Question 1

Why do we use habrían demostrado here instead of demostrarían?

Accepted Answer

Habrían demostrado is the conditional perfect (would have proved). We use it to talk about an action that would have happened in the past but did not, or an action that depended on a past condition. Demostrarían is the simple conditional (would prove), which refers to a hypothetical situation in the present or future.

Question 2

Why use demostrado for "proved" instead of probado?

Accepted Answer

While both can mean "to prove", demostrar is specifically used for proving a scientific hypothesis, a theory, or demonstrating a truth logically. Probar is more commonly used for testing a physical device, tasting food, or proving facts with evidence in a legal context.

Question 3

Is hipótesis always feminine, and how do you make it plural?

Accepted Answer

Yes, hipótesis is feminine. Almost all words of Greek origin ending in -sis are feminine in Spanish, like la crisis or la tesis. Because it already ends in an s and the stress is not on the final syllable, the word itself does not change in the plural. You just change the article to match: las hipótesis.

Question 4

Why does the loanword láser have a written accent mark?

Accepted Answer

Spanish words ending in a consonant other than n or s naturally stress the final syllable. To keep the pronunciation similar to English (with the spoken stress on the first syllable), Spanish adds a written accent on the a to break that natural spelling rule.

Ellos habrían demostrado la hipótesis con el láser.

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