Still confused about determining purpose or condition

Shirley S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Still confused about determining purpose or condition

Hola, Sorry, I read the response to the question below but I am still confused. The 2 sentences are exactly the same in Spanish and no context is given. Without being given context how can you determine the meaning as purpose or condition? Muchas gracias, Shirley. 
I don't see any difference in the way the Spanish has been written

Purpose:

Te regalo mi pulsera nueva con tal de que me dejes en paz.
I [will] give you my new bracelet so that you leave me alone.

Condition:

Te regalo mi pulsera nueva con tal de que me dejes en paz.
I [will] give you my new bracelet as long as you leave me alone.

Asked 5 days ago
SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Shirley S.

Thank you for your excellent question. You're absolutely right in pointing out that the sentence “Te regalo mi pulsera nueva con tal de que me dejes en paz” can be interpreted as either purpose or condition, and that the difference doesn't lie in the grammatical structure but in the context or the speaker’s intention.

When used with a sense of purpose, the speaker’s goal is to be left alone and they give the bracelet to achieve that. On the other hand, when used as a condition, the gift depends on being left alone—if that condition isn't met, there’s no gift. Without additional context, both interpretations are valid.

For example, if someone says, “Estoy harta de tus quejas. Te regalo mi pulsera nueva con tal de que me dejes en paz”, it clearly expresses purpose. But if they say, “Te la doy con tal de que me dejes en paz. Si sigues molestándome, no te doy nada”, it clearly implies a condition.

In short, “con tal de que” can express either purpose or condition, and only context allows us to determine which meaning applies.

I hope this helps clarify your doubt!

Feliz finde

Silvia

Shirley S. asked:

Still confused about determining purpose or condition

Hola, Sorry, I read the response to the question below but I am still confused. The 2 sentences are exactly the same in Spanish and no context is given. Without being given context how can you determine the meaning as purpose or condition? Muchas gracias, Shirley. 
I don't see any difference in the way the Spanish has been written

Purpose:

Te regalo mi pulsera nueva con tal de que me dejes en paz.
I [will] give you my new bracelet so that you leave me alone.

Condition:

Te regalo mi pulsera nueva con tal de que me dejes en paz.
I [will] give you my new bracelet as long as you leave me alone.

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