B2 · Unit 27 · 42 words, 3 texts with translation
Check and correct your own letter
Check and fix a letter: learn the words for the parts of a text and of grammar, and choose the right verb form.
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
Haga, haya hecho or hiciera: look at the main clause first
You already know three subjunctive forms: haga (present subjunctive; B1, unit 18), haya hecho (present perfect subjunctive; unit 9) and hiciera (imperfect subjunctive; unit 13). What's new is how to pick one of the three quickly when you write a letter.
First question: what tense is the main clause — the part before que or para que?
| Main clause | After que | Example |
|---|---|---|
present, future, command: espero, le pediré, dile | haga — the action is happening now or is still ahead | Dile que me llame. — Tell him to call me. |
| the same | haya hecho — the action is already done | Espero que hayan recibido mi correo. — I hope you've received my email (to several people, formal). |
past: pedí, quería, me dijeron | hiciera | Me dijeron que volviera el jueves. — They told me to come back on Thursday. |
conditional ("would"): me gustaría, le agradecería | hiciera | Le agradecería que me diera otra fecha. — I'd be grateful if you gave me another date (formal). |
The main trap. "They told me to come back on Thursday" — Thursday is still ahead, so you're tempted to use the present. But the form is chosen by the verb dijeron, not by the calendar: they told you in the past, so it's volviera.
Me han dicho, he pedido (today, just now) work like the present when the action is still ahead: Me han dicho que vuelva el jueves. — They've told me (today) to come back on Thursday.
Compare:
- Te lo envío para que lo corrijas. — I'm sending it to you so you can correct it.
- Te lo envié para que lo corrigieras. — I sent it to you so you could correct it.
English does something similar. After a past verb, English also shifts: "so you can correct it" becomes "so you could correct it". In Spanish, the second part follows the first in the same way.
Common mistake — the present subjunctive after a past verb or after the conditional: ✗ le pedí que me envíe — correct: le pedí que me enviara; ✗ le agradecería que me conteste — correct: le agradecería que me contestara.
No creo que viniera: the main clause is now, the action is in the finished past
You already know: when the main clause is in the present and the action is already done, you use haya hecho (unit 9). What's new: the form hiciera is possible here too. You choose by meaning, and the second question is what kind of past is it?
The test is the same as in unit 9: take away the beginning of the sentence.
| Without the beginning it would be | After que | Example |
|---|---|---|
ha venido (today, already, not yet) | haya venido | No creo que haya venido todavía. — I don't think he's come yet. |
vino (yesterday, on Saturday) | viniera | No creo que viniera ayer. — I don't think he came yesterday. |
estaba, tenía (how things were back then) | estuviera, tuviera | No creo que estuviera en casa. — I don't think he was at home. |
The pair he hecho — hice (present perfect and preterite; A2, unit 20) repeats in the subjunctive: haya hecho — hiciera. English often shows the same split: "I don't think he's come yet", but "I don't think he came yesterday".
- Me alegro de que vinieras a la fiesta el sábado. — I'm glad you came to the party on Saturday.
- Es raro que no te avisaran la semana pasada. — It's strange that they didn't let you know last week.
- Espero que no te molestara mi mensaje de anoche. — I hope my message last night didn't bother you.
- Compare: Espero que no te haya molestado mi mensaje. — I hope my message hasn't bothered you (today's message, sent just now).
In conversation you'll also hear no creo que haya venido ayer — I don't think he came yesterday. People do say it, but in writing, stick to the table.
Memo: two questions.
- Is the main clause in the past or in the conditional? Then it's
hiciera, and there's nothing else to think about. - Is the main clause in the present or the future? Then look at the action: now or still ahead —
haga; already done but tied to "today" —haya hecho; done and finished —hiciera.
Common mistake — thinking that hiciera only comes after a past verb, and putting the normal form (indicative) after me alegro de que: ✗ me alegro de que viniste ayer — correct: me alegro de que vinieras ayer.
