Gramática ~53 min del núcleo restante

Contar una historia con sus antecedentes

Después de esta lección podrás

Puedo construir un relato en el que una parte de los hechos explica lo que pasó después.

Comenzar la lección Núcleo 53 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

14 min

En B1 #1 el Past Perfect iba en una sola oración junto al Past Simple. Un relato de verdad es más largo, y en él trabajan a la vez tres tiempos del pasado. Cada uno tiene su papel, y si se mezclan, quien escucha deja de entender qué pasó antes y qué después.

La forma ya la conoces. Past Simple (A2 #1): I left, I didn't leave. Past Continuous (A2 #2): I was leaving, They were talking. Past Perfect (B1 #1): I had left.

Qué hace cada uno:

tiempo papel a qué pregunta responde ejemplo
Past Simple la cadena de hechos ¿qué pasó después? I got up, had breakfast and left.
Past Continuous el fondo, lo que estaba en curso ¿qué pasaba alrededor? It was raining, people were hurrying to work.
Past Perfect los antecedentes ¿qué había pasado antes? I had forgotten my umbrella.

Un relato se puede imaginar como una película. El Past Simple hace avanzar la trama: cada hecho nuevo es la toma siguiente. El Past Continuous es el decorado, lo que ya estaba en marcha cuando empezó la toma. El Past Perfect es una mirada breve hacia atrás: qué pasó antes de esa escena y por qué es como es.

Cómo encontrar el punto del relato. Pregúntate: ¿de qué momento estoy hablando ahora? Todo lo que ocurrió en ese momento y después va en Past Simple. Todo lo que en ese momento ya estaba en curso, en Past Continuous. Todo lo que terminó antes, en Past Perfect. El punto se mueve con la trama, y por eso un mismo hecho va en Past Simple al principio de la historia y, un párrafo después, se recuerda ya en Past Perfect.

Las conjunciones que mantienen el orden:

conjunción significado ejemplo
when cuando When I got home, my sister had made dinner.
after después de que After I had finished the report, I went home.
before antes de que I checked the windows before I left.
as soon as en cuanto As soon as I saw the time, I jumped up.
by the time para cuando By the time we arrived, the shop had closed.

Detrás de after y before el Past Perfect no es obligatorio: la propia conjunción dice qué fue antes. After I finished the report, I went home es tan correcto como con had finished. Con as soon as los dos verbos suelen ir en Past Simple: un hecho sigue inmediatamente al otro.

by the time casi siempre pide Past Perfect en la parte principal. Significa «para el momento en que…», y el hecho principal ya había terminado para entonces: By the time we arrived, everyone had left.

Compara tres respuestas a la pregunta de qué hacía mi hermana cuando llegué:

When I got home, my sister made dinner. Llegué y ella se puso a hacer la cena.
When I got home, my sister was making dinner. Justo estaba haciendo la cena.
When I got home, my sister had made dinner. La cena ya estaba hecha.

El comienzo es el mismo, y las historias son tres. La diferencia la hace solo el tiempo del verbo.

La regla de la medida. El Past Perfect sirve para dar un paso atrás, no para quedarse allí. En unos antecedentes largos se pone en la primera o la segunda oración, y después se pasa al Past Simple: el orden ya está claro.

I had met Anna years before, in Edinburgh. We worked in the same café and shared a flat. Then she moved to Canada, and we lost touch.

El orden de las partes es libre. El inglés a menudo empieza por la consecuencia y después explica la causa: I couldn't get in because I had lost my keys. Si la parte con la conjunción va primero, detrás se pone coma: By the time we arrived, the shop had closed.

Así no se dice. ✗ After I had finished, I had gone home → ✓ After I had finished, I went home. El hecho posterior es precisamente el punto del relato, y lleva Past Simple.

Ponte a prueba. ¿Qué significa When I got home, my sister had made dinner: ella se puso a cocinar delante de ti o la cena ya estaba en la mesa? ¿Hace falta el Past Perfect en After I ___ (finish), I went home? ¿Qué tiempo suele ir en la parte principal con by the time?

mostrar las respuestas
la cena ya estaba hecha; no es obligatorio: valen tanto finished como had finished; el Past Perfect: By the time we arrived, the shop had closed.
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Errores de los hispanohablantes

escrito para tu idioma
1

by the time when

✗ By the time when we arrived, the shop had closed

✓ By the time we arrived, the shop had closed

«Para cuando llegamos» lleva dentro «cuando», y tienta añadir when. Pero by the time ya incluye el «cuando».

