Confusion over when definite article use is necessaryI just completed a translation exercise which included the following sentence:
"... we see the fireworks and we receive gifts from Father Christmas."
I translated the sentence as follows: "... vemos los fuegos artificiales y recibimos regalos desde Papá Noel". Kwiziq indicated that the correct translation should have been "... vemos los fuegos artificiales y recibimos los regalos de Papá noel."
I have two question about this:
1) Why was it necessary to insert "los" in front of "regalos"? I do not understand fully the rule of when the definite articles (singular or plural) must be used. As you can see, I inserted it when "the" was included before "fireworks" in the English translation, but omitted "los" when "the" was not included before "gifts" in the English translation. Again, what's the rule on this? When I practice the writing exercises seems use of articles is hit and miss.
2) I am confused about why "de" was used as translation of "from" instead of "desde". Seems "regalos de Papá Noel" would translate in English to Santa Claus's gifts. Please explain.
Thank you!
Pati Ecuamiga.
It seems to indicate that:
bien and mal go with estar
bueno and malo go with ser
but when I follow that as a "rule" I get it wrong. What am I missing please? What is the "reason" either goes with whatever?
I found the speaker very hard to understand.
I wish there were comprehension questions at the end. It’s annoying that there’s no way to “complete” the reading exercises like the writing and listening ones.
How would you say
I need (number) 400 to win.
Necesito el cuatrocientos para ganar.
Or
Necesito el cuatrociento para ganar.
Also, We need 14 and 20 to win.
Necesitamos los 14 y 20 para ganar.
Necesitamos el 14 y el 20 para ganar.
My dictionary gives "un fenómeno" - not "un fénomeno"?
I just completed a translation exercise which included the following sentence:
"... we see the fireworks and we receive gifts from Father Christmas."
I translated the sentence as follows: "... vemos los fuegos artificiales y recibimos regalos desde Papá Noel". Kwiziq indicated that the correct translation should have been "... vemos los fuegos artificiales y recibimos los regalos de Papá noel."
I have two question about this:
1) Why was it necessary to insert "los" in front of "regalos"? I do not understand fully the rule of when the definite articles (singular or plural) must be used. As you can see, I inserted it when "the" was included before "fireworks" in the English translation, but omitted "los" when "the" was not included before "gifts" in the English translation. Again, what's the rule on this? When I practice the writing exercises seems use of articles is hit and miss.
2) I am confused about why "de" was used as translation of "from" instead of "desde". Seems "regalos de Papá Noel" would translate in English to Santa Claus's gifts. Please explain.
Thank you!
Pati Ecuamiga.
I was directed to this (very useful !) lesson - i.e., Using tener + past participle to express the completion of an action (perífrasis verbal) - from a C1 writing exercise ["Charity Kings' Parade] - to explain the structure of this sentence: "Tengo pensado llevar un paraguas". < This is actually a bit different from the examples given in the lesson, because it is not a noun which we "tenemos pensado"; instead it is the verb "llevar" … [so no noun-agreement is required? - i.e. would we still keep the participle "pensado" unchanged if we said "Tengo pensado llevar mis botas de goma"?] … Thus, it might be useful to add, to the lesson, an example along these lines, i.e., where "Tengo pensado" is followed immediately by a verb.
Shouldn't this translate to "¿Queréis que Juan recitar un poema?"? However, in a kwiz, "¿Queréis que Juan recite un poema?", was the correct answer. But 'to recite' is in the infinitive.
can we only use "lo suyo" if it refers to something mentioned before? ie we cannot say "eso sería lo suyo" as a stand alone sentence?
can you use cuanto antes for as soon as possible in the last sentence?
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