Breakdown of La situación mejora cuando trabajamos en grupo.
en
in
cuando
when
trabajar
to work
el grupo
the group
mejorar
to improve
la situación
the situation
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Questions & Answers about La situación mejora cuando trabajamos en grupo.
Why is the verb mejora used instead of mejoran?
Because the subject of the sentence is la situación, which is singular. In Spanish the verb must agree in person and number with its subject.
- mejora is third person singular present indicative of mejorar.
- If the subject were las situaciones (plural), you would say mejoran.
Why is there no comma before cuando?
Short adverbial clauses introduced by cuando that follow the main clause usually don’t take a comma in Spanish. They’re considered integral to the meaning.
- Correct: La situación mejora cuando trabajamos en grupo.
- If you move the cuando clause to the front or make it very long, you can add a comma:
“Cuando trabajamos en grupo, la situación mejora.”
Could we say al trabajar en grupo instead of cuando trabajamos en grupo?
Yes. Al + infinitive expresses “upon doing” or “when doing” something.
- La situación mejora al trabajar en grupo.
Both are grammatically correct. - cuando trabajamos emphasizes the subject “we.”
- al trabajar is more concise and slightly more formal.
Why is trabajamos first-person plural? Who is “we”?
In Spanish, nosotros/nosotras and its verb form trabajamos can be used generically to express “we” as in “people in general” or “our group.” It’s a common way to make general statements that include the speaker and others. If you wanted to say “they work,” you’d use trabajan.
What’s the difference between trabajar en grupo and trabajar en un grupo?
- trabajar en grupo is an idiomatic, general expression meaning “to work in a group” (group work as a concept). No article is needed.
- trabajar en un grupo refers to working in one specific group. You emphasize “a particular group.”
Could we say La situación es mejor cuando trabajamos en grupo? Is that correct?
Yes. Using ser plus an adjective expresses a state rather than an action:
- La situación es mejor (The situation is better)
This version is grammatically correct and often interchangeable. - La situación mejora highlights the process of getting better.
- es mejor simply states that the condition is better under those circumstances.
Could we use the passive voice se mejora la situación cuando trabajamos en grupo?
Yes. Spanish allows an impersonal passive with se:
- Se mejora la situación cuando trabajamos en grupo.
This construction focuses on the action (“the situation gets improved”) rather than the subject. However, La situación mejora… is more direct and typically more natural in everyday speech.
What’s the difference between cuando trabajamos and si trabajamos?
- Cuando trabajamos = “when we work” (every time, habitual or certain). It implies that the action does happen.
- Si trabajamos = “if we work” (conditional, may or may not happen). It’s hypothetical.
Example with si:
“La situación mejoraría si trabajáramos en grupo.” (“The situation would improve if we worked in a group.”)