Spanish language Q&A Forum

El texto menciona una bebida tradicional de Paraguay, el terere. Hay una comida tradicional de Paraguay

I think I've managed to wrap my head around how the passive works in a basic sense, but I'm wondering if anyone can offer, or refer me to, any guidance on WHEN to use different passive/impersonal forms, or how the nuances change? I know this is a rather broad question, so I'll try to narrow it down to a couple examples:

When is it prefered to use the true passive versus the se refleja form? for example, I was reading an article that said "las piedras habían sido extraídas de rocas que se formaron hace miles de millones de años." Here we have two different forms used in the same sentence! Could the writer have instead said "las piedras se habían extraído de rocas que fueron formado"--or some other combination--and if so are there different nuances?! Is one simply more formal? Or is there another specific reason the se pasiva wasn't use for one but it was used for the other? 

Also, I know this is a lot at once, but I'm struggling to grasp how the use of the passive with "se" differs from the use of the "ellos" impersonal construction. For example, if a house is under construction down the street, would you say "se construye una casa" or "construyen una casa" and if both are equally valid, how are the nuances different? And are there cases where one is possible but the other isn't? For instance, I've often noticed that when the object of an action is a person rather than a thing the action is often not expressed with se--the ellos form seems to be the choice in some cases like "le robaron" (but not "se robó"?). And yet... we do have "se buscan secretarias"? I can't quite see what is going on here...

Mil gracias in advance for any help on any of these questions... 

I am confused by the second sentence of this short paragraph. Why is the article "el" needed (required) before the color names?

Pati Ecuamiga

A sentence in the quiz for this lesson says, "Me ofrecieron trabajo...." Should be "Me ofrecieron un trabajo."

Just took the weekly quiz on 'El futbolin' and got everything right just by using my instinct and what sounded right to my ear. And, though I had read and kwizzed this lesson before, it is a very different matter to use that knowledge without being able to scroll up and read the explanation as needed. 

So, thank you for this lesson which explains clearly the difference between muy and mucho. Another review was very helpful. 

> My boyfriend is always asking me to be patient with him.

Translating this into the English subjunctive would be “My boyfriend is always asking that I be patient with him.” And that keeps the “que=that” part of things too!

Hola, 

Are there particular differences in using estar por vs pensar in expressing intention to do something?

'Estoy por comer helado.'

'Pienso comer helado.'

Gracias