When to use (or not use) different passive formsI think I've managed to wrap my head around how the passive works in a basic sense, but I'm wondering if anyone can offer, or refer me to, any guidance on WHEN to use different passive/impersonal forms, or how the nuances change? I know this is a rather broad question, so I'll try to narrow it down to a couple examples:
When is it prefered to use the true passive versus the se refleja form? for example, I was reading an article that said "las piedras habían sido extraídas de rocas que se formaron hace miles de millones de años." Here we have two different forms used in the same sentence! Could the writer have instead said "las piedras se habían extraído de rocas que fueron formado"--or some other combination--and if so are there different nuances?! Is one simply more formal? Or is there another specific reason the se pasiva wasn't use for one but it was used for the other?
Also, I know this is a lot at once, but I'm struggling to grasp how the use of the passive with "se" differs from the use of the "ellos" impersonal construction. For example, if a house is under construction down the street, would you say "se construye una casa" or "construyen una casa" and if both are equally valid, how are the nuances different? And are there cases where one is possible but the other isn't? For instance, I've often noticed that when the object of an action is a person rather than a thing the action is often not expressed with se--the ellos form seems to be the choice in some cases like "le robaron" (but not "se robó"?). And yet... we do have "se buscan secretarias"? I can't quite see what is going on here...
Mil gracias in advance for any help on any of these questions...
Why isn't the personal "a" used, "hacia A sus padres"?
Why is not puede in Subjuntivo, since it follows por lo tanto?
Hola forum y los expertos
Mi pregunta es sobre la frase 'Sin embargo, se les atribuyen aspectos positivos' y su alternativa 'Sin embargo, se les son atribuidos aspectos positivos'. Entiendo bien cómo se funciona la primera frase usado, pero no entiendo la alternativa porque confundido por la construcción gramática 'se les son atribuidos'.
Me podríais explicar la construcción gramática 'se les son atribuidos' por favor
I think I've managed to wrap my head around how the passive works in a basic sense, but I'm wondering if anyone can offer, or refer me to, any guidance on WHEN to use different passive/impersonal forms, or how the nuances change? I know this is a rather broad question, so I'll try to narrow it down to a couple examples:
When is it prefered to use the true passive versus the se refleja form? for example, I was reading an article that said "las piedras habían sido extraídas de rocas que se formaron hace miles de millones de años." Here we have two different forms used in the same sentence! Could the writer have instead said "las piedras se habían extraído de rocas que fueron formado"--or some other combination--and if so are there different nuances?! Is one simply more formal? Or is there another specific reason the se pasiva wasn't use for one but it was used for the other?
Also, I know this is a lot at once, but I'm struggling to grasp how the use of the passive with "se" differs from the use of the "ellos" impersonal construction. For example, if a house is under construction down the street, would you say "se construye una casa" or "construyen una casa" and if both are equally valid, how are the nuances different? And are there cases where one is possible but the other isn't? For instance, I've often noticed that when the object of an action is a person rather than a thing the action is often not expressed with se--the ellos form seems to be the choice in some cases like "le robaron" (but not "se robó"?). And yet... we do have "se buscan secretarias"? I can't quite see what is going on here...
Mil gracias in advance for any help on any of these questions...
In the lesson it says convertirse en and hacerse can both be used to talk about a career change with the former indicating a more drastic change. However in the quiz both answers are listed (for a sentence about a career change) but only hacerse is marked as being correct.
"I am a Gemini" would be a better English translation for this exercise. I use standard American English. :)
In the quiz to find out which level you are, I was marked wrong for putting "hay" instead of "tiene" in the question about the city having a pool. Why is it giving me two different answers now?
question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted question deleted
Me gustaria saber mas sobre el uso del verbo ECHAR. Hay muchas oraciones con este verbo en el articulo. Gracias!
Find your Spanish level for FREE
And get your personalised Study Plan to improve it
Find your Spanish level