Tricks and verbs

Question 1

por

Answer 1

per/by/through/because of/during

Question 2

I just/ we just/you just/they just (trick for past actions!)

Answer 2

Acabo de cocinar
Acabamos de llegar
Acaba de cocinar
Acaban de comer.

Question 3

adding - ing for ongoing actions

Answer 3

For most verbs, simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and add -ando for -ar verbs, and -iendo for -er and -ir verbs:

cocinar&raquo_space; cocinando (cooking)
correr&raquo_space; corriendo (running)

Then use whatever form of estar you need to express the idea:

Estoy cocinando (I am cooking.)
Estoy corriendo (I am running.)
Estamos trabajando (We are working.)
Estábamos trabajando (We were working.)

Question 4

maybe or perhaps - for predictions with uncertainty

Answer 4

a lo mejor

Question 5

I don’t think that they are going to come - change to -

I think that my parents are not going to come

I think that there is not a store near here

Answer 5

Creo que mis padres no van a venir.
(I think that my parents aren’t going to come.)

If you can rephrase all expressions of doubt from “I don’t think that…” to “I think that…,” then you can be safe using the normal indicative mood.

Here are a few more examples:

Creo que la semana que viene no va a ser divertida.
(I believe that next week isn’t going to be fun.)

Creo que no hay una cafetería por aquí.
(I think that there isn’t a coffee shop around here.)

If either of these last two examples started with no creo que, you would need the subjunctive but with the simple rephrase hack, you can express almost exactly the same idea with the present indicative mood.

Question 6

it (to avoid a noun)

Answer 6

lo/la/ello

Question 7

I want this, that and those

Answer 7

Quiero este, esa y esos.