HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE
‘HAVE‘ y ‘GET‘ en la causative form
Si estableciésemos un ranking de los aspectos gramaticales de la lengua inglesa que más traen de cabeza a los estudiantes de inglés, la causative form estaría entre las primeras.
No resulta fácil de entender ni de explicar que exista una estructura gramatical para expresar que el sujeto de una oración no es el que realiza la acción, sino que hace que ésta sea realizada por otra persona. Buff!!
Para que me entendáis mejor, sabéis cuando decimos eso de:“Voy a…” - que me arreglen el coche (el mecánico)—-have/get my car fixed
- cortarme el pelo (la peluquera)—–have/get my hair cut
- revisarme la vista (el oculista)—–have/get my eyes checked
Pues la causative va en ese sentido. Somos nosotros los que nos beneficiamos de una acción que no realizamos en persona sino que mandamos a una tercera persona a que lo haga. Si quisiésemos aclarar quién la realiza, tan solo la añadiremos con la estructura by…
Aquí os dejo dos frases como ejemplo para que comparéis el significado:- He repaired his car
(Él mismo reparó su coche)He had his car repaired (by the mechanic)(Él no reparó su coche. Fue el mecánico quien lo hizo)
*Have y get tienen el mismo significado. Get es más frecuente en el speaking y en las formas imperativas.
Por ejemplo: Get your hair cut! (Ve a cortarte el pelo)
Tiempos verbales
Hasta aquí todo puede parecer más o menos sencillo…pero todo se complica cuando hablamos de tiempos verbales.
Esta forma puede usarse en los diferentes tiempos y obviamente sigue las mismas normas de uso. Con lo cual…¡no nos compliquemos! Si sabemos diferenciar los diferentes tiempos y sus usos, pues no problem at all!!
ESTRUCTURA:
(+) They’re having their windows cleaned now. (-) They aren’t having their windows cleaned now. (?) Are they having their windows cleaned now?
TIEMPO VERBAL HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE Present Simple I have/get my car repaired. Past Simple I had/got my car repaired. Present Continuous I’m having/getting my car repaired. Past Continuous I was having/getting my car repaired. Present Perfect I have had my car repaired. Past Perfect I had had my car repaired. Will I will have my car repaired. Must I must have my car repaired. Future continuous I will be having my car repaired. Future perfect I will have had my car repaired. Imperative Have my car repaired!
¡ATENCIÓN!
La causativa también tiene otro uso.Si queremos referirnos a un hecho desagradable que le ha ocurrido a alguien con alguna pertenencia, usaremos esta estructura:
have + objeto + participio
She had her mobile phone stolen last night. (Le robaron el móvil anoche).
THE PASSIVE VOICE
La voz pasiva se utiliza cuando se desea expresar una acción poniendo más énfasis en el objeto que en la persona que realiza dicha acción. Por ejemplo:
You boil the water for two minutes.
Hierves el agua por dos minutos.
Esta oración indica que alguien hierve el agua durante dos minutos.
En la siguiente oración, sin embargo, se expresa lo mismo pero sin importar quién realiza esa acción.
The water is boiled for two minutes.
El agua se hierve por dos minutos.
Para formar la voz pasiva, se toma el verbo en cuestión y se lo convierte al participio pasado. Luego se agrega el verbo to be en la conjugación y tiempo que corresponde al nuevo sujeto. Por ejemplo:
The police rescued the boy.
The boy was rescued by the police.
La primera oración se encuentra en voz activa. La segunda, en voz pasiva.
El objeto de la primera oración (the boy) para a ser el sujeto en la oración en voz pasiva.
El verbo de la primera oración (rescued) se convierte en "was rescued".
Recordemos la regla: Se toma el participio pasado del verbo y se agrega el verbo to be conjugado en el tiempo que corresponde (en este caso el pasado) y para la persona que corresponde (the boy).
