Spanish language Q&A Forum

Hola. How do express the difference between "The students must not use a calculator" (in the examples), and "The students DON"T HAVE TO use a calculator." which has a very different meaning. Thank you! 

In the exercise the phrase 'Haciendo la compra a mis mayores' is used. I would have expected 'para mis mayores'. Is the use of 'a' instead a common Spanish usage?

We are taught that El Pretérito Imperfecto is used for past actions that were ongoing with no clear end that describes what was happening or what things were like. Also El Pretérito Imperfecto is used for past habitual action, repeated / regularly occuring past actions, and actions that used to happen in the past. 

We are also taught El Pretérito Indefinido is used to describe past actions in a way that conveys the sense that were completed / finished, this can be one off actions / events, series of actions, actions that happened a specific number of times, actions that happened at a specific point in time, and actions that interrupt an ongoing past action.

However most of the time these two past tenses translate to the same in English which can cause us problems with which one to use.

So after studying these two tenses a lot, I think that I have a trick that helps me most of the time choose the right tense. (although with some verbs, I need to study the nuances just a little more)

So if I want to describe a past action, as in setting a scene or convey the action was ongoing without showing an ending etc. Then I use El Pretérito Imperfecto, Había, comía, hablaba, pensaba.

Now with El Pretérito Indefinido hubo, comió, habló, pensó, I have started to think of it as a fact (100%) to help me know that the action has happened and finished / completed. (or didn't happen if we use NO infront of the verb)

When it comes to había and hubo (from the verb Haber to exist in this use) they translate the same in English as '’there was'’ and our English thinking part of the brain doesn't know what to do with the word hubo.

Therefore to help with this, I asked myself '’is this a descriptive '’there was'’ (había) or is this a '’there was'’(hubo) that is stating a fact (100%)'’.

Había mucha comida en la fiesta. (descriptive)

Hubo mucha comida en la fiesta. (fact)

There was a lot of food at the party.

Había una reunión importante el sábado.  (descriptive)

Hubo una reunión importante el sábado.  (fact)

There was an important meeting on Saturday.

I hope I am on the right path of choosing the right tense when talking about the past, I think it's all down to what you want to convey to the listener, description or fact.

In the example above (Es septiembre y hace calor todavía.), todavía is placed at the end of the sentence and not before/after the verb.  Is it a less common (spoken) sentence structure?

The correct answer here shows both verbs in imperfect tense. Why is using preterite in the first clause and imperfect in the second clause incorrect? The lesson shows both examples in the past tense.

I have a question. 

Ojalá llegaran a tiempo a la estación para coger el tren que sale esta noche a las diez. (clearly referring to the future)

Here llegaran is subjunctive because of Ojala, but why is it sale (preterite) instead of saldre (future)?

Por favor ayudarme! :)