaches near the house?

Interested in going to Spain

Is it near the coast?

We have 2 houses

Near the Grand Canyon

A very interesting place to know

3 bedrooms

You can swim

Air conditioning

How far is it from the beach?

Famous

fa‧cil‧i‧ty plural facilities

1

 Facilities

 [Plural] rooms, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose:

All rooms have private facilities (=private bathroom and toilet).

' class=pronsentence title="Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM" v:shapes="_x0000_i1026"> The hotel has its own pool and leisure facilities.

Toilet facilities

Childcare facilities

References

4 or 5 years ago

Information about the house

How many rooms does the house have?

I’d like to know how many rooms the house has.

There is air conditioning.

That you are going to enjoy…

You can ride a horse

Wolves

I’d like a different…

Nobody disturbs you.

This house has…

To move there.

It depends. If you…

The reason for calling…

We have seen

3 bathrooms

Culture/ ˈkʌltʃə(r)/

When would you like to exchange..?

By then…

It’s very near

Be extra careful

Let them…

- This is Valerie from Spain (In a phone conversation), may I talk to…

- Pepe speaking./It’s me.

If you want to know + / extra information.

At midday

In July

Your advert on the internet…

On the same page

We would like to know when we can go to your house

Even videogames

…

Use of I wish / if only:

There are three distinct types of “I wish / if only” sentences:

1.   Wish, wanting change for the present or future with the simple past.

2.   Regret with the past perfect.

3.   Complaints with would + verb.

Expressing a wish:

Form:

If only / I wish + simple past

Example:

If only I knew how to use a computer. (I don’t know how to use a computer and I would like to learn how to use it)

Use:

• To express a wish in the present or in the future.
• The simple past here is an unreal past.
• When you use the verb to be the form is “were”.
  Example:
  I wish I were a millionaire!

Expressing regret:

Form:

If only / I wish + past perfect

Example:

If only I had woken up early. (I didn’t wake up early and I missed my bus.)

Use:

• To express a regret.
• The action is past.

Complaining:

Form:

I wish / if only + would + verb

Example:

I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time (I'm annoyed because you always come late and I want you to arrive on time)

Use:

• To complain about a behaviour that you disapprove.
• Expressing impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.

I wish, If only.

Wishes about the present

We use wish with past Tense forms (simple and continuous) to express regret about present situations:

- I wish I was taller = (I’m not very tall)

- I wish I was going with you = (but I'm not)

I wish you were more help. = (you are not) I wish I were can replace I wish I was.

To many people, I wish I were sounds more correct:

I wish I were taller.

We use wish with could to express a wish for a present situation to be different:

 I wish I could use a computer well.

(wrong→) I wish I would tell her about it.

I wish I could tell her about it.

Past Simple: I wish I knew the answer. (= I don’t know)

Past Simple: I wish I was /were better at sports. (= I'm not)

Past Continuous: I wish I was /were going with you. (= I'm not)    

Could: I wish I could give you an answer. (= I can't)

Would: I wish you would be quiet. (= Your talking irritates me.)

Past Perfect: I wish I had known you then. (= but I didn't)

Could have: I wish I could have explained. (= I wasn't able to)

Wishes about the future

We use wish with would to say how we would like somebody to behave in the future:

(Wrong →) I wish you to stop talking.

(right→) I wish you would stop talking.

(Wrong →) I wish that they will stop arguing.

(right→) I wish they would stop arguing.

• We can also use this pattern in situations that do not involve people:

I wish this car would go faster.

Wishes about the past

We use wish with the Past Perfect when we have

Regrets about the past:

I wish I hadn't taken your advice. (= but I did)

I wish she could have come. (= but she didn't)

If only

“If only” can be more emphatic than “I wish”. The verb forms after if only are the same as the patterns with wish:

If only I had more money! (= but I haven't)

If only I was going on holiday with you!

If only you were here. (= but you re not)

If only the sun would come out!

