Reported questions

When we report what people say, we usually change the tense of the verbs to reflect that we are reporting – not giving direct speech. This pattern is followed when we report questions and there are also other important changes between direct questions and reported questions.

Yes/no questions

·         Direct question: “Do you like working in teams?” Reported question: He asked if I like working in teams.

When we report yes/no questions we use ‘if’ or ‘whether’.

·         Direct question: “Did you enjoy the party?” Reported question: She asked me whether I’d enjoyed the party.

The tense of the verb changes as it does in reported speech but we don’t use auxiliary verbs. The word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence.

Questions with a question word

·         Direct question: “What time does the train leave?” Reported question: He asked what time the train left.

When there is a question word (what, where, why, who, when, how) we use that question word in the reported question but there is no auxiliary verb and the word order is like an affirmative sentence (‘what time the train left’ not He asked me what time did the train leave.)

Look at some more examples:

• ·         Direct question: “Who did you see?”
• ·         Reported question: She asked me who I’d seen.
• 
  
• ·         Direct question: “Where did you go to school?”
• ·         Reported question: He asked me where I’d gone to school.
• 
  
• ·         Direct question: “Why are you crying?”
• ·         Reported question: She asked him why he was crying.

Notice that the reported questions do not have a question mark at the end.

Indirect questions

Similar to reported questions are indirect questions.

·         Can you tell me what time the train leaves? NOT Can you tell me what time does the train leave?

·         I’d love to know what he said to her. NOT I’d love to know what did he say to her.

Reported speech

Partiendo de una oración en estilo indirecto, debemos seguir los siguientes pasos para pasarla a estilo indirecto:

·         Definir el tipo de oración:

o    Afirmación

Nosotros utilizamos los verbos

Say (Said): para hablar de manera general.

Tell (Told): es el que utilza un objeto después de este verbo. Por ejemplo:

Me, You. Him, Her, Us, Them

Podéis ver esto en mayor detalle en este post sobre el reported speech

·         Definir si se deben hacer concordar los tiempos verbales: como hemos dicho antes, si el verbo en la oración introductoria no está en presente, eso significa que habrá que cambiar los tiempos verbales para que concuerden. Aquí os dejamos una chuleta, para que sepáis que tiempo verbal sustituye a cada cual:

o    Present simple =Past Simple

o    Past Simple =Past Perfect

o    Present perfect = Past Perfect

o    Past perfect = Past Perfect

o    Will (future) = Would

o    Can = Could

o    Should = Should

o    Be going to = was/were going to

·         Definir en qué tiempo verbal está la oración introductoria: la oración introductoria es a que se convertirá en main clause en la nueva oración en estilo indirecto. Ésta puede estar o bien en presente o bien en algún tiempo pasado. Si está en presente, no será necesario cambiar el verbo de la subordinada; si está en un tiempo pasado será necesario cambiarlo para que concuerde. Por ejemplo

o    Paul always says: “ those were the best years of my life” > Paul always says those were the best years of his life.

o    Paul said: “ those were the best years of my life” > Paul said those had been the best years of his life.

·         Definir si se debe cambiar la persona (el pronombre personal): al igual que ocurre con los verbos, la persona también debe concordar cuando pasamos una oración a estilo indirecto. Esto puede suponer, en algunos casos, un cambio en los pronombres personales y posesivos (no cuando se refiere a una tercera persona). Por ejemplo:

o    Andrew said: “it is all my fault” > Andrew sad it was all his fault

o    Mary told me “you are my best friend” > MAry told me I was her best friend

o    Robert said: “the guests are about to arrive” > Robert said the guests were about to arrive.

CAUSATIVE HAVE AND GET

We use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us or for another person. It means that the subject caused the action to happen, but didn't do it themselves. Maybe they paid, or asked, or persuaded the other person to do it. For example, we can say:

• ·         I cleaned my house. (This means I cleaned it myself).
• If I paid someone to clean it, of course I can say:
• ·         A cleaner cleaned my house.
• But, another way is to use a causative construction. So I can also say:
• ·         I had my house cleaned.
• In a sense, using a causative verb is similar to using a passive. The important thing is that the house is now clean. We don't focus on who did the cleaning.

Have + object + past participle (have something done)

We usually use 'have something done' when we are talking about paying someone to do something for us. It's often used for services. The form is 'subject + have + object + past participle'.

• ·         I had my car washed.
• ·         John will have his house painted.

Get + object + past participle (get something done

We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.

• ·         The students get their essays checked.
• ·         I'll get my hair cut next week.
• ·         He got his washing machine fixed.
• Try an exercise about 'have something done' and 'get something done' here.

