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to reduce the rate, level, or amount of something Nuestra principal responsabilidad es reducir la tasa de desempleo. commencer à apprendre
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bring down (the cost/number/rate of ...) Our main responsibility is to bring down the rate of unemployment.
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to change your opinion or decision because someone has persuaded you to agree with them Estábamos seguros de que ella acabaría aceptando nuestra forma de pensar. commencer à apprendre
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come round to (a way of thinking / the idea) We were sure she’d come round to our way of thinking in the end.
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to think of something such as an idea or a plan ¿Es esta la mejor solución que se te ocurre? commencer à apprendre
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come up with (a solution/strategy) Is this the best solution you can come up with?
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to use something that you have gradually gained or saved Como actor, a menudo recurres a tu propia experiencia de vida. commencer à apprendre
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draw on (your experience/observations) As an actor, you often draw on your own life experience.
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to turn the pages of a book, magazine, newspaper, etc. very quickly looking at some of the pages for a very short time Recientemente hojeé un libro sobre descubrimientos científicos. commencer à apprendre
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flick through (something) Recently, I was flicking through the pages of a book on scientific discoveries.
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to stop something from progressing or developing as it should La escasez de agua a largo plazo puede frenar el progreso económico. commencer à apprendre
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Long-term water shortages can hold back economic progress.
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to not have much hope that something will happen Él tenía pocas esperanzas de que su idea fuera aceptada. commencer à apprendre
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He held out little hope that his idea would ever be accepted.
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to get a particular result or reaction La nueva propuesta se encontró con una fuerte oposición por parte de los estudiantes. commencer à apprendre
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meet with (criticism/opposition/resistance) The new proposal met with strong opposition from students.
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to invest a lot of money in something in order to improve it or make it successful El año pasado el gobierno invirtió más de 80 millones de libras en la reparación de carreteras. commencer à apprendre
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plough (money) into (something) Last year the government ploughed more than £80 million into road repairs.
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to offer an idea, opinion, reason etc, especially so that people can discuss it and make a decision Rechazó todas las propuestas presentadas por el comité. commencer à apprendre
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put forward (an explanation / an idea / a proposal) He rejected all the proposals put forward by the committee.
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if you _____ problems, difficulties etc, you have to deal with them Nos topamos con algunos problemas al comienzo del proyecto. commencer à apprendre
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run up against (a difficulty/problem) We ran up against a few problems at the start of the project.
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to find something by accident Me topé con un artículo muy interesante sobre natación en aguas abiertas. commencer à apprendre
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stumble across (something) I stumbled across a really interesting article about wild swimming yesterday.
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if someone in authority throws out a plan, proposal etc, they refuse to accept it El juez desestimó su reclamación. commencer à apprendre
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throw out (charges / claims / a suggestion) The judge threw out their claim.
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confused and not knowing what to do Estaba desconcertado sin saber qué había pasado. commencer à apprendre
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I was at a loss to understand what had happened.
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used for showing that something is not very good by emphasising that your description of it is the best thing you can say about it La respuesta del gobierno ha sido como mucho confusa y en el peor de los casos deshonesta. commencer à apprendre
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The government’s response seems to have been at best confused and at worst dishonest.
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if things are _____ each other, they are different or opposite when they should be the same ¿Qué aspectos de nuestro estilo de vida están en desacuerdo con lograr un futuro sostenible? commencer à apprendre
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What parts of our lifestyle are fundamentally at odds with achieving a sustainable future?
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used about important issues that are involved in a situation or could be decided by it Pocos votantes tenían idea de los asuntos en juego. commencer à apprendre
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Few voters had any idea of the issues at stake.
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if one thing exists or happens at the expense of another, the second thing suffers or is not done properly because of the first Patrick estaba logrando grandes cosas en el trabajo, pero a costa de su salud. commencer à apprendre
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at the expense of (something) Patrick was doing great things in the job, but at the expense of his health.
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in a leading or important position in something Estos problemas medioambientales están actualmente en el centro del debate público. commencer à apprendre
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at the forefront of (something) These environmental issues are currently at the forefront of public debate.
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to be watching carefully in order to find, obtain, or avoid something or someone La policía de Brighton está buscando a una banda de ladrones de coches. commencer à apprendre
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be on the lookout for (something/someone) Police in Brighton are on the lookout for a gang of car thieves.
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if someone does something __ _ ___ ___ they do it a lot, or they think it is important Los entrenadores deportivos dependen en gran medida del análisis de vídeo. commencer à apprendre
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Sports coaches have come to depend on video analysis in a big way.
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Lo más probable es que el jarrón fuera hecho en el siglo XVII. commencer à apprendre
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In all likelihood the vase was made in the seventeenth century.
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feeling great respect and admiration for someone or something Jeff siempre ha sentido una profunda admiración por su padre. commencer à apprendre
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in awe of (someone/something) Jeff has always been totally in awe of his father.
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if a law or rule is __ _____ it is being applied and people must obey it La prohibición de exportar petróleo sigue en vigor. commencer à apprendre
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The ban on oil exports remains in force.