If only you could be here! (= but you're not)

If only I'd listened to you! (=but I didn't )

If only he could have explained! (=but he wasn't able to)

…

Wish / if only

Similarly we can use wish and if only + past simple to express a wish for something to be different than it actually is:

If only I could lose some weight. Then I'd be able to wear this dress.

If only I had more free time. I'm sure I'd be less stressed and more cheerful.

I wish I were younger. I'd love to be able to play tennis like Roger Federer.

I wish you could drive. Then I wouldn't need to be your personal chauffeur.

Note that we also use wish and if only with the past perfect to express a regret about the past, a wish that something might have been different:

I wish I'd had more children. Then I wouldn't be so lonely now.

I wish you'd told me you felt lonely. You could've spent the summer with me.

Note that the shortened forms of I'd had and you'd told in the above examples are abbreviations of the past perfect:

I wish I had had more children. Then I wouldn't be so lonely now.

I wish you had told me you felt lonely. You could've spent the summer with me.

…

Short answers and question tags

Short answers

We normally answer with no if we are confirming negative questions and yes if we are in agreement with affirmative questions:

~I'm not coming to the youth club tonight.

~ Aren't you?

~ No, I'm not.

~I won't be moving in with Jane after all.

~ Won't you?

~ No, I won't.

~I'm really enjoying myself here.

~ Are you?

~ Yes, I certainly am.

~I'll write to you as soon as I get there.

~ Will you?

~ Yes, I will. I promise.

The purpose of short questions like these is to check the accuracy of the information that has been given, perhaps because we are surprised by it or have some doubts about it.

Note that we do not repeat all the information. The normal short question/short answer pattern is typically auxiliary verb + subject plus any additional words needed for emphasis:

~I don't like any type of seafood.

~ Don't you?

~ No, I really don't.

~I wouldn't ever wear such short skirts.

~ Wouldn't you?

~ No, I never would.

~I'm going to sack all the staff and close the unit.

~ Are you really?

~ Yes, I am.

Also note that contracted forms are normal in negative short questions and answers, but cannot be used in the affirmative where stressed, non-contracted forms are needed.

Expressing disbelief

Note that to express disbelief we sometimes use a longer response and repeat everything we have heard. By using a rising intonation at the end, we 'echo' the information back and turn it into a question:

~ I'm going to sack all the staff and close the unit.

~ You're going to sack all the staff and close the unit?

~ That's what I intend to do, yes.

~ He broke his collarbone on purpose to get out of playing rugby.

~ He broke his collarbone on purpose to get out of playing rugby?

~ That's what he did!

Question tags

We also often use question tags to check information or to request agreement. With a positive statement we normally use a negative question tag. With a negative statement, we always use a positive tag.

If the main sentence contains an auxiliary verb or the non-auxiliary verb “be”, this is repeated in the question tag. If the main sentence has no auxiliary, the question tag is formed with do or did:

It's not very warm today, is it?

It's quite cold today, isn't it?

This beer hasn't been properly chilled, has it?

This beer's been out of the fridge too long, hasn't it?

She must've known the meeting had been postponed, mustn't she?

You like Kevin a lot, don't you?

But you're not too keen on Brian, are you?

He used to play for Arsenal, didn't he?

But he never played for England, did he?

Replying to question tags

If you are confirming a positive statement, you say yes. If you are disagreeing with a positive statement, you say no. In other words, it is the main sentence that you are responding to, not so much the tag:

~ She must've known the meeting had been postponed, mustn't she?

~ Yes, she must've. I wrote to her myself.

~ You've completed the assignments I gave you last week, haven't you?

~ No, not yet. I'm sorry. I haven't.

Similarly, if you want to confirm a negative statement, you say no and if you want to disagree with a negative statement, you say yes.

~ You didn't know that Wendy married Brian after all, did you?

~ No, I didn't.

~ You didn't ever complete your MA, did you?

