Si apago la televisión, puedo concentrarme mejor en mis tareas.

If I turn off the television, I can concentrate better on my assignments.

Breakdown of Si apago la televisión, puedo concentrarme mejor en mis tareas.

• yo: I
• mis: my
• en: on
• la tarea: the assignment
• concentrarse: to concentrate
• mejor: better
• .: period
• apagar: to turn off
• la televisión: the television
• si: if
• ,: comma
• poder: can / to be able

Questions & Answers about Si apago la televisión, puedo concentrarme mejor en mis tareas.

Why is it Si apago (present tense) and not something like Si apagara?

Because this is a real/possible condition (something you can realistically do now or in general). In Spanish, for real conditions you typically use:

• Si + present indicative, then present/future/imperative in the main clause.
  So Si apago la televisión, puedo… = “If I turn off the TV, I can…”.
  Si apagara/apagase is used for hypothetical/unlikely situations (often paired with podría): Si apagara la televisión, podría concentrarme… (“If I turned off the TV, I could…”).

Why is there a comma after televisión?

It’s optional but very common. When the if-clause comes first (Si…), Spanish often uses a comma to separate it from the main clause:

• Si apago la televisión, puedo…
  If you reverse the order, the comma is usually omitted:
• Puedo concentrarme mejor en mis tareas si apago la televisión.

Do I need to say yo (as in Si yo apago…)?

No. Spanish normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject:

• apago = “I turn off”
  You might add yo only for emphasis or contrast: Si yo la apago (y tú no)…

What does la refer to in la televisión? Could I omit it?

La is the feminine singular definite article the, and it matches televisión (a feminine noun). You generally cannot omit it here.
You could replace la televisión with a pronoun if it’s already known:

• Si la apago, puedo… = “If I turn it off, I can…”

Why is televisión feminine?

Grammatical gender in Spanish doesn’t always match real-world gender. Televisión is feminine by convention, so you use:

• la televisión, una televisión, esta televisión, etc.

Why does televisión have an accent mark?

Televisión is stressed on the last syllable (-sión). Words ending in -n, -s, or a vowel are normally stressed on the second-to-last syllable, so Spanish adds an accent to show the irregular stress: televisión.

Why is it puedo and not podría?

Puedo (“I can / I’m able to”) fits a real, immediate result: turning off the TV leads to being able to focus better.
Podría (“I could / I might be able to”) would sound more hypothetical or tentative:

• Si apago la televisión, podría concentrarme mejor… = “If I turn off the TV, I could focus better (maybe).”

Why is concentrarme one word? What is me doing there?

Concentrarse is a reflexive verb in Spanish: to concentrate (oneself).
So concentrarme = concentrar + me = “to concentrate” (literally “to concentrate myself”).
You’ll often use it reflexively when you mean “to focus” intransitively:

• Me concentro = “I concentrate / I focus.”

Could I also say me puedo concentrar instead of puedo concentrarme?

Yes, both are correct:

• Puedo concentrarme mejor…
• Me puedo concentrar mejor…
  With two-verb structures (a conjugated verb + an infinitive), object/reflexive pronouns can go before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive.

Why is mejor used and not más?

Mejor is the irregular comparative form of bien:

• bien = well
• mejor = better
  Más would need another word (like bien) to make sense:
• puedo concentrarme más = “I can concentrate more” (quantity)
• puedo concentrarme mejor = “I can concentrate better” (quality/effectiveness)

What does en mis tareas mean exactly? Why en and not a or para?

Concentrarse en is the standard collocation: it means “to concentrate on.”
So en mis tareas = “on my tasks/homework.”
Using a or para would sound unnatural here.

Does tareas mean “tasks” or “homework”?

It can mean both, depending on context:

• mis tareas = my tasks (general duties)
• la tarea / las tareas can also mean homework/assignments, especially in school contexts.
  The sentence works for either meaning.

Is apagar the normal verb for turning off a TV?

Yes. Apagar is the standard verb for switching off lights/devices:

• apagar la televisión, apagar la luz, apagar el ordenador
  You may also hear apagar la tele (more informal), or sometimes desconectar if you mean unplug/disconnect.

Could I change the word order without changing the meaning?

Yes. Spanish allows flexibility. These are both natural:

• Si apago la televisión, puedo concentrarme mejor en mis tareas.
• Puedo concentrarme mejor en mis tareas si apago la televisión.
  The main difference is emphasis: starting with Si… foregrounds the condition.