This project funded by Leonardo da Vinci has been carried out with the support of the European Community. The content of this project does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Community or the National Agency, nor does it involve any responsibility on their part. MATERIAL DE FORMACIÓN 5. LOS CONDICIONALES 5.1 EL CONDICIONAL EN LOS VERBOS MODALES (COULD, WOULD, SHOULD) En general, los verbos modales cambian el significado básico del verbo principal añaden más o menos seguridad, probabilidad, obligación, permiso, prohibición...etc. Los verbos COULD / WOULD / SHOULD expresan hechos o acciones que dependen de otro contexto o de otros hechos o acciones(if something happened, we would/should/could...) Dado que tienen el mismo carácter formal, podemos mostrar la FORMA en una tabla de los tres verbos modales en condicional. Se describe El USO y el significado en el apartado de USO. Generalmente, se describe el uso con otras palabras sin embargo, es útil comprobar lo que significan y la traducción en tu lengua materna. Se puede usar todos estos verbos en frases condicionales del Tipo 2 ver el último apartado de este módulo. FORMA Los verbos modales no cambian de forma. El verbo principal que sigue al modal aparece en infinitivo (sin to). No hay do (does), don t (doesn t), did o didn t. Se añade not (n t) al verbo modal para formar el negativo. Pregunta: inversión. Positive and negative I You He/she/it We They could (couldn t) should (shouldn t) would (wouldn t) go. play tennis. do it. Question What How could should would I You He/she/it We They do? help? Yes/No question Would do it? Should he go? Short answer Yes, I would. No, I wouldn t. Yes, he should. No, he shouldn t.
COULD I CAN I WOULD YOU USO (Peticiones, ofertas, permiso e invitaciones) Pedir a alguien que haga algo (peticiones) Muchas veces usamos can o could para pedir a alguien que haga algo: Can you wait a moment, please? o Could you wait a moment, please? Liz, can you do me a favor? Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the airport? I wonder if you could help me. Ojo: se dice 'Do you think (you) could...?' (no 'can'): Do you think you could lend me some money until next week? También se puede usar will y would para pedir a alguien que haga algo (pero can/could es más común): Liz, will you do me a favor? Would you please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate. Pedir cosas Para pedir algo decimos Can I have...? o Could I have...?: (en una tienda) Can I have these postcards, please? (durante una comida) Could I have the salt, please? May I have...? es otra opción (pero se usa menos): May I have these postcards, please? Pedir y conceder permiso Para pedir permiso para hacer algo, podemos usar can, could o may: (on the phone) Hello, can I speak to Tom, please? 'Could I use your phone?' 'Yes, of course.' Do you think I could borrow your bike? 'May I come in?' 'Yes, please do.' Para conceder permiso podemos decir can o may: You can use the phone. o You may use the phone. May es formal y menos común que can o could. Ofrecer hacer algo Para ofrecer hacer algo, podemos usar Can I...?: 'Can I get you a cup of coffee?' 'Yes, that would be very nice.' 'Can I help you?' 'No, it's all right. I can manage.' También se puede usar I'll... para ofrecer hacer algo: You look tired. I'll get you a cup of coffee. Ofrecer e invitar Para ofrecer o invitar usamos Would you like...? (no 'do you like'): 'Would you like a cup of coffee?' 'Yes, please.' 'Would you like to come to dinner tomorrow evening?' 'Yes, I'd love to.' 2
I'd like... es una manera educada de decir lo que quieres: (en la oficina de turismo) I'd like some information about hotels, please. (en una tienda) I'd like to try on this jacket, please. SHOULD You should do something = es bueno hacerlo o es lo correcto. Podemos usar should para dar consejos u opinar: You look tired. You should go to bed. The government should do more to help homeless people. 'Should we invite Susan to the party?' 'Yes, I think we should.' Muchas veces usamos should con I think / I don't think / Do you think...?: I think the government should do more to help homeless people. I don't think you should work so hard. 'Do you think I should apply for this job?' 'Yes, I think you should.' 'You shouldn't do something' = No es bueno hacerlo: You shouldn't believe everything you read in the newspapers. Should no implica tanta obligación como must: You should apologize. (=sería bueno disculparte) You must apologize. (= tienes que disculparte) También usamos should cuando algo no está bien o no es lo que esperamos. Por ejemplo: I wonder where Liz is. She should be here by now. (= todavía no ha venido, y esto no es normal) The price on this packet is wrong. It should be 1.20, not 1.50. Those boys shouldn't be playing football at this time. They should be at school. Usa should para decir lo que pensamos que va a suceder: She's been studying hard for the exam, so she should pass. (= pienso que va a aprobari) There are plenty of hotels in the town. It shouldn't be difficult to find somewhere to stay. (= no creo que sea difícil) 'You should have done something' = no lo hiciste pero hubiera sido lo correcto: It was a great party last night. You should have come. Why didn't you? (= no viniste pero si hubieras venido te lo hubieras pasado muy bien) I'm feeling sick. I shouldn't have eaten so much chocolate. (= comí demasiado chocolate) I wonder why they're so late. They should have been here an hour ago. She shouldn't have been listening to our conversation. It was private. Compara should (do) y should have (done): You look tired. You should go to bed now. You went to bed very late last night. You should have gone to bed earlier. Ought to... Podemos usar ought to en lugar de should en las frases de esta página. Ojo; decimos 'ought to do...' (con to): Do you think I ought to apply for this job? (= Do you think I should apply...?) Jack ought not to go to bed so late. (= Jack shouldn't go...) 3