El sujeto de la primera oración (the police) pasa a ser complemento agente en la voz pasiva, agregando by delante. El complemento agente no siempre es colocado en la oración. Solamente se agrega si es relevante.
| TIEMPO VERBAL | HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE |
| Present Simple | I have/get my car repaired. |
| Past Simple | I had/got my car repaired. |
| Present Continuous | I’m having/getting my car repaired. |
| Past Continuous | I was having/getting my car repaired. |
| Present Perfect | I have had my car repaired. |
| Past Perfect | I had had my car repaired. |
| Will | I will have my car repaired. |
| Must | I must have my car repaired. |
| Future continuous | I will be having my car repaired. |
| Future perfect | I will have had my car repaired. |
| Imperative | Have my car repaired! |
La voz pasiva se utiliza cuando se desea expresar una acción poniendo más énfasis en el objeto que en la persona que realiza dicha acción. Por ejemplo:
You boil the water for two minutes.
Hierves el agua por dos minutos.
The water is boiled for two minutes.
El agua se hierve por dos minutos.
You boil the water for two minutes.Hierves el agua por dos minutos.
Esta oración indica que alguien hierve el agua durante dos minutos.
En la siguiente oración, sin embargo, se expresa lo mismo pero sin importar quién realiza esa acción.
En la siguiente oración, sin embargo, se expresa lo mismo pero sin importar quién realiza esa acción.
The water is boiled for two minutes.
El agua se hierve por dos minutos.
Para formar la voz pasiva, se toma el verbo en cuestión y se lo convierte al participio pasado. Luego se agrega el verbo to be en la conjugación y tiempo que corresponde al nuevo sujeto. Por ejemplo:
The police rescued the boy.
The boy was rescued by the police.
The boy was rescued by the police.
La primera oración se encuentra en voz activa. La segunda, en voz pasiva.
El objeto de la primera oración (the boy) para a ser el sujeto en la oración en voz pasiva.
El verbo de la primera oración (rescued) se convierte en "was rescued".
Recordemos la regla: Se toma el participio pasado del verbo y se agrega el verbo to be conjugado en el tiempo que corresponde (en este caso el pasado) y para la persona que corresponde (the boy).
El sujeto de la primera oración (the police) pasa a ser complemento agente en la voz pasiva, agregando by delante. El complemento agente no siempre es colocado en la oración. Solamente se agrega si es relevante.
Examples of Passive
Tense Subject Verb Object Simple Present Active: Rita writes a letter. Passive: A letter is written by Rita. Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter. Passive: A letter was written by Rita. Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter. Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. Future I Active: Rita will write a letter. Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. Modal verbs Active: Rita can write a letter. Passive: A letter can be written by Rita.
Examples of Passive
Tense Subject Verb Object Present Progressive Active: Rita is writing a letter. Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. Past Progressive Active: Rita was writing a letter. Passive: A letter was being written by Rita. Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter. Passive: A letter had been written by Rita. Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter. Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita. Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter. Passive: A letter would be written by Rita. Conditional II Active: Rita would have written a letter. Passive: A letter would have been written by Rita.
Passive Sentences with Two Objects
Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.
Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2 Active: Rita wrote a letter to me. Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita. Passive: I was written a letter by Rita.
As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.
As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.
Personal and Impersonal Passive
Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.
Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.
Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.
Example: he says – it is said
Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).
Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.
Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.
Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men.
The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped).
Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.
WRITING: "An Opinion Essay"
Ir a este Sway
| Ir a este Sway |
IF vs UNLESS
"Unless" significa lo mismo que if + not. Al igual que "if", "unless" va seguido de un verbo en presente, pasado o past perfect (nunca de un condicional). "Unless" se utiliza en lugar de if + not en oraciones condicionales de todos los tipos. Cuando empleamos "unless", el orden de las proposiciones no importa.
"Unless" significa lo mismo que if + not. Al igual que "if", "unless" va seguido de un verbo en presente, pasado o past perfect (nunca de un condicional). "Unless" se utiliza en lugar de if + not en oraciones condicionales de todos los tipos. Cuando empleamos "unless", el orden de las proposiciones no importa.
