Breakdown of El médico trabaja a pesar de estar enfermo.
el médico
the doctor
trabajar
to work
estar
to be (location/state)
enfermo
sick
a pesar de
despite, in spite of (+ noun/infinitive)
Questions & Answers about El médico trabaja a pesar de estar enfermo.
Why is it a pesar de estar instead of a pesar de que está?
Because the person working and the person who is sick are the same (the doctor). When the subject doesn't change, we use a pesar de followed directly by an infinitive verb (estar). You might sometimes hear native speakers use a pesar de que está, but using the infinitive is the standard and most natural choice here.
What would happen to the sentence if he was working despite someone else being sick?
Because the subject would change, you could no longer use the infinitive. You would have to use a pesar de que followed by a conjugated verb. For example, to say he works despite his son being sick, you would say: El médico trabaja a pesar de que su hijo está enfermo.
Why do we use estar instead of ser for being sick?
We use estar because being sick (enfermo) is a physical state or condition, not an inherent trait. In Spanish, illnesses are always treated as conditions that require estar, even if they are chronic or long-lasting.
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