Gramática ~54 min del núcleo restante

Contar lo que pasó antes de otra cosa

Después de esta lección podrás

Puedo dejar claro que un hecho del pasado ocurrió antes que otro.

Comenzar la lección Núcleo 54 min · pasos: 6 · opcional: +2

Tiempo declarado del núcleo. Dos bloques del núcleo no llevan cifra, por lo que la lección real es más larga que esta suma.

Gramática

15 min

En A2 contabas el pasado con dos tiempos: el Past Simple, lo que pasó (A2 #1), y el Past Continuous, lo que estaba pasando en ese momento (A2 #2). Basta mientras los hechos van en orden. Pero un relato muchas veces da un paso atrás: «llegué a la estación, y el tren ya se había ido». Para ese paso el inglés tiene un tiempo propio, el Past Perfect, que equivale al pluscuamperfecto español («había salido»).

Forma: had + tercera forma del verbo, la misma del Present Perfect (A2 #3). had es igual para todas las personas y no lleva terminaciones.

afirmación I had finished. → I'd finished.
negación She hadn't seen it. (hadn't = had not)
pregunta Had you met him before?
respuesta corta Yes, I had. / No, I hadn't.

La contracción 'd también puede venir de would: la conoces por I'd like (A2 #17). Se distinguen fácilmente por la palabra siguiente: detrás de had va la tercera forma (I'd finished); detrás de would, la forma base (I'd like). El propio verbo have en Past Perfect es had had: We had had dinner, so we weren't hungry. No es una errata: el primer had es el auxiliar; el segundo, la tercera forma de have.

Negación y pregunta. La negación es hadn't + tercera forma, sin ningún did: I hadn't seen him for years. La pregunta se forma igual que en el Present Perfect, solo que en lugar de have va had: Had you eaten? Con una palabra interrogativa, had va justo detrás de ella: Why had she left so early? Where had they gone? En la respuesta corta la tercera forma no se repite: Yes, I had, No, she hadn't.

Cuándo se usa. El Past Perfect siempre mira hacia atrás desde un momento del pasado. Ese momento, al que llamaremos el punto del relato, suele estar al lado, en Past Simple.

Primer caso: un hecho ocurrió antes que otro: When I got to the station, the train had left. Primero se fue el tren, después llegué yo.

Segundo: la causa de lo que pasó después: She couldn't get in because she had lost her keys. Las llaves se perdieron antes, y por eso la puerta no se abrió.

Tercero: la experiencia hasta un momento del pasado: I had never seen the sea before that summer. Es lo mismo que el Present Perfect de la experiencia (A2 #4), solo que no se cuenta desde «ahora», sino desde «aquel verano».

De ahí una regla corta: el Present Perfect une el pasado con el presente; el Past Perfect, un pasado anterior con otro posterior.

Compara. Una sola forma cambia el orden de los hechos:

When I arrived, the train left. Llegué y el tren arrancó: lo vi salir.
When I arrived, the train had left. El tren había salido antes: ya no lo alcancé.

Si los hechos se cuentan en el mismo orden en que ocurrieron, el Past Perfect no hace falta: I got up, had a shower and left the house. El orden ya está claro. El pluscuamperfecto hace falta donde el relato vuelve atrás.

already, just, never, ever, yet. Van en el mismo sitio que en el Present Perfect (A2 #3, A2 #4): entre had y la tercera forma; yet, al final de la frase.

The film had already started. La película ya había empezado.
She had just left. Acababa de irse.
I had never seen snow before. Nunca antes había visto nieve.
Had you ever been there before? ¿Habías estado allí alguna vez?
They hadn't finished yet. Todavía no habían terminado.

A never y ever se les suele añadir before al final: recuerda que no se cuenta desde hoy, sino desde un momento del pasado.

«Por primera vez»: It was the first time… Detrás de esta expresión va el Past Perfect: It was the first time I had flown. — «Era la primera vez que volaba». Lo mismo detrás de un superlativo con ever: It was the best meal I had ever eaten. En español aquí va el imperfecto («era la primera vez que volaba») o el indefinido («fue la primera vez que volé»), mientras que el inglés cuenta la experiencia hasta ese momento: de ahí el pluscuamperfecto. En presente el esquema es el mismo, pero con Present Perfect: It's the first time I've been here. En la conversación también se oye It was the first time I flew, pero la norma es el Past Perfect.

Más ejemplos:

By nine o'clock everyone had gone home. A las nueve ya se habían ido todos a casa.
I didn't recognise him — he had grown a beard. No lo reconocí: se había dejado barba.
We hadn't eaten all day, so we were very hungry. No habíamos comido nada en todo el día.

