Functional English: Making Recommendations

Hiya!
In this post we will move onto the topic of making recommendations and how we can soften our advice in order to seem less bossy.   There are quite a few phrases you can use for recommending somebody to do something. Watch these examples:
I recommend reading that book.
I recommend you to see that film.
I don't recommend you to see them again.
I don't think you should give her the ring there.
I really recommend the western Andalusian beaches.
You could take your John to the opera show tonight.
Oh, you must buy the latest Shakira CD!
Maybe I shouldn't get him a DVD. I should get him a CD instead.
You could perhaps think about buying a new PC.
You might want to change the layout.
You might like to change the format.
You could try taking the car to the garage.
What I would do is study all the lines by heart.

Note the sentence patterns after each expression: some will be followed by infinitive, some by a gerund and others by a noun phrase.

When asking for a recommendation, use any of these expressions:
Have you got any recommendations?
So what do you recommend?

Use "It's just..." to explain your recommendations, for instance:
You could perhaps think about changing the format. It's just that I think it needs a stronger image.
What I would do is change the format. It's just to give the page a bit more structure.


¡Hola!
En este artículo vamos a pasar ahora al tema de cómo hacer recomendaciones y cómo podemos suavizar nuestros consejos para que nos hagan parecer menos mandón. Hay unas cuántas expresiones que podéis utilizar para recomendar a alguien que haga algo. Observa estos ejemplos:
I recommend reading that book.  (Recomiendo leer ese libro)
I recommend you to see that film. (Te recomiendo que veas esa película)
I don't recommend you to see them again.   (Te recomiendo que no los vuelvas a ver)
I don't think you should give her the ring there. (No creo que debieras darle el anillo allí)
I really recommend the western Andalusian beaches.  (Recomiendo mucho las playas andaluzas occidentales)
You could take your John to the opera show tonight.  (Podrías llevar a tu novio esta noche a la ópera)
Oh, you must buy the latest Shakira CD!  (¡Oh, tienes que comprarte el último CD de Shakira!)
Maybe you shouldn't get him a DVD.  (A lo mejor no deberías regalarle un DVD)
You could perhaps think about buying a new PC.  (Quizás podrías considerar comprar un ordenador nuevo)
You might want to change the layout.  (Puede que quieras cambiar el diseño)
You might like to change the format.   (Si quieres puedes cambiar el formato)
You could try taking the car to the garage.  (Podrías probar llevando el coche al taller)
What I would do is study all the lines by heart. (Lo que yo haría es estudiarme todos los versos de memoria)

Tened en cuenta el régimen verbal que aparece detrás de cada expresión: algunos irán seguidos de infinitivo, algunos de gerundio y otros de un sintagma nominal.

Cuando se pide una recomendación, se puede usar cualquiera de estas expresiones:
Have you got any recommendations?
So what do you recommend?

Usad "It's just..." para explicar vuestra recomendación, por ejemplo:
You could perhaps think about changing the format. It's just that I think it needs a stronger image.
(Quizás podrías considerar cambiar el formato. Es que creo que necesita una imagen más fuerte)
What I would do is change the format. It's just to give the page a bit more structure.
(Lo que yo haría es cambiar el formato. Sólo para darle un poco de más estructura a la página)

Functional English: Making and Responding to Suggestions

Hi again!
We make and respond to suggestions in many types of situations, both formal and informal. It is important to use appropriate language when doing this. In English we often express suggestions as questions:
Why don’t we rent a car?
Shall we start the sales campaign earlier this year?
Why not begin the meeting at 9? Everyone should be there by then.
How about meeting next Friday in our offices?
What about having a birthday party?

Sometimes they are expressed by statements, for example:
We could go to the cinema this evening.
Let's go shopping.
I suggest we should take the dog to the vet.
I suggest taking the dog to the vet.

Note the sentence patterns following each expression:
Why don't we + inf...
Shall we + inf...
Why not + inf...
How/What about + gerund...
We could + inf...
Let's + inf...
I suggest + subj + should + inf...
I suggest + gerund...

When responding to suggestions, you may accept or refuse to accept the proposal. There are some expressions you can use to accept suggestions:
That's a good idea!
That sounds great.
Brilliant!
OK! Let's do that.

