Sentence Types in Spanish Grammar
Types of Sentences According to the Speaker’s Attitude
Declarative Sentences
Declarative sentences correspond basically to declarative speech acts and have no necessary markings (type unchecked). We could simplify by saying that a statement is communicated without a fact. They may be positive: María José is dark, or negative: Marina is not brown.
Interrogative Sentences
Through an interrogative sentence, the speaker asks a question. They are characterized by the interrogative intonation and, sometimes, by a particular word order. They can be direct or indirect. The first are asked directly about a prayer, or the whole sentence: Who is Nuria?, Did Mariano come?
Indirect questions are part of a compound sentence; they are, therefore, propositions, and depend on a verb of understanding (i.e., assume, to find out, etc.) or language (i.e., ask, tell, etc.):
I do not know what you have been doing at the fair.
Ask John of God who that girl is.
Another section will examine the difference between total and partial interrogative sentences.
Imperative Sentences
Also termed jussive. These are sentences in which the speaker gives an order. They normally use the verb in the imperative: Wake up, Emma.
But there are other ways to replace the imperative verbal expression of an order: the simple future in office, for example, is widely used in certain dialect areas (Eat things to grow a lot). You can also use the infinitive in colloquial registers: Eat!. The negative imperative is to use the present subjunctive. It is not correct to say: Do not look, but Do not come. Another acceptable tense is the present indicative: For bad, do not come for a walk today. Another example of future mandate is Do not commit impure acts. When incorporating courtesy or wanting to lessen the force of a command, the present tense interrogative or conditional simple are often used: Will you do me this favor?, Can you tell me where it is?
Exclamatory Sentences
These are sentences that have a special emphasis on the communication transmitted or express an emotion:
What scares me the new math teacher!
What nonsense is that language teachers!
Intonation is sometimes converted into a declarative exclamatory one.
Wishful Sentences
They are also called optative. These are sentences expressing a wish:
Good luck!
I hope I win the lottery!
They are characterized by close to the exclamatory intonation and the use of the subjunctive mood. In fact, they are closely related to the imperative, both in the verbal mode used and its meaning, which is why many current authors include them in that group.
Hesitant Sentences
These are halfway between the affirmative and negative. In them, the speaker expresses doubt about the message, avoids commitment on what he says, and indicates the probability that his statement occurs:
It may rain tomorrow.
Maybe I go to Immaculate on Saturday.
They often use the subjunctive mood with adverbs of doubt and probability. To express that an event is considered likely, they sometimes use the future indicative: It will be six. The hesitant method may also have interrogative or negative forms (Is it evening already?, Should not be late already).
Types of Sentences According to Syntactic Relations Among its Members
The Presence or Absence of Subject: Impersonal Sentences
View graphics class project: Impersonal
Impersonal sentences are characterized by not having the two members of the structure subject + predicate; the subject is missing in them. They consist of a single member, so they are also called unimembres.
Not to be confused with those others in which the subject adopts a distinct lexical form but is implicit in the person of the verb morpheme:
You have five minutes to complete the test.
Is not impersonal. Subject: 2nd person plural.
There are various types of sentences without a subject in Spanish:
Impersonal Weather Verbs
The meaning of verbs that serve as the nucleus of these sentences is related to the phenomena of nature:
Yesterday it rained a lot.
Late winter dawn.
We hailed a lot during the trip.
The absence of an explicit subject is the result of the own denotative value of these verbs (rain, drizzle, hail, snow, thunder, lightning, etc.). However, in figurative use, they recover the ability to vary grammatical person and then to take an overt subject like any other verb. In these cases, they must be analyzed as Personal
Woke up in Valencia.
A Martha’s going to rain suspended.
His voice thundered in the empty room.
I woke to life that day.
Grammaticalized or Grammatical Impersonal
Some verbs that show variation in other cases of staff may be immobilized in the third person singular and reject any explicit subject. This occurs with the verb have, moreover, is autonomous only in impersonal constructions with the third person singular. In the present indicative, this verb takes even one special significant there.
No shame.
Yesterday there were two thousand young people in the Arche.
Many speakers make a vulgarity that should be avoided by matching the plural verb when the direct object is plural: * There were many people at the wedding, * We had many there.
It is analogous to the verb to be, which today have replaced in time references:
Long ago we do not see Laura Javi.
