Learn Spanish (Latin America): Ya que el modelaje es difícil, se aconseja a los estudiantes preparar un portafolio. - Since modeling is difficult, the students are advised to prepare a portfolio.

Ya que el modelaje es difícil, se aconseja a los estudiantes preparar un portafolio.

Since modeling is difficult, the students are advised to prepare a portfolio.

Breakdown of Ya que el modelaje es difícil, se aconseja a los estudiantes preparar un portafolio.

Questions & Answers about Ya que el modelaje es difícil, se aconseja a los estudiantes preparar un portafolio.

Why is the verb singular (se aconseja) when the advice is for plural students (los estudiantes)?

Because of the a before los estudiantes. This a marks the students as the indirect object, not the subject. When using the impersonal se with a specific object marked by a, Spanish rules dictate that the verb must always remain in the third-person singular (aconseja).

Would it be wrong to leave out the a and say se aconsejan los estudiantes?

Yes, because it would change the meaning. Without the a, los estudiantes becomes the grammatical subject (using the passive se structure), which can confusingly sound like "the students advise each other." Keeping the a and keeping the verb singular cleanly forces the impersonal meaning: "one advises the students" or "the students are advised."

Why use ya que for "since" instead of desde?

Desde only means "since" when talking about a starting point in time or space (like "since yesterday"). When "since" means "because" or "given that," you must use phrases like ya que, como, or puesto que.

Could I use the subjunctive here and say se aconseja a los estudiantes que preparen...?