Spanish language Q&A Forum

Hi Inma, this is one of the most difficult things for me to grasp, especially in the body of a sentence, please could you put this near the top of your list for new lessons?

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Hola,

Is there a lesson which develops this theme, and discusses when the definite article is used with the noun in the body of a sentence - and if there are times when this is not the case?

Thanks. John"

Hola,

I came across this construction and I wasn't sure how to translate it.  The use of the gerund does not follow any lesson I've seen.  Is it similar to the "hacer/mandar + infinitive" construction?

Tienes un hijo criandose en el convento.

I noticed the sentence below in a quiz. I'm curious to know why "ese" is the natural choice here instead of "aquel." I had thought that both words should indicate maximum distance.

I thought long and hard before answering this onr.  Although it fits the patter nor using sino que, if is a  correctionof  the first statement, the second statement is a contrast:  something practical rather than something material.  It is ambiguous depending on the circumstances and "pero" can be used following both positive and negative first statements. 

consider: 

(1) she has made many sacrifices for her children

(2) she has made many books for her children

why

in (1) "for" --> por

in (2) "for" --> para