Topic Summaries

Multi verb expressions

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GCSE > Spanish > WJEC > GCSE Spanish Topic Summaries > Grammar IV: Prepositions and other grammar functions > Multi verb expressions
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DIALOGUE EXAMPLES: The wider world

  • Acabar de + infinitive: used to say someone has just done something (very recently).
    • Structure: acabar (present tense) + de + infinitive
      • Yo acabo de comer. (I have just eaten.)
      • Ella acaba de llegar. (She has just arrived.)
  • Passive voice: there are two ways to express passive voice in Spanish.
    • a) Ser + past participle + por: this structure is used to say something was done by someone, focusing on the action and the person who did it. It’s called the passive voice. It’s called the passive voice because the subject of the sentence is “passive” – it receives the action instead of doing it. For example the active sentence ‘García Márquez wrote the book’ becomes ‘The book was written by García Márquez.’
      • Structure: ser (in any tense) + past participle + por + agent 
        • El libro fue escrito por García Márquez. (The book was written by García Márquez.)
        • La casa será construida por mi padre. (The house will be built by my father.)
    • b) Se + 3rd person verb: we use this to say that people in general do something without saying exactly who.
      • Structure: se + 3rd person verb (conjugated for he, she, it, they)
        • Se vende pan aquí. (Bread is sold here.)
        • Se hacen pasteles. (Cakes are made.)
  • Seguir + present participle: to say someone is still doing something.
    • Structure: seguir (present) + present participle (-ando/-iendo)
      • Sigo estudiando español. (I’m still studying Spanish.)
      • Él sigue trabajando. (He’s still working.)
  • Llevar + time period + present participle: used to say how long someone has been doing something (like: “I have been doing this for 2 years.”)
    • Structure: llevar (present) + time period + present participle (-ando/-iendo)
      • Llevo dos años estudiando español. (I’ve been studying Spanish for two years.)
      • Lleva media hora esperando. (He/She has been waiting for half an hour.)
  • Present tense + desde hace + time: another way to say how long someone has been doing something.
    • Structure: present tense verb + desde hace + time period
      • Vivo aquí desde hace cinco años. (I’ve lived here for five years.)
      • Trabaja en esa empresa desde hace un mes. (He/she has been working there for a month.)

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