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likely to be damaged or destroyed La crisis puso en peligro miles de empleos. commencer à apprendre
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The crisis put thousands of jobs in jeopardy.
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rude and not at all appropriate Su broma sobre el divorcio de ella fue de muy mal gusto. commencer à apprendre
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His joke about her divorce was in very poor taste.
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considering something that happened in the past, using knowledge or information that you did not have at that time En retrospectiva, nunca deberíamos haber permitido que eso ocurriera. commencer à apprendre
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In retrospect, we should never have allowed that to happen.
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of the same quality as or at the same level as Los beneficios deberían estar a la par con los del año pasado. commencer à apprendre
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on a par with (something/someone) Profits should be on a par with last year.
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in a place that is able to be seen by many people Su obra está expuesta en la galería. commencer à apprendre
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Her work is on display at the gallery.
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nervous and unable to relax because you are worried Los acontecimientos de los últimos días la habían dejado nerviosa y tensa. commencer à apprendre
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The events of the past few days had left her feeling tense and on edge.
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Máquinas tan potentes como esta aún no están disponibles en el mercado. commencer à apprendre
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Machines as powerful as this are not yet on the market.
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at that exact moment or place Cualquier trabajador que infrinja estas normas será despedido en el acto. commencer à apprendre
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Any workers found breaking these rules will be sacked on the spot.
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strongly criticized or damaged Ambos candidatos han sido duramente criticados por sus propuestas de salud. commencer à apprendre
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Both candidates have come under attack for their health-care proposals.
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having formally promised to tell the truth in a court of law Mentir bajo juramento es un delito extremadamente grave. commencer à apprendre
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Lying under oath is an extremely serious offence.
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La industria de las dietas será examinada detenidamente en el programa de esta noche. commencer à apprendre
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The diet industry comes under scrutiny in tonight’s programme.
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if a place is _______, it is surrounded by soldiers in order to attack those defending it La ciudad llevaba semanas sitiada y escaseaban los alimentos. commencer à apprendre
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The town had been under siege for weeks and food was in short supply.
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likely to be harmed or damaged Una antigua costumbre religiosa está bajo amenaza. commencer à apprendre
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An ancient religious custom is under threat.
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Lee decidió mantener sus planes en secreto por un tiempo. commencer à apprendre
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Lee decided to keep her plans under wraps for a while.
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an attempt or guess that is not likely to be successful but that is worth trying Es poco probable, pero se lo preguntaré. commencer à apprendre
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It’s a long shot, but I’ll ask her.
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at the most modern and advanced point in the development of something Estos modelos están a la vanguardia del diseño informático. commencer à apprendre
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These models are at the leading edge of computer design.
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a situation in which no further progress is possible ¿De verdad han llegado las negociaciones comerciales a un callejón sin salida? commencer à apprendre
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Have the trade negotiations really come to a dead end?
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from the beginning again, not using all the work that you have done before Tendremos que rehacer todo desde cero. commencer à apprendre
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We’ll have to do the whole thing again from scratch.
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to do something for a long time without achieving any results because you always return to the same problem that you cannot solve Hablamos durante horas, pero no hacíamos más que dar vueltas sin avanzar. commencer à apprendre
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We talked for hours, but we were just going round in circles.
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being planned or prepared in order to happen or be available soon ¿Tienes algún proyecto nuevo en preparación? commencer à apprendre
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Have you got any new projects in the pipeline?
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doing or thinking the right things Las cifras muestran que vamos por buen camino. commencer à apprendre
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The figures show we are on the right track.
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a difficulty that causes mistakes or prevents progress Un problema con un proveedor se ha convertido en un gran obstáculo. commencer à apprendre
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A problem with a supplier has become a major stumbling block.
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minor problems that a new company, project, product etc may have in the beginning Hemos tenido algunos problemas iniciales, pero en general todo va bien. commencer à apprendre
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We've been having a few teething problems, but generally things are going well.
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to find new ways of doing things, especially of solving problems Se anima a los empleados a pensar de forma innovadora y desarrollar soluciones creativas. commencer à apprendre
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Employees are encouraged to think outside the box and develop creative solutions.
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GRAM: ¿Te quedarás en Bairro Alto mientras estés en Lisboa? (to ask if clear plans have been made)"Will", the present continuous and "going" to are used to talk about future plans and intentions. Depending on the context, there might be slight differences in meaning or emphasis. commencer à apprendre
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will you stay in Bairro Alto while you're in Lisbon?
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GRAM: ¿Te alojas en Bairro Alto mientras estés en Lisboa? (emphasis on fixed arrangements) "Will", the present continuous and "going" to are used to talk about future plans and intentions. Depending on the context, there might be slight differences in meaning or emphasis. commencer à apprendre
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Are you staying in Bairro Alto while you're in Lisbon
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GRAM: ¿Vas a quedarte en Bairro Alto mientras estés en Lisboa? (emphasis on intentions) "Will", the present continuous and "going" to are used to talk about future plans and intentions. Depending on the context, there might be slight differences in meaning or emphasis. commencer à apprendre
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Are you going to stay in Bairro Alto while you're in Lisbon?
