Question 1

Why do we use se convirtió en here instead of another verb for "became," like se puso?

Accepted Answer

Ponerse is followed by adjectives to show temporary changes in state or emotion. Because this sentence describes a radical transformation into a noun (una pesadilla), you must use convertirse en (or transformarse en).

Question 2

I noticed it's spelled convirtió and not convertió. Why does the e change to an i?

Accepted Answer

Convertir is an -ir verb with a stem change in the preterite tense. While the first and second person keep the e (like me convertí), the third-person singular and plural forms change the e to an i, making it se convirtió.

Question 3

Do I always have to use the preposition en after convertirse?

Accepted Answer

Yes! When convertirse is used to mean "to become" or "to turn into," it is always followed by en plus a noun. It is grammatically incorrect to drop the en and just use the noun alone.

Question 4

Would it be correct to say se transformó en una pesadilla instead?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Transformarse en is synonymous with convertirse en and also takes a noun to describe a profound transformation. However, convertirse en is slightly more common in everyday speech for abstract changes like a situation turning into a nightmare.

La clase de ayer se convirtió en una pesadilla.

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