REAPEATED ND DOBLE COMPARATIVES

REAPEATED ND DOBLE COMPARATIVES

En inglés existen los llamados repeated comparatives o comparativos repetidos. Se trata de una estructura que usamos para indicar que algo está cambiando (aumentando o disminuyendo). Veamos cómo se forman. 

AUMENTO

Se usan dos estructuras para indicar que algo aumenta: .... er and ..... er  y  more and more ..... que suelen aparecer con los verbos get y become.  

1) ... er and ....er (cada vez más / más y más) 

Se utiliza con los adjetivos / adverbios cortos que ya explicamos en el post adjetivos comparativos. Añadimos -er al adjetivo para formar el adjetivo comparativo, a continuación la conjunción and y después, repetimos de nuevo el adjetivo comparativo → bigger and bigger, fatter and fatter, faster and faster

I'm getting older and older (cada vez me hago más mayor, me hago más y más mayor) 

Laptops are becoming cheaper and cheaper (los portátiles son cada vez más baratos, los portátiles se están volviendo más y más baratos) 

We are getting closer and closer (cada vez estamos más cerca)

2) more and more .... (cada vez más / más y más) 

Esta estructura se utiliza con:

Adjetivos largos o con adverbios. Basta con escribir more and more y añadir a continuación el adjetivo o el adverbio → more and more beautiful, more and more exciting

The situation is becoming more and more difficult (la situación cada vez se hace más difícil) 

Smartphones are getting more and more expensive (los teléfonos inteligentes son cada vez más caros)

We are going more and more slowly (cada vez vamos más lentos). 

Sustantivos (tanto contables como incontables). Basta con escribir more and more y añadir a continuación el sustantivo → more and more books, more and more children

(contable) More and more children use tablets in schools (cada vez son más los niños que usan tablets en el colegio)

(incontable) We waste more and more money on things we don't need (cada día gastamos más dinero en cosas que no necesitamos)

DESCENSO

Para indicar que algo disminuye podemos usar las estructuras: less and less.... y fewer and fewer...

1) less and less... (cada vez menos, menos y menos) 

Se utiliza con adjetivos y sustantivos incontables. Basta con añadir el adjetivo o sustantivo incontable tras la expresión less and less. 

As you get older, you become less and less flexible (a medida que te haces mayor, te vuelves menos y menos flexible / a medida que te haces mayor, pierdes flexibilidad) 

She needs less and less money everyday (ella cada día necesita menos dinero)

I have less and less time to cook (cada vez tengo menos tiempo para cocinar) 

También podemos usarlo con verbos como dice la canción de Kaiser Chiefs: Everyday I love you less and less (cada día te quiero menos) 

2) fewer and fewer... (cada vez menos, menos y menos) 

Se utiliza con sustantivos contables. 

verbs with stative and dynamic uses

VERDS WITH STATIVE AND DYNAMIC USES

Fihat do the words "dynamic" and "stative" mean?  

They aren't very common words in everyday English, but they are grammar terms you will need to know to understand this subject. 

Dynamic

"Dynamic" is an adjective which means something is moving or changing. 

In English grammar a "dynamic verb" means that the verb describes an action rather than a state. Dynamic verbs are sometimes known as "action verbs."

"Joe is chasing the bus."

Stative

"Stative" is an adjective which describes something as having a state, or existing (this is a very uncommon adjective). 

In English grammar a "stative verb" means that the verb describes a staterather than an action.

Stative verbs are sometimes known as "state verbs." 

"Kevin wants some ice-cream."

So now you know the meaning of the terms, let's look at some examples!

First, here is a list of some dynamic verbs. You can see that they are all used to describe an action, change, or process. Most of them are used to describe an activity which has a start and an end. 

Examples of dynamic verbs:

• eat
• walk
• learn
• grow
• sleep
• talk
• write
• run
• read
• become
• go

These words can all be used in the progressive form. 

Example sentences with dynamic verbs:

• "I can't talk right now, I'm eating dinner."
  Present progressive used to describe an action happening now.
  
  
• "Sorry, I'm out of breath because I've been running."
  Present perfect progressive used to describe an action that started in the past, continued for some time and has results now.
  
  
• "I didn't steal the necklace! I was sleeping when someone broke into the shop!"
  Past progressive used to talk about an action that was happening at a particular time in the past.

Here is a list of some of the stative verbs. Some of these describe relationships between things or people (for example, own) and some describe emotions or states of mind.

Examples of stative verbs:

• love
• hate
• like
• prefer
• doubt
• seem
• know
• own
• understand

Here are some examples, showing that these words cannot be used in the progressive form.

Correct: "I like chocolate, but I prefer cake."

Incorrect: "I'm liking chocolate but I'm preferring cake."

Correct: "I don't understand you when you speak quickly."

Incorrect: "I'm not understanding you when you speak quickly."

There are also some verbs that can be either dynamic or stative, depending on their meaning and context in the sentence. I'm sure you know by now that there are many words in English that can have more than one meaning!

Examples of verbs that can be either dynamic or stative:

• think
• mind
• have
• smell
• sound

Let's look at some examples of how these verbs are used differently.

Example sentences:

• "I think it is wrong to hit children."
  Here, think is a stative verb. It means "to have an opinion" and it cannot be used in the progressive form in this case.
  
  
  
  

WOULD, USED TO, BE + ALWAYS + ING

WOULD, USED TO, BE + ALWAYS + ING 

F O R M 

Would ( always/never) + base form

Used to talk about habits or customs in the past.

(Always/ never) use to + base form 

Used to talk about habits or cuestioms in the past, or to express somethings that was true in the past, but is no longer true.

Be + always  + ing form (present or past progressive)

Used to talk about habits or customs in the present and past.

Examples

Anita would never remember to buy milk on her way home.

The wind always used to blow really hard in Hidalgo.

They are always laughing and joking 

She was always singing.

   

Exercise

Find the mistake in each sentences and write the correct sentence.

1. I used struggle with my sense of identity when I first arrived_________________

2. Jacquie would never to arrive in time for meetings_________________________

3. They are always try to meet new people.__________________________________

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