(Compare: No has long lived a gentleman …)
For other meanings, it also has impersonal uses
It’s cold.
Any other verb is impersonal in certain constructions:
I just that income.
It’s too late.
It will be dark.
Today is clear.
Impersonal to be
The speaker can show, by certain constructions with to be without a subject, his indifference to the director of the action. They are always intransitive sentences with or followed with a direct object.
In Jaén live well.
The Inspector is expected.
Killing a woman is easy, and you’re poisons. (Jardiel Poncela)
We must distinguish between the reflexive impersonal and passive (or passive se), in which a grammatical subject appears to agree with the verb and can become passive periphrastic (to be):
→ law was passed the law was passed.
Sold an apartment → an apartment is sold.
Other Impersonal Constructions of Meaning
Sometimes the verb in the third person plural does not take a real person, either express or omitted, either ignored, not because they have no interest or importance; these are called temporary or occasional impersonal. The context determines whether it is impersonal or not:
They say it will rain (or the context or the situation is no one to say).
Knock on the door (do not expect anyone or anyone we talked about earlier).
The first person plural and second singular can also be used to express impersonality; construction in the first person plural is often used in language teaching, academic and scientific language; the other is only acceptable from the standpoint of regulatory records colloquial:
Bribery call to action and the effect of bribing a public office.
When you have a responsible position, you have to make difficult decisions
Kinds of Prayers for the Structure of the Predicate
Attributive and Predicative
View graphics projected in class: attributes and predicative
They are built with the verbs be, or may seem. It also called for carrying a copulative verb whose only function is to liaise (mating) between the subject and the attribute. The verb provides little semantic value, as it focuses on the attribute. Distinctive features of the attribute are that it relates to the subject and presents, where possible, agreement in gender and number:
Students at 2 ° are friendly.
Your friend is nasty.
Another characteristic attribute is the ability to be switched to so. This could cause confusion with the CD, and to distinguish them, it is sufficient to note that while the CD is switched to so, la, los or las, according to their gender and number, the attribute is always switched to so, regardless of gender and number.
These guys are nice → are so.
The students of 2 º F are disgusting → are so.
Although the name of predicative sentences is not too appropriate, traditional grammar has used this term to refer to the prayers that have a verb that is neither being nor seeming, i.e., a predicate attribute. There are several types of predicative sentences. First, it is possible to distinguish between transitive and intransitive.
Transitive and Intransitive
View graphics class project: transitive and intransitive
Transitive sentences are those with a supplement by the verb (noun phrase or equivalent) without whose existence is not semantically complete. Traditionally, this element is called a complement or direct object, which is easily recognized because they can switch to one of the following unstressed personal pronouns: what, the, the, the:
The old woman gave a handout.
We cannot say The old woman gave, because the meaning would be incomplete. You can switch the pronoun it (The old woman gave it).
They are called intransitive which do not require a direct complement to the verb to be semantically complete:
Maria Luisa walks.
Last year we traveled to Asturias.
Most verbs can appear in both structures:
Today we have not studied. / Today we have not studied language.
Fatima sleeps. / Fátima takes a nap.
However, there are verbs that usually appear in transitive constructions and can be called transitive: counting, say, give, take, possess, and so on. And others who are often built without a CD and are called intransitive (live, exist, die, go, come, etc.). Anyway, it should be noted that it is the sentences and not the verbs that are transitive or intransitive.
Reflexive Sentences
View graphics class project: Reflective
Characterized because the subject is both agent and patient, i.e., performs and receives the action expressed by the verb. The subject of these sentences is always a lively and substantive; they are built with the reflexive pronouns me, you, you, us, you, themselves. They can be direct or indirect depending on whether the pronoun is a direct or indirect complement:
Antonio washes himself (CD).
Antonio washes his hands (CI).
There are pronominal constructions that, though they have a reflective pronoun, the reflexive meaning is less clear. They use a reflexive pronoun with a transitive verb. The function of the pronoun in these cases is merely emphatic and may even be deleted:
Veronica ate a kilo of pork. / Veronica ate a kilo of pork.
They are also pseudo-reflexive which carry a reflexive pronoun with an intransitive verb: I’m going home. / I’m going home. My father left the cinema. / My father left the cinema. In these cases, the reflexive particle dynamics emphasizes the significance of voluntary action and the subject.
