LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

People have equal ideas, feelings, emotions, and desires, that we express through language. Each language conveys those meanings in different ways that are proper for them, but, often enough native speakers seem to forget the resources their language has and reach out to import strange modes of expression. Such is the case with "en cuanto yo sé", which I have just heard on TV, a direct translation of "as far as I know." I have also heard "por lo que yo sé" as another choice for the English cliché mentioned above, instead of the genuine "que yo sepa", using the subjunctive: "David, que yo sepa, ya no está en Madrid." English uses the subjunctive sparingly and thus it is forced to employ other ways to convey ideas of doubt and uncertainty. Will "en cuanto yo sé" debunk "que yo sepa"? Eventually, I am sure, mainly because the average native speaker´s knowledge of their language is scant and they have a dearth of interes...

  Esperaremos "hasta" que Lucía "venga" - We´ll wait "until" Lucia "comes." Se marcharán "antes de" que Lizbeth "dé" la orden - They´ll leave "before" Lizbeth "gives" the order  Nos acostaremos "cuando" Paco lo "diga" - We´ll go to bed "when" Frank "tells" us Comenzaremos "tan pronto" "estemos" preparados - We´ll start "as soon as" we "are" ready. And that´s all, Folks! (As Minie Mouse used to say).  

  El  hispanohablante (que no  parlante , repito) utiliza el subjuntivo bastante bien y sin darse cuenta de que habla en subjuntivo. A veces no sabe qué es eso del subjuntivo, pero se para en seco ( stops dead in his tracks ) cuando quiere decir en inglés  ¿Qué quieres que  haga ?  (La palabra en negrita va en subjuntivo) se pone colorado y espeta:  What do you want that I do?  o  What do you want I do?  Lo correcto es emplear el infinitivo:  What do you want me  to do ?   Después de verbos de deseo, orden, sugerencias, expectativas, emplearemos el subjuntivo en castellano y el infinitivo en inglés: Quiero que  vayas  ahora,  I want you  to go  now. Espero que  vengan  a las siete,  I expect them  to come  at seven. ¿Qué quieres que te  diga ? , What do you want me  to tell  you?  Te ordeno que me  des  un besito,  I order you  to giv...