Business Spanish - The Moods

. Learn Spanish Grammer .

LESSON XXII.
(Lección vigésima segunda.)

THE MOODS.

Mood is that form or modification of the Verb which marks the mode in
which an action is viewed or stated.

There are =5= moods in Spanish: one the Infinitive and =4= Finite, viz.,
the Indicative, Conditional, Subjunctive, and Imperative.

The =Infinitive Mood= (Modo Infinitivo) represents the action or state
of being without any reference to time or person. The present and past
participles are parts of the Infinitive Mood.

The Infinitive Mood may be used in the capacity of a noun either as
Subject or Object of the sentence. It is then generally (but not
necessarily) accompanied by the def. article, as--

El leer es útil: To read is useful.
Me es necesario el leer: It is necessary for me to read.

The form of the Pres. Part. used in this capacity in English is
inadmissible in Spanish, e.g., we could never say "leyendo" for "el
leer" (or "la lectura").

The Infinitive Mood preceded by _á_ may have a passive meaning, as--

Una consignación á hacer _or also_ á hacerse (á ser hecha): A shipment
to be made.

The Infinitive Mood preceded by _á_ may be used instead of the Finite
Mood introduced by "if," as--

Á saber yo que V. era accionista de aquella compañía, le habría
comunicado luego aquella relación: If I had known (or had I known) that
you were a shareholder in that society, I would have sent you at once
that report.
The =Present Participle= after "to be" is used in both languages to form
the continuous or progressive tenses; in Spanish this happens much less
frequently than in English, and only with verbs whose action implies
=duration of time= and besides when it is spoken of as =actually in
progress=. This form is never possible with the verb "to go," and is
very rarely found with "to come," as--

Miro aquellas Mantas y Terlices que me gustan: I am looking at those
Blankets and Tickings which I like.

Grita: He is shouting.

Nos escribe continuamente: He is continually writing us.

Hoy como con el arquitecto: To-day I am dining with the architect.

Estoy haciendo mi correspondencia, no puedo dejar el despacho: I am
writing my correspondence, I cannot leave the office.

A =Preposition= before a Pres. Part. is either translated by a
preposition followed by the Infinitive Mood or by the Pres. Part.
without a Preposition, as--

Al ir _(or _yendo) á la Bolsa; On going to the Exchange.

EXCEPTION--

After _en_ we find the Pres. Part. used with the following meaning--e.g.

En acabando saldré: As soon as I have finished, I shall go out.

"I, acting as trustee," is translated "Yo, procediendo como síndico";
but "I wrote to the party acting as umpire" would be "Escribí á la
persona que funcionaba (_not_ funcionando) de árbitro."

After "Intentar,"[139] "Ver," "Oir," "Sentir," and "Simular" the
Infinitive only can be used in Spanish, as--

[Footnote 139: Or verbs of similar meaning.

Intento (_or_ pienso) hipotecar la casa: I intend mortgaging the
house.
Le veo pasar: I see him passing.
"My coming," "my going," etc., are translated: "El venir _or_ el
haber venido yo," etc.]

The Past Part. may be used in an absolute manner, as--

Entregada la carta se fué: The letter (being) delivered, he went.

Sellados los sobres, los echó al correo: Having sealed the envelopes he
posted them.

VOCABULARY.

=abogado=, lawyer, barrister
=bombas de aire=, air pumps
=*contribuir=, to contribute
=contribuyo, etc=., I contribute
=convenio=, agreement
=desperdiciar=, to waste
=diseño=, design
=embajador=, ambassador
=empeños=, obligations, engagements
=estación, temporada=, season
=Estados Unidos=, United States
=excelentemente=, excellently
=forma=, shape
=forros=, linings
=gorras=, caps
=*hacer frente=, to face, to meet (bills, etc.)
=honrar=, to honour
=locomotora=, locomotive
=malgastar=, to waste, to squander
=Navidad=, Christmas
=necesitar, desear=, to require
=paso= step
=*poner en conocimiento=, to inform
=ponerse de acuerdo=, to agree
=pormenores=, particulars
=presupuesto=, estimate
=proyectar=, to project, to plan
=representar=, to represent, to act for
=rizo del ala=, curl of the brim (of a hat)
=secretario=, secretary
=senado=, senate
=someter=, to submit
=supondré, etc=., I shall suppose, etc.
=*suponer=, to suppose
=supongo, etc=., I suppose, etc.
=supuse, etc=., I supposed, etc.
=tarea=, task
=tratado de arbitraje=, arbitration treaty
=varar=, to ground (a ship)
=variedad=, variety
=vendré, etc=., I shall come, etc.
=vengo, vienes, etc=., I come, etc.
=*venir=, to come
=vine, etc=., I came, etc.

EXERCISE 1 (43).

Translate into English--

1. El escribir concisa y claramente contribuye al buen éxito (success)
de una casa comercial.

2. Quedan muchos pasos á dar.

3. Á suponer yo que no honrara sus aceptaciones no le habría concedido
el crédito.

4. ¿Qué hace V.?

5. Estoy escribiendo un presupuesto para una locomotora y cuatro bombas
de aire que se piden para Chile; en acabando mi tarea saldré (I shall
come out) con V.

6. Debemos escribir al abogado que representa al Sr. Fulano para ponerle
en conocimiento de los pormenores que puedan interesarle.

7. Sí, Señor, pensaba hacerlo mañana.

8. Siento tener que informar á V. que he encontrado al Sr. Smith y le he
oído decir que no puede hacer frente á sus empeños.

9. Ejecutada esta primera orden, y pagada que sea (once paid) le
manifestaré claramente que no me conviene continuar bajo estas
condiciones.

10. Se asegura que el secretario del departamento de Estado y el
embajador de Inglaterra se han puesto de acuerdo, hace poco, sobre los
principales puntos del tratado de arbitraje proyectado por el Presidente
de los Estados Unidos.

11. Se supone que dicho (said) convenio será sometido al senado antes de
Navidad.

12. Se han recibido noticias de haber naufragado (shipwrecked) un buque
en la costa de Marruecos (Morocco) y de haber varado otro en Almería.

EXERCISE 2 (44).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I do not consider (no creo que) I have been fairly (equitativamente
_or_ bien) treated.

2. Silk and Cotton Linings.--We note (nos enteramos de) your complaints
but you know they were bought as job lots (imperfectos) and in buying
such lots, one has to put up with (conformarse con) some
imperfections (defectos, imperfecciones).

3. The hats and caps have turned out (salido) excellently.

4. The former (aquéllos) are exactly of the shape and curl you require
and the latter (éstas) include (abarcan) a large variety of designs.

5. They will reach you (le llegarán) in plenty of time (con bastante
anticipación) for the coming (entrante) season.

6. Please report (hacer sus comentos) on samples as soon as received
(luego que las reciban).

7. Reading good papers is necessary to keep oneself posted up
(mantenerse al corriente), but reading the sensational news (noticias
sensacionales) of a certain press (prensa) is wasting one's time.

8. Are you going to Spain this year?

9. I do not think so, my correspondent is coming to England.

10. We shall write to the gentleman acting as secretary to send us (que
nos envíe) a copy of the report.

11. Did you hear him saying that?

12. I regret having to inform you that once I have paid what I owe (to
owe = deber), I shall not continue my transactions with your firm.