Translations using the expression "... in the process of ..."Looking at the questions asked by Huw and by Ian - I wondered if it might be worth using an expression like "in the process of …" to distinguish between the two cases.
e.g. "Los libros estaban siendo colocados en las estanterías" >
> means (more or less?): "the books were in the process of being placed on the shelves"... It really does need some kind of special treatment, because there is not always a directly translatable equivalent in English (although here, we could actually say: "the books were being placed on the shelves"). The above sentence could usefully be compared with
Los libros fueron colocados en las estanterías
and
Los libros eran colocados en las estanterías
and
Los libros han sido colocados en las estanterías.
and [maybe !]
Los libros habían sido colocados en las estanterías.
Of course, each of those^ alternatives carries a different meaning.
[… What about: "Los libros estuvieron siendo colocados en las estanterías"? !]
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In your example: "The strawberries had been in the process of being collected" is probably a better illustration for my suggestion.
Hello, I used a couple of words that were not accepted, but I thought that they were synonyms, can you please check?
cotidiana = diaria?
bus = autobús?
Thanks!
Looking at the questions asked by Huw and by Ian - I wondered if it might be worth using an expression like "in the process of …" to distinguish between the two cases.
e.g. "Los libros estaban siendo colocados en las estanterías" >
> means (more or less?): "the books were in the process of being placed on the shelves"... It really does need some kind of special treatment, because there is not always a directly translatable equivalent in English (although here, we could actually say: "the books were being placed on the shelves"). The above sentence could usefully be compared with
Los libros fueron colocados en las estanterías
and
Los libros eran colocados en las estanterías
and
Los libros han sido colocados en las estanterías.
and [maybe !]
Los libros habían sido colocados en las estanterías.
Of course, each of those^ alternatives carries a different meaning.
[… What about: "Los libros estuvieron siendo colocados en las estanterías"? !]
-----------------
In your example: "The strawberries had been in the process of being collected" is probably a better illustration for my suggestion.
Is it just as common to say “un par de pantalones” as it is to say “unos pantalones”? Thanks.
Hi?
In the writing challenge we are asked to translate: "The Spanish guitar has 6 strings and consists of a wooden box, a neck and a fretboard". Kwiziq's answer is given as "La guitarra española tiene 6 cuerdas y está formada por una caja de madera, un mástil y un diapasón" and "está hecha de una caja..." is given as an alternative answer.
I used consistir en instead of estar formada por or está hecha de. However, if the sentence had been "The Spanish guitar is made of..." I'm pretty sure I would have gone with está hecha de.
So, is my answer wrong? Or, could my answer be considered a third alternative? And could you explain the differences between the two forms, consistir en and estar formado por/estar hecha de, and in what contexts I might use one in preference to another.
Saludos
Hola Kwiziq team
I can't find any on-line Spanish grammar text that indicates that "que" can be used in place of "porque" to begin an explanatory clause. I assume that that usage must be very colloquial and only used when talking with friends. Am I correct about that?
Al
In a sentence like "I don't know what he knows" or "I don't know if he knows" the sentence can express doubt or merely be a statement of fact. Wouldn't the choice of whether to use the indicative or subjunctive depend on what you are trying to convery (ie: "No sé lo que sepa" if I am trying to express doubt about what he knows but "No sé lo que sabe" if I am simply stating the fact that I don't know what he knows)?
Hola Inma,
Is the use of "ser" in this sentence to indicate where the carnival took place? It caught me out because "It was in Cádiz" sounded as if it was talking about the location (estar), rather than being about where the event happened. If so, I remembered that there is a specific lesson about this in Level A1 "Using Ser not Estar when talking about when / where something takes place." I'm not sure if my thinking is right.
If it is, would it be a good idea to include this lesson in the "All related grammar and vocal list?"
Saludos
John
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