Adjetivos + infinitivo/that-clause/construcciones con preposición

1. due (previsto), due to (debido a), owing to (por causa de); certain/sure/bound/confident (idea de certeza o seguridad):

• due (previsto), due to (debido a), owing to (por causa de) : The plane was due (in) at six. It is an hour overdue; the gas safety check is due next Monday. The race is due to start in ten minutes; the minister is due to meet his French counterpart this afternoon. The accident was due to carelessness. Owing to his carelessness we had an accident.

[due (adjetivo) referido al tiempo, «previsto» (scheduled to happen) seguido de expresión de tiempo, puede usarse solo («the check is due next Monday») o seguido de un infinitivo («the race is due to start in ten minutes»; «the minister is due to meet his French counterpart this afternoon»). due to (preposición) significa «debido a» («the game was delayed due to bad weather»; «the accident was due to carelessness»). owing to (preposición) significa «a causa de» («John and Julie were late, owing to the traffic»; «owing to his carelessness we had an accident»). due to debería ir precedida de ‘sujeto + verbo,’ pero los hablantes con frecuencia descuidan esto y comienzan una frase con due to, en lugar de owing to.]

• sure/certain /bound/confident (idea de certeza o seguridad): Tom is sure / certain / bound to win; Lisa is sure / certain / bound to pass her exams. Tom is sure / certain that he will win. Unless you’re early you can’t be sure / certain / confident of getting a seat. According to the contract we are bound to supply the materials.

[sure, certain y bound seguidos de infinitivo expresan la opinión del hablante («Tom is sure / certain / bond to win»: «Tom está seguro de ganar»). Seguidos de una that-clause expresan la seguridad del sujeto («Tom is sure / certain /confident that he will win»: «Tom tiene la seguridad de que ganará»). sure / certain / confident pueden ir seguidos de ‘of + nombre / pronombre / gerundio’ ( «… sure / certain / confident of getting. a seat»). «bound + infinitivo» puede tambien significar «obligados a» (» … we are bound to supply the materials.»)

2. afraid (of) (asustado de, tener miedo de), ashamed (of) (avergonzado de), sorry (for o about) (estar afligido por)

• She is afraid of heights; She is afraid of falling. She was afraid to speak. I’m afraid (that) we have no news; She’s afraid (that) he won’t believe her. He was ashamed of himself (for behaving so badly); He was ashamed of behaving so badly. I’d be ashamed to take his money. I’m afraid that I’ve nothing better to offer you. I’m sorry for breaking your window; I’m sorry for Peter; I’m sorry about your window. I’m sorry to say we have no news. I’m sorry that you can’t come.

[afraid, ashamed y sorry pueden tienen las 3 construcciones: con preposición (afraid of; ashamed of (+/- for); sorry for o about); con infinitivo («… afraid to speak», «… ashamed to take his money», «… sorry to say»); con una that-clause («… afraid (that) we have no news»; «… ashamed that I have nothing better to offer you»; «… sorry that you can’t come»).]

3. anxious (about), anxious + infinitivo, anxious that

• I’m anxious (about Tom). His plane is overdue. I’m very anxious (for him) to see the Carnival. The committee is anxious that this matter should be kept secret.

[anxious (+ about + nombre/pronombre) significa «preocupado»; be anxious (+ for + nombre/pronombre) + infinitivo = «desear» / «querer». anxious + that … + should («deseoso de que») ocurre en Inglés formal.

4. fortunate y lucky con that-clause o infinitivo.

• It’s fortunate / lucky that Tom has a car; it’s fortunate / lucky that he passed his test; it’s fortunate / lucky for us that he has a car. He’s fortunate / lucky to have a car; he was fortunate / lucky to pass his test. You’re fortunate / lucky to be going by air; You were fortunate / lucky to escape unharmed; He is fortunate / lucky to have sold his house before they decided to build the new airport. It’s unlucky to break a mirror. I wasn’t lucky; Thirteen’s my lucky number. He’s fortunate; he’s a fortunate man.

[‘it is fortunate / lucky that’ significa «Es una buena cosa que.» ‘Sujeto + be + fortunate / lucky + infinitivo’ enfatiza la buena suerte del sujeto. Con ‘is/are + fortunate / lucky + infinitivo de presente’ solo se usan verbos estáticos. Con «was/were’ y el infinitivo continuo o el infinitivo de perfecto hay más libertad. Con ‘It is lucky / unlucky’ puede usarse el infinitivo de cualquier verbo. «lucky,» «unlucky,» «fortunate» y «unfortunate» son adjetivos.]

5. possible, probable, y likely con that-clause introducida por it. likely con sujeto + infinitivo.

• It is possible that he’ll come today (= «Perhaps he’ll come today»/»He may come today»). It’s probable that he’ll come today (= «He’ll probably come today»). It’s just/quite possible that … It’s not very probable that … It’s quite likely that he’ll come today (= «He’s quite likely to come today»). Is he likely to ring today? Do you think he’ll sell the house? – It’s quite possible/probable/likely (that he’ll sell it).

[«Perhaps he’ll come today» y «He’ll probably come today» son más usuales que las oraciones con that-clause («It is possible that he’ll come today,» «It is probable that he’ll come today.»). Pero la that-clause es util, si se desea modificar los adjetivos: «It’s just / quite possible that …»; «It’s not very probable that …» Con «likely» tanto la that-clause como el infinitivo son rentables («It’s quite likely that he’ll come today»; «He’s quite likely to come today»). ‘Is/are + sujeto + likely + infinitivo’ es útil porque proporciona una forma interrogativa a «may» (= «ser posible»): Is he likely to ring today? «possible,» «probable,» y «likely» pueden usarse solos, sin una that-clause cuando esta puede sobreentenderse con facilidad: «Do you think he’ll sell his house? – It’s quite possible/probable/likely (that he’ll sell it.)]

6. aware y conscious toman that-clause o of + nombre/pronombre/gerundio.

• It’ll be dangerous. – I’m aware that it’ll be dangerous / I’m aware of that. I was conscious of being watched (= «I felt that someone was watching me.»). «conscious» usado solo tiene un significado físico:»I had only a local anesthetic. I was conscious the whole time.»