so much (su mach) LanLo Loo much (Lchu mach) demaslado very llLLle (llLl) muy poco so llLLle (su llLl) Lan poco Loo llLLle (Lchu llLl) demaslado poco more (mr) ms much more (mch mor) mucho ms far more (fr mor) mucho ms less (les) menos much less (mch les) mucho menos far less (fr les) mucho menos almosL (lmousL) casl nearly (nlrll) casl barely (berll) apenas scarcely (skersll) apenas hardly (hrdll) apenas casl no noL aL all (noL aL l) para nada en absoluLo even (lven) lncluso aun even more (lven mor) aun ms even less (lven les) aun menos noL even (nL lven) nl slqulera
We ent|re|y agree w|th you LsLamos enLeramenLe de acuerdo conLlgo Im afra|d youre comp|ete|y wrong Me Lemo que usLed esL compleLamenLe equlvocado Norman |s abso|ute|y r|ght norman Llene razn absoluLamenLe 1h|s apartment |s re|at|ve|y sma|| for the three of us LsLe aparLamenLo es relaLlvamenLe pequeno para nosoLros Lres At |east naro|d sent you a bunch of f|owers for your b|rthday Al menos Parold Le envl un ramo de flores para Lu cumpleanos
;DLS1ICNS WILL] CCDLD ]CAN ] WCDLD
Would you mlnd?
lf you wanL Lo sound parLlcularly pollLe or lf you Lhlnk Lhe answer may be negaLlve you can also use Would you mlnd + verblng as Lhe preferred alLernaLlve Lo Could you? Would you mlnd? llLerally means Would you ob[ecL Lo?
Would you mlnd locklng Lhe door when you leave? no noL aL all! Could you please lock Lhe door when you leave? ?es cerLalnly! lf youre noL busy aL Lhe momenL would you mlnd helplng me wlLh my homework? lf youre noL busy aL Lhe momenL could you glve me a hand wlLh my homework?
kL;DLS1S WCDLD CD MIND?
lf you are asklng oLher people Lo do Lhlngs you would normally use Would you or Could you + lnflnlLlve Would you llke Lo? ls also a very pollLe way of suggesLlng or requesLlng someLhlng pollLer Lhan uo you wanL Lo? Compare Lhe followlng
Would you please brlng your llbrary books back Loday as Lhey are needed by anoLher borrower?
Could you [oln us on SaLurday? 1oms back from Sydney and were havlng a barbecue Would you llke Lo [oln us on SaLurday? Were havlng a barbecue ln Lhe back garden Would you care Lo [oln us on SaLurday? Were celebraLlng 1oms reLurn from Sydney uo you wanL Lo [oln us on SaLurday? Were havlng a bash ln Lhe garden
ICk AND SINCL ICk 1IML
lor ls used before a quanLlLy of Llme and lL ls commonly used wlLh Lhe presenL perfecL and pasL perfecL Lenses We have been comlng Lo Lhls beach for flfLeen years We have been en[oylng Lhls paradlse for a week We have been swlmmlng for Lhree hours
Slnce ls used before a speclflc Llme or daLe and lL ls commonly used wlLh Lhe presenL perfecL and pasL perfecL Lenses We have been comlng Lo Lhls beach slnce !uly 1993 (exacL Llme daLe year) We have been en[oylng Lhls paradlse slnce lasL SaLurday We have been swlmmlng slnce slx oclock Lhls mornlng
WISnLS A8CD1 1nL kLSLN1 AND ID1DkL lf you wanL Lo Lalk abouL your presenL slLuaLlon you can use Lhe sLrucLure wlsh + pasL slmple or conLlnuous lor example l havenL goL any money l wlsh l had some money
l donL earn much money l wlsh l earned a loL of money
Were all llvlng ln a small flaL l wlsh we werenL llvlng ln a small flaL l wlsh wewere llvlng ln a blg flaL 1he same form can be used Lo Lalk abouL someone elses slLuaLlon Powever Lhere ls anoLher sLrucLure LhaL you use Lo Lalk abouL acLlons LhaL Lake place ln Lhe presenL buL you wanL Lhem Lo change ln Lhe fuLure 1hls sLrucLure ls used Lo Lalk abouL anoLher person and generally abouL Lhlngs you donL llke 1he structure |s w|sh + wou|d]cou|d + |nf|n|t|ve Ior examp|e ?our frlend ls always borrowlng money from you because he never seems Lo have hls bank card wlLh hlm ?ou could say Lo hlm l wlsh you wouldnL keep borrowlng money from me
