LESSON 8

Is there anything better than

dipping your biscuits in your
tea while nobody’s watching?
Yes, my dear; flawless grammar!

Royal Grammar

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Grammar biscuit 1: adjectives

Los adjetivos se colocan delante del sustantivo.

I own two giant turtles, 182 pink dresses and a massive castle in
Scotland.

Su forma no varía en género o número.

I own two giants turtles

Los adjetivos siguen un orden específico.

vintage lovely
If one is to speak English properly, it is of the utmost rectangular
importance to know one’s grammar thoroughly. small
In this chapter, you will learn some of the most important Parisian blue
grammar rules for Spanish speakers straight from the horse’s silk going out
mouth.
Make yourself comfy, put the kettle on and let’s finish these — Which bag will you be taking to the tea party, Your Majesty?
grammar biscuits together. No need for concern, it’ll be worth — I shall take my …
the extra calories, I can assure you.
lovely, small, vintage, rectangular, blue, Parisian, silk, going out bag

opinión, tamaño, edad, forma, color, origen, material, propósito

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Grammar biscuit 2: articles Grammar biscuit 4: double negative

No usamos el artículo the cuando generalizamos. No negamos doblemente en inglés.

I absolutely love the corgis and the champagne. No quiero nada más.
I adore the horse racing and the pigeon racing as well.
I’m
I don’t want nothing else. absolutely
I don’t want anything else.
stuffed my
What are you looking at? dear.
I’m not a looney, I bet you have I want nothing else.
weirder hobbies than me.

Usamos los artículos a/an con las profesiones.

I’m a royal guard at Windsor Castle. Grammar biscuit 5: present simple
I’m an engineer in the RAF (Royal Air Force).
I’m a chef at Buckingham Palace. Conjugamos los verbos en el tiempo presente con
una S para la tercera persona del singular.
Frases afirmativas
Grammar biscuit 3: subject
Passport? I / You / We / They love
Toda oración necesita un sujeto.
My face is
my passport Scottish dancing.
dear! He / She / It
Is raining in central London. loves
The Queen
It’s raining in central London.
Is true that you don’t have a passport?
Is it true that you don’t have a passport?

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Frases negativas The Queen’s dress

I / You / We / They don't

travel without toilet roll.
He / She / It
doesn't
The Queen

Preguntas

Do I / you / we / they
The Queens’ dresses
have a Twitter account?
Does he / she / it /
The Queen

Grammar biscuit 6: possession

Usamos el apóstrofo S (’s) para mostrar posesión.

The Duke’s hat The dog’s tail No usamos el genitivo sajón para referirnos a cosas que perte-
necen a otras cosas:

The crown’s pearls.

The crown pearls.
The pearls of the crown.

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Grammar biscuit 7: prepositions Grammar biscuit 8: quantifiers

En frases interrogativas en las que el verbo requiere Usamos estos cuantificadores para expresar cantidades
una preposición, la solemos poner al final. indeterminadas:

— Where are your ancestors from?

— My ancestors are actually from Germany, but
don’t tell anyone!
— Who did you go to the Olympics with?
— I went to the Olympics with Prince Philip.
MUCH: mucho/a
Lo usamos con sustantivos incontables, normalmente en preguntas y
frases negativas.
• I don’t have much time to read.

• Do you watch much TV?

— Who is your son married to?
— My son is married to Camilla Parker Bowles, • How much does a royal wedding cost?
unfortunately. • There is much debate about who the next prime minister should be.

— What are you thinking about?

— I’m thinking about throwing a party next Friday. TEACHER TIP!
Si te lías con much y many, puedes sustituirlos por a lot of o lots of y loads
— What are you interested in?
of, aunque es un poco más informal.
— I’m interested in gin tasting.

— What is this for?

— Don’t touch that! That’s for calling my butler. Did you know there are loads of foxes
living in the streets of London?

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MANY: muchos/as FEWER / LESS: menos

Los usamos con sustantivos en plural. Usamos fewer para sustantivos contables y less para incontables.

• I have many guards and servants. • I should drink fewer bottles of champagne.

• Do you have many friends? • I should drink less alcohol.

• I don’t have many holidays.

• How many guests did you invite?
This French
champagne Splendid, the
has fewer other one
FEW: pocos/as bubbles, Your makes me
A FEW: unos pocos/as Majesty. burp.
• I drink few cups of tea with Camilla because I can’t stand her.
• I drink a few cups of tea with Prince Philip every day.
También para hablar de cantidades, cuando no es precisa o no es
importante la cantidad, usamos some y any.
LITTLE: poco/a
A LITTLE: un poco SOME
• I have little time to watch Eastenders.
Normalmente en frases afirmativas.
• I’d like a little more milk in my tea, please.
• You have some letters to read, Your Majesty.
• There is some leftover caviar in the fridge.

También nos gusta usar a bit. Y en frases interrogativas si pedimos u ofrecemos algo.
Could I have a bit • Would you like some carrot soup, Your Majesty?
more bread, please?

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ANY Defining Relative Clauses

Normalmente en frases negativas e interrogativas.

Bear in mind
• Do you have any palaces in Scotland?
• La información que nos da el pronombre relativo es esencial, sin ella no
• Is there any rice left in the pantry? tiene sentido la frase.
• Este tipo de oración no se separa con comas.
Y en oraciones afirmativas cuando significa cualquier/a. • Los pronombres relativos se pueden sustituir por that.

• I will wear any outfit, as long as it’s not beige.

Non-defining clause:
• Elizabeth II, who was born in 1926, is the longest reigning monarch
Grammar biscuit 9: pronombres relativos in British history.
• Garlic, which the Queen absolutely hates, is banned from any Royal
Así construimos oraciones subordinadas en inglés. menu.

Defining Relative Clause: who - personas.

• This is the ring which/that Princess Diana wore. which - cosas y animales.
• Where is the cleaner who/that stole my gloves? that - no se usa.

who - personas. Non-defining Relative Clauses:

which - cosas y animales. What do you mean exactly?
that - todos ellos. I’m a royal dog, not an object! Bear in mind

• La oración subordinada ofrece información adicional; si la quitamos,

Estos pronombres introducen una oración subordinada (relative clau- la frase sigue teniendo sentido.
se) para dar información sobre la persona o cosa de la que habla la • La oración subordinada va entre comas.
• El pronombre relativo no se puede sustituir por that.
oración principal.

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Grammar biscuit 10: irregular plurals

Usamos muchos sustantivos que tienen plurales

1 foot 2 feet
irregulares 1 cactus 2 cacti

1 tooth 2 teeth

1 person 2 people
Algunos no cambian al pasar al plural:
1 man 2 men

1 woman 2 women
1 child 2 children 1 deer 2 deer
1 sheep 2 sheep

1 goose 2 geese
1 fish 2 fish
1 mouse 2 mice

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Grammar biscuit 11: spelling rules Grammar is the difference between knowing
your shit and knowing you’re shit.
Ten esto en cuenta siempre que escribas en inglés:

Mayúsculas: días de la semana, meses, idiomas y nacionalidades.

• Will you be joining us for the tea party on Sunday?
• Prince Philip and I visited Australia last June.
• I speak English better than you.
• Are you Russian by any chance?

Cantidades: los decimales se indican con punto y las decenas con

coma. Además, el símbolo de la divisa se pone delante de la cantidad.

• This tiara is worth £10,000.

(diez mil libras)
• A bottle of fresh milk for £5.99? What a rip-off!
(cinco libras con noventa y nueve peniques).

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