GRAMMAR PILLS: I or ME? + 'Peter and I' or 'Peter and me'?

By Georgina Jacobs

💡 Quick answer:

Use I (yo) ⇒ as the SUBJECT of a clause (como SUJETO) → {[Peter and I] [went to the cinema yesterday].} (Peter y yo)         Subject → (Dialogue at the door) Who is it? –It’s Peter and I! (Peter y yo)                                                  Subjective Complement Use he/she/it/we/you/they ⇒ as SUBJECT (como SUJETO) → {[Mary and he] [went to the cinema yesterday].} (Mary y él)          Subject

Use ME (me/mí) ⇒ as an OBJECT in a clause (como OBJETO) → {[Mary] [invited (Peter and me) (to her party)].}                             Direct Object → {[Mary] [told (Peter and me) (that she’s pregnant)].}                       Indirect Object → {[Mary] [bought (a present) (for Peter and me)].}                                        Object of the Preposition Use him/her/it/us/you/them ⇒ as OBJECT (como OBJETO) → {[I] [invited (Peter and her) (to my party)].}                         Direct Object → {[I] [told (Peter and her) (that I'm pregnant)].}                   Indirect Object → {[I] [bought (a present) (for Peter and her)].}                                        Object of the Preposition

'I' or 'me'? (3:00 minutes)

💡 EXTENDED ANSWER ⇒ See GRAMMAR PILLS: CASE OF PRONOUNS + POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

🔗 SEE ALSO:

• GRAMMAR PILLS: OTHER OR ANOTHER? – OTHERS, THE OTHER AND THE OTHERS
• 'Who' or 'whom'? (From Oxford Dictionaries) ⇒ WHO or WHOM? (Exercise: Fill in each blank with who, whom, or whose.)

Georgina Jacobs

GRAMMAR PILLS: OTHER OR ANOTHER? – OTHERS, THE OTHER AND THE OTHERS

By Georgina Jacobs

💡 Quick answer:

• ANOTHER (otro/otra) + singular countable noun ⇒ There is another book in my bag. (Hay otro libro en mi bolso.)
• OTHER (otros/otras) + plural countable noun ⇒ There are other books in my bag. (Hay otros libros en mi bolso.)
• OTHER (otro/otra) + uncountable noun ⇒ The embassy website has general information about visas. Other travel information can be obtained by calling the freephone number. (From Cambridge English Grammar Today)

🔺WARNING: ANOTHER + NUMBER / 'a couple of' / 'few' etc. + PLURAL NOUN.
➧'ANOTHER' se utiliza con nombres contables en plural cuando incluimos un NÚMERO o frases como 'a couple of', 'few', etc.

• Another 2,000 nurses are needed in NHS hospitals. (Macmillan Dictionary)
• For another £30 (= for £30 more) you can buy the model with a touchscreen. (Cambridge Dictionary)
• My passport is valid for another two years. (Cambridge Dictionary)
• We’ll have to wait another three weeks for the results. (Longman Dictionary)
• We'll have to wait for another two weeks / another couple of weeks.
• I've decided to stay in the UK another few weeks after I finish my course.

💡 EXTENDED ANSWER:
We can use OTHER and ANOTHER as ADJECTIVES and PRONOUNS.
➧Al igual que en español, podemos usar ‘otro/otra’ y ‘otros/otras’ como adjetivos y como pronombres.

As an ADJECTIVE, they describe a noun. Como ADJETIVO, describen un nombre (sustantivo).

As a PRONOUN, they replace a noun. Como PRONOMBRE, reemplazan un nombre (sustantivo).

COUNTABLE SINGULAR NOUN
As an ADJECTIVE	As a PRONOUN
I need another book. (Necesito otro libro.)	I don’t need this book; I need another. (No necesito este libro; necesito otro.)
I don’t need this book; I need the other book. (No necesito este libro; necesito el otro libro.)	I don’t need this book; I need the other. (No necesito este libro; necesito el otro.)

COUNTABLE PLURAL NOUN
As an ADJECTIVE	As a PRONOUN
I need other books. (Necesito otros libros.)	I don’t need these books; I need others. (No necesito estos libros; necesito otros.)
I don’t need these books; I need the other books. (No necesito estos libros; necesito los otros libros.)	I don’t need these books; I need the others. (No necesito estos libros; necesito los otros.)