Have someone do something (have + person + infinitive)

• We can also use the construction 'subject + have + person + infinitive'. This has a very similar meaning to 'have something done', which we've already talked about, but this time we say who did the thing - we talk about the person who we asked to do the thing for us.
• ·         I had the electrician look at my broken light.
• ·         The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.
• ·         The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.

Get someone to do something (get + person + to + infinitive)

Finally, we can also use the construction 'get + someone + to + infinitive'. Again, this means that you cause the other person to do the action, maybe by paying them to do it, or by asking them to do it, or by persuading them to do it.

1. ·         She gets her son to do his homework by promising him ice cream when he's finished.
2. ·         I got the cleaner to clean under the cupboards.
3. Sometimes, this construction has the feeling that we needed to convince someone to do something, while the other constructions on this page are neutral.

Adjectives ending in “ED” and ”ING”

Some adjectives have the characteristic of ending in “ed” and “ing”. Let’s ltake a look at the rules.

§  We use adjectives ending in “ING” to describe something.

Examples:
Maria is watching a very interesting movie.
I hate that teacher. He is really boring.

§  We use adjectives ending in “ED” when we want to describe how people feel.

Examples:
This movie isn’t interesting. I am bored.
Juan is very exited because he is going to travel to Miami for the first time.

Conclusions
– We can use adjectives ending in “ing” for things or people. Remember that when we use “ing” it is describing the person or thing.
– We can use the “ed” ONLY for people (or animals) because THINGS CANNOT FEEL.

We can say:
Felipe is boring. (describes his personality).
Felipe is bored. (he feels bored at the moment)

We can’t say:
The TV program is bored – INCORRECT (because things can’t feel).

***Queda claro que para cosas, situaciones u objetos usamos la terminación “ing” y no es posible usar “ed”. La razón es porque se usa la terminación “ed” para expresar lo que uno siente y está claro que las cosas sin vida no pueden sentir. Para personas uno puede usar “ed” (cuando uno siente) o  “ing” pero esta última se usa para DESCRIBIR a la persona. Así que si yo digo “Juan is depressed” quiere decir que se encuentra deprimido ya que describo la situación actual porque por algina razón se siente asi. En cambio si decimos “Juan is depressing” entonces describimos a Juan. Es una persona depresiva.  

ejemplos de adjetivos:

Article THE/ ZERO ARTICLE

Article The (Artículo el, los, la, las)

Este considera el articulo THE en inglés, cuyo significado es (Artículo el, los, la, las) para el usos de éste artículo se deben de seguir las siguientes reglas.

Cuando se habla de alguna cosa antes ya mencionada.

·         

      Cats are the best pets in the world. The cats are small animal.

Cuando este es alguna cosa única y también se refiere e un  grupo.

·         The Coca-Cola Company S.A. de C.V.

·         The internet

Con algunos nombres  países que en plural tiene el sustantivo o la palabra estados (States), reino (Kingdom) ,

·         The United Kingdom

·         The United States Of American

·         The Netherlands

Con lugares geográficos.

·         The Nile River

·         The Amazon River

Cuando el sustantivo responde la pregunta ¿Cuál?  ¿Qué?

What is the most beutifil girl? The most beautiful girl is Jennifer López.

ZERO ARTICLE

Son las que en ingles no llevan el articulo THE pero al pasarlos en español si se escriben.

Cuando hablamos de cosas contables en plural de manera general.

Videos (los Videos)

Potatoes  (las papas)
Cuando hablamos acerca de cosas incontables de manera general.

Money (el dinero)

Con nombres de personas meses, ciudades, países y ciertos productos,

Cities:

1.    New York City

2.    Kansas City

Monts:

·         January         July

·         February       Augost

·         March            September

·         April               Octuber                    

·         May                November

·         June              December

Names of people:

Edgar

Mark

Contries

Mexico           Spain

Italy                Germany

The Indirect Question

Estas preguntas suelen realizarse cuando en un grupo de personas no se conoce a nadie. Este se utiliza solo en presente y pasado.

Phrases For Indirect Questions (Frases que se utilizan para las preguntas indirectas)

• Could you tell me…?
• Do you know…?
• I was wondering…?
• Do you have any idea…?
• I’d like to know…?
• Would it be possible…?
• Is there any chance…?

Por ejemplo para preguntar la hora es necesario hacerlo de manera amable.

Could you tell me what is your name?

En forma presente el bervo ser en prensente y sin auxiliar.

Por ejemplo

What do you do?

Could you tell me what you do?

Y en pasado seria

What did you do?

Could you tell me what you did?