There are some verbs whose form is necessarily reflexive: repent, boast, dare, complain, condescend, run away, commit suicide, etc.:
I regret having been in the conference.
He boasted of his success.
Reciprocal Sentences
View graphics projected in the classroom: Reciprocal
Reciprocal sentences are considered as a particular case of reflexive sentences when the subject is multiple or plural and the action is exchanged for each of the components of the subject. Subjects are always encouraged and built with the pronouns us, you, themselves. There are also direct and indirect:
Ana and Paco kiss each other (CD).
Marta and her boyfriend wrote long letters to each other (CI).
Active and Passive Sentences
View graphics class project: Passive
Some transitive sentences can undergo a transformation for which the direct object becomes the passive subject and the subject becomes a complement agent. In addition, the verb takes the form of passive periphrasis, i.e., auxiliary be + participle. In this case, we say that the sentence has changed from active to passive: Students evacuated the building. → The building was evacuated by the students. The two sentences have an identical meaning, but their syntactic structure changes.
Latin had a special conjugation for expressing that the grammatical subject is not an agent or producer of the action, but the subject of the action is another user. In Spanish, this combination was lost, except for the participle, but missing the form, the meaning is maintained, and to express a passive form with the participle periphrasis, the only way that remained of the Latin passive, combined with the verb be.
Types of Passive Sentences
Although Latin grammar established two types of passive sentences, first passive (with ablative agent) and second passive (non-ablative agent), Spanish grammar does not maintain this separation, preferring to classify them by their structure: periphrastic passive (also called analytic passive, participle passive, or simply be + passive participle) and reflexive passive (Passive se).
The deputies passed the bill (active transitive).
The bill was passed by deputies (periphrastic passive).
The law was passed (Passive reflex).
In this case, what is most interesting to highlight is the object of the action (the law), and thus it is placed at the heart of the sentence and the agent (MPs) is usually omitted. This is why there is a tendency to be confused with the impersonal.
Limited Use of Passive Sentences
Sometimes, either by lack of staff or the will to silence, or by indifference, the circumstances require the use of the passive voice. If not, Spanish prefers active construction. In current spoken language, the passive voice tends to disappear; either the active voice or the reflexive passive (also called passive se) is used in its place.
Its use has therefore been limited to certain types of texts, all written. It is especially common in humanistic and scientific texts, and in administrative letters.
Passive or Attributive?
The voice makes clear the kind of relationship established between the meaning of the verb and the subject. Many times, the actor carries a reported experience of the activity designated by the verb, and a patient is affected by it. When the actor and the subject match, we are talking about an acting subject; when the patient matches the subject, we are talking about a patient subject.
As noted above, in Spanish there are no different verbal morphemes for the passive voice, i.e., the expression of active and passive content does not affect the structure of the verb, but only the construction of the sentence. Compare these sentences:
Aznar was defeated.
Aznar was the winner.
From the examples, no significant differences are induced between attributes and a passive one. However, for practical reasons, we keep talking about passive periphrastic structures and analyze them as such.
When the participle, in one of its meanings or uses, is no longer considered a verb and becomes permanently an adjective, there may be ambiguity between the passive interpretation and attributes:
The edition was limited (‘scanty’).
The edition was limited (‘diminished’ by somebody).
Letizia Ortiz is known (‘famous’).
Letizia Ortiz is known (by someone, at some point).
These are borderline cases; the meaning is usually clear from the context or situation.
If the periphrastic passive just has features that differentiate it from the attributive, it is not the passive to be that has special features in its verb form:
They build houses.
The fact that the object designated by the subject (house) is actually the patient of the activity does not impose any particular trait on the grammatical structure. This is a verb that is enhanced by the “reflexive” to be that refers to the person designated by the verb ending and the explicit subject. In fact, it has ceased to be reflexive in these cases and has become a mere mark of passivity.
Restrictions on the Use of the Passive Voice
Not all transitive verbs in Spanish can be part of passive constructions in all tenses of the combination, although sometimes in language classes, language is subjected to far-fetched and useless exercises. However, the explanation of these restrictions implies the distinction between perfect and imperfect verbs that are beyond the scope of this course.
