Word
El pretendiente preguntó si esa rareza era normal.
Meaning
The suitor asked if that weirdness was normal.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of El pretendiente preguntó si esa rareza era normal.
ser
to be
esa
that (feminine)
preguntar
to ask
si
if
Questions & Answers about El pretendiente preguntó si esa rareza era normal.
Why do we use the imperfect era here instead of the preterite fue?
This is the core rule of backshifting in reported speech! The original direct question was in the present tense: "¿Es normal?" (Is it normal?). Because the reporting verb preguntó is in the past, that present tense es shifts a step back in time to the imperfect era (was).
Since this is an indirect question, shouldn't si have an accent mark?
No, si doesn't take an accent here. In Spanish, we use accents on question words like qué or cuándo in both direct and indirect questions. However, si just means "if" or "whether" as a conjunction. It only gets an accent when it means "yes" (sí) or refers to "oneself."
Is pretendiente related to the English word "pretending"?
They share the same Latin root, but pretendiente doesn't mean someone is faking things! It refers to someone who aspires or lays claim to something. While it usually translates to a romantic "suitor," it can also mean a "candidate" or "applicant" for a job or title.
Could we use estaba normal instead of era normal, since a "weirdness" might just be a temporary situation?