English/Spanish blog from somewhere in La Mancha / Blog en inglés y español de un lugar de La Mancha

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Tuesday 29 April 2014

There was, there were, etc.

Don Quijote

Wasn´t there a reason why I was learning English?

¿No había una razón por la que yo estaba aprendiendo inglés? 



Sancho

There were several. But let´s not talk about that. Allow me to bring up a different subject. There was an interesting bit of news on Mortal TV today. Do you know they are using the latest technology to find the remains of our daddy? They are searching in the convent where he is believed to have been buried. 
    
Había varias. Pero no hablemos de eso. Permíteme cambiar de tema. Dieron una noticia interesante en tele mortal hoy. ¿Sabes que están utilizando la tecnología más punta para encontrar los restos de nuestro papá? Están buscando en el convento donde se supone que fue enterrado.

 
Don Quijote 

Was there anything to be found? Nothing yet? Well, I really hope they find him. We could go to pay our respects and put some flowers on his grave.But for the present, let us review there was, there were, there wasn´t and there weren´t. I know eight rules.

¿Se pudo encontrar algo?  ¿Todavía nada? Pues espero que le encuentren. Podríamos ir a visitarle y a poner flores en su tumba. Pero de momento, repasemos there was, there were, there wasn´t y there weren´t. Yo me sé ocho reglas.

Para singular: there was, there wasn´t
Para plural: there were, there weren´t
Con some: there was, there were (sólo afirmativa)
Con no: there was no, there were no  
 Con any: there wasn´t any, there weren´t any (sólo negativa)
Con any: was there, were there, wasn´t there, weren´t there (interrogativa)

En la interrogativa, se usan wasn´t there o weren´t there para las preguntas cuya respuesta ya crees que sabes. Sólo preguntas para que te confirmen esa respuesta.
También se usan wasn´t there y weren´t there en la interrogativa para expresar sorpresa.
 
There was, there were, there wasn´t, there weren´t.
___1. There (a)was b)were) flowers in the vase.
___2. There (a)were b)weren´t) any people in the room.
___3. There (a)was b)weren´t) many windows. At least six.
___4. There (a)was b)were) some milk in the fridge.
___5. There (a)wasn´t b)weren´t) any children in the park.
___6.  There (a) was b)were) enough chairs.
___7. There (a) was b)were) many posters on the walls.
___8. There (a)wasn´t b)weren´t) anyone at home.
___9. There (a)was b)were) somebody outside waiting for you.
___10. There (a)were b)weren´t) no  red pencils in the pencil case.
___11. There (a)were b)weren´t) any of my friends at the party.
___12. I saw that there (a)was b)were) two men in the dark blue van.
___13. There (a)was b)weren´t) many students in class today. Most were on a field trip.
___14. There (a)were b)weren´t) no lemons growing on the tree.
___15. There (a)was b)were) some peanuts in a small green bowl.

Was there, were there, wasn´t there, weren´t there:
___1. (a)Was b)Were) there any apples in the fruit basket?
___2. (a)Wasn´t b)Weren´t) there any water?
___3. (a)Was b)Wasn´t) there a teacher in the classroom? How strange!
___4. (a)Was b)Were) there two cars in the garage?
___5. (a)Was b)Were) there children in the cinema?
___6. (a)Was b)Were) there a rainbow in the sky?
___7. (a)Weren´t b)Were) there any biscuits? I bought a lot.
___8. (a)Wasn´t b)Was) there a candy shop in this street when we were little? I think there was one. Do you remember it?
___9. (a)Was b)Were) there many stalls in the mediaeval market?
___10. (a)Was b)Wasn´t) there a girl named Sandra in our class? A redhead?
___11.(a)Wasn´t b)Weren´t) there any sandwiches left?
___12. (a)Wasn´t b)Weren´t) there a Jewish family living near your house? The Meirs? 
___13. (a)Was b)Were) there any Italians in your English class?
___14. (a)Was b)Were) there cherry trees in Grandpa´s orchard? 
___15. (a)Wasn´t b)Were) there any sugar? 


