Breakdown of El modo en que cueles este licor afecta el sabor.
en
in / on / at
que
that / than
este
this
el sabor
the flavor
Questions & Answers about El modo en que cueles este licor afecta el sabor.
Why is cueles in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative?
In this lesson's focus on relative clauses of manner, phrases like el modo en que take the subjunctive when the action is hypothetical, future, or not yet experienced. Since we are talking about a potential or future instance of straining the liquor, we use the subjunctive cueles. If we were talking about a known, habitual action (like the way you always strain it), we would use the indicative cuelas.
Could I include the article and say el modo en el que?
Yes, absolutely. In relative clauses of manner using modo, manera, or forma, the definite article is optional after the preposition en. Saying el modo en el que cueles is just as correct and means the exact same thing.
What is the infinitive of cueles and why does it change to a ue?
The infinitive is colar, which means to strain or to filter. It is an o to ue stem-changing verb. Just like poder becomes puedas in the present subjunctive, colar becomes cueles.
Since cueles is in the subjunctive, why is afecta in the normal indicative?