Verbal Periphrasis and Sentence Classification in Spanish

Posted on Sep 19, 2024 in Latin

Verbal Periphrasis

Aspectual Adverb

Significantly modifies the verb with an adjective or adverb.

  • Inchoative: Beginning or starting phase.
  • Admitted: Acknowledged or recognized.

Preposition

Indicates location, direction, time, or relationship.

  • Duration: Expresses the length of time.
  • Terminative: Indicates the end of an action or state.
  • Locuciones Preposicionales: Complex prepositions formed by multiple words.
  • Reiterative: Repeated or recurring action.
  • Habitual/Prompter: Frequent or customary action.

Conjunction

Connects words, phrases, or clauses.

  • Verbal Periphrasis of Manners: Describes the way an action is performed.
  • Locuciones Conjuntivas: Complex conjunctions formed by multiple words.
  • Need/Obligation: Expresses necessity or requirement.
  • Coordination: Sentences are independent of each other.
  • Subordination: One clause depends on another.
  • Polysemic: Having multiple meanings.
  • Homonyms: Words with the same pronunciation but different meanings.
  • Taboo: Words or expressions considered inappropriate or offensive.
  • Euphemism: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt.
  • Asyndeton: Omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.
  • Polysyndeton: Repetition of conjunctions in close succession.
  • Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
  • Ellipsis: Omission of one or more words that are understood from the context.
  • Hyperbaton: Alteration of the normal word order.
  • Comparison: Comparing two or more things.
  • Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.
  • Prosopopoeia: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.
  • Hyperbole: Exaggerated expression.

Sentence Classification

Coordinated Sentences

Copulative

Propositions that add their meanings together.

  • Conjunctions: y, e, ni
  • Example: I arrived home early and did my homework.
Disjunctive

Propositions that present alternative options.

  • Conjunctions: o, u, bien
  • Example: Do you like the Cadiz carnival or do you prefer the Tenerife carnival?
Distributive

Propositions that present mutually exclusive options.

  • Correlative words: pronouns and adverbs that function as conjunctions with their own syntactic function and meaning.
  • Conjunctions: uno, otro, este, aquel, cerca, lejos, etc.
  • Example: Some eat at 9, others eat at 6.
Adversative

Propositions that express contrast or opposition.

  • Restrictive or partial: The adversative conjunction limits the meaning of the preceding proposition.
  • Conjunctions: pero, mas, sin embargo
  • Example: I ate a lot, but I’m not full.
  • Exclusive or total: The adversative conjunction excludes the meaning of the preceding proposition.
  • Conjunctions: sino, sino que
  • Example: I like cycling, but not swimming.
Explanatory

The second proposition clarifies the meaning of the first.

  • Conjunctions: es decir, o sea, esto es, por ejemplo
  • Example: Raul suffers from agoraphobia, that is, he is afraid of open spaces.

Subordinate Substantive Sentences

Completive

(Preposition) + que + verb in person + (other complements)

  • Example: He said [that he would come].
Total Indirect Questions

Si (if) + verb in person + (other complements)

  • Example: I don’t know [if it will rain tomorrow].
Partial Indirect Questions

(Preposition) + interrogative (‘accent’) + verb in person + (other complements)

  • Interrogative pronoun: qué, quién/es, cuál/es
  • Interrogative adverb: cómo, dónde, cuándo, cuánto
  • Example: I asked him [how many watches he had].
Infinitive

(Preposition) + infinitive verb + (other complements)

  • Example: [Traveling with you] is always an adventure.

Subordinate Adjective Sentences

Specified/Explanatory (CN)

(Preposition) + relative (determiner/pronoun/adverb) + verb in person + (other elements)

  • Relative pronoun: que, quien/es, el/la/los/las cual/es
  • Example: I bought him a gift [that is nice].
  • Relative adverb: donde, cuando, como
  • Example: I found the disk in the place [where I was told].
  • Relative determiner: cuyo/a/os/as
  • Example: We saw the books [whose pictures were made by her father].
Participle

Verb in participle form.

  • Example: The boy, [busy with his things], was not paying attention to his mother.
  • Absolute construction: The participle and the verb of the main clause do not have the same subject.
  • Example: [Dinner finished], everyone got up.
Relative Noun

Does not have an explicit antecedent.

  • (Preposition) + relative pronoun + article + que + verb + (other complements)
  • Example: [Whoever told you that] is lying.
  • Example: Give it [to those who are there].