Breakdown of El candidato se puso a preguntar si ser celoso es un defecto grave.
ser
to be
un
a, an (masculine)
preguntar
to ask
si
if
grave
serious
el candidato
the candidate
ponerse a
to start to
celoso
jealous
el defecto
flaw
Questions & Answers about El candidato se puso a preguntar si ser celoso es un defecto grave.
Why do we use 'si' here, and why doesn't it have an accent mark?
In reported speech, we use si (without an accent mark) to report a 'yes or no' question, just like we use 'if' or 'whether' in English. If the candidate had asked his question directly, it would have been: ¿Ser celoso es un defecto grave? (Is being jealous a serious flaw?). The word sí with an accent means 'yes'.
The main verb 'se puso' is in the past tense. Why is the reported verb 'es' in the present tense?
Normally in reported speech, if the main verb is in the past, the reported verb shifts to the past too. However, we keep it in the present tense here (es) because 'being jealous is a serious flaw' is being discussed as a general concept that is still true right now, rather than an event isolated in the past.
Why does the sentence use 'se puso a preguntar' instead of just 'empezó a preguntar'?
They mean almost the same thing ('started to ask'), but the reflexive phrase ponerse a followed by an infinitive is a very common way to express starting an action in Spanish. It often carries a slight sense of suddenness, surprise, or spontaneous effort. Literally, it is like saying 'he put himself to ask'.
Why is 'being jealous' translated as 'ser celoso' instead of using the Spanish '-ing' form 'siendo celoso'?
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