🔺 WARNING: ‘OTHERS’ is always a PLURAL PRONOUN, meaning ‘other people or other things’
➧‘OTHERS’ en plural con -s es siempre PRONOMBRE ⇒ Some people think that Tom is a great teacher, but others think just the opposite.

🎬 From Learn English with Adam [EngVid]

🔗 Read more:

• Other, others, the other or another? (From Cambridge English Grammar Today)
• OTHER and ANOTHER (From Oxford Living Dictionaries)

🔗 Free online exercises:

• Another vs. Other vs. Others (From Woodward English) ⇒ Another vs Other vs Others EXERCISE
• Another, other, others, the other, the others (3 DIFFERENT EXERCISES – From Test English)
• online multiple-choice quiz
• online gap-fill exercise
• English Quiz: Another, Other and Others
• Which word: OTHER, ANOTHER, DIFFERENT? 1 
• Which word: OTHER, ANOTHER, DIFFERENT? 2

🔗 SEE ALSO:

• GRAMMAR PILLS: CASE OF PRONOUNS + POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
• GRAMMAR PILLS: I or ME? + 'Peter and I' or 'Peter and me'?

Georgina Jacobs

GRAMMAR PILLS: GOOD OR WELL?

By Georgina Jacobs

What's the difference between GOOD and WELL?

💡 Quick answer ⇒ GOOD = ADJECTIVE / WELL = ADVERB

GOOD is an ADJECTIVE ⇒ (bueno/a) i.e. it describes a noun or pronoun.
Ejemplo: That is (a good book) / That book is good.
                                       noun           noun

WELL is an ADVERB ⇒ (bien) i.e. it describes a verb.
Ejemplo: Mary speaks English well. / I did well in the exam.
                         verb                          verb

🔺 WARNING: WELL may also be an ADJECTIVE, BUT only when it means

1) In good health; free or recovered from illness.

→ ‘I don't feel very well’

→ ‘it would be some time before Sarah was completely well’

→ ‘It has also correctly labelled as disease free most, but not all, of the well people.’

1.1) In a satisfactory state or position.

→ ‘I do hope all is well with you and your family’

2) Sensible; advisable.

→ ‘it would be well to know just what this suggestion entails’

→ ‘Only--if we decide to buy, it would be well to be moved in and settled before winter.’ (From Oxford Dictionaries)

❓ So, which one is correct? ⇒ I'm good or I'm well?

💡 You may also want to watch this video!

🔗 Read more and practice:

• GRAMMAR MONSTER ⇒ GOOD or WELL?
• GOOD or WELL QUIZ - 1
• GOOD or WELL QUIZ - 2
• GOOD or WELL QUIZ - 3

Georgina Jacobs

GRAMMAR PILLS: ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

By Georgina Jacobs

First things first… 

What’s an adjective?

An adjective is a word or a structure that describes, qualifies or modifies a noun (= NOMBRE / SUSTANTIVO) or pronoun. 

¿Por qué es necesario estudiar el orden de los adjetivos en inglés? 

Porque los adjetivos se colocan normalmente en un orden en particular según el tipo de adjetivo que sea (por ejemplo: opinión: interesting/beautiful, forma: square/round, material: wooden/gold, etc.). 

Básicamente, los adjetivos se colocan en 2 posiciones: 

1) ATTRIBUTIVE ⇒ BEFORE THE NOUN (as an attribute):
→ [That blue car] is mine.
    adjective + noun

2) PREDICATIVE ⇒ AFTER THE VERB (in the predicate):
→ My car [is blue].
           verb + adjective

💡Tip: La mayoría de los adjetivos pueden usarse en ambas posiciones, pero algunos pueden usarse solo en 1 de las 2 (attributive or predicative):

✅ It was our main problem. [‘main’ ⇒ attributive = before the noun]

✅ The children were alone at home. [‘alone’ ⇒ predicative = after the verb]

These sentences, on the other hand, are not correct:

❌ Our problem was main. [‘main’ cannot be used in the predicative position]
❌ Some alone children [‘alone’ cannot be used in the attributive position]

🔗 Click here for more examples

Además, hay una 3ra posición: 

3) POSTPOSITIVE ⇒ AFTER THE NOUN:
→ All candidates present on the test day...
              noun + adjective

🔗 Click here for more examples + an exercise

ORDER OF ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES

Cuando colocamos más de un adjetivo en attributive position, debemos seguir un orden: 1ro van los adjetivos que expresan opinión (lo que pensamos de algo, nuestra percepción subjetiva, como beautiful, interesting or cute) y luego, los que expresan un hecho (fact), es decir que son objetivos, como el tamaño, la forma o el color.

