La fecha en inglés

En esta entrada vamos a aprender cómo escribir y leer las fechas en inglés, lo que os ayudará a redactar e introducir correctamente fechas relevantes en vuestras redacciones.

Para escribir las fechas en inglés lo primero que debemos tener en cuenta es el formato que debemos seguir para escribirla bien. La fecha en inglés británico (que es el formato que vosotros debéis seguir) tiene el mismo formato que la fecha en español, es decir, primero ponemos el día, después el mes y finalmente el año con una única diferencia: en inglés utilizamos los números ordinales (first, second, third, fourth…) y en español usamos los números cardinales (uno, dos, tres, cuatro…)

           Examples: 21st March 2014 = 21 de Marzo de 2014 [las letras que indican el orden (-st, -nd, -rd…) pueden omitirse]

En inglés americano ponemos primero el mes, después el día y finalmente el año.              

                 Example: March 21st, 2014

También podemos escribirlas utilizando solo los números, siempre manteniendo el formato del inglés británico y del inglés americano.

              Examples: UK: 21/3/2014 

                               USA: 3/21/2014

Para leerlas, también debemos tener en cuenta los formatos. Los años se leen de dos en dos cifras, de manera para leer el año 2014, debemos decir primero 20 y después 14. En las siguientes tablas podéis encontrar un resumen de esto:

Inglés británico:

Inglés americano:

Finalmente, para expresar los días utilizamos la preposición 'on'. En cambio, para expresar meses o años se utiliza la preposición 'in'.

                     Examples: You came on the 12th of May / You came in May / You came in 1995
A diferencia del español, los meses y los días se escriben con mayúscula.

                        Examples: May/ June/ July – Wednesday/ Thursday/ Friday

ISE: Differences between formal and informal English

Formal English	Informal English
Used in official, literary, academic, etc. content.	Used in everyday, personal conversations.
Typically used in careful, edited writing — when the writer has a lot of time to polish his text. Formal English also occurs in speech, usually when the speaker is saying something that was prepared beforehand (for example, reading the news or delivering an official speech).	Typically used in “improvised” speech — when the speaker is speaking without preparation, as in a conversation (in real life or over the phone). Informal English also occurs in writing, usually whenever the writer is writing quickly and without editing (for example, in an Internet chatroom or in quick, personal e-mails).
Sentences are longer and more complicated, for example: Toyota’s US sales bounced back in March as substantial discounts helped to win back customers who had been shaken by the firm’s mass safety recalls.	Sentences are simpler and shorter, for example: Did you see Toyota’s sales figures? Looks like the discounts have actually worked.
The standard of correctness is higher. Some phrases are considered correct (or at least acceptable) in informal English, but wrong in formal English. For example: I have made less mistakes. (formal: I have made fewer mistakes.) She’s liking it. (formal: She likes it.) I feel real good. (formal: I feel really good.)	Because informal English is “improvised”, it is sloppy. Speakers (and sometimes writers) often do the following: Use “delaying expressions” to give themselves time: Well, I think they should have asked us first, you know? Use “correcting expressions” to correct themselves: He’s not well. I mean, he’s not sick, but he’s very tired. Use “qualifying expressions” to show that what they said is not exactly right: This whole blogging thing is getting kind of old.
	Informal English contains useful “everyday phrases”, for example: Here you are. There you go. (when giving something to someone) Excuse me?, Come again? (to ask someone to repeat something) What do you mean? (to ask for explanation) So, you’re saying that...? (to ask for confirmation) Exactly!, I couldn’t agree with you more. (to agree with someone) By the way..., Anyway... (to change the topic) See you. Take care. (to say goodbye)
A huge number of words and phrases are used mainly in formal English. For example: nevertheless, to disclose, to constitute, to undertake, daunting, impervious, anew, truly, solace, to enchant, frantically, sizeable, to clutch, heyday, as it happens, upsurge, retrieval	A huge number of words and phrases are used mainly in informal English. For example: dude, freaking, uh-huh, nope (= no), to puke, trashy, grownup, awesome, to chill out, stuff, hard-up, to tick somebody off, to sell like crazy.
Many (but not all) phrasal verbs are avoided.	Phrasal verbs are used frequently. For example, in informal situations, people usually say found out instead of discovered, came across instead of encountered and got away instead of escaped.
	Words and phrases are sometimes pronounced in a shortened and simplified way, e.g. Lemme go!, I’m doin’ fine, Whassup?, Whatcha gonna do?

ISE II (B2): Conditional Sentences

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ISE I (B1): List of Modal Verbs

As I told you yesterday in class, here you have a list of modal verbs. To download it, click on the following link:

LIST OF MODAL VERBS

ISE I (B1): Infinitive of purpose

In English to state a purpose we use an infinitive introduced by the preposition to. This is what we called “infinitive of purpose”.

The structure of the sentences containing an infinitive of purpose is really simple: 

Subject+ verb+ infinitive with to. 

Below, you can see some examples to illustrate it and the different meanings of this structure.

To help you understand it better, here you have the meanings of the structure, which is used a lot.

1. Purpose or objective of doing something, that is to say, reason why we do a specific thing. Example: I go to the gym to get fit.  
2. To justify something, to give the reason why someone has, wants, or needs. Example: I need a can opener to open this. 
3. As a synonym of the expression “in order to”, meaning in Spanish “para, a fin de que”. Example: We shouted in order to get help.

BE CAREFUL! We never state a purpose using the preposition for.

Examples: NOT We went to New York for see the Statue of Liberty BUT We went to New York to see the Statue of Liberty