Grammar Focus

Explicación (en español)

En el nivel C1 Advanced, uno de los mayores retos es pasar de un lenguaje subjetivo ("I think", "I believe") a un tono académico, objetivo y profesional. En el análisis crítico de cine o literatura, no queremos que el lector sienta que está leyendo una opinión personal, sino un análisis basado en evidencias. Para lograr esto, utilizamos estructuras de academic distancing (distanciamiento académico), que permiten presentar ideas de forma impersonal.

Para lograr este efecto, empleamos principalmente tres técnicas: el uso de la voz pasiva, estructuras con "It" (impersonal it), y verbos de reporte con sujetos inanimados (ej. the film suggests, the scene demonstrates). En lugar de decir "I think the lighting is dark", diremos "The lighting is intended to evoke a sense of dread". Esto desplaza el foco del "yo" hacia el objeto de estudio, otorgando autoridad y objetividad al argumento.

Un error muy común entre los hispanohablantes es la traducción literal de "Se dice que..." o "Se cree que..." como "People say..." o "They say...". En inglés académico, esto suena demasiado informal. En su lugar, debemos usar estructuras como It is widely argued that... o It is often suggested that.... Asimismo, evitamos el uso de la primera persona del singular (I) para mantener la distancia crítica necesaria en ensayos de nivel C1.

Al comparar con el español, notaremos que el español utiliza mucho la forma "se + verbo" (pasiva refleja), como en "Se considera que...". En inglés, aunque la pasiva es común, también dependemos mucho de estructuras con It o de convertir el concepto en el sujeto de la frase. Por ejemplo, en lugar de "Se puede observar que el director usa sombras", usaremos "The director's use of shadows allows us to observe..." o "It can be observed that...".

Form — estructura

Examples

1. It is widely argued that auteur theory revolutionised film criticism. (Se argumenta ampliamente que la teoría del autor revolucionó la crítica cinematográfica.)
2. The protagonist's isolation is emphasised through the use of wide shots. (El aislamiento del protagonista se enfatiza mediante el uso de planos generales.)
3. It should be noted that the cinematography changes significantly in the second act. (Cabe señalar que la cinematografía cambia significativamente en el segundo acto.)
4. The film is intended to challenge traditional gender roles. (La película tiene la intención de desafiar los roles de género tradicionales.) | 5. It has been suggested that the director's style is heavily influenced by German Expressionism. (Se ha sugerido que el estilo del director está fuertemente influenciado por el expresionismo alemán.)
5. A sense of claustrophobia is created by the tight framing. (Se crea una sensación de claustrofobia mediante el encuadre cerrado.)
6. The narrative structure serves to disorient the audience. (La estructura narrativa sirve para desorientar a la audiencia.)
7. It is often assumed that visual metaphors are purely decorative. (A menudo se asume que las metáforas visuales son puramente decorativas.)

Contrast

1. ✗ I think the ending is confusing. / ✓ The ending is arguably confusing. (Avoid "I think" to maintain academic distance.)
2. ✗ People say the film is a masterpiece. / ✓ The film is widely considered to be a masterpiece. (Avoid "People say" in formal writing.)
3. ✗ It is thought by critics that... / ✓ It is thought that... (Avoid unnecessary "by [person]" structures unless the agent is essential.)
4. ✗ The director uses shadows to show fear. / ✓ The use of shadows serves to evoke fear. (Using a noun phrase like "The use of..." makes the sentence more sophisticated.)

Mini-quiz — 10 preguntas

Part 1: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets (Passive or Impersonal 'It').

1. It ____ (suggest) that the film's success was due to its innovative editing.
2. The tension in the scene ____ (heighten) by the sudden silence.
3. It ____ (believe) that the director intended to critique capitalism.

Part 2: Rewrite the sentences to make them more formal and objective (Academic Distancing).

4. I think the lighting is very dramatic.

5. People say that the auteur is the "author" of the film.

6. We can see the influence of noir in the cinematography.

Part 3: Multiple Choice. Choose the most appropriate academic option.

7. ____ that the character's journey is metaphorical. a) It is thought b) It thinks c) It is thought to

8. The sudden jump cut ____ the viewer's attention. a) is intended to direct b) intends to direct c) was intended to be directed

9. The use of non-linear storytelling ____ the complexity of the plot. a) is being enhanced b) enhances c) is enhanced

10. It is ____ that the film's budget was insufficient for its scale. a) widely argued b) widely argue c) widely arguing

Respuestas: 1. is suggested / 2. is heightened / 3. is believed / 4. The lighting is arguably dramatic. (or: The lighting is intended to be dramatic.) / 5. It is widely argued that the auteur is the "author" of the film. / 6. The influence of noir can be seen in the cinematography. / 7. a / 8. a / 9. b / 10. a