Breakdown of La comunidad trabaja para mejorar la calle.
la calle
the street
trabajar
to work
para
to
mejorar
to improve
la comunidad
the community
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Questions & Answers about La comunidad trabaja para mejorar la calle.
Why is comunidad preceded by la, and how do we know it’s feminine?
In Spanish, nouns ending in -dad (like comunidad) are always feminine. That’s why you use the feminine singular article la, giving la comunidad.
Why is the verb trabaja in the third-person singular and not trabajan?
Because la comunidad is a singular noun (the community as one group), the verb must match in third-person singular form: trabaja.
Why do we use para before mejorar to express “to improve”? Could we use por?
You use para + infinitive to express purpose—“in order to.” Por does not serve that function here and would change the meaning. Trabaja para mejorar literally means “works in order to improve.”
Why is mejorar in the infinitive form?
After para (and most other prepositions), Spanish grammar requires the infinitive form of the verb. In this case it shows the purpose of trabajar.
How would you say “The community is working to improve the street” if you want to emphasize that it’s happening right now?
Use the present progressive: La comunidad está trabajando para mejorar la calle. The simple present (trabaja) states a general or habitual fact, while está trabajando highlights the action in progress.
What’s the correct pronunciation and stress for calle?
In Latin American Spanish, calle is pronounced /ˈka.ʝe/, with stress on the first syllable: CAL-yeh.
Are there other Spanish words for “street” besides calle?
Yes. Common alternatives include avenida (avenue, usually wider or more important), ruta or carretera (road, often between towns), and vía (lane or roadway), depending on the context.
Why is la used before calle in this sentence? Could it be omitted?
Here it refers to a specific street the community wants to improve, so we use la calle. If you spoke generally about streets, you could drop the article and pluralize: La comunidad trabaja para mejorar calles.