Using Antes and Related Spanish Phrases

Using Antes and Related Spanish Phrases Antes is a common way of saying  before, but it is often necessary to use it in the phrases antes de and antes de que.   How To Use Antes The easiest way to think about the differences between antes by itself and the two phrases is to consider which part of the sentence antes connects with. If it affects the meaning of the entire sentence or of a verb, then its functioning as an adverb and stands alone. Another way of thinking about this, although it doesnt cover all instances, is that  if it makes sense to translate antes as beforehand or earlier (theyre both adverbs) then you should use antes by itself: Antes fuimos a la ciudad. (Earlier, we went to the city.)No lo habà ­a visto antes. (I had not seen it beforehand.)Yo corrà ­a ms antes.  (Earlier, I used to run more.)Antes habà ­a muchos casos de tuberculosis en las zona. (Before, there were many tuberculosis cases in the area.) Antes de (not antes de que), on the other hand, functions like a two-word preposition and connects with a noun that follows (or an infinitive functioning as  a noun): Fue difà ­cil viajar antes de la era industrial.  (It was difficult to travel before the industrial era.)Yo tenà ­a miedo antes del comunicado oficial.  (I was afraid before the official announcement.)Llene este formulario antes de salir.  (Fill out this form before leaving.)No creers cà ³mo Disney hacà ­a sus pelà ­culas antes de las computadoras. (You will not believe how Disney made its films before there were computers.) Finally, antes de que (or antes que, a regional variation used the same way), functions as a subordinating conjunction, which indicates the connection between one event and another and is followed by a noun and a verb (or a verb where the noun is implied): Necesito perder peso antes de que empiece el verano. (I need to lose weight before summer begins.)Mi padre se fue antes que yo naciera.  (My father left before I was born.)Antes de que estudiemos el sol, aprenderemos un algo sobre los tomos de hidrà ³geno.  (Before studying the sun, we will learn something about hydrogen atoms.)Controle su ira antes de que ella le controle a usted. (Control your anger before it controls you.) Note that as in the above examples, the verb following antes de que or antes que is in the subjunctive mood. This is true even when the subjunctive verb refers to something that definitely will or already has happened. One way of understanding the differences is to look at the three variations used in sentences that begin the same: Lo sabà ­a todo antes. I knew it all before. (Antes affects the meaning of the entire sentence and functions as an adverb. This is the only example of these three where beforehand or earlier would work as a translation.)Lo sabà ­a todo antes de hoy. I knew it all before today. (Antes de functions as a preposition with hoy, a noun, as its object.)Lo sabà ­a todo antes (de) que comenzara el trabajo. I knew it all before the job began. (Antes (de) que indicates the time connection between what could otherwise be two sentences.) Ante vs. Antes Although ante is sometimes translated as before, it should not be confused with antes. Although the two words are clearly related, they have separate uses. In modern Spanish, ante is a preposition that means before only in the sense of being in the presence of or in the face of. Common translations include in front of or facing. It can also be translated at considering or compared to. Ha subido las escaleras y se ha colocado ante la estatua de la diosa. (He had climbed the stairs and had planted himself in front of the statue of the goddess.)En una ocasià ³n me invitaron a hablar ante las estudiantes de la Escuela de Negocios de Harvard. (One time they invited me to speak before Harvard Business School students.)Tenemos que aprender a ser tolerantes ante nuestras diferencias raciales. (We need to learn to be tolerant in light of our racial differences.) ¿Te gustarà ­a vivir ante la playa y con maravillosas vistas a mar y montaà ±a? (Would you like living facing the beach with marvelous views of sea and mountain?) Key Takeaways Antes functions as an adverb that, when used by itself, typically means before or earlier.The phrases antes de and antes de que function as a two-word preposition and three-word conjunction, respectively.Ante is a preposition that often means in front of or considering.

Definition and Examples of Foreigner Talk

Definition and Examples of Foreigner Talk The term foreigner talk refers to a simplified version of a language thats sometimes used by native speakers when addressing non-native speakers. Foreigner talk is closer to baby talk than to pidgin, says Eric Reinders. Pidgins, creoles, baby talk, and foreigner talk are quite distinct as spoken but nonetheless tend to be perceived as similar by those adult native speakers who are not fluent in pidgin (Borrowed Gods and Foreign Bodies, 2004).As discussed by Rod Ellis below, two broad types of foreigner talk are commonly recognizedungrammatical and grammatical.The term foreigner talk was coined in 1971 by Stanford University professor Charles A. Ferguson, one of the founders of sociolinguistics. Characteristics of Foreigner Talk We know that in addition to increase in volume, decrease in speed, and a chunky, word-by-word delivery, Foreigner Talk exhibits a number of peculiarities in its lexicon, syntax, and morphology, most of them consisting in attrition and simplification.In the lexicon, we find most noticeably an attrition in terms of the omission of function words such as a, the, to, and. There is also a tendency to use onomatopoetic expressions such as (airplanes) zoom-zoom-zoom, colloquial expressions such as big bucks, and words that sound vaguely international such as kapeesh.In the morphology, we find a tendency to simplify by omitting inflections. As a consequence, where ordinary English distinguishes I vs. me, Foreigner Talk tends to use only me.(Hans Henrich Hock and Brian D. Joseph, Language History, Language Change, and Language Relationship. Walter de Gruyter, 1996) Two Types of Foreigner Talk Two types of foreigner talk can be identifiedungrammatical and grammatical. . . .Ungrammatical foreigner talk is socially marked. It often implies a lack of respect on the part of the native speaker and can be resented by learners. Ungrammatical foreigner talk is characterized by the deletion of certain grammatical features such as copula be, modal verbs (for example, can and must) and articles, the use of the base form of the verb in place of the past tense form, and the use of special constructions such as no verb. . . . There is no convincing evidence that learners errors derive from the language they are exposed to.Grammatical foreigner talk is the norm. Various types of modification of baseline talk (i.e. the kind of talk native speakers address to other native speakers) can be identified. First, grammatical foreigner talk is delivered at a slower pace. Second, the input is simplified. . . . Third, grammatical foreigner talk is sometimes regularized. . . . An example . . . is t he use of a full rather than a contracted form (will not forget instead of wont forget). Fourth, foreigner talk sometimes consists of elaborated language use. This involves the lengthening of phrases and sentences in order to make the meaning clearer.(Rod Ellis, Second Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press, 1997) Foreigner Talk and Pidgin Formation Even if conventionalized foreigner talk is not involved in all cases of pidgin formation, it seems to involve principles of simplification which probably play a role in any interactive situation where the parties have to make themselves understood to each other in the absence of a common language.(Mark Sebba, Contact Languages: Pidgins and Creoles. Palgrave, 1997) The Lighter Side of Foreigner Talk Manuel:  Ah, your horse. It win! It win!Basil Fawlty:  [wanting him to keep quiet about his gambling venture] Shh, shh, shh, Manuel. You   - know - nothing.Manuel:  You always say, Mr. Fawlty, but I learn.Basil Fawlty:  What?Manuel:  I learn. I learn.Basil Fawlty:  No, no, no, no, no.Manuel:  I get better.Basil Fawlty:  No no. No no, you dont understand.Manuel:  I do.Basil Fawlty:  No, you dont.Manuel:  Hey, I do understand that!(Andrew Sachs and John Cleese   in Communication Problems. Fawlty Towers, 1979)