Learn Spanish (Latin America): No creo que el progreso destruya la tranquilidad del pueblo. - I do not believe that progress destroys the tranquility of the town.

The phrase no creo que (I don't believe that) expresses doubt or denial, which triggers the subjunctive mood in the second part of the sentence. If it were an affirmative belief like creo que (I believe that), you would use the regular indicative form destruye.

Where does the 'y' come from in destruya?

It comes from the verb destruir (to destroy). In Spanish, verbs ending in -uir add a y before the ending in all forms of the present subjunctive. This makes the vowel combinations much easier to pronounce!

Why does the sentence say el progreso when the English translation is just 'progress'?

In Spanish, you must use a definite article (el, la, los, las) when talking about abstract concepts or nouns in a general, all-encompassing sense. Because the sentence is talking about 'progress' as a broad concept, it requires the article el.

Could pueblo mean 'people' here instead of 'town'?

Yes, the word pueblo can mean a physical 'town' or 'village,' but it is also frequently used to mean 'the people' of a nation or community. Both translations make sense, but 'the tranquility of the town' is the most natural fit for a physical place experiencing progress.