Exercise with the subjunctive, 7-6
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laepelba
June 29, 2011, 01:53 PM
Another exercise where I made many mistakes. :-/
Here are the sentences and my questions. THANK YOU for any help you can give me!!
5) English sentence: When they went driving, they were afraid of what they might see.
The book's translation: Cuando buceaban, tenían miedo de lo que verían.
My question: Why isn't it "... de lo que quizás vean."?
6) English sentence: If she went to the party, then he saw her; but I doubt that she went.
The book's translation: Si ella fue a la fiesta, pues, él la vio; pero dudo que ella fuera.
My questions: (1) Could it also be "si ella fuera a la fiesta..."? (2) Really, is the "pues" necessary?
7) English sentence: If she is rejected one more time, I think she will cry.
The book's translation: Si la rechazan una vez más, creo que va a llorar.
My question: I am uncomfortable with "la rechazan". The way it's stated in English, it's passive voice, and I know that the passive voice is not used much in Spanish. But what/who is/are the subject of "rechazan"?
10) English sentence: There wasn't anyone who felt sad when Susan died.
The book's translation: No había nadie que se entristeciera cuando murió Susana.
My questions: (1) Would "se sintiera triste" be acceptable? Or only "se entristeciera"? (2) Why not "se murió"?
19) English sentence: If it had not been for your parents, you would not be here.
The book's translation: Si no hubiera sido por tus padres, no estarías aquí.
My question: Would the following be okay: "Si no fuera por tus padres...."??
Thank you!! :rose:
poli
June 29, 2011, 03:02 PM
Another exercise where I made many mistakes. :-/
Here are the sentences and my questions. THANK YOU for any help you can give me!!
5) English sentence: When they went driving, they were afraid of what they might see.
The book's translation: Cuando buceaban, tenían miedo de lo que verían.
My question: Why isn't it "... de lo que quizás vean."?the tenses should agree. If you begin in the past tense, it's best not to change to the
present in mid-sentence
6) English sentence: If she went to the party, then he saw her; but I doubt that she went.
The book's translation: Si ella fue a la fiesta, pues, él la vio; pero dudo que ella fuera.
My questions: (1) Could it also be "si ella fuera (nope) a la fiesta..."? (2) Really, is the "pues" necessary?
Pués is never necessary, but it is used. It matches then in the sentence
which is also de trop
7) English sentence: If she is rejected one more time, I think she will cry.
The book's translation: Si la rechazan una vez más, creo que va a llorar.
My question: I am uncomfortable with "la rechazan". The way it's stated in English, it's passive voice, and I know that the passive voice is not used much in Spanish. But what/who is/are the subject of "rechazan"?
You may say: Creo que lloraría si la rechazaran otra vez
10) English sentence: There wasn't anyone who felt sad when Susan died.
The book's translation: No había nadie que se entristeciera cuando murió Susana.
My questions: (1) Would "se sintiera triste" be acceptable?yes, although I think pusiera triste is more common. Or only "se entristeciera"? (2) Why not "se murió"?Someone else will answer this. I'm not sure
19) English sentence: If it had not been for your parents, you would not be here.
The book's translation: Si no hubiera sido por tus padres, no estarías aquí.
My question: Would the following be okay: "Si no fuera por tus padres...."??Yes, but the translation would be: if it weren't for your parents you would not be here.
Thank you!! :rose:
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aleCcowaN
June 29, 2011, 03:17 PM
Another exercise where I made many mistakes. :-/
Here are the sentences and my questions. THANK YOU for any help you can give me!!
5) English sentence: When they went driving, they were afraid of what they might see.
The book's translation: Cuando buceaban, tenían miedo de lo que verían.
My question: Why isn't it "... de lo que quizás vean."?
6) English sentence: If she went to the party, then he saw her; but I doubt that she went.
The book's translation: Si ella fue a la fiesta, pues, él la vio; pero dudo que ella fuera.
My questions: (1) Could it also be "si ella fuera a la fiesta..."? (2) Really, is the "pues" necessary?
7) English sentence: If she is rejected one more time, I think she will cry.
The book's translation: Si la rechazan una vez más, creo que va a llorar.
My question: I am uncomfortable with "la rechazan". The way it's stated in English, it's passive voice, and I know that the passive voice is not used much in Spanish. But what/who is/are the subject of "rechazan"?
