What's it like?

Este post está dedicado a una pregunta muy común que no tiene nada que ver con el verbo like (el verbo de esta pregunta es to be).

Se usa para decir "¿qué tal?" o "¿cómo es?" cuando preguntamos sobre algo. Cuando contestamos a esta pregunta nunca empleamos like.

     What's the traffic like in the city centre?

     What's the weather like where you are?

     What's the situation in the Middle East like at the moment?

     What's your book like?

     What was your meeting like?

     What was the film like?

     What was the journey like?

     What was the questions like?

Want/Like there to be

Want there to be

Like there to be

Con ambos verbos, there funciona como pronombre objeto al igual que him o me y a continuación va el verbo con to.

Ejemplos con Want there to be:

     I want there to be peace in the world.

     I don't want there to be any problems.

     Do you really want there to be a picture of a frog on the front cover?

Ejemplos con Like there to be:

     Would you like there to be better mobile coverage in your village?

     Would you like there to be less pollution?

     Would you like there to be more trees where you live?

     

Como observarás, la estructura anterior se utiliza mucho en la forma interrogativa.

Happen to do

Happen to do es una estructura verbal que significa "dar la casualidad de que" o "por casualidad".

     I happened to be at the airport when the king arrived.

     He happened to give some very useful information.

     They happen to have a very nice Rolls Royce you could hire.

     I happen to know that she's going to leave him.

     She happens to disagree with you.

Esta estructura también es una forma muy educada y bastante común de preguntar o pedir algo.

     You wouldn't happen to know what time it is, would you?

     You wouldn't happen to have a light, would you?

     You wouldn't happen to speak Italian, would you?

     Excuse me; you wouldn't happen to know where the station is, would you?

Idiom of the day (138)

As you sow, so shall you reap.

Quien siembra vientos recoge tempestades.