Search results for 'tag:Verbs tag:Learn Spanish' matching tags 'Verbs' and 'Learn Spanish'

Re: tense

CalifJim — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:58:46 GMT

Newguest
If it's correct to say: I'm learning Spanish instead of I learn Spanish, the correct question is Are you learning Spanish? or Are you learning languages? instead of Do you learn Spanish? or Do you learn languages?

Yes. The correct question is Are you learning Spanish?

In the other case, however, you'll need something different to be idiomatic, because neither of your choices is quite what a native speaker would say. (I purposely avoided this in a previous post because I didn't want to trouble you with too much information all at once.) Here are some more idiomatic questions that are related to your examples.

Are you (currently) learning more than one language? How many languages are you learning? Are you taking (a lot of) language courses?

Do you like to learn languages? Do you like learning languages? Is learning languages one of your hobbies? Do you learn a new language every year? How many languages can you learn in two years?

Newguest
I suppose that if I ask: Do you learn Spanish? it will be incorrect as it might mean that she/he learns some different Spanish every day AND if I ask: Are you learning Spanish? it will mean that the given person is learning the same language over a period of time, but not necessarily now while I'm talking to her/him. Is my reasoning correct?

Yes, your reasoning is impeccable.

Newguest
One more thing. Can I say I'm learning Spanish and add every day, i.e., I'm learning Spanish every day. Or is this adverb of frequency reserved only for the simple present?

Exactly as I'm learning Spanish every day it is not quite right, though it is borderline acceptable because it is understandable.

You can use an adverb of frequency with the progressive. That's not the problem. What you need is something that makes it mean "a part of Spanish", because you can't learn all of Spanish every day:

I'm learning more and more Spanish every day.

I'm learning a little bit of Spanish every day.

I'm learning new expressions in Spanish every day.

Again, the comparison might be eating a cake.

I'm eating this cake every day is not quite right. You need I'm eating a little more of this cake every day.

Re: tense

CalifJim — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:43:21 GMT

Newguest
What about: ... Yes, I learn Spanish every day.

No! You can only learn Spanish once! This is the same situation as the previous one we discussed. For predicates like learn Spanish, there is very little use for the simple present. The learning is either on-going and is present, or it is finished and is past. You can't learn Spanish today and then learn it again tomorrow. It's like saying that you finish eating the same cake every day. Once it is eaten, there is no more to be eaten again!

Present: I am learning Spanish.

Past: I learned Spanish.

The predicate must be changed to allow the simple present:

I learn some Spanish every day.

I learn a little more Spanish every day.

I learn a little bit of Spanish every day.

I learn a different Spanish verb every day.

____

The verb learn is the problem here. learn implies the completion of the learning process. Any verb that implies a completion like this can only rarely, perhaps metaphorically, be used in the simple present -- unless you change other parts of the sentence, as I did above, to make the verb apply only partially.

So, you can say: I write a letter to Tom every day. (It means a different letter each day.)

But you can't say: *I write my first novel every day. (You can only write your first novel once.)

But you can say: I'm currently writing my first novel. (on-going)

And you can say: I write a chapter of my novel every day. (a different chapter)

_____

Another example:

You can say: I'm painting my house. (on-going) It doesn't matter whether you mean that you're painting it at the moment you say those words, or whether you mean that over the course of many days that it normally takes to paint a house, you are periodically working on the project of painting your house. You can use this sentence in either case.

But you can't say: *I paint my house every day. (when you mean the following)

I paint another/different section of my house every day.

But you can say: I paint my house every day. (when you mean the following)

I paint my entire house every day. (I don't know anyone who does this, but it's theoretically possible! It seems like a lot of unnecessary work!)

_____

To return to the cake:

You can say: I'm eating this cake. (on-going) Either you are eating while you say this, or you are eating a little of that cake periodically so that, eventually, it will be all eaten.

But you can't say: *I eat this cake every day. (when you mean the following)

I eat all of this same cake every day. (The same cake can't reappear after it has been eaten.)

But you can say: I eat this cake every day. (when you mean the following)

I eat some of this cake every day. Or I eat some of this kind of cake every day.

____

It's confusing, I suppose, because each verb acts a little differently. You are right to notice, by the way, that the typical time-period associated with any action will govern the verb tenses and other elements of any given sentence. Writing a novel every day or painting a house every day is not as likely as eating a cake every day, for example. (In the case of me and the cake, it's in fact quite likely!)

Re: Participles vs Gerunds

Cool Breeze — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:03:42 GMT

I have noticed that my way of analyzing English differs to an extent from what is taught in the Anglo-Saxon countries. This is how I see your examples:

There was never any stopping it. Stopping is a gerund. It is used (without a verb immediately before it) after a form of to be (was), and that is typical of gerunds. Stopping also has an object (it) in the sentence, which is quite common for a gerund.

