Perífrases

Question 1

ESTAR + gerundio

Answer 1

• expresses an action in development
• indefinido/present perfect - an event that developed during the time and is now finished
• imperfecto - a past event in development that was interrupted
• future - an event as conjecture

eg. mis hijos están haciendo las tareas = my children are doing their homework

Question 2

ANDAR + gerundio

Answer 2

• to express a persistant and repeated event.
• often has negative connotations
• used in past/present/future
  eg. en las vacaciones anduvimos recorriendo el norte argentino = in the holidays we always return to north argentina

Question 3

LLEVAR + time + gerundio

Answer 3

• expresses amount of time during an activity
• used in present and imperfect
  eg. Llevo tres annos estudiando Derecho = For three years I study Law

Question 4

SEGUIR/CONTINUAR + gerundio

Answer 4

• expresses the continuation of an action
• can use it in past/present/future
• equivalent to todavía
  eg. Son las diez de la noche y José sigue trabajando = it is 10 at night and José is still working

Question 5

IR +gerundio

Answer 5

• expresses an event that has developed progressively, little by little
• past/present/future
  eg. tú vas preparando la comida = you are preparing the food

Question 6

VENIR + gerundio

Answer 6

• expresses a progressive event that began in the past and lasted till you found the person you are speaking to
• a feel of custom/habit
• usually accompanied with temporal expressions
• mostly used in presnt and perfecto compuesto and imperfecto
  eg. hace dos annos que la entrada al cine viene costando lo mismo = for two years cinema tickets have cost the same

Question 7

HABER QUE + infinitive

Answer 7

• expresses obligation
• impersonal
• in any tense, but always 3rd p sing
  eg. hay que lavarse los manos antes de comer = you have to wash your hands before eating

Question 8

TENER QUE + infinitive

Answer 8

• expresses obligation
• personal, any tense
  eg. los alumnos tuvieron que hacer un examen oral = the students have to do an oral exam

Question 9

DEBER + infinitive

Answer 9

• expresses obligation
• advice, moral
  eg. como tú tienes problemas, debes hacer más ejercicios = if you have problems, you should do more excersise

Question 10

PODER + infinitive

Answer 10

• to ask for permission, a favour - auxilary in present or conditional
  eg. ?Puedo entrar? = Can I enter?
• to express capacity or possibility - use in any tense
  eg. Marcela, puedes quedarte en mi casa = Marcela, you can stay in my house

Question 11

ECHAR(SE) A + infinitive

Answer 11

• indicates beginning of a movement or an emotional reaction
• frequent in present or indefinido
  eg. Echó a correr = I began to run

Question 12

PONERSE A + infinitive

Answer 12

• indicates a sudden, voluntary action
• frequent in present or indefinido
  eg. como se puso a llover, nos quedamos en casa = as it started to rain (suddenly), we stayed at home

Question 13

ROMPER A + infinitive

Answer 13

• to indicate a sudden and unexpected action
• frequent in present or indefinido
  eg. Cuando vio que todo estaba perdido, rompió a llorar = when he saw that all was lost, he began to cry/burst into tears

Question 14

ACABAR DE + infinitive

Answer 14

• indicates an action that has just been completed
• frequent in present, imperfect and indefinido
  eg. Simón acaba de avisar que llegará tarde a la reunión = Simon just warned that he will arrive late to the reunion

Question 15

DEJAR DE + infinitive

Answer 15

• marks an interrupted action
• Use in any tense
• with a negative imperative auxilary verb it is used to give advice
  eg. Te prometo que dejaré de fumar = I promise you that I will stop smoking
• Si vas a Barcelona, no dejes de visitar el museo Picasso = if you go to Barcelona, don’t visit the Picasso museum

Question 16

LLEGAR A + infinitive

Answer 16

• indicates end of process is the result of previous events
• use in any tense
• can also use it to express surprise/astonishment before an event to exaggerate
  eg. se dice que el agua llegará a tener más valor que el petróleo = it said that the water will have more worth than petrol

Question 17

TERMINAR POR + infinitive

Answer 17

• equivalent to ‘finalmente’
• usually used in future or indefinido
  eg. para que no se fuera a otra empresa terminaron por subirle el sueldo

Question 18

ACABAR POR + infintive

Answer 18

• indicates final of a fulfilled process with effort and repetition
• usually used only in future or indefinido
  eg. con esos argumentos acabarás por convencer a los clientes de que nuestro producto es el mejor = with these arguments you successfully convinced the clients that our product is the best

Question 19

ALCANZAR A + infinitive

Answer 19

• indicates an achievement

eg. desde aquí no alcanzo a ver a tu hermano

Question 20

VENIR A + infinitive

Answer 20

• to express something approximate. equivalent to más o menos
  eg. un piso en Espanna viene a costar unos 200,000 euros = a flat in Spain costs around 200,000 euros

Question 21

ESTAR POR + infinitive

Answer 21

• expresses the intention to do something immediately
• frequent in present + imperfect, but also in indefinido
  eg. estoy por comprarme un coche = i am going to immediately buy a car

Question 22

IR A + infinitive

Answer 22

expresses the intention to do something in the future. - use in present

eg. Voy al gimansio = i am going to the gym
- expresses past intention to do something you didnt do. used in imperfect
eg. íbamos a viajar a Europa en invierno, pero no teníamos dinero = we were going to travel to Europe in the winter, but we didnt have enough money

Question 23

SOLER + infinitve

Answer 23

• to talk about customs, activities that are/were habits
• use present or imperfect
  eg. sus padres solían viajar todos los annos a Europa = their parents used to travel every year to europe

Question 24

VOLVER A + infinitve

Answer 24

• indicates a repeated action
• use in any tense
  eg. siempre vuelve a decir lo mismo = he always says the same thing

Question 25

ANDAR + participio

Answer 25

• expresses an activity or state that is long lasting
  eg. andaban tan ocupados que ni los invité a la fiesta = they have been so busy that i have never invited them to the party

Question 26

DAR POR + participio

Answer 26

• expresses an action that is considered finished, though not always totally
  eg. Hemos dado por resuelta la discusión con los vecinos

Question 27

DEJAR + participio

Answer 27

• expresses a situation as the result of a previous action

eg. he dejado escrito mi testamento = i have finished writing my will

Question 28

LLEVAR + cantidad + participio
LLEVAR + cantidad de tiempo + participio
IR + cantidad + participio

Answer 28

• express the number of times/units in relation with the action of the participle
  eg. Mis papás llevan casados diez annos = my parents have been married for 10 years

Question 29

QUEDAR + participio

Answer 29

• marks an event that is completely finished
  eg. ayer quedaron firmados los acuerdos entre las dos grandes empresas = yesterday they signed the agreements between the two big businesses

Question 30

QUEDAR(SE) + participio

Answer 30

• expresses a state or actuality that is the result of a previous incident
  eg. amanda estaba tan cansada que se quedó dormida en el autobús = amanda was so tired that she went to sleep on the bus

Question 31

SEGUIR/CONTINUAR +participio

Answer 31

• expresses continuation of state
  eg. seguiré preocupada hasta que me llame por teléfono diciéndome que está bien = I will continue to be worried until they call me on the telephone telling me that it is okay

Question 32

TENER + participio

Answer 32

• expresses an action completely realised and finished

eg. ?Cuántos capítulos tienes escritos de tu último libro? = How many chapters have you written of your last book?