Breakdown of Siempre que revises el contador, anota el número.
el número
the number
revisar
to review; to check (over), to inspect, to service
siempre que
as long as
el contador
the meter
anotar
to note down
Questions & Answers about Siempre que revises el contador, anota el número.
Why is revises in the subjunctive here?
The phrase siempre que triggers the subjunctive when it sets a condition, meaning "provided that" or "as long as". If we used the indicative (siempre que revisas), it would change the meaning to describe a habitual action: "every time you check".
Could I use siempre y cuando instead of siempre que?
Yes, siempre y cuando is a very common synonym here and also means "provided that" or "as long as". Just like siempre que, it requires the subjunctive (revises) because it establishes a condition for the rest of the sentence.
Why is the verb anota used instead of anotas?
It is the affirmative imperative (command) form for tú. The sentence is giving a direct instruction: "(you) note down the number". If it were a negative command telling someone not to do it, it would switch to the subjunctive: no anotes.
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