Breakdown of Es necesario que la ventilación funcione bien durante enero.
ser
to be
bien
well
que
that
durante
during
necesario
necessary
funcionar
to work
la ventilación
the ventilation
enero
January
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Questions & Answers about Es necesario que la ventilación funcione bien durante enero.
Why is funcione in the subjunctive and not indicative like funciona?
Because the expression es necesario que expresses necessity, which triggers the use of the subjunctive mood in Spanish for the subordinate verb. When you talk about requirements, wishes, or doubts, Spanish uses the subjunctive in the dependent clause.
What type of expression is es necesario que?
It is an impersonal expression of necessity. Impersonal expressions start with es + adjective and always require que plus a subordinate clause in the subjunctive.
Can we drop que after es necesario?
No. The conjunction que is mandatory to link the impersonal expression to the subordinate clause. Without que, the sentence is ungrammatical.
What does durante mean here? Could we use en instead?
- durante means “during,” emphasizing the entire period.
- en enero is also correct but more neutral; it usually refers to a point or general time within January rather than stressing duration.
Could we use por enero instead of durante enero?
Por enero suggests an approximate time (“around January”) and is less precise. If you want to say “throughout January,” durante enero is the best choice.
Why is ventilación feminine and why do we say la ventilación?
Most Spanish nouns ending in -ción are feminine, so you pair them with la. The rule is general: words ending in -ción almost always take the feminine article.
Who or what is the subject of the clause que la ventilación funcione bien durante enero?
The subject of the subordinate clause is la ventilación. It’s the thing that must work well.
If I’m certain that the ventilation works well, can I use the indicative mood?
Not with es necesario que. This expression always needs the subjunctive, regardless of certainty. To use the indicative, you’d remove the impersonal expression: La ventilación funciona bien en enero.