Advanced Grammar
Advanced Grammar¶
Advanced Grammar Topics¶
Temas Gramaticales Avanzados¶
Table of Contents¶
1. Relative Clauses¶
Relative clauses modify nouns and begin with relative pronouns or relative adverbs.
A. Relative Pronouns¶
Basic Relative Pronouns Table¶
| Relative Pronoun | Usage | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| que | person/thing (most common) | El libro que leo | The book (that) I'm reading |
| quien(es) | person only (with preposition) | La persona con quien hablo | The person with whom I speak |
| el/la cual, los/las cuales | formal, after preposition | El motivo por el cual vine | The reason why I came |
| cuyo/a/os/as | possession (whose) | El autor cuyo libro leí | The author whose book I read |
| lo que | neutral (sentence/concept) | Lo que dijiste es verdad | What you said is true |
| lo cual | neutral formal | Llegó tarde, lo cual me molestó | He arrived late, which annoyed me |
Relative Adverbs¶
| Relative Adverb | Usage | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| donde | place | La ciudad donde vivo | The city where I live |
| cuando | time | El día cuando llegué | The day when I arrived |
| como | manner | La forma como lo hizo | The way he did it |
B. QUE - Most Common Relative Pronoun¶
Can be used for both people and things:
Subject role:
- El hombre que habla es mi padre
(The man who is speaking is my father)
- El libro que está en la mesa es mío
(The book that is on the table is mine)
Object role:
- El libro que compré es interesante
(The book (that) I bought is interesting)
- La chica que conocí ayer es simpática
(The girl (that) I met yesterday is nice)
Preposition + que (things only):
| Preposition | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| en que | La casa en que vivo | The house in which I live |
| con que | El bolígrafo con que escribo | The pen with which I write |
| de que | El tema de que hablamos | The topic we talked about |
| a que | El lugar a que voy | The place where I'm going |
Note: For people, use preposition + quien(es) or el/la que
C. QUIEN(ES) - People Only¶
Mainly used with prepositions:
a quien(es) - to whom
- La persona a quien escribí no respondió
(The person to whom I wrote didn't respond)
con quien(es) - with whom
- El amigo con quien viajé es mexicano
(The friend with whom I traveled is Mexican)
de quien(es) - of/from whom
- El hombre de quien te hablé llegó
(The man I told you about arrived)
para quien(es) - for whom
- La persona para quien trabajo es amable
(The person for whom I work is kind)
As subject (formal, non-restrictive clauses):
Mi hermano, quien vive en Madrid, me visitó
(My brother, who lives in Madrid, visited me)
Los estudiantes, quienes trabajaron duro, aprobaron
(The students, who worked hard, passed)
D. EL/LA CUAL, LOS/LAS CUALES - Formal¶
Used in complex sentences or formal writing:
Preposition + el/la cual:
- La razón por la cual no vine fue el tráfico
(The reason why I didn't come was the traffic)
- El edificio detrás del cual estacioné es un banco
(The building behind which I parked is a bank)
- Las circunstancias bajo las cuales ocurrió son desconocidas
(The circumstances under which it occurred are unknown)
Difference from que: - el cual is more formal - Preferred after long prepositional phrases (a pesar del cual, cerca del cual) - Clarifies antecedent by gender/number when ambiguous
E. CUYO/A/OS/AS - Possession Relation¶
Indicates possession, agrees in gender/number with the following noun:
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| cuyo | El autor cuyo libro leí | The author whose book I read |
| cuya | La mujer cuya hija conozco | The woman whose daughter I know |
| cuyos | El hombre cuyos hijos estudian aquí | The man whose children study here |
| cuyas | La ciudad cuyas calles son estrechas | The city whose streets are narrow |
Important: cuyo agrees with the following noun (not with antecedent)
El profesor cuya clase tomé es excelente
(The professor whose class I took is excellent)
- cuya agrees with clase (feminine)