l wlsh you would remember Lo go Lo Lhe bank from Llme Lo Llme A QUANTITY A SPECIFIC TIME A quantity of time includes a unit of time: a minute, hour, week, month, etc. t may also include a modifier such as now or so far, long, short, a few,many, several, these past few, these past several A specific time is stated as an hour, date, year, century or era. t may also include a modifier such as last, the beginning of, the end of, the middle of fifteen minutes a quarter of an hour 7:45 a.m. (seven forty-five) a quarter to eight forty eight hours several hours April 4, 2010 the day before yesterday two days a couple of days June 15 the middle of June a week seven days now last week the end of the week / the weekend a month a month so far July last July two years two long years (long or short) 2020 the war, the depression (event) two summers two summers ago (*Avoid using ago.) spring, summer, fall, winter a week ago *See note. two centuries these past few years (last few) the beginning of the 21st century he called (Since can introduce a clause.) 9erhaps Lhe same frlend does loLs of Lhlngs LhaL lrrlLaLe you Maybe he phones you early ln Lhe mornlng when youre sLlll ln bed Pe mlghL arrange Lo meeL you and Lhen Lurn up laLe ?ou could say Lo hlm l wlsh you wouldnL phone me so early ln Lhe mornlng l wlsh you would walL unLll laLer l wlsh you would Lell me when youre golng Lo be laLe WISnLS A8CD1 1nL ID1DkL (AND 1nL kLSLN1) When you Lalk abouL Lhe fuLure you use Lhe same sLrucLure as you use Lo Lalk abouL presenL sLaLes Some examples l have Lo go Lo Lhe denLlsL Lomorrow l wlsh l dldnL have Lo go Lo Lhe denLlsL Lomorrow
lll have Lo do some exLra work over Lhe weekend l wlsh l dldnL have Lo do any exLra work over Lhe weekend
My broLher ls comlng Lo sLay wlLh me nexL week l wlsh my broLher wasnL comlng nexL week 1he fuLure ln Lhese cases canL be changed (ln Lheory) and so Lhe slLuaLlon ls seen as unreal and has Lo be referred Lo uslng pasL Lenses
WISnLS A8CD1 1nL AS1
When you Lhlnk abouL a slLuaLlon ln Lhe pasL naLurally you canL do anyLhlng Lo change lL 1herefore Lhls ls a way of expresslng regreL 1he sLrucLure you use ls wlsh + pasL perfecL lor example
?ou were Loo slow geLLlng ready Lo go ouL l wlsh you hadnL been so slow geLLlng ready now weve mlssed Lhe Lraln l wlsh we hadnL mlssed Lhe Lraln l promlsed our frlends wed arrlve on Llme l wlsh l hadnL promlsed wed arrlve on Llme because now Lheyll be walLlng for us
WISn + WCDLD As menLloned above Lhe sLrucLure wlsh + would canL be used Lo Lalk abouL yourself lL ls used Lo refer Lo acLlons and you should be able Lo sLop any acLlon youre dolng
1herefore when you Lalk abouL yourself youre Lalklng abouL sLaLes you have no conLrol over (lm poor l wlsh l was rlch) or oLher peoples acLlons LhaL you have no conLrol over elLher (l havenL goL any money l wlsh youd glve me some)
lf your wlsh mlghL come Lrue you should use a dlfferenL Lype of verb lor example l hope lL doesnL raln Lomorrow ld llke Lo go Lo Lhe Carlbbean for my hollday nexL year l hope you geL well soon ?ou donL need Lo repeaL all Lhe verbs all Lhe Llme My flaL ls cold l wlsh lL wasnL ?ou smoke l wlsh you wouldnL She Lold hlm! l wlsh she hadnL