Breakdown of Una ventaja de estudiar en línea es que puedes elegir el horario; una desventaja es que pasas muchas horas mirando la pantalla.
Questions & Answers about Una ventaja de estudiar en línea es que puedes elegir el horario; una desventaja es que pasas muchas horas mirando la pantalla.
In Spanish, every noun has a grammatical gender (masculine or feminine), and the article must agree with it.
- ventaja is feminine → una ventaja, la ventaja
- horario is masculine → un horario, el horario
There’s no logical reason; it’s just part of the word’s dictionary entry:
- ventaja (feminine noun)
- horario (masculine noun)
You simply have to learn the gender with the noun. A helpful habit: always memorize new nouns with el or la (e.g. la ventaja, el horario).
Here de + infinitive works like “the advantage of doing X”:
- una ventaja de estudiar en línea = an advantage of studying online
If you used para (una ventaja para estudiar en línea), it would sound like:
- “an advantage in order to study online”,
which is not what we want here.
So:
- ventaja de + infinitive → advantage of doing X
- para + infinitive → in order to do X / for doing X (purpose)
In this sentence, we’re listing characteristics (advantages and disadvantages), not purpose, so de is correct.
The structure here is:
- Una ventaja de estudiar en línea es que puedes elegir el horario.
= One advantage of studying online is that you can choose the timetable.
es que links the noun phrase (una ventaja de estudiar en línea) with a clause (puedes elegir el horario).
You cannot omit que in this sentence. You could, however, change the structure:
- Una ventaja de estudiar en línea es poder elegir el horario.
(One advantage … is being able to choose the timetable.)
So either:
- es que + clause → is that + sentence
- es + infinitive → is + -ing (being able to, choosing, etc.)
But es puedes elegir el horario is incorrect.
Spanish usually uses the present tense to describe:
- general truths
- habits
- typical consequences
Here we’re describing what typically happens when you study online:
- puedes elegir el horario = you can choose the timetable (in general)
- pasas muchas horas… = you spend many hours… (in general)
Using a future form (podrás elegir, pasarás) would sound like predicting a specific future situation rather than stating a general advantage/disadvantage.
Yes, you can say:
- puedes escoger el horario
In most contexts, elegir and escoger both mean “to choose / select” and are interchangeable.
Small nuances (not strict rules):
- elegir is slightly more formal and common in written Spanish.
- escoger is very common in everyday speech.
In Spain, both are understood everywhere. In this sentence, either works.
Spanish uses definite articles more often than English, especially:
For things that are generic but clearly defined in context:
- Online study usually comes with some kind of timetable → el horario
- You’re looking at a screen (your device screen) → la pantalla
When talking about things in a general habitual/typical way.
Here, el horario and la pantalla refer to the schedule and screen involved in that online course, not just any random schedule or screen. So the definite article feels natural.
You could say un horario in another context, but here el horario is more typical.
The semicolon separates two closely related independent sentences:
- Una ventaja de estudiar en línea es que puedes elegir el horario;
- una desventaja es que pasas muchas horas mirando la pantalla.
You could also say:
- Una ventaja … es que puedes elegir el horario, y una desventaja es que pasas muchas horas…
So yes, y is fine in normal writing or speech. The semicolon is more stylistic here, used to show contrast (advantage vs. disadvantage) without repeating a conjunction.
Yes.
- ventaja = advantage
- desventaja = disadvantage
The prefix des- often adds a notion of negation, absence, or the opposite:
- hacer → deshacer (to do → to undo)
- orden → desorden (order → disorder)
- conocido → desconocido (known → unknown)
So desventaja is literally “non-advantage” / the opposite of an advantage.
In Spanish, when you say to spend time doing something, you use:
- pasar + time expression + gerund
→ pasas muchas horas mirando la pantalla
(you spend many hours looking at the screen)
Using the infinitive (mirar) would be incorrect here.
Compare:
- Paso el día estudiando. = I spend the day studying.
- Pasamos la tarde hablando. = We spend the afternoon talking.
So remember: pasar tiempo + gerund.
Yes, mirando is the gerundio (gerund / -ing form):
- mirar → mirando
- comer → comiendo
- vivir → viviendo
Common uses:
Progressive aspect with estar:
- Estoy estudiando. = I am studying.
After verbs of movement / position / time, expressing how or doing what:
- Pasas muchas horas mirando la pantalla.
- Entró gritando. = He/She came in shouting.
In this sentence, it tells us what you’re doing during those hours: looking at the screen.
Here, la pantalla is singular because we’re talking about the screen you’re typically using (your computer, tablet, etc.).
If the idea were multiple different screens/devices, or talking in a more general, varied way, you could use the plural:
- pasas muchas horas mirando pantallas
(you spend many hours looking at screens)
But in the context of studying online, it sounds more natural and specific in Spanish to refer to the one screen in front of you → la pantalla.
Yes, en línea is a standard, widely understood way to say “online” across the Spanish-speaking world, including Spain.
Other common options:
- online (loanword, often written in italics or as-is)
- Una ventaja de estudiar online…
- por internet / en internet (more general: via the internet)
- Una ventaja de estudiar por internet…
All are understood, but estudiar en línea and estudiar online are very common in Spain in educational contexts.