Question 1

Why do we use se convirtió en here instead of another 'to become' verb like se puso or se volvió?

Accepted Answer

Convertirse en is used to express a radical or profound transformation, and it is specifically used when a subject turns into a noun. Because the trip changed into a hell (un infierno), this is the perfect verb. Ponerse is for temporary states (like emotions), and volverse is mostly used with adjectives for lasting changes.

Question 2

Does convertirse always need the preposition en?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when you are stating what the subject changed into, convertirse must be followed by en. You can think of convertirse en as 'to convert into' or 'to turn into.' Skipping the en here would make the sentence grammatically incorrect.

Question 3

Why is it spelled convirtió with an 'i' instead of 'convertió'?

Accepted Answer

The verb convertir has a stem change. While it changes from e to ie in the present tense (like convierto), -ir verbs have a different rule in the preterite: they change from e to i only in the third-person singular and plural forms. That is why it is se convirtió.

Question 4

We often learn to use the imperfect tense for weather. Why is llovió in the preterite here instead of llovía?

Accepted Answer

While the imperfect (llovía) is generally used to describe background weather, the preterite (llovió) is used when we view the weather as a completed, bounded event. Here, the speaker is stating that the fact that it rained a lot during that specific timeframe is the direct, completed cause that turned the trip into a nightmare, rather than just setting a descriptive scene.

El viaje se convirtió en un infierno porque llovió mucho.

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