Question 1

This lesson is about cada vez más. Could we use that here instead of poco a poco?

Accepted Answer

You could use cada vez más if you added an adjective or adverb, like La ciudad cambia cada vez más rápido (The city is changing faster and faster). However, poco a poco (little by little) focuses on the gradual process of changing itself, rather than increasing a specific quality.

Question 2

Why use the simple present cambia instead of the present continuous está cambiando if it is happening right now?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, the simple present (cambia) is often used for ongoing situations or general trends. You could say está cambiando poco a poco to emphasize that the change is actively in progress right now, but the simple present is very natural and commonly used for a gradual, long-term process like this.

Question 3

I always forget if words like ciudad are masculine or feminine. Is there a rule?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Nouns ending in -dad, -tad, and -tud (like la ciudad, la libertad, la actitud) are almost always feminine. That is why we use the feminine article la here.

Question 4

Does poco a poco ever change to match the gender or number of the noun?

Accepted Answer

No, poco a poco is a fixed phrase that describes how the action happens, meaning it never changes form. Even if the subject were plural and masculine, like los pueblos (the towns), the phrase would stay exactly the same: Los pueblos cambian poco a poco.

La ciudad cambia poco a poco.

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