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...
Hello,
In this workout there is a sentence - 'I have a new couch' the spanish translation in the answer and the complete text at the end it 'tengo sofá nuevo', should it be 'tengo un sofá nuevo'? I did notice that the lessons recommended for this section did include the lesson for indefinite articles.
Thanks, but now my wife wants a new sofa :-(
Hello,
Re: These two sentences: "los profesores, los estudiantes, and: los niños y los jubilados"
In this exercise I noticed the repetitive use of “los” in the above sentences, and I would tend not to repeat these. i.e. just say: los profesores y estudiantes.
Is there something I’m missing? Thank you, Nicole
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...
What do you mean by "the condition is impossible"?
I have noticed in general that spanish speakers have different intonations at the end of sentences or part of sentences which confuse the listener and in dictations result in incorrect punctuation.
Hello all,
Not so much a question, but an observation. When you click on the little speaker symbol at the end of a Spanish sentence, the robot voice has a go at reading it out.
There seem to be three or four different robots now, when I started with Kwiziq I think that there were only two.
I call them
"Mateo" - he's the "good" Spanish man, his reading seems to be quite good. Some UK users here may know why I call him Mateo.
"Marisa" is the older sounding lady, sometimes it sounds like she struggles, and is nowhere near as good as a human, and sometimes sounds both angry and bored.
A new lady, "Maria" seems to have come along as I have moved into B2 Lessons, she sounds younger and to me much better.
So what do people think of our robot voices? If it was possible I'd ask for "Maria" to kick Marisa to the kerb, as her Spanish sounds more fluent to me.
Buenos días.
Why isn't "las" used to modify both bicicletas and cintas de correr? I thought bicycles and treadmills were a general class of equipment, and not a specific bike or a specific treadmill. Thank you.
In view of the explanation of "ir" vs. "irse" in this lesson, how would one contrast "irse" vs. "salir"
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