Conditional Sentences / If-Clauses Type I, II and III
There are three types of conditional sentences.
type condition I condition possible to fulfill II condition in theory possible to fulfill III condition not possible to fulfill (too late)
There are three types of conditional sentences.
| type | condition |
|---|---|
| I | condition possible to fulfill |
| II | condition in theory possible to fulfill |
| III | condition not possible to fulfill (too late) |
1. Form
type if-clause main clause I Simple Present will-future or (Modal + infinitive) II Simple Past would + infinitive * III Past Perfect would + have + past participle *
| type | if-clause | main clause |
|---|---|---|
| I | Simple Present | will-future or (Modal + infinitive) |
| II | Simple Past | would + infinitive * |
| III | Past Perfect | would + have + past participle * |
2. Examples (if-clause at the beginning)
type if clause main clause I If I study, I will pass the exam. II If I studied, I would pass the exam. III If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.
| type | if clause | main clause |
|---|---|---|
| I | If I study, | I will pass the exam. |
| II | If I studied, | I would pass the exam. |
| III | If I had studied, | I would have passed the exam. |
3. Examples (if-clause at the end)
type main clause if-clause I I will pass the exam if I study. II I would pass the exam if I studied. III I would have passed the exam if I had studied.
| type | main clause | if-clause |
|---|---|---|
| I | I will pass the exam | if I study. |
| II | I would pass the exam | if I studied. |
| III | I would have passed the exam | if I had studied. |
4. Examples (affirmative and negative sentences)
type Examples long forms short/contracted forms I + If I study, I will pass the exam. If I study, I'll pass the exam. - If I study, I will not fail the exam.
If I do not study, I will fail the exam.
If I study, I won't fail the exam.
If I don't study, I'll fail the exam. II + If I studied, I would pass the exam. If I studied, I'd pass the exam. - If I studied, I would not fail the exam.
If I did not study, I would fail the exam. If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam.
If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam. III + If I had studied, I would have passed the exam. If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam. - If I had studied, I would not have failed the exam.
If I had not studied, I would have failed the exam. If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the exam.
If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the exam.
* We can substitute could or might for would (should, may or must are sometimes possible, too).
- I would pass the exam.
- I could pass the exam.
- I might pass the exam.
- I may pass the exam.
- I should pass the exam.
- I must pass the exam
WAS or WERE?
| type | Examples | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| long forms | short/contracted forms | ||
| I | + | If I study, I will pass the exam. | If I study, I'll pass the exam. |
| - | If I study, I will not fail the exam. If I do not study, I will fail the exam. | If I study, I won't fail the exam. If I don't study, I'll fail the exam. | |
| II | + | If I studied, I would pass the exam. | If I studied, I'd pass the exam. |
| - | If I studied, I would not fail the exam. If I did not study, I would fail the exam. | If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam. If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam. | |
| III | + | If I had studied, I would have passed the exam. | If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam. |
| - | If I had studied, I would not have failed the exam. If I had not studied, I would have failed the exam. | If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the exam. If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the exam. | |
* We can substitute could or might for would (should, may or must are sometimes possible, too).
- I would pass the exam.
- I could pass the exam.
- I might pass the exam.
- I may pass the exam.
- I should pass the exam.
- I must pass the exam
WAS or WERE?
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS VS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Use: To describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing or have recently stopped with present relevance.
Structure:
have/has + been + verb-ing
Examples:
- She has been studying for three hours.
- I’ve been working a lot lately.
Common time expressions: for, since, lately, recently, all day, how long
Use: To describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing or have recently stopped with present relevance.
Structure:
have/has + been + verb-ingExamples:
- She has been studying for three hours.
- I’ve been working a lot lately.
Common time expressions: for, since, lately, recently, all day, how long
✅ Past Perfect Continuous
Use: To describe actions that were ongoing before another action in the past.
Structure:
had + been + verb-ing
Examples:
- He had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally arrived.
- They had been living in Madrid before they moved to Bilbao.
Common time expressions: before, until, when, for, since
Use: To describe actions that were ongoing before another action in the past.
Structure:
had + been + verb-ingExamples:
- He had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally arrived.
- They had been living in Madrid before they moved to Bilbao.
Common time expressions: before, until, when, for, since
