Homework1

[joijoi]

Please check my sentences. I am not yet familiar with the accent marks so I'll just type it in English for now.

Me llamo joijoi. Tengo veintiseis años. Me gusta estudiar español porque creo que es muy interesante y tambien me gusta enseñar esta idioma a otras personas. Soy sencilla, cerrada y callada. Ahora no tengo trabajo porque dimiti de trabajo desde el 1 de julio. Fui telefonista. Mi trabajo fue muy estresante (stressful). Estoy esperando que voy a encontrar un trabajo nuevo este mes. Me encanta escuchando las musicas. No me gusta pasear mucho.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by joijoi

Please check my sentences. I am not yet familiar with the accent marks so I'll just type it in English for now.

Me llamo joijoi. Tengo veintiséis años. Me gusta estudiar español porque creo que es muy interesante y también me gusta enseñar este idioma a otras personas. Soy sencilla, cerrada y reservada. Ahora no tengo trabajo porque renuncié al trabajo desde el 1 de julio. Era telefonista. Mi trabajo fue muy estresante (stressful). Estoy esperando a encontrar un trabajo nuevo este mes. Me encanta escuchar música. No me gusta pasear mucho.

Dimitir es renunciar, pero generalmente se usa para cargos (importantes) o presidentes.

[joijoi]

Por que no puede fui?

Cerrada = persona introvertida

Thanks for the corrections.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by joijoi

Por que no puede fui?

Cerrada = persona introvertida

Thanks for the corrections.

Cerrada, da la impresión de ser "cerrada de mollera", mientras que "introvertida" da la correcta impresión de una persona "reservada".

Fui de podría usar, lo mismo que en la siguiente frase que diece que fue muy estresante, debiera haber sido "era estresante", por que es un relato....no se gramática para poder explicarte en términos gramaticales.

Estoy seguro que otra persona te puede ayudar con eso, siempre y cuando entiendas de gramática.

[joijoi]

And also please translate the following sentences in Spanish so I can see the difference.

I like to listen to music.
I like listening to music.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by joijoi

And also please translate the following sentences in Spanish so I can see the difference.

I like to listen to music.
I like listening to music.

Para mí las dos significan "Me gusta escuchar música"

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by joijoi

I like to listen to music.
I like listening to music.

Chileno gave a correct answer. Let me expound.

Both 'listening' and 'to listen' mean the same thing in these sentences. You can argue that there is a difference, but there really isn't. Both mean that you enjoy listening to music.
Both are allowed after the verb 'like'.

However, both words are NOT allowed after the verb 'enjoy'. Only 'listening' is allowed after that verb. Why is that?
I brought this up because I want to teach you something you may not be aware of.

The verb 'like' takes a direct object. This is a noun that answers the question, "What do you like?" If you like apples, 'apples' is the direct object. If you like swimming, 'swimming' is the direct object. These words are both nouns, even if one of them looks exactly like a verb.
When 'swimming' functions as a noun, it is called a gerund in English. The Spanish equivalent is 'nadar'. This is used as a noun, just like 'swimming' is used as a noun.

Many of us English speakers don't even realize that we are saying a noun when we say 'I like swimming'.

Now, why can we use both 'listening' and 'to listen' behind the verb 'like'? Because we can. The infinitive ('to listen') can also function as a noun in English, but we aren't always free to use the infinitive and the gerund interchangeably.

For instance, the familiar saying, "Seeing is believing," can also be rendered, "To see is to believe." It may sound awkward at first, because it isn't the familiar saying, but both sentences mean exactly the same thing. And both of those words that end in '-ing' are nouns. There is only one verb in the phrase. In Spanish, the same phrase is 'Ver es creer'. That is the only way to say it in Spanish, while English allows two ways to say it.
However, we can't say "I enjoy to listen to music." The infinitive simply won't function as a noun after that particular verb. In Spanish it does, because the infinitive can always function as a noun. In English, we have to use the gerund 'listening' after that verb. So, sometimes English lets us use the gerund and the infinitive interchangeably, like after the verb 'like', but sometimes we don't have that luxury.

[chileno]

Thank you Rusty.

It took some time, uh?

[Rusty]

Yes, but I hope it's more clear now. I don't know how you can get around grammar in these instances. Knowing that what looks like a verb could actually be a noun is a very important concept. When a gerund is used in English, a noun must also be used in Spanish.

It's interesting to note that joijoi correctly used nouns after 'me gusta' in her narrative, but didn't use one after 'me encanta'. Both of these structures have a subject (a noun). In English, these verbs take a direct object. Either way, a noun is used in both languages.

Me gusta estudiar. = I like studying.
Me encanta estudiar. = I love studying.
Me gusta escuchar música. = I like listening to music.
Me encanta escuchar música. = I love listening to music.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Yes, but I hope it's more clear now. I don't know how you can get around grammar in these instances. Knowing that what looks like a verb could actually be a noun is a very important concept. When a gerund is used in English, a noun must also be used in Spanish.

It's interesting to note that joijoi correctly used nouns after 'me gusta' in her narrative, but didn't use one after 'me encanta'. Both of these structures have a subject (a noun). In English, these verbs take a direct object. Either way, a noun is used in both languages.

Me gusta estudiar. = I like studying.
Me encanta estudiar. = I love studying.
Me gusta escuchar música. = I like listening to music.
Me encanta escuchar música. = I love listening to music.