~ Yes, I did. I completed it when I was in India.

QUESTION TAGS

Las 'question tags' son un tipo de preguntas que hacemos para solicitar una confirmación de la persona con la que hablas.

- Vives en Gran Canaria, ¿no?

¿A QUÉ NOS REFERIMOS?

Las 'question tags' son pequeñas preguntas que se utilizan al final de una frase. Las utilizamos para solicitar una confirmación o para saber si algo es cierto o no.

Vives en Gran Canaria, ¿no?

Do you live in Gran Canaria, don't you?

¿CÓMO SE FORMAN?

Para formar las 'question tags' necesitamos el verbo auxiliar o el verbo modal de la frase principal. Debemos tener en cuenta que el auxiliar o el modal que utilicemos dependerá de lo que usemos en la frase principal.

AFIRMATIVA: Cuando la frase principal es afirmativa debemos poner la 'question tag' en forma negativa.

Ellos fueron al parque, ¿no?

They went to the park, didn’t they?

* En este caso la frase está en Pasado Simple, por lo que la 'question tag' también debe estar en ese tiempo.

NEGATIVA: Cuando la frase principal es negativa debemos poner la 'question tag' en afirmativa.

Ellos no fueron al parque, ¿no?

They didn’t go to the park, did they?

* Recuerda que cuando la frase principal tenga una palabra con sentido negativo consideraremos la frase como negativa.

Ellos nunca van al parque, ¿no?

They never go to the park, do they?

¿QUÉ DEBO RECORDAR?

Lo importante que debemos tener en cuenta es lo siguiente:

·         Recuerda que cuando la frase está en Presente Simple, la 'question tag' sería con 'do/does'. Si es el verbo 'to be' utilizamos la forma correspondiente del verbo 'to be'.

·         Cuando la frase principal está en Pasado Simple, utilizaremos el auxiliar 'did'.

·         Si utilizamos los modales, pondremos el modal utilizado (I.e. She can't speak English, can she?)

ECHO QUESTIONS

PARA QUÉ SIRVE?

Las 'echo questions' son un tipo de preguntas que hacemos los hablantes para mostrar sorpresa o para expresar un deseo de saber más información. Vemos un ejemplo que nos ayude a entenderlo.

- Estoy muy feliz hoy

- ¿sí?

¿A QUÉ NOS REFERIMOS?

Como ya hemos dicho nos referimos a un tipo de preguntas que, en conversación, hacemos los hablantes para intentar recabar más información.

En la explicación utilizaremos dos frases; la principal, que es la que dice el primer hablante, y la 'echo question', que es la pregunta que formula el segundo hablante.

¿CÓMO SE FORMAN?

Para formar este tipo de preguntas tenemos que utilizar un auxiliar y un pronombre personal. Veamos una frase principal y la 'echo question' correspondiente.

- Ella está muy feliz hoy.

- She is really happy today.

- ¿sí?

- Is she?

Recuerda que el auxiliar que utilicemos debe ser el mismo que utilizaríamos para formar una pregunta normalmente. Además, no importa si la frase es negativa. En ese caso respetamos esa característica en la 'echo question'.

- No me gustó el coche azul.

- I didn’t like the blue car.

- ¿Sí?

- Didn't you?

Si utilizamos un modal debemos utilizarlo también en la 'echo question'.

- Yo sé hablar inglés.

- I can speak English.

- ¿Sí?

- Can you?

¿QUÉ DEBO RECORDAR?

Lo importante que debemos tener en cuenta es lo siguiente:

·         Recuerda que este tipo de preguntas no tienen una equivalencia exacta en español. Simplemente recuerda que se utiliza para pedir más información.

·         Es importante notar que el verbo modal o auxiliar que utilicemos debe coincidir con el utilizado en la frase principal.

·         Recuerda que las 'Question Tags' son similares, pero se usan de otra forma (I.e. You like apples, don't you?)