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Questions & Answers about El descuido causa un error.
What does descuido mean in this sentence?
Descuido translates to “carelessness” or “negligence.” It implies that a lack of care or attention is responsible for the outcome mentioned.
How is the verb causa used here, and what does it tell us about the subject?
Causa is the third-person singular form of the verb causar in the present tense. It agrees with the singular subject descuido, meaning “it causes.” The sentence follows a subject-verb-object pattern: El descuido (subject) + causa (verb) + un error (object).
Why is the definite article el used before descuido?
In Spanish, abstract or general concepts often take a definite article. Here, el descuido refers to carelessness in a general sense, indicating that the concept of carelessness is being discussed rather than one specific instance.
Why do we have the indefinite article un before error instead of a definite article?
The indefinite article un is used because error is a countable noun referring to a nonspecific instance of a mistake. It translates to “an error,” suggesting that any error resulting from carelessness is being referenced rather than a particular, already identified error.
How does the sentence structure in El descuido causa un error compare to English word order?
The sentence follows the standard subject-verb-object order, similar to English. El descuido (carelessness) is the subject, causa (causes) is the verb, and un error (an error) is the object. This similarity helps make the sentence clear and familiar to English speakers.