Así no se dice. ✗ Did you had seen it before? → ✓ Had you seen it before? La pregunta la forma el propio had, y did sobra.

Ponte a prueba. ¿Qué pasó antes: When we got home, the guests had left? ¿Dónde es had y dónde es would: I'd finished, I'd like? ¿Cómo se dice «Era la primera vez que veía el mar»?

mostrar las respuestas
los invitados se fueron antes de que llegáramos; I'd finished es had (detrás va la tercera forma), I'd like es would; It was the first time I had seen the sea.
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Errores de los hispanohablantes

escrito para tu idioma
1

already entre el verbo y el complemento

✗ I had finished already the report

✓ I had already finished the report

En español «había terminado ya el informe» suena bien, y el adverbio se cuela detrás del verbo. En inglés already, just, never van entre had y la tercera forma; already puede ir también al final de la frase, pero nunca entre el verbo y su complemento.

2

La doble negación con never

✗ I hadn't never seen the sea before

✓ I had never seen the sea before

«No había visto nunca el mar» lleva dos negaciones; en inglés basta con una: o never, o hadn't + ever.

3

El sujeto que falta

✗ When I arrived, had already left

✓ When I arrived, she had already left

En «cuando llegué, ya se había ido» no hace falta decir quién. Pero had es igual para todas las personas y no lo dice: el sujeto es obligatorio.

4

«Es la primera vez que…» con el presente

✗ It's the first time I am here → ✓ It's the first time I've been here. El español usa el presente; el inglés cuenta la experiencia hasta ahora, con perfecto. En pasado, lo mismo: «era la primera vez que volaba» → It was the first time I had flown.

Pronunciación

4 min

had en la afirmación es átono: /həd/, y detrás de un pronombre, solo /d/. I'd finished suena /aɪd ˈfɪnɪʃt/, casi como I finished /aɪ ˈfɪnɪʃt/: la /d/ delante de consonante casi no se oye.

Por eso, al escuchar, apóyate en el verbo principal cuando es irregular: I'd gone frente a I went, she'd seen frente a she saw. El mismo truco sirve con el perfecto (A2 #20).

En la negación y en la respuesta corta, had es tónico y completo: I hadn't seen it /ˈhædnt/, Yes, I had /hæd/.

had had se pronuncia sin tropezar: We'd had dinner /wiːd hæd ˈdɪnə/. El primer had es débil y se funde con el pronombre; el segundo es el verbo principal y suena entero.

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Texto

5 min

Last spring I nearly missed my best friend's wedding. It was in a small village in Wales, and I had booked a train for Saturday morning. I had checked the timetable twice the night before, so I felt calm.

When I got to the station at ten past eight, the platform was empty. The train had already left. The company had changed the timetable a week earlier, but nobody had told me — the email had gone into my spam folder.

I phoned my friend. She didn't answer because she had switched off her phone for the day. In the end her brother picked me up and drove me to the village. We arrived at the church just as the music started. Most of the guests had already sat down, and my friend's mother was looking at the door nervously.

Later, at dinner, I told the story to the whole table. Everyone laughed, and this time I laughed too. It was the first time I had ever been late for a wedding — and I had never felt so stressed in my life.

Leer en voz alta

Ejercicios

30 min

1. Relleno de huecos.

  1. When I (get) to the station, the train (already / leave)
  2. She (can't) get in because she (lose) her keys
  3. I (never / see) the sea before that summer
  4. The police (arrive) at nine, but the thieves (escape) an hour earlier
  5. We (not / eat) all day, so we (be) very hungry
  6. I (not / recognise) him because he (grow) a beard
  7. When we (open) the door, we saw that somebody (break) the window
  8. you (meet) her before the party?
Mostrar las respuestas
got / had already left; couldn't / had lost; had never seen; arrived / had escaped; hadn't eaten / were; didn't recognise / had grown; opened / had broken; Had / met

2. Detección de errores.

  1. I had lived in France many years ago.
  2. She had went home before I arrived.
  3. I had finished already the report when she called.
  4. When we arrived, the film has already started.
  5. Did she had left when you arrived?
  6. Had you saw that film before?
Mostrar las respuestas
I lived in France many years ago; She had gone home before I arrived / She went home before I arrived; I had already finished the report when she called / I had finished the report already when she called; When we arrived, the film had already started; Had she left when you arrived?; Had you seen that film before?

