Dic_06

El correo llega mañana . The mail will arrive tomorrow. It may also be substituted for the future in conditional sentences: Si Julia viene, dile que me espere . If Julia should come, ask her to wait for me. 2. The future indicative may be used to express suppositions: Serán las cuatro . It is probably four o’clock. Uses of the subjunctive 1. To express doubt or uncertainty: No creo que vengan . I don’t think they will come. 2. To express a command, a wish or an obligation: Querían que volviéramos . They wanted us to come back. Es mejor que (él) lo sepa. It will be better if he knows about it. 3. In dependent clauses, when the main verb expresses an emotion: Lamenté que no pudieras venir . I was sorry you couldn’t come. Le dolió que (usted) lo tratara así . He resented your treating him so badly. The verbs "ser" and "estar" 1. Both ser and estar are rendered into English by the verb to be , but there is a difference in meaning. Ser expresses a permanent condition or state of being: La Tierra es redonda . The Earth is round. On the other hand, estar implies a temporary condition: El cielo está nublado . The sky is cloudy. Sometimes the same adjective may mean two different things depending on which verb is used: Ese hombre es malo . That man is wicked. Ese hombre está malo . That man is sick. 2. Ser is used with the past participle of other verbs to form the passive voice. However, the passive voice is often not used. It is used mainly in legal language or in certain newspaper articles. In ordinary language, the active voice or the passive reflexive voice is used. ( Ella) es amada por su familia. She is loved by her family. (Ellos) fueron vistos en la ciudad. They were seen in the city. 3. The progressive form is made up with estar plus the gerund of the verbs: Estoy leyendo . I am (in the process of) reading. 4. The passive reflexive is used instead of the aformentioned passive form. This construction can only be used if the subject is not a person, and can be used in all tenses, including the subjunctive. Las pruebas han sido entregadas. (passive voice) Se han entregado las pruebas . (passive reflexive) The evidence has been delivered. The verbs "haber" and "tener" 1. There are two translations of the verb to have into Spanish: haber and tener . Haber is the auxiliary used with the past participle of other verbs to form the compound tenses: He servido . I have served. Hemos regresado . We have come back. Tener expresses possession: Tengo una casa . I have a house. 2. Haber may be used impersonally: Hay tres sombreros . There are three hats. Había un niño . There was a boy. Hubo fiestas . There were holidays. Note: haber cannot be used in the plural when it is impersonal. 3. Hay que is used impersonally. It expresses necessity: Hay que trabajar . One has to work. Había que decírselo (a ella) . She had to be told. SPANISH GRAMMAR