2

El imperfecto traducido por el Past Simple

When I came in, everybody sat at the table and talked significa en inglés: entré, y entonces todos se sentaron a la mesa y se pusieron a hablar. Si querías decir «todos estaban sentados y hablaban», hace falta ✓ everybody was sitting at the table and talking. El imperfecto español es una sola palabra, y parece que le corresponde el Past Simple; pero el fondo, en inglés, va en Past Continuous (A2 #2).

3

before y after con infinitivo

✗ I checked the windows before to leave

✓ I checked the windows before I left

«Antes de salir», «después de terminar» llevan infinitivo, y la mano escribe before to leave, after to finish. En inglés detrás de before y after nunca va to; lo más sencillo es una oración completa, con sujeto y verbo conjugado: before I left, after I had finished.

Pronunciación

4 min

Una oración larga se divide en grupos de sentido, y entre ellos hay una pausa breve:

By the time I got to the office ‖ the meeting had already started. I had set my alarm for half past six ‖ but I hadn't heard it.

La pausa va en el límite entre las partes, normalmente donde por escrito hay una coma o una conjunción. Entre el sujeto y el verbo no se hace.

Al final de la primera parte la voz sube un poco: es la señal de «esto sigue». Solo baja al final de toda la oración. Si bajas la voz después de By the time I got to the office, quien te escucha pensará que has terminado.

had en los antecedentes es débil: /həd/, y detrás de un pronombre, solo /d/: I'd set my alarm /aɪd ˈset maɪ əˈlɑːm/.

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Texto

5 min

By the time I got to the office on Monday, the meeting had already started. It was not a good beginning to my first week in a new job.

I had set my alarm for half past six, but I hadn't heard it. The night before, I had worked on my presentation until two in the morning and had fallen asleep on the sofa with my laptop on my knees. When I finally woke up, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. It was ten to nine.

As soon as I saw the time, I jumped up, put on yesterday's shirt and ran to the bus stop. It was raining hard, and of course I had left my umbrella at the office on Friday.

When I opened the door of the meeting room, everyone turned round. My new manager was standing by the board, and somebody had already written half of the plan on it. I said sorry and sat down.

After the meeting had finished, my manager asked me to stay. I expected the worst. But she just smiled and said, "Don't worry. On my first day here, I came to work in my slippers."

Leer en voz alta

Ejercicios

30 min

1. Relleno de huecos.

  1. By the time I (get) to the office, the meeting (start)
  2. When I came in, my colleagues (discuss) the new project
  3. I (not / hear) my alarm because I (work) until two
  4. It (rain) hard, and I (leave) my umbrella at the office the day before
  5. As soon as she (see) the time, she (jump) up
  6. When we got to the party, most of the guests (already / go) home
  7. While I (wait) for the bus, I (realise) that I (leave) my phone at home
Mostrar las respuestas
got / had started; were discussing; didn't hear / had worked; was raining / had left; saw / jumped; had already gone; was waiting / realised / had left

2. Opción múltiple.

  1. we got to the cinema, the film had already started. (by the time / as soon as)
  2. I saw the message, I called her back. (as soon as / by the time)
  3. I always check the windows I leave the house. (before / after)
  4. she had paid the bill, she left the restaurant. (after / before)
  5. I opened the door, the dog ran out into the street. (when / by the time)
Mostrar las respuestas
By the time; As soon as; before; After; When

3. Une las dos oraciones

  1. The shop closed. + We arrived. (by the time)
  2. I finished the report. + I went home. (after)
  3. Everyone left. + The police came. (by the time)
  4. She read the instructions twice. + She started. (before)
  5. The guests went home. + I finished the washing-up. (by the time)
Mostrar las respuestas
By the time we arrived, the shop had closed / The shop had closed by the time we arrived; After I had finished the report, I went home / I went home after I had finished the report; By the time the police came, everyone had left / Everyone had left by the time the police came; She had read the instructions twice before she started / Before she started, she had read the instructions twice; By the time I finished the washing-up, the guests had gone home / The guests had gone home by the time I finished the washing-up