And other expressions for refusals:
No way!
You're joking.
That's a terrible idea.
I'd rather say no.

Here is a chart with some commonly used phrases for making and responding to suggestions:






















Hola otra vez:
Hacemos y respondemos a las sugerencias en muchas clases de situaciones, tanto formales como informales. Al hacer esto, es importante usar el lenguaje apropiado. En inglés expresamos a menudo las sugerencias en forma de preguntas:
Why don’t we rent a car? (¿Por qué no alquilamos un coche?)
Shall we start the sales campaign earlier this year? (¿Empezamos la campaña de ventas antes este año?)
Why not begin the meeting at 9?(¿Y por qué no empezar la reunión a las 9?)
How about meeting next Friday in our offices? (¿Qué tal si quedamos el viernes en nuestras oficinas?)
What about having a birthday party for her? (¿Y si le hacemos una fiesta de cumpleaños?)

A veces las podemos expresar mediante enunciados, como por ejemplo:
We could go to the cinema this evening.   (Podríamos ir al cine esta noche)
Let's go shopping.  (Vayamos de compras)
I suggest we should take the dog to the vet.  (Sugiero que llevemos el perro al veterinario)
I suggest taking the dog to the vet. (Sugiero llevar el perro al veterinario)

Prestad atención al régimen verbal en cada expresión:
Why don't we + infinitivo
Shall we + infinitivo
Why not + infinitivo
How/What about + gerundio
We could + infinitivo
Let's + infinitivo
I suggest + subj + should + infinitivo
I suggest + gerundio

Al contestar a las sugerencias, se puede aceptar o rechazar la propuesta. Hay ciertas expresiones que podéis usar para aceptar las sugerencias:
That's a good idea!  (¡Es buena idea!)
That sounds great.  (Suena genial)
Brilliant!   (¡Estupendo!)
OK! Let's do that.   (¡Vale! Vamos a hacer eso)

Y otras expresiones para los rechazos:
No way!   (¡Que va, hombre! / ¡Ni hablar!)
You're joking. (Ni de coña / Estás de broma)
That's a terrible idea.  (Es una idea malísima)
I'd rather say no.  (Vale, no / Yo diría que no)
I don't feel like.  (No me apetece / No tengo ganas)

Más arriba teníais un cuadro resumen con algunas expresiones que se usan comúnmente para hacer sugerencias y contestarlas. Las sugerencias están ordenadas de más formal a más informal, y las respuestas de afirmativas a negativas.

Functional English: Using Teen Talk

How are you doing?

Speech registers or styles are a reality in English and in any language as well. A register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. Common types of register are baby talk (when babies and young children communicate with each other), teen talk (the type of speech teenagers and youngsters speak), teacher talk (the language used in the classroom), and so on.

In this post I am going to give you some examples of teen talk. Note that teen talk is a sort of informal language, so you should not use it in formal contexts.

How's it going? / How are you doing? / Howdie  (Formal: How are you?)

What are you up to? (Formal: What are you doing?)

Hang on! / Hold on!  (Formal: Wait!)

Sure! (Formal: Of course)

Yeah! / Yep (Formal: Yes)

Nop / Nope (Formal: No) 
Fancy going out?  (Formal: Do you want to go out?)

That's loads of fun (Formal: That's much  fun / a lot of fun)

¡Qué tal!
Los estilos y registros del discurso son una realidad en inglés al igual que en cualquier idioma.  Un registro es una variedad del lenguaje que se usa para una finalidad determinada o en un marco social en particular. Ejemplos de tipos de registro pueden ser el lenguage de los niños, el lenguaje de los jóvenes, el lenguaje de la clase, etc.

En este artículo os dejo algunos ejemplos de este tipo de registro que es el lenguage de los jóvenes. Ten en cuenta que el 'teen talk' es un tipo de lenguaje informal, con lo cual no deberíais usarlo en situaciones formales.

How's it going? / How are you doing? / Howdie  (¿Cómo lo llevas? / ¿Qué tal?)

What are you up to? (¿Qué estás haciendo?)

Hang on! / Hold on!  (¡Espera!)

Sure! (¡Claro! / ¡Por supuesto!)

Yeah! / Yep (Sí, "aro")
Nop / Nope (No)

Fancy going out?  (¿Quieres salir?)

