Question 1

Why is se quedó in the indicative here instead of the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

The phrase de modo que can introduce an actual result (meaning "so") or an intended purpose (meaning "so that"). Because the tile being left broken is an actual result of the drill breaking, we use the indicative se quedó. If the speaker had done something on purpose so that the tile would break, they would have used the subjunctive.

Question 2

Why do we see the imperfect usaba followed by the preterite se rompió?

Accepted Answer

This is a classic case of an ongoing background action being interrupted. Usaba (imperfect) sets the scene of what was happening ("I was using"), while se rompió (preterite) is the sudden event that interrupted it ("it broke").

Question 3

Why use the pronominal form se rompió instead of just rompió?

Accepted Answer

When things break on their own, accidentally, or when we don't want to specify who broke them, Spanish uses the pronominal form romperse. If you just said rompió, it would typically mean "he, she, or it broke [something else]". Using se rompió simply means the drill broke.

Question 4

Why does the sentence use se quedó roto instead of just saying estuvo roto?

Accepted Answer

The verb quedarse combined with an adjective like roto is a very common way to express a resulting state. It translates perfectly to "ended up broken" or "was left broken", emphasizing the final condition of the tile as a direct consequence of the drill breaking.

Usaba el taladro cuando se rompió, de modo que el azulejo se quedó roto.

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