El país cuyos habitantes son amables
(The country whose inhabitants are friendly)
- cuyos agrees with habitantes (masculine plural)
F. Relative Adverbs: DONDE, CUANDO, COMO¶
DONDE (place):
La ciudad donde nací es pequeña
(The city where I was born is small)
El restaurante donde comimos era caro
(The restaurant where we ate was expensive)
= en que / en el que
La ciudad en que nací = La ciudad donde nací
CUANDO (time):
El día cuando llegué llovía
(The day when I arrived it was raining)
La época cuando vivíamos felices
(The time when we lived happily)
= en que
El día en que llegué = El día cuando llegué
COMO (manner):
La forma como lo hizo me sorprendió
(The way he did it surprised me)
No me gusta el modo como habla
(I don't like the way he speaks)
= en que
La forma en que lo hizo = La forma como lo hizo
G. LO QUE / LO CUAL - Neutral Relative Pronouns¶
LO QUE (refers to a clause or concept):
Lo que dijiste es interesante
(What you said is interesting)
No entiendo lo que quieres
(I don't understand what you want)
Haz lo que quieras
(Do what you want)
LO CUAL (refers to entire previous sentence):
Llegó tarde, lo cual me molestó
(He arrived late, which annoyed me)
No llamó, lo cual me preocupó
(He didn't call, which worried me)
H. Restrictive vs Non-restrictive Clauses¶
Restrictive Clauses (Restrictive): - Essential information that specifies the antecedent - No commas
Los estudiantes que estudian mucho aprueban
(The students who study a lot pass)
→ Not all students, only those who study a lot
Non-restrictive Clauses (Non-restrictive): - Additional information - Set off by commas
Los estudiantes, que estudian mucho, aprueban
(The students, who study a lot, pass)
→ All students study a lot and pass
2. Passive Voice¶
Spanish expresses the passive voice in several ways.
A. SER + Past Participle (Voz Pasiva con SER)¶
Formation:
ser (conjugated) + past participle (agrees with subject in gender/number)
Active → Passive Conversion:
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Juan escribió el libro | El libro fue escrito por Juan |
| (Juan wrote the book) | (The book was written by Juan) |
Examples by Tense:
| Tense | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Present | El libro es leído por muchos | The book is read by many |
| Imperfect | El libro era leído por muchos | The book was read by many |
| Preterite | El libro fue leído por muchos | The book was read by many |
| Future | El libro será leído por muchos | The book will be read by many |
| Present Perfect | El libro ha sido leído por muchos | The book has been read by many |
| Conditional | El libro sería leído por muchos | The book would be read by many |
Agent Expression: por
La carta fue escrita por María
(The letter was written by María)
El edificio fue diseñado por un arquitecto famoso
(The building was designed by a famous architect)
Past Participle Gender/Number Agreement:
El libro fue publicado (masculine singular)
La novela fue publicada (feminine singular)
Los libros fueron publicados (masculine plural)
Las novelas fueron publicadas (feminine plural)
B. ESTAR + Past Participle (Result State)¶
SER vs ESTAR Difference:
| SER + past participle | ESTAR + past participle |
|---|---|
| Action/process | State/result |
| La puerta fue cerrada (por alguien) | La puerta está cerrada |
| The door was closed (by someone) | The door is closed |
Examples:
SER (action):
La tienda fue abierta a las 9
(The store was opened at 9 - act of opening)
ESTAR (state):
La tienda está abierta ahora
(The store is open now - current state)
Common ESTAR + Past Participle:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| estar abierto/a | to be open |
| estar cerrado/a | to be closed |
| estar roto/a | to be broken |
| estar terminado/a | to be finished |
| estar preparado/a | to be ready |
| estar escrito/a | to be written |
| estar hecho/a | to be made/done |
| estar situado/a | to be located |
| estar ocupado/a | to be busy/occupied |
| estar sentado/a | to be sitting |
C. SE Passive (Pasiva Refleja)¶
Most commonly used passive expression!