That's loads of fun (Es muy divertido)

Functional English: Offering Help

Hullo folks!
There are a number of expressions used when offering help in English. Here are some of the most common:
Can I help you? 
May I help you? 
Are you looking for something? 
Do you need some help? 
Would you like some help?  
Do you want me to help you?  
Would you like me to help you? 
What can I do for you? 
Is there anything I can do? 
Could I be of assistance? 
May I offer my assistance?
Can I give you a hand?
Do you need a helping hand?
I'll help you.
Shall I help you?

The responses to these offerings can be either affirmative or negative. Common affirmative responses are, for instance:
Thank you for your kindness.
That's very kind of you.
It's all right. 
Great!  
Yes, please.
If you're so kind.
Thank you so much.

Common negative responses are, for example:
Thanks, but I can manage.
There's no need, but thank you anyway. 
No, it's Okay, thanks. 
No, don't bother.
No, don't worry.

Have a look at these examples:
A: Shall I carry those bags for you, Madam?
B: That's very kind of you.

A: Would you like me to take you to the hospital, Sir?
B: No, it's Okay, thanks.

A: I'll help you with your homework.
B: Thank you so much!

Remember the appelative for a man is Sir, and for a woman Madam. You use Mr, Mrs, and Ms followed by surnames.You use Sir and Lady followed by first names:
May I help you, Madam / Sir?
Can I help you, Mrs Thomson / Mr Thomson?
Would you like some help, Lady Anna / Sir John?

Finally, sometimes you will need to ask for help. Then, asking for help can be conveyed by means of the following expressions:
Could you help me, please?
I beg your help.
Can you lend me a hand?
Will you give me a hand?
I need some assistance, please.
Would you mind helping me out? 

 

¡Hola amigos!
Existe un número de expresiones en inglés que se utilizan cuando ofrecemos ayuda a alguien. Aquí os presento algunas de las más normales:

Can I help you? (¿Te puedo ayudar?)
May I help you? (¿Puedo ayudarle?)
Are you looking for something? (¿Está buscando algo?)
Do you need some help? (¿Necesita ayuda?)
Would you like some help?  (¿Quiere ayuda?)
Do you want me to help you?  (¿Quieres que te ayude?)
Would you like me to help you? (¿Quiere que le ayude?)
What can I do for you? (¿Qué puedo hacer por usted?)
Is there anything I can do? (¿Hay algo que pueda hacer?)
Could I be of assistance? (¿Le puedo ser de ayuda?)  
May I offer my assistance? (¿Puedo ofrecerle mi ayuda?)
Can I give you a hand? (¿Puedo echarle una mano?)
Do you need a helping hand?(¿Necesitas una mano?)
I'll help you. (Yo le ayudo)
Shall I help you? (¿Le ayudo?)

Las respuestas a estos ofrecimientos pueden ser bien afirmativas o bien negativas. Ejemplos de respuestas afirmativas comunes son:
Thank you for your kindness. (Gracias por su amabilidad)
That's very kind of you. (Muy amable por su parte)
It's all right.  (Vale, está bien)
Great!   (¡Estupendo!)
Yes, please.  (Sí, por favor)
If you're so kind. (Si es tan amable)
Thank you so much. (Muchísimas gracias)

Ejemplos de algunas respuestas negativas típicas son:
Thanks, but I can manage.  (Gracias, pero puedo arreglármelas solo)
There's no need, but thank you anyway.   (No hace falta, pero gracias de todos modos)
No, it's Okay, thanks.  (No, está bien así, gracias) 
No, don't bother.  (No, no te molestes) 
No, don't worry.   (No, no te preocupes)


Observa estos otros ejemplos:
A: Shall I carry those bags for you, Madam?
B: That's very kind of you.

A: Would you like me to take you to the hospital, Sir?
B: No, it's Okay, thanks.

A: I'll help you with your homework.
B: Thank you so much!


Acuérdate que el vocativo de cortesía para el hombre es Sir, y para la mujer Madam. Se usa Mr, Mrs, y Ms seguido de apellidos. Se usa Sir y Lady seguido de nombres de pila:
May I help you, Madam / Sir?
Can I help you, Mrs Thomson / Mr Thomson?
Would you like some help, Lady Anna / Sir John?

