LA PASIVA CON SE
Sometimes we don’t know who is performing a certain action or we prefer not to specify. If our focus is the object of the sentence, we can make it the subject. In that case we can use a kind of passive form with the 3rd person of the verb + se.
- Se vende Seat Ibiza. = Someone is selling a Seat Ibiza; we don’t know the person’s name, but we know the address, telephone number, price, etc…
- Se venden libros de segunda mano. = Someone is selling used books and gives their contact information.
As you can see, if the subject of the sentence is in the plural (libros) the verb must also be in the plural (se venden), though in these kinds of sentences the verb goes before the subject.
- Se alquilan bicicletas.
FRASES IMPERSONALES CON SE
If the subject is collective (la gente, todos, todo el mundo), we can omit it and add the pronoun se to the verb.
- Aquí se vive bien. = La gente vive bien aquí, todos viven bien aquí.
- En este restaurante se come estupendamente. = La comida de este restaurante es estupenda.
In impersonal expressions the verb is always in the singular.
CONECTORES LÓGICOS: PORQUE, POR ESO, COMO
Logical connectors establish a cause-effect relationship between two sentences.
CAUSA → POR ESO CONSECUENCIA
- Hace mucho frío, por eso no vamos a salir esta noche (consecuencia).
CONSECUENCIA → PORQUE CAUSA
- Estoy muy cansada porque hoy he tenido mucho trabajo (causa).
COMO CAUSA → CONSECUENCIA
- Como tienes mucha hambre (causa), vamos a cenar ya.
The connector como always goes at the beginning of a sentence.
PRETÉRITO PERFECTO COMPUESTO
The present perfect tense describes already completed actions that have taken place in a period of time that has not yet ended. This tense is used frequently in speech, since we usually talk about things that happened a short time ago.
Verbs in the compound present perfect tense are formed with two words:
the auxiliary verb haber + past participle. The participle used in the present perfect always takes the same form: masculine and singular
- Esta tarde hemos estado en un parque muy bonito.
- Laura ha comido en casa de su madre.
| HABLAR | COMER | DORMIR | |
| YO | he hablado | he comido | he dormido |
| TÚ | has hablado | has comido | has dormido |
| ÉL, ELLA, USTED | ha hablado | ha comido | ha dormido |
| NOSOTROS/AS | hemos hablado | hemos comido | hemos dormido |
| VOSOTROS/AS | habéis hablado | habéis comido | habéis dormido |
| ELLOS/AS, USTEDES | han hablado | han comido | han dormido |
As opposed to many other languages, in Spanish the present perfect participle does not vary according to either gender or number.
- María ha estudiado toda la tarde.
- Juan ha comprado dos kilos de tomates.
Remember, however, that there are irregular participles.
| poner | puesto |
| morir | muerto |
| escribir | escrito |
| ver | visto |
| volver | vuelto |
| resolver | resuelto |
| romper | roto |
| hacer | hecho |
| decir | dicho |
| abrir | abierto |
| cubrir | cubierto |
- Hoy he visto una película estupenda.
- Los niños han puesto la mesa para comer.