Question 1

Why is the verb cantaba in the imperfect tense rather than the preterite cantó?

Accepted Answer

Cantaba is used here because it describes an ongoing, continuous action in the past, which is why it translates to "was singing." The imperfect tense is perfect for setting a background scene. If we used the preterite cantó, it would sound like a single, completed event, meaning he simply "sang" and then finished.

Question 2

Why does the adjective borracho come after hombre?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, descriptive adjectives that distinguish one thing from another usually go right after the noun. Placing borracho directly after hombre tells us which specific man we are talking about (the drunk one, rather than a sober one).

Question 3

In English, we often say someone is singing "on the street." Why does this sentence use en?

Accepted Answer

The Spanish preposition en is very flexible and covers "in," "on," and "at" depending on the context. When talking about streets, Spanish always uses en la calle, regardless of which preposition feels most natural in English.

Question 4

Since we are learning how to use the conditional tense for advice, how would I change this sentence to say the drunk man "should" sing in the street?

Accepted Answer

To give advice, you can use the conditional form of the verb deber (to owe/must) followed by an infinitive verb. You would say, El hombre borracho debería cantar en la calle. If you wanted to politely advise against it, you would just add no to make it no debería cantar.

El hombre borracho cantaba en la calle.

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