4. Detección de errores.

  1. By the time when we arrived, the shop had closed.
  2. After I had finished, I had gone home.
  3. When I came in, she was cooked dinner.
  4. I couldn't get in because I have lost my keys.
  5. By the time we got there, the shop has closed.
Mostrar las respuestas
By the time we arrived, the shop had closed; After I had finished, I went home / After I finished, I went home; When I came in, she was cooking dinner / When I came in, she cooked dinner / When I came in, she had cooked dinner; I couldn't get in because I had lost my keys / I couldn't get in because I lost my keys; By the time we got there, the shop had closed

5. Reescribe empezando por la consecuencia.

  1. I lost my keys, so I couldn't get in.
  2. She forgot her passport, so she missed the flight.
  3. We didn't book a table, so we had to wait.
  4. He worked all night, so he was exhausted.
Mostrar las respuestas
I couldn't get in because I had lost my keys; She missed the flight because she had forgotten her passport; We had to wait because we hadn't booked a table; He was exhausted because he had worked all night

6. Convierte la pista en una respuesta completa

  1. Why was the street wet? (it / rain / in the night)
  2. Why didn't you recognise Tom? (he / grow / a beard)
  3. Why was Anna so happy? (she / pass / her driving test)
  4. Why were you late for the meeting? (I / miss / the bus)
Mostrar las respuestas
Because it had rained in the night / The street was wet because it had rained in the night; Because he had grown a beard / I didn't recognise him because he had grown a beard; Because she had passed her driving test / She was so happy because she had passed her driving test; Because I had missed the bus / I was late because I had missed the bus

7. Traduce al inglés.

1) Para cuando llegamos, ya se habían ido todos. 2) Cuando entré, todos estaban sentados a la mesa hablando. 3) En cuanto vi el mensaje, lo llamé. 4) No oí el despertador porque había trabajado hasta las dos de la madrugada.

Mostrar las respuestas
By the time we arrived, everyone had left / By the time we arrived, everybody had gone; When I came in, everyone was sitting at the table and talking; As soon as I saw the message, I called him; I didn't hear my alarm because I had worked until two in the morning
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Resumen

Visto en esta lección: tres tiempos del pasado en un mismo relato, when, after, before, as soon as, by the time, la regla de la medida, el orden «consecuencia — causa». A continuación, la lección 3: el límite exacto del perfecto.

Fin del núcleo

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

Lección 75

opcional

Vocabulario para el mazo

15 palabras
  • alarm /əˈlɑːm/ despertador
  • set /set/ poner, programar
  • presentation /ˌpreznˈteɪʃn/ presentación
  • fall asleep /ˌfɔːl əˈsliːp/ dormirse, quedarse dormido
  • wake up /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ despertarse
  • jump up /ˌdʒʌmp ˈʌp/ levantarse de un salto
  • umbrella /ʌmˈbrelə/ paraguas
  • turn round /ˌtɜːn ˈraʊnd/ darse la vuelta
  • board /bɔːd/ pizarra
  • colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/ compañero de trabajo, compañera de trabajo
  • manager /ˈmænɪdʒə/ gerente, mánager
  • as soon as /əz ˈsuːn əz/ en cuanto
  • finally /ˈfaɪnəli/ por fin, finalmente
  • expect the worst /ɪkˌspekt ðə ˈwɜːst/ esperar lo peor
  • lose touch /ˌluːz ˈtʌtʃ/ perder el contacto

Escritura

De seis a ocho oraciones: el relato de una mañana o de un día que salió mal. Hacen falta los tres tiempos: la cadena de hechos, el fondo y los antecedentes.

Modelo

By the time I got to the airport, they had closed the check-in desk. I had left home early, but there had been an accident on the motorway. While we were sitting in the traffic, I was checking the time every minute. When I finally ran into the terminal, the screen said "Gate closed". As soon as I saw it, I called my sister. She laughed and said, "Come and stay with us instead."

Lista de autocomprobación

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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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