Según Cambridge English Grammar Today, el orden más común en el que colocamos attributive adjectives es el siguiente (esto podría modificarse en frases enfáticas):

Source: Cambridge English Grammar Today

Source: Cambridge English Grammar Today

💡 ALSO READ 1: Adjective Order (Englishclub) ⇒ Check out the Table! ⇒ Then, take the quiz ⇒ Adjective Order Quiz

💡 ALSO READ 2: ADJECTIVE ORDER - TEST ENGLISH (Explanation + 3 exercises)

🎬 VIDEOS:

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES (It only takes 2:17 minutes!)

Never Break This Grammar Rule - Adjective Order (3:34 minutes)

💡 Further Practice:

• Adjective order in English 1
• Adjective order in English 2
• Adjective order in English 3
• Adjective order in English 4
• Adjective order

Georgina Jacobs

GRAMMAR PILLS: MID-POSITION ADVERBS

By Georgina Jacobs

¿Qué es un mid-position adverb?

Es un adverbio que se coloca en medio en una clause.

💡 ¿Qué es un adverbio?
Es una palabra o frase que describe un verbo (nos dice cómo, dónde, cuándo, por qué, etc. se realiza la acción del verbo). Los adverbios también describen adjetivos y otros adverbios, pero en este post nos concentraremos en los que describen verbos.

Los adverbios se pueden colocar en 3 posiciones:

FRONT POSITION ⇒ Unfortunately, I can't help you.

MID-POSITION ⇒ I always get up at 7 a.m.

END POSITION ⇒ Have you read that report yet?

💡 TIP: Según el tipo de adverbio, puede colocarse en una u otra posición. Algunos pueden colocarse en distintas posiciones para dar énfasis, hacer contraste o evitar ambigüedad.

¿Qué adverbios se colocan en mid-position?

Los adverbs of frequency (always, sometimes, usually, often, seldom, rarely, hardly ever, never, etc.) y otros como really, quite, probably, possibly, certainly, also, only, just, already, etc.

¿Cómo se colocan los mid-position adverbs en la clause?

Entre el sujeto y el verbo, y es muy sencillo ⇒ hay solo 3 posibilidades: 

1) BEFORE THE MAIN VERB (ANTES del VERBO principal):

→ SUBJECT + ADVERB + MAIN VERB

→ I always get up at 7 a.m.

2) AFTER THE VERB “TO BE” (DESPUÉS de “TO BE”):

→ SUBJECT + TO BE + ADVERB

→ Peter is always late.

🔺 EMPHASIS ⇒ Cuando el adverbio es enfático, se puede colocar ANTES de “to be”: Why should Peter be early today? He never is early for anything. (La entonación también cambia para marcar el énfasis.)

3) VERB PHRASE: if the verb contains auxiliaries and/or modals, the adverb comes AFTER THE FIRST auxiliary or modal (si el verbo tiene auxiliares o modales, el adverbio se coloca DESPUÉS de la primera palabra):

→ SUBJECT + 1st aux./modal + ADVERB + MAIN VERB

→ You should never have told anyone my secret.

❓ En las preguntas, el adverbio se coloca DESPUÉS del sujeto:

Do you usually work at weekends?

Have you already finished your exam? (surprised)

🔺 IMPORTANTE: En inglés, NO poner el adverbio entre verbo y objeto:

En español podemos decir: Me gusta mucho el chocolate. Mary habla muy bien inglés.

En inglés: ❌ I like a lot chocolate.       [verb + adverb + object] ✅ I like chocolate a lot.       [verb + object] + adverb ❌ Mary speaks very well English.                 [verb + adverb + object] ✅ Mary speaks English very well.                 [verb + object] + adverb

From BBC 6 Minute Grammar - Adverb Position 1

From BBC 6 Minute Grammar - Adverb Position 2

🔗 Recommended links:

• Adverbs and adverb phrases: position de Cambridge English Grammar Today
• Position of adverbs: difference between British and American English

💡 PRACTICE:

• Adverbs of frequency (position) 1
• Adverbs of frequency (position) 2
• Adverbs ofFrequency - Word Order
• Positionof adverbs – Exercise

Georgina Jacobs