Question 1

Why does this sentence use both limpio and limpiado?

Accepted Answer

This is a perfect example of a verb with dual past participles. We use the irregular form limpio as an adjective to describe a state (with está). But when we form perfect tenses using the helper verb haber (like he limpiado meaning 'I have cleaned'), we must use the regular past participle ending in -ado.

Question 2

Could we use es instead of está before limpio?

Accepted Answer

No, you need está here. Even if a machine is always kept clean, cleanliness is treated as a condition or the result of an action in Spanish, which requires the verb estar rather than ser.

Question 3

Why is it para mantener instead of por mantener?

Accepted Answer

Here, para expresses the purpose or goal of an action, translating directly to 'in order to'. The cleaning was done specifically in order to maintain the ratio. If you used por, it would mean you cleaned the pieces 'because of' maintaining the ratio, which misses the intent.

Question 4

Could I say todas las piezas instead of cada pieza?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but the nuance shifts slightly. Cada pieza (each piece) emphasizes the individual, careful attention given to single components of the grinder. Todas las piezas (all the pieces) just refers to the group as a whole. Notice that cada is followed by a singular noun without an article, while todas requires the plural article las.

El molinillo está limpio porque he limpiado cada pieza para mantener la proporción.

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