Breakdown of El hecho de que la inmigración aumente es positivo.
ser
to be
de
from / of
que
that / than
aumentar
to increase
positivo
positive
el hecho
the fact (de hecho: in fact)
la inmigración
immigration
Questions & Answers about El hecho de que la inmigración aumente es positivo.
Why is aumente in the subjunctive if the sentence literally starts by calling it a "fact" (El hecho de que)?
This is exactly what trips English speakers up! Even though it's an established fact, Spanish uses the subjunctive after el hecho de que when the sentence makes a subjective value judgment or expresses an emotion about that fact. Because the main point of this sentence is to judge the situation as positivo, the verb in the "fact" clause takes the subjunctive (aumente).
Can I ever use the indicative to state a fact like this?
Yes, but it changes the phrasing. If you are simply declaring a reality rather than reacting to it, you would typically use el hecho es que (the fact is that) followed by the indicative: El hecho es que la inmigración aumenta. But when you use el hecho de que (the fact that) as the subject of a sentence that ends in a judgment, it triggers the subjunctive.
Would it be wrong to say el hecho de que la inmigración esté aumentando since the English translation says "is increasing"?
No, it wouldn't be wrong. Using the present progressive subjunctive (esté aumentando) is perfectly fine and emphasizes that the increase is happening right at this moment. However, Spanish frequently uses the simple present subjunctive (aumente) to cover both "increases" and "is increasing," often preferring the simple tense because it's more concise.
Why is the adjective positivo masculine when the noun right before it, inmigración, is feminine?
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