Words in this unit
el texto — text
Este texto es muy largo. — This text is very long.
redactar — to write, to draft (a letter, a document)
Tengo que redactar un correo para mi jefa. — I have to write an email for my boss.
el verbo — verb
«Comer» es un verbo regular. — "Comer" is a regular verb.
la gramática — grammar
La gramática española no es fácil. — Spanish grammar isn't easy.
la ortografía — spelling
Mi ortografía no es muy buena. — My spelling isn't very good.
la oración — sentence (in grammar)
Esta oración es muy larga. — This sentence is very long.
el párrafo — paragraph
El primer párrafo es demasiado largo. — The first paragraph is too long.
la tilde — accent mark
Falta una tilde en esta palabra. — This word is missing an accent mark.
la mayúscula — capital letter
Los nombres de personas se escriben con mayúscula. — People's names are written with a capital letter.
la minúscula — lowercase letter
Los días de la semana se escriben con minúscula. — The days of the week are written with a lowercase letter.
las comillas — quotation marks
Pon la frase entre comillas. — Put the sentence in quotation marks.
la puntuación — punctuation
La puntuación de este texto es un desastre. — The punctuation in this text is a disaster.
la posdata — postscript, P.S.
Añado una posdata al final de la carta. — I'm adding a P.S. at the end of the letter.
el subjuntivo — subjunctive
Después de «espero que» usamos el subjuntivo. — After "espero que" we use the subjunctive.
el indicativo — indicative
Después de «creo que» usamos el indicativo. — After "creo que" we use the indicative.
el condicional — conditional
«Iría» es condicional. — "Iría" is the conditional.
el sustantivo — noun
«Casa» es un sustantivo. — "Casa" is a noun.
el adjetivo — adjective
«Bonito» es un adjetivo. — "Bonito" is an adjective.
conjugar — to conjugate
¿Sabes conjugar este verbo? — Do you know how to conjugate this verb?
breve — brief, short
Mi correo es muy breve. — My email is very brief.
preciso — precise
Necesito una respuesta precisa. — I need a precise answer.
el término — term, word, expression
No conozco ese término. — I don't know that term.
el sinónimo — synonym
«Grande» y «enorme» casi son sinónimos. — "Grande" and "enorme" are almost synonyms.
el matiz — shade of meaning, nuance
Entre las dos palabras hay un pequeño matiz. — There's a small nuance between the two words.
la fórmula — formula, set phrase
«Un saludo» es una fórmula de despedida. — "Un saludo" is a closing formula.
simplificar — to simplify
Quiero simplificar el texto. — I want to simplify the text.
suavizar — to soften
Quiero suavizar la frase. — I want to soften the sentence.
acortar — to shorten, to make shorter
Voy a acortar el correo. — I'm going to shorten the email.
tutear — to use tú (with someone), to address informally
En el trabajo nos tuteamos todos. — At work we all use tú with each other.
nativo — native; native speaker
Mi profesora es hablante nativa. — My teacher (female) is a native speaker.
lengua materna — native language, mother tongue
Mi lengua materna es el inglés. — My native language is English.
bilingüe — bilingual
Mi sobrina es bilingüe. — My niece is bilingual.
en otras palabras — in other words
En otras palabras, no puedo ir. — In other words, I can't go.
tal cual — as is, word for word
Copio el texto tal cual. — I copy the text as is.
frase hecha — set phrase, idiom
«Estar en las nubes» es una frase hecha. — "Estar en las nubes" is a set phrase.
ante — before, in the face of
Ante la duda, pregunto. — When in doubt, I ask.
culto — educated, cultured; literary (about a word)
Mi tío es una persona muy culta. — My uncle is a very cultured person.
artificial — artificial, unnatural
Esta frase suena muy artificial. — This sentence sounds very unnatural.
cursi — cheesy, corny, pretentious
Esa frase suena muy cursi. — That sentence sounds really cheesy.
tachar — to cross out
Tacho las palabras que no sirven. — I cross out the words that don't work.
deletrear — to spell (out loud)
¿Puede deletrear su apellido, por favor? — Can you spell your last name, please? (formal)
andarse por las ramas — to beat around the bush
No te andes por las ramas y dime qué pasa. — Don't beat around the bush and tell me what's going on.
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