Question 1

Why is the verb decora singular when Las guirnaldas is plural?

Accepted Answer

Because the direct subject of that verb is lo que (meaning "that which" or "the thing that"). Even though it refers back to the plural Las guirnaldas, lo que is always treated as a grammatically singular, neuter entity.

Question 2

How is this sentence different from saying Las guirnaldas son las que decoran nuestra cuadra?

Accepted Answer

Using las que translates to "the ones that" and makes the second verb plural (decoran) to agree with the feminine plural noun. Using lo que translates to "what" or "the thing that". Both are correct, but lo que focuses more abstractly on the role or the "what" rather than the specific items, which is exactly how this pseudo-cleft structure works.

Question 3

If lo que is treated as singular, why do we use son instead of es?

Accepted Answer

The main verb ser must agree with the primary subject of the sentence. Here, the subject is Las guirnaldas, which is plural, so we need son. Interestingly, even if you reversed the sentence order, the verb would still be plural to match the garlands: Lo que decora nuestra cuadra son las guirnaldas.

Question 4

I learned that cuadra means a horse stable. Why is it used here?

Accepted Answer

In Latin American Spanish, cuadra is the standard, everyday word for a city block (the distance between two intersecting streets). While it does mean "stable" in Spain, a Latin American speaker will immediately understand it as a street block in this context.

Las guirnaldas son lo que decora nuestra cuadra.

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