3. Une las dos oraciones en una

  1. I lost my keys. + I couldn't get in. (because)
  2. She finished the report. + She went home. (after)
  3. The film started. + We arrived at the cinema. (when)
  4. I didn't sleep well. + I felt terrible all day. (because)
  5. He forgot his passport. + He missed the flight. (because)
Mostrar las respuestas
I couldn't get in because I had lost my keys; She went home after she had finished the report / After she had finished the report, she went home; When we arrived at the cinema, the film had started / When we arrived at the cinema, the film had already started / The film had started when we arrived at the cinema; I felt terrible all day because I hadn't slept well; He missed the flight because he had forgotten his passport

4. Completa con already, just, never, ever o yet.

  1. When I called, she had left — hacía literalmente un minuto
  2. By ten o'clock I had finished all my work — antes de lo que pensaba
  3. I had eaten sushi before that evening — ni una sola vez
  4. Had you been to Wales before that trip?
  5. He hadn't finished his dinner when the taxi arrived
Mostrar las respuestas
just; already; never; ever; yet

5. Transforma en pregunta

  1. She had lost her keys. (what)
  2. They had left before midnight. (why)
  3. You had seen the sea before. (pregunta de sí o no)
  4. He had worked in a hotel for a year. (where)
  5. You had been to London before. (ever)
Mostrar las respuestas
What had she lost?; Why had they left before midnight?; Had you seen the sea before?; Where had he worked for a year?; Had you ever been to London before?

6. Reescribe con It was the first time…

  1. I had never flown before.
  2. She had never seen snow before.
  3. They had never been to Scotland before.
Mostrar las respuestas
It was the first time I had flown / It was the first time I had ever flown; It was the first time she had seen snow / It was the first time she had ever seen snow; It was the first time they had been to Scotland / It was the first time they had ever been to Scotland

7. Responde con oraciones completas

, sobre ti. Las respuestas de abajo son un modelo. 1) Had you ever been abroad before you were eighteen? 2) What had you done today before you sat down for this lesson? 3) Had you heard of this course before you started it?

Mostrar las respuestas
Yes, I had. I had been to France with my parents / No, I hadn't. I first went abroad when I was twenty; I had made a cup of tea and answered my emails; No, I hadn't. A friend told me about it

8. Traduce al inglés.

1) Cuando llegamos, la tienda ya había cerrado. 2) No la reconocí: se había cortado el pelo. 3) Antes de aquel viaje nunca había volado en avión. 4) No pudo pagar porque se había dejado la cartera en casa. 5) Era la primera vez que veía la nieve.

Mostrar las respuestas
When we arrived, the shop had already closed; I didn't recognise her — she had cut her hair; I had never flown before that trip / I had never been on a plane before that trip; He couldn't pay because he had left his wallet at home; It was the first time I had seen snow
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Resumen

Visto en esta lección: el Past Perfect en todas sus formas, el punto del relato y el paso atrás desde él, 'd como had o como would, already, just, never, ever, yet con el Past Perfect, It was the first time I had…. A continuación, la lección 2: un relato con sus antecedentes.

Fin del núcleo

La lección se marca como completada una vez que se hagan los ejercicios. Todo lo que sigue es opcional.

Lección 74

opcional

Vocabulario para el mazo

14 palabras
  • wedding /ˈwedɪŋ/ boda
  • village /ˈvɪlɪdʒ/ pueblo, aldea
  • book /bʊk/ reservar
  • timetable /ˈtaɪmteɪbl/ horario
  • platform /ˈplætfɔːm/ andén
  • switch off /ˌswɪtʃ ˈɒf/ apagar
  • pick up /ˌpɪk ˈʌp/ recoger (en coche)
  • guest /ɡest/ invitado, invitada
  • nervously /ˈnɜːvəsli/ con nervios, nerviosamente
  • in the end /ɪn ði ˈend/ al final
  • the night before /ðə naɪt bɪˈfɔː/ la noche anterior
  • recognise /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/ reconocer
  • beard /bɪəd/ barba
  • escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ escaparse, huir

Escritura

Cinco o seis oraciones sobre una vez en que llegaste tarde a algún sitio o algo salió mal. Al menos dos veces, Past Perfect; una vez, It was the first time… o never … before.

Modelo

Last winter I missed an important exam. I had set two alarms, but my phone had switched itself off in the night. When I woke up, the exam had already started. I ran all the way to the university, but the teacher didn't let me in. It was the first time I had missed an exam, and I had never felt so stupid.

Lista de autocomprobación

El borrador se guarda en este dispositivo
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Practica esta lección en las otras secciones

Dictadobasado en esta lección Escribe lo que oyes. La corrección muestra cada palabra que difiere, y cómo. Escribir el dictado Leer en voz altabasado en esta lección Lee el texto de la lección en voz alta: el reconocimiento de voz resalta las palabras que no captó. Leer el texto en voz alta Leer y escucharA1–C1 Textos de todos los niveles con preguntas de comprensión; la transcripción se abre tras responder. Pruébalo

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