Question 1

Why use el cual instead of just que for "which"?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, you could actually use que. However, el cual is more formal and is often used in written or professional contexts (like lawyers drafting documents). It is frequently used after a comma to introduce a clause that adds extra, non-essential information.

Question 2

How do we know to use el cual rather than lo cual or la cual here?

Accepted Answer

The pronoun needs to match the gender and number of the noun it refers back to. Since it refers to el documento (masculine, singular), we use el cual. If it referred to a letter (la carta), it would be la cual. You would only use lo cual if you were referring back to the entire previous idea or situation, rather than a specific noun.

Question 3

The English translation says "which must be signed", but the Spanish says hay que firmar. Why isn't it passive?

Accepted Answer

English often uses the passive voice ("must be signed") when it doesn't matter who is doing the action. Spanish usually avoids the passive voice and prefers impersonal expressions like hay que + infinitive, which means "one must" or "it is necessary to". So hay que firmar essentially means "it is necessary to sign."

Question 4

Could I use escribió instead of redactó?

Accepted Answer

Yes, escribió (wrote) is grammatically fine and would be understood. However, redactar specifically means to draft, edit, or compose a text carefully. It is the standard verb used for official, legal, or formal documents, making it the perfect choice for a lawyer.

El abogado redactó el documento, el cual hay que firmar.

Breakdown of El abogado redactó el documento, el cual hay que firmar.

Questions & Answers about El abogado redactó el documento, el cual hay que firmar.

Learn El abogado redactó el documento, el cual hay que firmar and more in Spanish