Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

Direct speech Reported speech related to Present Reported speech related to Past Present: «Comemos a mediodía». Present/present: ...

19.2 Constructions involving the subjunctive Again the rule can be broken if the sense demands: Preterite/present subjunctive: A ...

20 Other forms of the verb and their uses Spanish sometimes uses more than one word to express a verb form, for example ir a+ in ...

(c) Expressing disapproval or surprise: ¡Pero qué estás haciendo! But what (on earth) are you doing! 20.2Ir a+ infinitive This c ...

20.4Acabar de+ infinitive This denotes proximity to a present (in the present) or past (in the imperfect) moment and corresponds ...

21 Modal auxiliary verbs and expressions 21.1Poder Poder is used to express: (a) Possibility
^48 (p. 282);^67 (p. 375) Puede v ...

(c) Obligation
 46.1 (p. 272) Podríais/podíais/pudisteis habérselo explicado. (see 46.1) You might have (= ought to have) expl ...

Debían (de) ser las seis... corresponds to Eran las seis... Debió (de) terminar... corresponds to Terminó... (b) Obligation
 4 ...

21.5Tener que (a) Obligation
^46 (p. 272); 47.1 (p. 276); 69.1 (p. 385) Tendrás que contestar. You will have to reply. Tuvimos ...

22 Ser and estar 22.1Ser Ser is used: (a) With a noun or pronoun: Soy arquitecto. (see 34.6) I am an architect. Ayer fue un día ...

Este libro fue escrito por un amigo mío. This book was written by a friend of mine. (f) With an adjective denoting membership of ...

22.2Estar Estar is used: (a) With adverbs of place (unless the adverb says where an event is to take place, when ser is used – s ...

Mi madre estaba acostada (acostarse) cuando volvimos. My mother was in bed (had gone to bed) when we returned. (d) With adjectiv ...

Many adjectives can be used with both ser and estar. There is always a difference in meaning: ser listo‘to be clever’/estar list ...

23 The reflexive The reflexive has a large number of functions in Spanish. NOTE The reflexive pronoun is different from the obje ...

Los niños se lavaban (unos a otros). The children were washing one another. Los refugiados se ayudaron mutuamente. The refugees ...

23.7 The intensifying reflexive Several non-reflexive verbs have reflexive counterparts which are similar in meaning, but which ...

23.8 The impersonal reflexive The third person reflexive (se) has the function of denoting an impersonal or indefinite subject ( ...

24 The passive Passive constructions have two principal functions: to bring a noun other than the subject of an active verb to ...

El delincuente es detenido por un policía armado. The criminal is being arrested by an armed policeman. Los libros eran apilados ...