Question 1

Why is usar in the infinitive after sugirió instead of using a subjunctive clause like sugirió que usáramos?

Accepted Answer

Spanish allows the structure sugerir + infinitive when the subject of both verbs is the same. It’s a concise way to say “suggest doing something.” You could also say sugirió que usáramos, but that requires que plus the subjunctive and shifts the clause into a full subordinate sentence.

Question 2

Could I use the gerund usando instead of the infinitive usar here?

Accepted Answer

No. After suggestion verbs like sugerir, you must use the infinitive to express the action. The gerund (usando) cannot follow sugerir in this context; gerunds in Spanish describe simultaneous or progressive actions, not suggestions.

Question 3

What’s the difference between sugerir and proponer? Can I say propuso usar el mismo criterio?

Accepted Answer

Both verbs introduce ideas, but proponer often carries a more formal or official tone (“to propose”), while sugerir is gentler or more advisory (“to suggest”). You can indeed say propuso usar el mismo criterio, but it makes the scientist’s idea feel like a formal proposal.

Question 4

Can I replace usar with utilizar? Are they interchangeable?

Accepted Answer

Yes, usar and utilizar largely mean the same (“to use”). Utilizar tends to be a bit more formal or technical; usar is more common in everyday speech.

Question 5

Why is it el mismo criterio and not el criterio mismo?

Accepted Answer

Adjectives like mismo, otro, propio usually precede the noun in Spanish. El mismo criterio is the standard order. Putting mismo after the noun (criterio mismo) is grammatically possible but uncommon and can sound awkward.

Question 6

Why does nueva come before galaxia in la nueva galaxia? Aren’t most adjectives placed after the noun?

Accepted Answer

While many descriptive adjectives follow nouns, certain adjectives—especially nuevo, mismo, otro, propio—commonly precede them. Placing nueva before galaxia also highlights its “new” status. You could say la galaxia nueva, but it reads as a neutral, descriptive phrase.

Question 7

Why is para used before evaluar (para evaluar)? Could I say a evaluar?

Accepted Answer

Para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to evaluate”). You cannot replace para with a here. The correct pattern for “use X to do Y” is usar X para + infinitive in Spanish.

Question 8

Why isn’t there a preposition before la nueva galaxia after evaluar? In English we say “evaluate the new galaxy,” but why not “evaluate to the new galaxy”?

Accepted Answer

Evaluar is a transitive verb in Spanish, so it takes its object directly without a preposition: evaluar algo. You only use the preposition a with direct objects that are specific people or pets (the “personal a”).

Question 9

Is this sentence different in Latin American Spanish compared to Spain?

Accepted Answer

No significant differences. Both Latin America and Spain use sugerir + infinitive, para + infinitive, and the same adjective placement for nuevo and mismo. This construction is standard across Spanish dialects.

El científico sugirió usar el mismo criterio para evaluar la nueva galaxia.

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