Formation:
se + verb (3rd person singular/plural)
Examples:
| SE passive | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Se habla español | Spanish is spoken |
| Se vende esta casa | This house is for sale |
| Se venden casas | Houses for sale |
| Se necesitan empleados | Employees needed |
| Se construyó un puente | A bridge was built |
| Se publicó el libro | The book was published |
Agreement with Subject: - Singular subject → se + singular verb - Plural subject → se + plural verb
Se vende un coche (singular)
(A car is for sale)
Se venden coches (plural)
(Cars are for sale)
SER Passive vs SE Passive:
| SER passive | SE passive |
|---|---|
| Agent can be specified | Agent cannot be specified |
| Formal | Common |
| Less frequent | Very frequent |
| El libro fue escrito por Juan | Se escribió el libro |
D. SE Impersonal¶
Indicates unspecified subject:
se + verb 3rd person singular
SE Passive vs SE Impersonal:
| SE passive | SE impersonal |
|---|---|
| Thing as subject | Person-related/verb itself |
| Se venden casas (Houses are sold) | Se vive bien aquí (People live well here) |
| Verb agrees with subject | Always singular |
SE Impersonal Examples:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Se dice que... | It is said that... |
| Se cree que... | It is believed that... |
| Se puede... | One can... |
| Se necesita... | One needs... |
| Se trabaja mucho aquí | People work a lot here |
| Se vive bien en España | People live well in Spain |
| Se come bien aquí | The food is good here |
With Person Direct Objects (requires a):
Se ayuda a los pobres (People help the poor)
Se busca a los criminales (The criminals are being sought)
Se entrevistó a los candidatos (The candidates were interviewed)
E. Passive Voice Summary¶
| Type | Format | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| SER passive | ser + past participle + por | Agent specified, formal |
| ESTAR result | estar + past participle | State/result |
| SE passive | se + verb (agrees) | General passive, things |
| SE impersonal | se + singular verb | Unspecified subject |
3. Advanced Conditionals¶
A. Conditional Types Review¶
| Type | Conditional Clause | Main Clause | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 0 | Si + present | present | General truths |
| Type 1 | Si + present | future/present/imperative | Possible |
| Type 2 | Si + past subjunctive | conditional | Present unreal |
| Type 3 | Si + past perfect subjunctive | conditional perfect | Past unreal |
Examples:
Type 0 (general truth):
Si calientas agua a 100°C, hierve
(If you heat water to 100°C, it boils)
Type 1 (possible):
Si estudias, aprobarás
(If you study, you'll pass)
Type 2 (present unreal):
Si tuviera dinero, viajaría
(If I had money, I would travel)
Type 3 (past unreal):
Si hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado
(If I had studied, I would have passed)
B. Mixed Conditionals¶
Past condition → Present result:
Si + past perfect subjunctive, conditional simple
Si hubiera estudiado medicina, sería médico ahora
(If I had studied medicine, I would be a doctor now)
Si no hubiera comido tanto, no estaría enfermo
(If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't be sick now)
Present condition → Past result:
Si + past subjunctive, conditional perfect
Si fuera más inteligente, habría entendido
(If I were smarter, I would have understood)
Si no fuera tan tímido, le habría hablado
(If I weren't so shy, I would have talked to her)
C. Alternative Conditional Structures¶
DE + Infinitive (formal, written)¶
Replaces si clause:
| Si clause | De + infinitive |
|---|---|
| Si hubiera sabido | De haberlo sabido |
| Si pudiera | De poder |
| Si tuviera tiempo | De tener tiempo |
De haberlo sabido, no habría venido
(Had I known, I wouldn't have come)
= Si lo hubiera sabido, no habría venido
De ser posible, lo haría
(If possible, I would do it)
= Si fuera posible, lo haría
COMO + Subjunctive (warning/threat)¶
Como no vengas, me enfadaré