The analysis of this phenomenon, first observed by Bello, is available at Samuel Gili Gaya (1943, § 102), who, after a detailed statement, concludes: Please note that the context and circumstances may alter the appearance of action, the tense that employees and their mutual interference. Therefore, there is no fixed rule that provides for all cases that may arise.
Here are some examples:
* The page was turned by the reader.
* Hake was food for my cousin Elvira.
* The house was bought for me.
Liabilities to be
Even more doubtful is to consider some periphrasis with be + passive participle, which are more easily explained either as perfective verbal periphrasis, as well as fully attributive structures:
The problem is solved.
The event is discussed.
The houses were built by Inonsa in a year.
It is forbidden to spit on Language teachers.
Reflexive Passive or Passive se
Reflexive passive sentences are meaningful sentences that are passive and active.
Periphrastic passive sentences are used increasingly in our language, and for the expression of passive content, the broader trend reflects that the passive construction is uncommon in early Spanish. Currently, it prevails in both spoken and written language. Its formal structure is as follows:
se
V in the active voice (3rd pers.)
SN S
Accessories
It
signs
the peace agreement
in the morning.
It
discusses
several issues
at the meeting.
se
V in the active voice (3rd pers.) Sub. substantive
It
says
that the race of Santa Catalina was a success.
SN S can also take precedence:
SN S
se
V in the active voice (3rd pers.)
Accessories
These issues
are
trying
yet.
Reflexive passive sentences do not usually carry a complement agent (CAG), although sometimes in newspaper articles or administrative texts, they are used with it.
Ana’s proposal was rejected by everyone.
In the evolution from periphrastic passive to reflexive passive, there is a clear intention to conceal the agent, and therefore its meaning is very close to that of impersonal sentences. The reflexive passive structure occurs when the agent has no interest to the speaker:
The athletes’ yields were analyzed by technicians.
We analyzed the performance of athletes.
Also, the reflexive passive is used when the speaker does not appear in the sentence and seeks refuge in a convenient generalization:
The package was received.
We rent apartments.
It is said that there is no class during the show.
To recognize reflexive passive sentences, as distinct from impersonal sentences, it is essential to observe the agreement made between the core of the subject and the core of the predicate. When the CAG is present, there is no problem in classifying these sentences. Note the agreement in the following examples:
A. The real estate Rajas sell this house.
This home is sold by the housing A. Rajas.
This house is sold by the housing A. Rajas.
This house is sold.
However, we are often on signs and in the media with expressions that are not regulated:
* Sold floors.
In these cases, when the SN refers to things, there is no difficulty, but if it comes to people, ambiguity arises:
The teachers praise the students.
Teachers are praised by the students.
He praised the teachers.
In the third example, there are three interpretations: 1 Teachers praise themselves. 2 Teachers praise each other. 3 Someone praises teachers.
To avoid this problem, the language was spreading the practice of putting the verb in the singular and prefixing the element that was the subject with a preposition to make it a direct object:
He praises the teachers.
This resolves the ambiguity, and the sentences are converted into active sentences with an indeterminate subject (impersonal) and a direct object with the preposition a.
Such constructions are becoming more widespread, even with supplements of things. However, in these cases, there is no hesitation or confusion; they can be reflexive or reciprocal sentences: in Such lands were sold, no one can think that the lands were sold to themselves or that some lands were sold to others.
The vacillation between apples are sold and *apples are sold, as discussed by grammarians, depends on whether the idea that apples are sold prevails and therefore the nominal element enters into the verb, or it is considered that there is an undetermined subject (impersonal force).
The passive construction is the traditional and dominant one in the literary language, although the active voice easily finds its way into the spoken language. The Academy in its Outline tentatively recommended the passive construction: At present, it seems advisable to stick to using religion, literature, and more widespread …
In the singular, some argue that there is a question between the impersonal and the passive construction, but in the plural, it must be said emphatically that they are reflexive passive sentences:
Very bad apples are sold in supermarkets.
When parsing, especially when the subject of the reflexive passive is quite a proposition, a large majority of students make the mistake of considering the subordinate clause as a direct object and the sentence as impersonal. But it is clear that the subordinate clause is the subject if you perform the appropriate switching steps
It is said that Rafa is homely.
It is said that. ß singular subject, singular verb.
We discuss these things. ß plural subject, plural verb.