Common English Phrases and Sentence Structures

Even if A, B (Aunque...)

• Even if it rains, we play football every day.
• Even if you don't know why smoking is bad, you should try to smoke less.
• Even if we don't know the date yet, we should go.

The trouble is that if A, B (El problema es que si...)

• The trouble is that if it rains, we can't go.
• The trouble is that if you swear, you will offend people.
• The trouble is that if you tell lies, people won't trust you.

It seemed as if A, but in fact B (Parecía... pero de hecho...)

• It seemed as if she had been living there for ages, but in fact she had been there only a fortnight.
• It seemed as if the computer was expensive, but in fact it wasn't.
• It seemed as if he was stupid, but in fact he was sympathetic.

The fact that A [suggests that, doesn't mean that] B (El hecho de que...)

• The fact that she smiled doesn't mean that she hasn't any problems.
• The fact that the rivers are cleaner suggests that the factories have begun to reduce pollution.
• The fact that the English eat more chicken suggests that beef is too expensive.

A is just as [necessary, important, dangerous, essential] as B (Es tan... como...)

• Tolerance is just as necessary in private life as in public life.
• Eating is just as important for women as for men.
• Sleeping is just as necessary for adults as for children.

I am not so much interested in A as B (No estoy tan interesado en...)

• I am not so much interested in what a man does as how he comes to choose.

A is/was like B (Como...)

• Living in a small house is like living in a box.
• Working in the Sahara is like having a sauna.
• Being in love is like dreaming even though you are awake.

A has [little, nothing, a lot] to do with B (Tener mucho que ver con...)

• What you eat has a lot to do with how healthy you are.
• How much money you earn has little to do with how happy you are.
• What your job is has nothing to do with how many friends you have.

So far from -ing A, [in fact, actually] B (En vez de..., en realidad...)

• So far from calming him down, they actually made him angry.
• So far from what was supposed to cure him, it actually made him worse.
• So far from helping us, they actually delayed us.

A, not because B, but because... (Sino porque...)

• English people now eat less beef, not because they don't like it, but because beef is now much more expensive.
• Teenagers start drinking at an early age nowadays, not because the legal age for drinking has changed, but because teenagers go binge drinking in the streets.
• Children go to the dentist less often nowadays, not because they take any better care than before, but because most toothpaste contains fluoride.

It is important to distinguish between A and B

• It is important to distinguish between understanding a language and being able to speak it.
• It is important to distinguish between knowing something and knowing about something.
• It is important to distinguish between playing the violin in front of friends and at a concert.

It doesn't matter wh- A, as long as B (No importa qué... mientras que...)

• It doesn't matter what kind of job you do, as long as you get satisfaction from it.
• It doesn't really matter where you spend your money, as long as you are happy.
• It doesn't really matter what time you come to the party, as long as you bring a bottle.

Not only...

• Not only were they illegal aliens, but there was no guarantee they were even honest.
• Not only does she work hard, but she doesn't even receive thanks.

We can...

• We can both play football and listen to music.
• We can neither afford a house on the beach nor buy a new car.
• We can either go to the cinema or go to the beach.