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GRAM: ¿Te alojarás en Bairro Alto mientras estés en Lisboa? The future continuous is used to emphasis that a plan or activitu is one of a repeated series of events or part of the normal course of events (as usual) commencer à apprendre
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Will you be staying in Bairro alto while you're in Lisbon?
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GRAM: Podemos pedirle a la especialista que revise los routers mañana porque de todas formas estará arreglando el servidor The future continuous is used to talk about something in the future we perceibe as inevitable, ot to convey that it is going to happen "anyway" commencer à apprendre
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We can ask the specialist to check the routers tomorrow because she'll be fixing the server anyway
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GRAM: ¿Saldrá usted esta noche? // (¿Vas a salir esta noche?) The future continuous is used to make polite enquiries about future plans, emphasising that we don't wish to be nosy or influence the decision of the listener. In constrast, going to sounds more direct. commencer à apprendre
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Will you be going out this evening? (very polite) // (are you going to go out this evening? - pressing decision)
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GRAM: Habré gastado todo el presupuesto para el final de la semana The future perfect simple and continuous can be used to imagine looking back at something from a point in the future. The future perfect simple shows that the action will be completed by a point in the future commencer à apprendre
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I'll have spent all the budget by the end of the week
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GRAM: este verano habré estado asesorando a jóvenes inventores durante veinticinco años. The future perfect continuous emphasis that it will be in progress up to a point in the future commencer à apprendre
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This summer I'll have been mentoring young inventors for twenty-five years
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GRAM: El accidente ocurrió hace tanto tiempo, la mayoría de la gente lo habrá olvidado. The future perfect simple can be used to make assumption in the present commencer à apprendre
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The acccident happened so long ago, most people will have forgotten about it.
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GRAM: "Necesitaremos muchas manos para terminar el prototipo, pero nuestro objetivo es (o estamos apuntando a) tenerlo listo este año Some verbs have future meaning in their present forms(e.g. agree, aim, expect, hope, intend, look, plan, promise, resolve). The present simple refers to a fact; the present continuous, to a process commencer à apprendre
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We 'll need lots of hands to finish the prototype, but we aim (are aiming) to get it done this year
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GRAM: La ministra está a punto de dar una rueda de prensa Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be+ about to" (to say something is close to happening) commencer à apprendre
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The minister is about to give a press conference
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GRAM: El uso de dispositivos wearables para pagar en tiendas está al borde de la adopción masiva Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + on the point, verge, brink of" (an idiomatic way to say something is very close to happening) commencer à apprendre
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Using wearable devices to pay in shops is on the brink of mass adoption
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GRAM: es probable que los smartphones de próxima generación de la compañía se lancen este otoño Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + likely, unlikely to" (to talk about probability) commencer à apprendre
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The company's next generation smartphones are likely to be released this autumn
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GRAM: La próxima ronda de conversaciones se celebrará el lunes Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + due to" (to talk about something scheduled) commencer à apprendre
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The next round of talks is due to held on Monday
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GRAM: Esta nueva interfaz de usuario está destinada a recibir críticas mixtas de los clientes Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + bound to" (to say emphatically that something is certain to happen) commencer à apprendre
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This new user interface is bound to receive mixed reviews from customers
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GRAM: Se espera que el tan comentado gadget sea presentado en la conferencia de este año Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + expected to" (to say something is based on an expectation commencer à apprendre
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The much talked-about gadget is expected to be unveiled at this year's conference
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GRAM: Los números de las encuestas dicen que ella ganará la reelección Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + set to" (to say something is based on a expectation) commencer à apprendre
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Poll numbers say she is set to win re-election
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GRAM: La semifinal se transmitirá en vivo en todas las principales cadenas de televisión Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be + infinitive" (to talk about future arragements in formal contexts) commencer à apprendre
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The semi-final is to be broadcast live on al major television networks
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GRAM: La pequeña empresa de almacenamiento de datos anunció que será adquirida por una gran multinacional Various expressions can be used to refer to the future "be +to be+ past participle" (passive from of be+to+infinitive) commencer à apprendre
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The small data storage company announced it is to be taken over by a large multinational
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GRAM: Estaba planeando ir a la reunión de Bella, pero en el último minuto cambié de opinión The future in the past can be used to talk about past plans, especially those taht didn't actually happen commencer à apprendre
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I was planning to go to Bella's get-together, but at the last minute I had a change of heart
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GRAM: No había aceptado la invitación porque Rick y yo íbamos a volar de vacaciones ese mismo fin de semana The future in the past can be used to talk about past plans, especially those taht didn't actually happen commencer à apprendre
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I hand't accepted the invitation because Rick and I were set fly off on out holiday that very weekend
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GRAM: Decidió saltarse el almuerzo. Habría mucho tiempo para comer más tarde NB would is rarely used as a future-in-the-past form. Its use is mainly restricted to reported speech and literary narratives commencer à apprendre
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He decided to skip lunch. There would be plenty of time to eat later
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