Easy.

When I wanted to say "me gusta estudiar" I would say "I like to study".

People would understand, and like you said, intrinsically it isn't wrong but it don't sound native. So I either, with time, caught up with "I like studying" or just simply many people corrected me. But I still, out of habit I would write "I like to study" just to be controversial.

As to what you found interesting of joijoi, I think it can be attributed to "different personality" that's all. Each person finds interesting whatever... with time and explanations like this she will get it.

[joijoi]

Originally Posted by chileno

Cerrada, da la impresión de ser "cerrada de mollera", mientras que "introvertida" da la correcta impresión de una persona "reservada".

Fui de podría usar, lo mismo que en la siguiente frase que diece que fue muy estresante, debiera haber sido "era estresante", por que es un relato....no se gramática para poder explicarte en términos gramaticales.

Estoy seguro que otra persona te puede ayudar con eso, siempre y cuando entiendas de gramática.

Como se dice cerrada de mollera en Ingles?

Todos lo siento pero no intiendo la explicacion sobre la diferencia entre fui y era. Puedes explicar en Ingles, por favor?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by joijoi

Como se dice cerrada de mollera en Ingles?

Todos lo siento pero no intiendo la explicacion sobre la diferencia entre fui y era. Puedes explicar en Ingles, por favor?

cerrada de mollera = pigheaded.

If you are asking about the different usage of ser and estar, that's a big and basic grammar chapter - there must be a link to it somewhere. Ah yes - here

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

cerrada de mollera = pigheaded.

If you are asking about the different usage of ser and estar, that's a big and basic grammar chapter - there must be a link to it somewhere. Ah yes - here

Thank you Sir.

[irmamar]

Both "fui" and "era" are tenses from "ser".

You should use "era" (imperfect) when you are talking about an action what happened for a long time in the past. If you're talking about something that has happened in a moment, you would use "fui" (simple perfect).


Yo era telefonista antes de empezar a trabajar en esta empresa.
Una vez fui testigo en un juicio.

[joijoi]

Originally Posted by Perikles

cerrada de mollera = pigheaded.

If you are asking about the different usage of ser and estar, that's a big and basic grammar chapter - there must be a link to it somewhere. Ah yes - here

Thanks for the link. It helped me a lot. But I guess with regard to my question, it will help me more if you please provide me a link for past tenses. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by irmamar

Both "fui" and "era" are tenses from "ser".

You should use "era" (imperfect) when you are talking about an action what happened for a long time in the past. If you're talking about something that has happened in a moment, you would use "fui" (simple perfect).


Yo era telefonista antes de empezar a trabajar en esta empresa.
Una vez fui testigo en un juicio.

This answered my question in mind. Muchas gracias. Can you please give me more examples of sentences using era and fui?

Originally Posted by chileno

Easy.

When I wanted to say "me gusta estudiar" I would say "I like to study".

People would understand, and like you said, intrinsically it isn't wrong but it don't sound native. So I either, with time, caught up with "I like studying" or just simply many people corrected me. But I still, out of habit I would write "I like to study" just to be controversial.

As to what you found interesting of joijoi, I think it can be attributed to "different personality" that's all. Each person finds interesting whatever... with time and explanations like this she will get it.

Controversial?

Oh, why is the word "don't" written in bold letters? And shouldn't it be doesn't?

Originally Posted by Rusty

Yes, but I hope it's more clear now. I don't know how you can get around grammar in these instances. Knowing that what looks like a verb could actually be a noun is a very important concept. When a gerund is used in English, a noun must also be used in Spanish.

It's interesting to note that joijoi correctly used nouns after 'me gusta' in her narrative, but didn't use one after 'me encanta'. Both of these structures have a subject (a noun). In English, these verbs take a direct object. Either way, a noun is used in both languages.

Me gusta estudiar. = I like studying.
Me encanta estudiar. = I love studying.
Me gusta escuchar música. = I like listening to music.
Me encanta escuchar música. = I love listening to music.

I got confused. I was thinking listening in Spanish is escuchando and what I was translating is I love listening to music and not I love to listen to music. But it's clearer now and thank you so much for explaining thoroughly.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by joijoi

This answered my question in mind. Muchas gracias. Can you please give me more examples of sentences using era and fui?

Cuando era pequeña iba al colegio.
Fui profesora durante un mes cuando hice prácticas.

Era un caballo blanco, grande, noble.
Nunca fue un buen caballo.

Era un buen estudiante de medicina. Después fue un buen médico.

When you use imperfect, the action is not finished or it is not important if it's finished, just like "I used to".

He used to be a good medical student. Later, he became a good doctor.

Imperfect is used above all in narration and description, while p. perfecto simple is used when the action has finished.

Era una fiesta divertida (although I'm talking about the past, the action has either not finished or its end doesn't matter, I'm describing something about the party).

Fue una fiesta divertida (the party is finished, I can't speak a lot about it, I'm not describing something that happened in the party, but the party in itself).

[chileno]

Originally Posted by joijoi

Controversial?

Oh, why is the word "don't" written in bold letters? And shouldn't it be doesn't?

I'm sorry to have been confusing. I thought you had sorted out your doubts, which by now, I guess they are.

[joijoi]

Thanks everybody!!! Thank you so much for the help.