Otro ejercicio con el subjunctivo (14-18)

[laepelba]

This exercise involves the same concepts as the other (from my post just a few minutes ago) ... about choosing between the subjunctive and the indicative in certain situations (like expressing doubt using "tal vez" or "quizas", etc., or situations that mean "no matter how much/far/soon/etc.").

This time, the directions were to translate several sentences using the subjunctivo. I have some specific questions...

1) English sentence: No matter what people may say, Bob is a good person.
My attempt at translation: Digan lo que digan, Bob es una persona buena.
The book's "answer": Diga lo que diga la gente, Bob es una persona buena.
My question: Is my translation also correct?

2) English sentence: Wherever you (Ud.) need to go, Bob can take you.
My attempt at translation: Vaya donde necesita vaya, Bob puede llevarse.
The book's "answer": Adondequiera que Ud. necesite ir, Bob puede llevarlo.
My questions: First, is the first half of my translation also correct? Second, "se" or "lo", rrrrrghhhh.... It's not "se" because....?

6) English sentence: Bob will help whoever needs a favor.
My attempt at translation: Bob ayuda quienquiera necesite un favor.
The book's "answer": Bob ayuda a quienquiera que necesite un favor.
My question: Why is the "que" there? (And, yes, I know (duh) about the personal "a"!)

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[aleCcowaN]

1) No importa lo que la gente diga, ...

This one, the book's and yours, all are correct.

2) Dondequiera que necesite ir ...

Your translation is wrong because there is no Spanish situation where two verbs are conjugated at the same time ("necesita vaya" )

You tried to say "vaya Ud. donde vaya", but this is "wherever you go", but there is a "locución verbal" there ("necesite ir"), but "vaya Ud. donde necesite ir" lack symmetry, then "necesite ir Ud. donde necesite ir". Now that sentence is to "heavy", then "dondequiera" (wherever): "dondequiera que Ud. necesite ir"

I don't understand that "se" or "lo" thing.

6) It is an 'adjective' ('que necesite un favor'). Bob won't help those not needing a favor. Also we are talking about undetermined people, then subjunctive.

[laepelba]

Thanks again, Alec!

#1 - thanks, that's good to know.

#2 - that makes sense to me ... and I'll work out the se/lo thing ... I'm so easily confused by OD's and OI's...... (sigh...)

#6 - I still don't understand.... (sigh again...) I'll keep pondering it.......

Thank you!!!

[aleCcowaN]

#6

a) necesita un favor = You (Ud.) need a favor
b) necesite un favor = Need you (Ud.) a favor!
c) que necesite/n un favor = "needing-a-favor" (adjective singular or plural)

First reflection: The beginners always ask the word that matches "que". They always get the answer "that" because it is a way to show them that English now and then needs such prepositions to link different parts of a sentence.

But in fact "que" is a conjunction that links the following clause to the preceding and tells how to interpret the clause. In b), without a 'que', the verb in the clause is a command; in c) it is part of an adjective -or adverb, or noun-.

Second reflection: An adjective is something that let you discriminate or distinguish an object or concept from another one of the same class: "el auto azul, no el auto rojo", "los chicos buenos, no los chicos malos". So, any clause introduced by 'que' with the intention -you ought to have an intention as a speaker- of discrimination or differentiation is probably an adjective:

Una secretaria que hable español (no cualquier secretaria)
Quienquiera que necesite ayuda (no cualquier persona)
Una muñeca que hable (no una sin voz)
Una camiseta que me quede holgada (no una que me quede ajustada)

[laepelba]

YES! That makes a lot more sense! "whichever person" *who* needs a favor... where "whichever person" is quienquiera and *who* is the "que". I totally understand. Thank you again!