Use of "que"

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by SPX

If I understood correctly, I think the poster only meant that more conscious thought and knowledge of the language comes into play when you're taking the time to write something out, which is usually a much slower and more laborious process.

When you're speaking, on the other hand, once you really "know what you're doing" you don't construct the sentence in your head before you say it, making sure that everything is in the right place and that all rules are followed . . . you just say what you want to say and it flows out effortlessly like water. This is, no doubt, how you speak English (and probably Spanish too at this point).

Quite right - but it's a very long way down the road of learning a second language. (Well, it is for me )

[SPX]

Yes, no doubt a very long way down the road, though I already see shades of it with very basic things.

For instance, if I say something like "¿Por qué?" I find that it's pretty instinctual. With words of phrases that I have little experience with then I usually have to come up with what I want to say in English and then translate that into Spanish. But I've used "Por qué" so many times that I identify it with the concept of "Why?" and not the English word "Why?"

The same is true if I hear it. I can pretty much immediately understand it without having to hear it, then translate it into English, as is the case with most stuff.

Of course getting to the point of being able to do this in all situations will take a lot of time.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by SPX

Yes, no doubt a very long way down the road, though I already see shades of it with very basic things.

For instance, if I say something like "¿Por qué?" I find that it's pretty instinctual. With words of phrases that I have little experience with then I usually have to come up with what I want to say in English and then translate that into Spanish. But I've used "Por qué" so many times that I identify it with the concept of "Why?" and not the English word "Why?"

The same is true if I hear it. I can pretty much immediately understand it without having to hear it, then translate it into English, as is the case with most stuff.

Of course getting to the point of being able to do this in all situations will take a lot of time.

Not if you transcribe like I have said before.

[Luna Azul]

This discussion makes no sense to me. Every one seems to be talking about something different. It's senseless. Maybe it's because I'm tired. Time to go to bed, probably.

[SPX]

Originally Posted by chileno

Not if you transcribe like I have said before.

Maybe I will start transcribing some of the stuff in my parallel text book. . .

[chileno]

Originally Posted by SPX

Maybe I will start transcribing some of the stuff in my parallel text book. . .

Do it and you'll improve a lot.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

This discussion makes no sense to me. Every one seems to be talking about something different. It's senseless.

Don't worry, @Chileno and I have had this kind of 'conversation' before, and because our views on how to learn a foreign a language are diametrically opposite to each other , you would need to read several other threads as background in order to see what we mean. But I would not recommend that - far too boring.

[Luna Azul]

Ok. Thanks Perikles. I hope you enjoy your "conversation"

[jrandlib]

http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/tenque.htm I think is good for understanding tener que (obligation)

and

http://spanish.about.com/od/usingpar...bs/a/tener.htm
for tener (possession)

[SPX]

I'll check those out.

Thanks, jrandlib.