Tuesday 22 April 2014

Wild Flowers for Earth Day / Flores silvestres para el día de la tierra


Today is Earth Day and we are going to plant wild flowers.
/ Hoy es el Día de la Tierra y vamos a plantar flores silvestres. 

Saturday 19 April 2014

Pysanky / Pisankas




The kids are surprised and delighted by the mysterious decorated eggs hanging from a little branch of the Easter tree.

Los niños están sorprendidos y encantados con los misteriosos huevos decorados que cuelgan de una ramita del árbol de Pascua Florida.

  Alpin

Why haven´t you asked me if I painted those eggs? Think only the bad and never the good of Alpin. You didn´t hesitate to accuse me of stealing them, Thistle, you suspicious skinflint.

¿Por que no me has preguntado si yo pinté esos huevos? Pensad sólo lo malo y nunca lo bueno de Alpin. No dudaste en acusarme de robar esos huevos, Cardo, rácana desconfiada.


 Thistle

That will do. You´ve made your point. We are four and there are five eggs. One for each of us and one for the mysterious painter. You get to choose one first, Alpin. That should make you feel better.

¡Ya basta! Lo has dejado claro. Somos cuatro y hay cinco huevos. Uno para cada uno de nosotros y otro para el misterioso pintor. Tú serás el primero en elegir, Alpin. Eso debería hacer que te sientas mejor. 

 
Come on, choose!

 ¡Venga, escoge!

 Arley

Be careful with those eggs. It would be enough that they are pretty, but they are also talismans meant to ward off evil.

Tened mucho cuidado con esos huevos. Bastaría con que sean bonitos, pero es que además son talismanes que ahuyentan el mal.  

 Heather
 
It´s funny, what you´ve just said. Last night I dreamt that the world would exist only while eggs were painted. It would go with the last painted egg. A snake would swallow it. Oh, well. The night before that I dreamt I made good at the stock market. I didn´t even know what a stock market was before I dreamt about it. I guess I learn something new every night.
  
Es curioso que hayas dicho eso. Anoche soñé que el mundo sólo seguiría existiendo mientras se pintasen huevos. Se iría con el último huevo pintado. Una serpiente se lo tragaría. Bueno, anteanoche soñé que me fue bien en la bolsa. Yo ni sabía lo que era la bolsa hasta que soñé con ella. Supongo que cada noche aprendo algo nuevo.

 
  Kikicheeky / Kikimorrito
 
Keep painting eggs!

¡Seguid pintando huevos!

 
Happy Easter / ¡Feliz Pascua Florida!

   

Thursday 17 April 2014

Say or Tell



 Sancho

This is something like are you saying this or are you telling it to me but a trifle more complicated. There are a few details you should bear in mind. 

Esto es algo así como me lo dices o me lo cuentas pero en bastante más complicado. Hay unos cuantos detalles que conviene recordar.

Para decir algo, usa “say.”
Para decirle algo a alguien, usa “tell.”
I said I was happy. / Dije que estaba contento.
I told you I was happy. / Te dije a ti que estaba contento.

Pero se puede decir algo a alguien con “say to…”
I said to her that I was happy. / Le dije a ella que estaba contento.
Es imprescindible el “to.” Y esto no siempre suena muy bien, aunque sea correcto.

Tell se usa para:
- contar un cuento /  tell a story
Susan told (us) a very funny story during lunch. / Susana (nos) contó una historia muy graciosa durante el almuerzo.
- contar un chiste / tell a joke
That comedian tells really funny jokes. / Ese cómico cuenta chistes realmente graciosos. 
- decir la verdad / tell the truth
Bill finally told (his wife) the truth about where he went last night. Guille por fin contó (a su mujer) la verdad sobre dónde estuvo anoche.
- contar o decir una mentira /  tell a lie
Peter tells (everybody) the most unbelievable lies. / Pedro cuenta (a todo el mundo) las mentiras más increibles.
- decir la hora / tell the time
Can you please tell me what time it is?
¿Puedes por favor decirme que hora es?
- predecir el futuro /  tell one´s fortune
The fortuneteller told Jane´s fortune.
La adivina predijo el futuro de Juana.