It was a great party last night. You ought to have come. She's been studying hard for the exam, so she ought to pass. 5.2 FRASES CONDICIONALES (SEGUNDA CONDICIONAL: IF I HAD MONEY, I WOULD BUY IT) Esta es una estructura compleja que expresa una condición inverosímil o improbable y su probable resultado en el presente o en el futuro. Compara estos ejemplos: (1) Sue ha perdido su reloj. Piensa que puede estar en casa de Ann. SUE: I think I left my watch at your house. Have you seen it? ANN: No, but I'll have a look when I get home. If I find it, I'll tell you. En este ejemplo, Ann piensa que hay una posibilidad real de que encuentre su reloj. Por lo tanto dice: If I find..., I'll.... (2) Ann dice: If I found a wallet in the street, I'd take it to the police. Esta situación es diferente. En este caso Ann no está pensando en una posibilidad real; está imaginando la situación y no espera encontrar una cartera por la calle. Por lo tanto dice: If I found... I'd (= I would)... (not 'If I find..., I ll...'). Ver FORM abajo. Cuando una persona se imagina algo así, se usa if + past (if I found / if you were / if we didn't etc.). Pero el significado no es pasado: What would you do if you won a million pounds? (en realidad no esperamos que esto suceda) I don't really want to go to their party, but I probably will go. They'd be offended if I didn't go. Sarah has decided not to apply for the job. She isn't really qualified for it, so she probably wouldn't get it if she applied. FORMA If + Pasado Simple, would (could, should) + infinitivo sin to Positive and negative I had more money, I If She knew the answer, she We lived in China, we d (would) wouldn t buy it. tell me. soon learn Chinese. Question What would you do if you had so much money? Yes/No question Would you travel round the world? Short answer Yes, I would. No, I wouldn t. Se puede colocar la cláusula condicional (parte if de la frase) al principio o al final de la frase;; si viene al principio, insertamos una coma después de la cláusula: If I had more money, I would buy it. Muchas veces Were sustituye a was en una frase condicional: If I were you, I would take it. 4
No usamos would en la cláusula de condición: If the weather was nice... NOT If the weather would be nice USO Esta es una estructura compleja que expresa una condición inverosímil o improbable y su probable resultado en el presente o en el futuro. La condición es inverosímil porque es diferente a los hechos que se saben. Siempre se puede decir But... : If I were Prime Minister, I d increase tax for rich people. (but I m not Prime Minister) What would you do if you saw a ghost? (but I don t expect that you will see a ghost.) Normalmente no se usa would en la parte if de la frase: I'd be very frightened if somebody pointed a gun at me. (no 'if somebody would point') If I didn't go to their party, they'd be offended. (no 'If I wouldn't go') Sin embargo se puede decir 'if... would' al pedir que alguien haga algo: (de una carta formal) I would be grateful if you would send me your brochure as soon possible. 'Shall I close the door?' 'Yes, please, if you would.' En la otra parte de la frase (no la parte -if) usaríamos would ('d) / wouldn't: If you took more exercises, you'd (= you would) probably feel healthier. Would you mind if I used your phone? I'm not tired enough to go to bed yet. I wouldn't sleep (if I went to bed now). Se puede usar Could y might también: If you took more exercise, you might feel healthier. (= it is possible that you would feel healthier) If it stopped raining, we could go out. (= we would be able to go out) No se usa when en frases como las que aparecen en esta página: They would be offended if we didn't accept their invitation. (no 'when we didn't') What would you do if you were bitten by a snake? (no 'when you were bitten') Examina este ejemplo: Sue quiere llamar a Paul pero no sabe su número de teléfono. Sue dice: If I knew his number, I would phone him. Esto nos dice que ella no sabe su teléfono. Está imaginando la situación. La situación real es que no sabe el teléfono de Paul. Al imaginar una situación como ésta, se usa if + past (if I knew / if you were / if we didn't etc. Pero el significado es presente, no pasado: Tom would read more if he had more time. (but he doesn't have much time) If I didn't want to go to the party, I wouldn't go. (but I want to go) We wouldn't have any money if we didn't work. (but we work) If you were in my position, what would you do? It's a pity you can't drive. It would be useful if you could. Usamos el pasado de la misma manera que se usa después de wish (I wish I knew / I wish you were etc.). Usamos wish para decir que nos arrepentimos de algo, que algo no es como nos gustaría que fuese: I wish I knew Paul's phone number. (= I don't know it and I regret this) 5
Do you ever wish you could fly? (you can't fly) It rains a lot here. I wish it didn't rain so often. It's very crowded here. I wish there weren't so many people. (but there are a lot of people) I wish I didn't have to work. (but I have to work) Después de if y wish, se puede usar were en lugar de was (if I were / I wish it were etc.). If I were you, I wouldn't buy that coat. o If I was you... I'd go out if it weren't raining. o if it wasn't raining. I wish it were possible. o I wish it was possible. Normalmente no se usa would en la parte if de la frase o después de wish: If I were rich, I would have a yacht. (not 'If I would be rich') I wish I had something to read. (not 'I wish I would have') Hay veces cuando wish...would es posible ('I wish you would listen'). Ojo: a veces could significa 'would be able to' y otras veces significa 'was/were able to': You could get a job more easily (you could get = you would be able to get) if you could speak a foreign language. (you could speak = you were able to speak) 6