Por último, algunas veces vas a necesitar pedir ayuda. En ese caso, el pedir ayuda se puede expresar por medio de las siguientes expresiones:
Could you help me, please? (¿Podría ayudarme, por favor?)
I beg your help.  (Le ruego que me ayude)
Can you lend me a hand? (¿Puedes echarme una mano?)
Will you give me a hand? (¿Me echas un cable?)
I need some assistance, please. (Necesito ayuda, por favor)
Would you mind helping me out?  (¿Le importaría ayudarme?)

Practice:  Exercise.

Modals (I): Expressing Ability

Hi there!
Before we start discussing the expression of ability, I am going to make a short review on modal auxiliaries for you.  Modals are special auxiliary verbs that have meaning. This type of verbs are followed by the simple form of the verb, that is what we call a plain infinitive. There are exceptions, such as those known as semi-modals, which include 'to' in their form (have to, ought to, used to). They do not add the 3rd-person singular -s in the present simple, except for have to (has to), and they do not need auxiliary verbs to make negatives and questions (they are auxiliary verbs on their own!). In view thereof and taking into account that some of these verbs are defective (they may lack some tense forms), let's focus on the modals that convey ability. 

Ability basically implies having the skill, the power or the means to do something. You can express a mental or physical ability in the present, the future or the past. Can, which is the present simple form,  is used for present or future ability (e.g. Melissa can type very quickly; The teacher can assist you after the class), and Could, the past simple form, depicts ability in the past. As this verb is defective, it has not got any tense form other than present simple (can), past simple or conditional (could). The rest of verbal forms are developed out of the phrase Be able to (infinitive be able to, past participle been able to, gerund being able to),  by means of which the rest of tenses are conveyed (present perfect have been able to, future simple will be able to, etc.)

When expressing ability, remember to translate Can as "saber," or "poder" in the sense of skill not permission.
I can speak English, French and Spanish   (Sé hablar inglés, francés y español)
My father couldn't use a computer as a child   (De chico, mi padre no sabía utilizar un ordenador)
You will be able to solve this problem by yourself   (Sabrás solucionar el problema por ti mismo)


¡Hola!
Antes de empezar a hablar de la expresión de la habilidad, voy a haceros un pequeño repaso sobre los verbos auxiliares modales. Los modales son verbos auxiliares especiales con significado. Este tipo de verbos van seguidos de la forma simple del verbo, o sea lo que viene a llamarse el infinitivo base. Existen excepciones, como los conocidos semimodales, que ya presentan en su forma la partícula 'to' (have to, ought to, used to). No añaden la -s de tercera persona del singular en el presente simple, excepto 'have to' ('has to') y no necesitan auxiliares para formar las negativas e interrogativas (los modales son auxiliares de sí mismo). Visto esto, y teniendo en cuenta que algunos de estos verbos son defectivos (les pueden faltar alguna forma verbal para expresar algún tiempo verbal), nos vamos a centrar en los modales que expresan habilidad.

La habilidad básicamente implica tener la capacidad, el poder o el medio de hacer algo. Se puede expresar habilidad mental o física en el presente, futuro y pasado. 'Can', que es la forma de presente simple, es usado para la habilidad presente o futura (ej. Melissa can type very quickl; The teacher can assist you after the class), y 'Could', la forma de pasado simple, muestra la habilidad en el pasado. Ya que este verbo es defectivo, no tiene formas para otros tiempos verbales que no sean el presente simple (can), el pasado simple y el condicional simple (could). El resto de las formas verbales se desarrollan a partir del sintagma 'Be able to' (infinitivo 'be able to', participio 'been able to' y gerundio 'being able to'), por medio de las cuales se forman el resto de tiempo verbales (presente perfecto 'have been able to', futuro simple 'will be able to', etc.).

Al expresar la habilidad, recordad siempre traducir 'Can' como 'saber' o también como 'poder' pero con el sentido de habilidad y no de permiso.  

I can speak English, French and Spanish   (Sé hablar inglés, francés y español)
My father couldn't use a computer as a child   (De chico, mi padre no sabía utilizar un ordenador)
You will be able to solve this problem by yourself   (Sabrás solucionar el problema por ti mismo)

Practice:  Exercise1, Exercise2, Exercise3.