Ejercicio 15-13

[laepelba]

Actually, this is a true/false exercise, but I don't know the meaning of the sentence.

Sentence given in Spanish:
Tomé muchos exámenes sin que mis amigos me hubieran ayudado a estudiar.

My attempt at translation (which I know is incorrect):
I took many exams without my friends having helped me study.

?????

[aleCcowaN]

It looks good. But again, the sentence in Spanish sounds a bit unnatural (doesn't the English translation?)

[laepelba]

Actually, it's the second part of the Spanish sentence I wasn't sure about, but the first part of the English sentence that sounds weird. In English, I would probably more easily say something like "I took many exams without help from my friends."

Again, the book probably found it necessary to come up with more examples, and they some ended up sounding contrived.

Thanks for your input!

[aleCcowaN]

Yes: "Rendí muchos exámenes sin que mis amigos me ayudaran a estudiar", or "Di muchos exámenes sin la ayuda de mis amigos" (I'm a professor, it's me who "toma examen", at least in these lands).

[laepelba]

Me, too. It's been about 20 years since I've been a student of anything, but I am having unexpected pleasure in this relatively new pursuit of the Spanish language.

[aleCcowaN]

I meant, the original sentence "Tomé(?) muchos exámenes...."

[laepelba]

I know... but your comment about being a teacher launched me into other thoughts....