10) English sentence: There wasn't anyone who felt sad when Susan died.
The book's translation: No había nadie que se entristeciera cuando murió Susana.
My questions: (1) Would "se sintiera triste" be acceptable? Or only "se entristeciera"? (2) Why not "se murió"?
19) English sentence: If it had not been for your parents, you would not be here.
The book's translation: Si no hubiera sido por tus padres, no estarías aquí.
My question: Would the following be okay: "Si no fuera por tus padres...."??
Thank you!! :rose:
5) tenían miedo .... de lo que podrían ver / de lo que quizás vieran [your intuition was good, but you forgot to put it in past tense]/ de lo que quizás verían.
6) "fue" because all the analysis departs from that action to be truth -hypothetically-. That "pues" or "entonces" is as necessary as "then" in the original English sentence.
7) The subject is "they" (the people who would reject her). It's a matter of passive (she is rejected) and active voice (they reject her).
10) "Se sintiera triste" is OK. "Murió" is OK. With "se murió" it looks (very!) popular speak -mid way between "to pass" and "to kick the bucket"- and also it would look very close to the time of the death.
19) "hubiera sido" set the time in the same way "had been" does it in English. Something was going wrong in the past, but his parents did something or had something in the past with present consequences. With "fuera" is a little bit ambiguous: it can be "your parents qualities/conditions/etc. make you now being here".
laepelba
June 30, 2011, 06:50 AM
Thanks, guys!!
I'm still a bit uncomfortable with #7 ... but I'll have to live with it. It's just interesting that we have to assume that it is a "they" that is doing the rejection, and not an individual.
Note to self: avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice.....
Perikles
June 30, 2011, 06:51 AM
Note to self: avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice.....Yes indeed. The passive voice must be avoided at all cost. :D
aleCcowaN
June 30, 2011, 07:45 AM
Thanks, guys!!
I'm still a bit uncomfortable with #7 ... but I'll have to live with it. It's just interesting that we have to assume that it is a "they" that is doing the rejection, and not an individual.
Note to self: avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice.....
Maybe this would help: "la rechazaron" still carries a bit the notion of passive voice as the person hearing this is more likely to ask "¿dónde?", "¿en qué?" or "¿para qué?" than "¿quién/es?". "La rechazó" is followed instantly by "¿Quíén?". Singular means you have somebody in mind. Think of "la rechazaron" as a sort of "subject-unfocused active voice".
chileno
June 30, 2011, 07:53 AM
Thanks, guys!!
I'm still a bit uncomfortable with #7 ... but I'll have to live with it. It's just interesting that we have to assume that it is a "they" that is doing the rejection, and not an individual.
Note to self: avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice, avoid the passive voice.....
Not sure if you should avoid the passive voice.
7) English sentence: If she is rejected one more time, I think she will cry.
The book's translation: Si la rechazan una vez más, creo que va a llorar.
My question: I am uncomfortable with "la rechazan". The way it's stated in English, it's passive voice, and I know that the passive voice is not used much in Spanish. But what/who is/are the subject of "rechazan"?
I would translate that English sentence as:
Si (ella) es (ella) rechazada una vez más, creo que (ella) llorará.
Who is/are the subject? Anybody/Somebody
That's the way I see it, and as usual, I don't know if it will help you. (Most likely not, as always) :grumble:
laepelba
June 30, 2011, 08:03 AM
Not sure if you should avoid the passive voice.
7) English sentence: If she is rejected one more time, I think she will cry.
The book's translation: Si la rechazan una vez más, creo que va a llorar.
My question: I am uncomfortable with "la rechazan". The way it's stated in English, it's passive voice, and I know that the passive voice is not used much in Spanish. But what/who is/are the subject of "rechazan"?
I would translate that English sentence as:
Si (ella) es (ella) rechazada una vez más, creo que (ella) llorará.
Who is/are the subject? Anybody/Somebody
That's the way I see it, and as usual, I don't know if it will help you. (Most likely not, as always) :grumble:
Actually, Chileno, that is almost exactly how I translated it. I used "sea" instead of "es" (still not getting the subjunctive right often enough....), but otherwise, I used the same structure and "llorará"......
Thanks, Alec - that is helpful....
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