Breakdown of No mencionan que los fotógrafos acosen a la celebridad.
no
no, not
los
the (masculine plural)
que
that / than
la celebridad
the celebrity
el fotógrafo
the photographer
mencionar
to mention
acosar
to harass
a
personal 'a' (marks a human direct object)
Questions & Answers about No mencionan que los fotógrafos acosen a la celebridad.
Why do we use the subjunctive acosen here instead of the indicative acosan?
The phrase no mencionan que is a negated verb of communication. Affirmative communication verbs (like mencionan que) declare a fact and use the indicative. When you negate them, you are no longer declaring the second half of the sentence as a fact, which triggers the subjunctive mood (acosen).
If the speaker knows for a fact that the photographers are harassing the celebrity, do they still use the subjunctive?
Yes, standard grammar still requires the subjunctive here. The trigger is the negative communication phrase (no mencionan que), regardless of whether the harassment is objectively true. The sentence focuses on the fact that the action isn't being reported, not its reality.
Why is there an a before la celebridad?
This is the 'personal a'. In Spanish, whenever the direct object of a verb is a person, you must put an a before it. Even though the celebrity's name isn't given, la celebridad refers to a human being receiving the action of the verb acosen.
Is acosar a word just for paparazzi?
Acosar is a very common, general verb that means 'to harass', 'to hound', or 'to stalk'. While it perfectly describes paparazzi mobbing a celebrity, it is also the standard word used for bullying (acoso escolar) or workplace harassment.
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