Today I bring examples of different questions my
students ask. I hope this is useful to those who are studying Spanish as a
Foreign Language.
Indicative and Subjunctive in present tense ( B2/C1)
1) Why I can’t use
Subjunctive present and after use Indicative Present in this sentence?
Original sentence:
" La migración de venezolanos está agobiando a la nación. El gobierno de Colombia "puede" utilizar esta situación como una oportunidad si arregle (Subjunctive present) la ley para que los venezolanos también pagan ( Indicative Present) impuestos en el país."
Answer: Here, the verb “can” (puede) shows mode and time in the
sentence. It is in Indicative Present which means it is in real time. We also
have “If” (si) as a condition of the verb “fix” (arreglar) because it belongs to a
present time, real and subordinating for being conditional.
First correction would be:
about " los venezolanos también pagan impuestos en el país".
In this case, In the “the Venezuelan also pay taxes”, we can not use the Indicative present because this is a hypothesis, not a real situation. If this becomes real, we can use the Subjunctive Present “pay” (paguen).
Correct sentence:
" La migración de venezolanos está agobiando a la nación. El gobierno de Colombia "puede" utilizar esta situación como una oportunidad si arregla (indicative present) la ley, para que los venezolanos también pagen ( sunjunctive Present) impuestos en el país.
Original news article: https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/un-millon-de-venezolanos-han-llegado-a-colombia/556620 ( A link about Venezuelan migrations in spanish language).
Intransitive Verb " Ocurrir" ( to happen) with the "se" (C1)
2) Why yn the news article use " se" if the verb " Ocurrir" (Happens) is an intransitive Verb and you are supposed not to?
Original sentence: "En mayo de 2016 me preguntó por qué me quería repatriar, respondí, sin que en ese momento se me ocurriera que podría estar siendo grandilocuente.
Answer:
First, the verb Ocurrir (occur) is used in two situations:
- Happening (a fact) like ¿ Qué ocurrio en casa? (what happened at home?, Something occurred, took place.
- Pronominal Verb ( Wisecrack, witticisn, idea). Examples:
¿ Cuando se te ocurrió la idea del festival? ( When did you had the idea of the festival?)
Se me ocurrió dejar huella en el camino ( it occurred to me left clues on the way).
In the original sentence " Se me ocurriera" ( Ir may occur to me) the " se" is valid because this is an idea suddly have.
Original news article: http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-43038889. ( A link about Cuba, spanish language).
The importance of the accents in the words in spanish (A1-A2)
3) which is the difference between bebe and bebé?
Answer:
Bebe: Comes from verb " beber" (drink). Él bebe ( He drinks), ella bebe (She drinks), usted bebe ( you drink). This is third person singular and the present is indicative tense.
Bebé: Means baby.
Example: Él bebe una cerveza ( He drinks beer)
El bebé tiene sueño ( The baby is sleepy)
if you don´t write the accent in the correct word, then can happen this:
El bebé cerveza: ( The baby beer)
El bebe tiene sueño ( The drink is sleepy)
Note: The accents are very important, if we don´t put this ( ´) the sentences becomes incomprehensible.
Prepositions: A and Para "Directions" (A/B)
4) Is there any difference between " Voy a México en mis vacaciones de junio" ( I´m going to Mexico on my june vacation)? or " Voy para México en mis vacaciones de junio"
(I´m Leaving to Mexico on my june vacation)?
Answer: It depend in the will. When we use the preposition " Para" we are saying we have the will and the purpose to do something. When we use "A" this means a road, a way direction.
Example:
" Voy a México en mis vacaciones de junio" ( I´m going to Mexico on my june vacation) Doesn´t show clearly a purpuse, a will.
" Voy para México en mis vacaciones de junio" ( I´m leaving to Mexico on my june vacation). This has more conviction, has resolution.
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| Written by Adriana Martinez |