(If you don't come, I'll get angry)
Como llegues tarde otra vez, no te espero
(If you're late again, I won't wait)
A NO SER QUE + Subjunctive (unless)¶
Iré a no ser que llueva
(I'll go unless it rains)
No lo haré a no ser que me lo pidan
(I won't do it unless they ask me)
A MENOS QUE + Subjunctive (unless)¶
Vendrá a menos que esté enfermo
(He'll come unless he's sick)
No aprobarás a menos que estudies
(You won't pass unless you study)
CON TAL DE QUE + Subjunctive (provided that)¶
Te ayudo con tal de que me pagues
(I'll help you provided that you pay me)
Lo haré con tal de que no me molestes
(I'll do it provided that you don't bother me)
SIEMPRE QUE + Subjunctive (as long as)¶
Puedes salir siempre que vuelvas pronto
(You can go out as long as you come back soon)
Te prestaré el libro siempre que lo cuides
(I'll lend you the book as long as you take care of it)
SIEMPRE Y CUANDO + Subjunctive (as long as)¶
Te ayudaré siempre y cuando me escuches
(I'll help you as long as you listen to me)
EN CASO DE QUE + Subjunctive (in case)¶
Llámame en caso de que necesites ayuda
(Call me in case you need help)
Lleva paraguas en caso de que llueva
(Take an umbrella in case it rains)
SALVO QUE + Subjunctive (unless)¶
Iré salvo que haya problema
(I'll go unless there's a problem)
D. Other Uses of Conditional Perfect¶
Past speculation:
Serían las tres cuando llegó
(It must have been around three when he arrived)
Tendría unos 30 años
(He must have been around 30 years old)
Future in reported speech:
Dijo que vendría (direct: "Vendré")
(He said he would come)
Prometió que lo haría (direct: "Lo haré")
(He promised he would do it)
Polite requests:
¿Podría ayudarme?
(Could you help me?)
¿Sería posible cambiar la fecha?
(Would it be possible to change the date?)
E. Conditional Tense Agreement Table¶
| Conditional Clause | Main Clause | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Si + present indicative | present/future/imperative | Si llueve, no salgo |
| Si + imperfect indicative | imperfect | Si llovía, no salía |
| Si + past subjunctive | conditional simple | Si lloviera, no saldría |
| Si + past perfect subjunctive | conditional perfect | Si hubiera llovido, no habría salido |
F. Conditional Summary Table¶
| Conjunction/Structure | Meaning | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| si | if | indicative/subjunctive |
| como | if (warning) | subjunctive |
| a no ser que | unless | subjunctive |
| a menos que | unless | subjunctive |
| con tal de que | provided that | subjunctive |
| siempre que | as long as | subjunctive |
| en caso de que | in case | subjunctive |
| salvo que | unless | subjunctive |
| de + infinitive | if (formal) | - |
4. Practice Exercises¶
A. Relative Clause Practice¶
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate relative pronoun:
- El libro _ compré es interesante. (que)
- La persona con _ hablé es mi vecino. (quien)
- El autor _ novela leí ganó un premio. (cuya)
- No entiendo lo _ dices. (que)
- La ciudad _ nací es Madrid. (donde)
B. Passive Voice Practice¶
Convert active sentences to passive:
- Juan escribió la carta. → La carta fue escrita por Juan.
- Millones leen este libro. → Este libro es leído por millones.
- Construyeron el puente. → Se construyó el puente.
C. Conditional Practice¶
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb form:
- Si _ (tener, yo) dinero, viajaría. → tuviera
- Si hubiera estudiado, _ (aprobar). → habría aprobado
- Te ayudo con tal de que me _ (pagar, tú). → pagues
Study Tips¶
- Relative Pronouns: que is most common, pay attention when used with prepositions
- SE Passive: Much more common than SER passive in everyday speech
- Conditionals: Memorize conditional conjunctions that require subjunctive
- Practice: Create various sentences to internalize patterns
Related Materials¶
- Previous: 06_Subjunctive_Advanced.md - Advanced Subjunctive
- Previous: 07_Verb_Conjugation_System.md - Verb Conjugation
- Next: 11_Vocabulary_by_Theme.md - Vocabulary by Theme