He has the gall of a shoplifter returning an item for a refund. Returning is a present participle. He has the gall of a shoplifter is a complete main clause. By that I mean it has a subject (He), a finite verb / a main verb (has) and an object (the gall of a shoplifter). It qualifies as a sentence on its own; it is in no way incomplete. Returning an item for a refund is not a sentence or a clause because it has no finite verb. Returning connects it to the preceding clause and the meaning is thus made clear.

In traditional European grammar returning is said to begin a clause equivalent, but I know that that term is not used a lot in the UK and the USA. In your sentence we could have a subject and a finite verb instead of the participle: He has the gall of a shoplifter who returns an item for a refund. Participles are very often used to replace all manner of subordinate clauses. Some examples:

When turning a corner, I saw a lorry hit a car. (= When I was turning a corner, I saw a lorry hit a car.)

Although living in Spain for years, he didn't learn Spanish very well. (= Although he lived in Spain for years, he didn't learn Spanish very well.)

That's a good car compared with mine. (= That is a good car if it is compared with mine.) Compared is a past participle, not a present participle because the clause is in the passive voice.

He could never see a belt without hitting below it. Hitting is a gerund. This is perhaps the easiest of your sentences for a layman to analyze because without is a preposition and all prepositions must be followed by a gerund. Examples:

He had an opportunity of visiting his uncle. We succeeded in reaching our destination in time. I'm accustomed to getting up early.

Wrestling with words gave me my moments of greatest meaning. Wrestling is a gerund. It is the subject of the clause/sentence. Gave is the finite verb. A present participle cannot act as the subject of a clause. Similar examples:

Swimming is great fun! Reading detective stories was one of his hobbies. Writing letters isn't what I like.

Cheers, CB

Re: for learning English vs. to learn English

Cool Breeze — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:41:36 GMT

1. Only I'm going to Spain to learn Spanish is right. For learning Spanish could be used in a sentence like: This is a good book for learning Spanish.

2. In theory, the preposition is needed since live can't be used as a transitive verb: He lives a place. We have to say: He lives in a place. In practice, many people omit the preposition and say: I have a place to live.

Re: Which language is easier to learn - Italian or Spanish?

Francesca — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:22:24 GMT

Hello! I think that Italian and Spanish grammar rules are difficult the same. I am a native Italian and I have to admit that when I was a child I found difficult to learn some irregular verbs. I've studied a little Spanish and I found the same difficulty.
If you have to choose which language to learn, well I would advise you to learn Spanish, not because I don't like my language but as a matter of fact Italian is spoken only in Italy and the Italian part of Switzerland, while Spanish is spoken in many countries!
I've always said: with English and Spanish you can travel all around the world!

Re: Middle voice

Forbes — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 20:04:26 GMT

I am getting a little lost in the detail of the last few posts as I know no Greek grammar. However, it seems that in a way what you are talking about may be compared to the use of the subjunctive in modern Spanish, which uses that form of the verb rather more frequently than any other modern Romance language; indeed, it is difficult to get very far in a Spanish converasation or text without needing a subjunctive.

When you learn Spanish you are told when to use the subjunctive and when not. Lots of examples are listed and you do the exercises. You think you may have the hang of it. You half convince yourself that the Spanish do not bother with it. But, when you get to Spain you find it in the instructions on packets of pot noodles and children use it. You find people use it where you do not expect them to use it, but you see why. After a while you begin really to get the hang of it, even though you cannot pin it down. Not all grammar can be explained or pigeonholed.

Re: I can teach people to learn spanish if you help me with English

Jmcewen — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 02:08:17 GMT

Hi flora. I don't know if you are still active in this forum, but I came across your post while researching some spanish material. I am currently in a college spanish grammer class and I am having some difficulties with the verb gustaria and gustarian. I am guessing that the ia ending is feminine and the ian is masculine. English is my first language and I have a very large vocabulary and may be able to help you understand some of the strange concepts of English. I will check for a response, later and perhaps we can exchange e-mail addresses to help each other with our vocabulary needs.

Re: I'm from Spain and I'd like to meet people from another countries

chiecc — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 09:40:18 GMT

Hi, Christian!!

You are so young!! I envy you...:D I'm a 26-year-old Japanese.

Well, in fact I tried to learn Spanish but it's so difficult for me to change verbs, etc. I know I just have to memory the changes but...I can't do easily.

I added you, so let's talk later!! See ya!!

Chie

Re: Phrasal Verb of the day

maj — Sun, 25 May 2003 19:29:06 GMT

I should think teenagers tend to go either to England or Ireland for the summer months. Not many people are aware of the fact that English is an official language in Malta.To my knowledge, it is a wonderful place to learn Spanish and leave with a suntan among other things....

[added - by Statistics editor] Actually Malta is pretty high up in the 'serps' if you're looking for a general language course. [/added]