Same action, different angle
A verbal periphrasis combines a conjugated auxiliary with an infinitive or gerund. The ones in this lesson do not change what happens but how you present it: as about to happen, as the end point of a process, as something that never stops, or as a rough figure.
About to happen
estar a punto de + infinitive says something is just about to happen. In the preterite it says it nearly happened. Por poco + present does the same for the past; it is more colloquial and uses the present tense even though it refers to the past.
Happened or nearly happened
It happened
Perdí el tren.
I missed the train.
It nearly happened
Estuve a punto de perder el tren.
I nearly missed the train.
Por poco pierdo el tren.
I very nearly missed the train.
Just about to
Estamos a punto de salir, ¿te llamo luego?
We're just about to head out, shall I call you later?
Los invitados están al caer.
The guests will be here any minute.
estar al + infinitive, used in Spain, mostly in set phrases.
In the end
acabar por + infinitive and acabar + gerund present an action as the outcome of a longer process, often after hesitation or resistance. English uses end up or eventually. Both Spanish forms are equivalent, and terminar por and terminar + gerund work the same way.
Report or outcome of a process
Neutral
Aceptó la oferta.
He accepted the offer.
After much back and forth
Acabó por aceptar la oferta.
In the end he did accept the offer.
Acabó aceptando la oferta.
He ended up accepting the offer.
Si sigues insistiendo, acabará por cansarse.
If you keep pushing, he'll get fed up sooner or later.
no dejar de
no dejar de + infinitive has three readings. Tense and context tell you which one is meant.
No ha dejado de llover en toda la semana.
It hasn't stopped raining all week.
Without a break.
No dejes de probar el pulpo.
Make sure you try the octopus.
As a request or tip, don't miss it.
No deja de ser curioso que nadie lo supiera.
It is rather odd that nobody knew.
A cautious claim, softer than Es curioso.
venir a
venir a + infinitive makes a statement approximate or sums something up. With numbers it means about, with decir and ser basically.
El arreglo viene a costar unos trescientos euros.
The repair comes to about three hundred euros.
Eso viene a ser lo mismo.
That amounts to the same thing.
Lo que viene a decir es que no hay dinero.
What he's basically saying is that there's no money.
