Download Hablando de gramática

Hablando
de
gramática
por el señor Conner
WWW.TOBREAK.COM
John Conner is the author of the popular language series Breaking the Spanish Barrier and
the newly released OASIS, handy phrase book/dictionary with audio CDs. Each month he
features a grammatical topic of interest to our readers. Have ideas of topics you would
like to see covered? E-mail Señor Conner at [email protected]. You can also visit his
website www.tobreak.com.
Sometimes when I am heading to a store or looking on-line for a holiday present
for someone, I just can’t limit myself to getting just one thing. I will spot two
perfect gifts that I just have to get! In that spirit, let me share with you two
ideas for the final lesson of 2011.
Ho – Ho – Ho!
Santa Claus is a fan of all perfect tenses
In the month of December, I always make a point in class of reminding my students
that all perfect tenses in Spanish (present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, conditional perfect, present perfect subjunctive and pluperfect subjunctive) are favorites of
Santa Claus. When my students first hear this claim, they stare at me wondering what
on earth I mean. I tell them: All perfect tenses start with an “h” and end with an “o.”
He hablado
Habíamos estudiado Habrán roto H o – H o – H o !
Remembering this little fact will save them from constructing incorrect sentences
such as “María ha cerrada la puerta”. Whenever I hear such a sentence in class or
if I see it in writing, I just respond: “Ho-Ho-Ho” and they know what I mean. The
idea? Past participles in perfect tenses are verbs (not adjectives!) and therefore, will
not agree with the subject.
18
diciembre de 2011 noviembre de 2011
Examples:
Los chicos me habían dicho otra mentira antes de salir.
The kids had told me another lie before leaving.
Mi prima ha bailado muy bien en el concurso esta tarde.
My cousin has danced very well in the competition this afternoon.
¡Ojalá!
If only … if only
The commonly used word “Ojalá” expresses an emotion. The term originated from
the Arabic meaning “Allah grant that …” Though it doesn’t translate neatly into
English, the idea expressed is “Oh, if only” or “I (we) wish that” or “I (we) hope.”
“Ojalá” expresses an emotional wish that something happen or that something has
happened.
Examples:
¡Ojalá que mis amigos lleguen a tiempo para la película!
I hope that my friends arrive on time for the movie!
¡Ojalá que Silvia haya salido bien en la prueba!
I hope that Silvia has done well on her quiz!
¡Ojalá que haya nevado mucho en las montañas!
If only it has snowed a lot in the mountains!
You will notice that the verb in the dependent clause (after “que”) uses a form of the
subjunctive mood. Why? Well, one just doesn’t know if that action will happen or
has happened. It is only the wish of the speaker. The subjunctive expresses beautifully the uncertainty of what might come to pass.
w w w.thi nk spani sh. com 19
PRUEBA DE REPASO
In the following sentences fill in each blank with the correct form
of any perfect tense that makes sense (present perfect, pluperfect, future
perfect, conditional perfect, present perfect subjunctive or pluperfect subjunctive).
a) Mis amigos no me __________ nada antes de clase. (decir)
b) Para las seis y media mañana todos __________ . (despertarse)
c) ¡Ojalá que ________mucho en las montañas para que podamos esquiar. (nevar)
d) ¿Cómo te ha ido en el examen esta tarde? Ojalá que __________ una nota
muy alta. (sacar)
e) Lola todavía no nos __________. Pues, creo que tendremos que irnos sin ella.
(llamar)
f) Si tú nos hubieras llamado, te __________esa pregunta en seguida. (contestar)
g) ¡Ojalá que mis hermanos me __________ un mensaje en el celular. (dejar)
h) Nuestra madre se enojó de que no __________ las camas antes de tomar el
desayuno ayer.
i) Bárbara y yo __________ temprano al restaurante y por eso vamos a esperar a
los demás en la puerta. (llegar)
j) ¡Ojalá que vosotros __________ unas composiciones interesantes para la clase
de español. (escribir)
e) ha llamado
f) habríamos contestado
g) hayan dejado
h) hubiéramos hecho
i) hemos llegado
j) hayáis escrito
diciembre de 2011
Answers:
a) habían dicho
b) se habrán despertado
c) haya nevado
d) hayas sacado
20