Say y tell se pueden usar en preguntas normalmente:
Did she say she was coming? / ¿Dijo que iba a venir?
Did she tell you she was coming? / ¿Te dijo a ti que iba a venir?
What did she say? / ¿Qué dijo?
When did she tell you that? / ¿Cuándo te dijo eso?

Pero no se pueden usar ni say ni tell con preguntas indirectas. Hay que usar ask.
She asked (us) what we were doing in her house.
Nos preguntó (a nosotros) que estábamos haciendo nosotros en su casa.
I asked Mary why she was sad.
Le pregunté a María por qué estaba triste.
The cook asked Fred if he was hungry.
El cocinero le preguntó a Fede si estaba hambriento.

Test: Fill in with say, tell, or ask
1. The concierge ­­­____________ me a man was waiting for me in the hall.
2. Clara ____________ that she had received many beautiful birthday presents.
3. Don´t believe George. It´s clear he´s lying. Look how he´s laughing.  He is ____________ you a lie.
4. Jane ____________ that it was twelve o´clock when the phone rang.
5. Mary can´t ___________ us what time it is. She doesn´t have a watch either.
6. The teacher ___________ the pupils to keep their books.
7. Ralph always ___________ interesting stories.
8. They ____________ they had bought the red car.
9- Herbie _____________ that he liked our cookies.
10. “The Storyteller” is a TV show where an old man and his dog ___________ children´s stories.
11. My boss _____________ that I was a good employee.
12. Mr. White _____________ the maid to open the door.
13. Julia _____________ me if I had received her e-mail.
14. Mrs. Ellis __________ her daughter to remember to buy rice.
15.  The French boy ___________Alice that his name was Pierre.
16. She _____________ us not to forget to turn off the lights.
17. The policeman ____________ the little boy where he lived.
18.  Sylvia _______________ her boyfriend a terrible lie.
19. He ________________ that he had to leave.
20.  What did Bill ________________ Alice?
21. Paula ___________ me where she could buy a beautiful dress for little money.
22. Alfred ____________ if Jenna was at home.
23. Rita ___________ her husband if he still loved her.
24. Rita´s husband ___________ her that he still loved her.
25. Rita´s husband __________ that, yes, he still loved her.
26. Robert __________ his sister that she had to help him.
27. Robert __________ his sister to help him.
28. Charles is very honest. He always __________ the truth.
29. Use the tarot cards to _____________ Kay´s fortune.
30. Dr. Abu _________ Monica to take this medicine twice a day.
31. “Go away!” __________ Angela.
32. “Where is Alex?” __________ his sister.
33. “I want to buy some ice-cream,” Lorena _________ me.
34.  “Let me pay for the tickets,” _________ Matt.
35. “I´m awfully tired tonight,” _________ Paul.
36.-37.  ______ something funny. _________ us one of your jokes. 
38. Why are you ___________ me this?
39. Nell __________ me  some very interesting gossip. 
40. Abigail and Howie are always ___________ absurd stuff.
41. Don´t _________ me you forgot to fetch Keith!
42. They ________ Alanna is a very beautiful girl.
43. How must I __________ you that you can´t smoke here?
44. That sign _________ you can´t park here.
45. There is a poster on the wall that _________ we must keep calm and carry on.
46. If you´ve heard the latest news, __________ it to me. I have no idea what is going on in the world.
47. What did you _________ when they asked you for your passport?
48. Who _________ it is better to give than to receive?
49. I __________, what is happening here?
50. People _________ the food in that restaurant is very good.


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