Business Spanish - Spanish Tenses 2

. Learn Spanish Grammer .

LESSON XXVI.
(Lección vigésima sexta.)

THE TENSES (_contd._).

Uses of the Past Definite (or Preterite) and the Present Perfect (as: Yo
he comprado: I have bought).

According to the English rule, the Past Def. (or Preterite) should be
used to narrate events which happened in the past, in a period of time
which does not include the present moment as--

Yo lo compre el ano pasado: I bought it last year.

The Present Perfect (called in Spanish Preterito Compuesto) should be
used when the period of time includes the present moment, as--

He fletado muchos buques: I have chartered many ships.

By following this rule students will always be correct, but we must
notice that in Spanish we find the "Preterito compuesto" often used
instead of the Past Definite--

1. When the period, although entirely past, is not defined, as--

Le ha facturado la quincalla: He invoiced him the smallware.

2. When although entirely past and definite, it is very recent, as--Se
lo he dicho hace un momento: I told him a moment ago.

N.B.--Plegue a Dios que el año que hoy empieza sea mas feliz que lo ha
sido el pasado: May it please God that the year which commences to-day
may be happier than the last has been (Grammar of the Academy).[153]

[Footnote 153: Here the Present Perfect is used in both languages,
because _the effects reach up to the present moment_.]

The English Compound Past--"I had spoken"--is rendered by "yo había
hablado" or "yo hube hablado."

"Yo había hablado" is in general use.

"Yo hube hablado" is used only after _cuando, luego que, inmediatamente
que_; viz., when the action is represented as _immediately_ preceding
another.

N.B.--The Past Def. Simple may always take its place.

Cuando hube declarado mis intenciones, Cuando declaré mis intenciones,
se convenció--When I declared my intentions, he was convinced.

The =Future Indicative=, (as well as the =Conditional Mood=) are used in
Spanish oftener than in English to denote probability, as--

Habrá 20 hombres aquí: I dare say there are 20 men here.

¿Le habré dado este derecho? Have I, perchance, given him this right?

¿Tendría miedo talvez? Was he afraid, perhaps?

The =Future Progressive=, is not used in Spanish when its place may be
taken by the ordinary Future Simple, as--

Le escribire mañana: I shall be writing him to-morrow.

But--

Cuando él venga yo estare escribiendo: When he comes I shall be writing.

The =Present Subjunctive= in Spanish refers to time present or future;
for time future, its place may be taken by the future Subj. (little
used).[154]

[Footnote 154: Except after "cuando" (but not in conversation), as--Se
lo diré cuando venga _or_ cuando viniere: I shall tell it him when he
comes. The Fut. Subj. is also used (not in conversation) after _si_
instead of Pres. Indic., as--Le serviré si la ocasión se ofrece _or_ se
ofreciere: I shall serve him if the occasion presents itself.]

=Use of Tenses of the Subjunctive Mood=.

The verb in the Subj. Mood is put in the Present tense when the
preceding verb is in the Pres. Indic., Future Indic. (simple) or
Imperative, as--

Quiero que él lo haga: I want him to do it.
Querré " " ": I shall want " ""
Quiere tú " " ": Want (thou) " ""

Otherwise the verb in the Subjunctive is in the Imperfect tense.

N.B.--When the preceding verb is in the "preterito compuesto," e.g., "he
dicho," when "he dicho" stands exactly for the English "I have told," it
governs the Pres. Subj., as--

Le he dicho que se vaya: I have told him to go.

But if it stands for the English "I told," it governs the Imperfect
Subj., as

Le dije (he dicho) que se fuese: I told him to go.

When the preceding verb is in the Future Perfect, the verb in the
Subjunctive may be put in the Present when its action does not refer to
the past, as--

Habré querido que trabaje hoy o mañana: I shall have (may have) wanted
him to work to-day or to-morrow.

VOCABULARY.

=*adquirir=, to acquire
=alquilar=, to rent, to hire, to take or give on lease
=arado=, plough
=boni cación, rebaja=, allowance
=cargar=, to charge
=ceder=, to yield, to sell, to cede, to warrant make over
=cédula de aduana=, custom house
=colmo=, climax, record
=color firme, sólido=, fast colour
=contrarrestar=, to check
=de otra manera=, otherwise
=desarrollar=, to develop
=empréstito=, loan
=época=, epoch, period, time
=explotar=, to exploit, to work
=igualar, hermanar=, to match
=*invertir=, to invest (money)
=justificar=, to justify, to warrant
=material rodante=, rolling stock (railway)
=no bien=, as soon a |
=pana (acordonada)=, cords (corduroy)
=perspectivas=, prospects
=piezas de repuesto=, spare pieces (machinery)
=puros, cigarros, tabacos=, cigars
=quinta=, villa
=rastrillos=, harrows
=rechazar=, to reject
=reja=, ploughshare
=revocar=, contramandar, to countermand
*=tener cuenta=, to pay, viz., to be advantageous
=terreno=, land
=traspaso=, goodwill
=trilladora=, threshing-machine

EXERCISE 1 (51).

Translate into English--

1. Le he dado ayer las Cédulas de Aduana.

2. Le hemos cedido el traspaso de aquel negocio por £500.

3. Le he dicho que los fondos (stocks), obligaciones, ú otros valores
cualesquiera (whatsoever) han de depositarse en manos seguras.

4. Yo le había explicado que la Compañía se había constituído para
comprar, alquilar (take on lease) ó adquirir de otra manera y explotar y
desarrollar cualesquier minas ó terrenos metalíferos; pero no bien le
hube anunciado (_or_ le anuncié) que se trataba de terrenos situados en
el Asia Menor, se rehusó á tomar las acciones que le había ofrecido.

5. Es que tendría sus razones.

6. Había unos cincuenta puros en aquella caja.

7. Deseo que V. invierta su dinero en esta empresa como deseaba el ano
pasado que V. lo invirtiese en el Empréstito del Gobierno Austríaco
(Austrian).

8. Le diré que se apresure a despachar los arados con sus rejas y piezas
de repuesto, los rastrillos, y las trilladoras.

9. Tal vez mi socio le habra dicho que lo haga.

10. Sí, le ha escrito ayer que no retardase el embarque pues hacen mucha
falta, hemos excedido la época fijada para la entrega y no nos tendría
cuenta que la Sociedad Agrícola nos los rechazara.

EXERCISE 2 (52).

Translate into Spanish--

1. We wrote them nothing to warrant such action.

2. I warranted him (garantizar) this would not be repeated.

3. The cloth was warranted fast colour.

4. He resorted to extreme means in order to bring about (llegar á) a
solution of the difficulty.

5. In the past year the climax of prosperity was reached.

6. Large orders for railway rolling stock were countermanded on account
of (á causa de) the feared political complications.

7. Velvet and Cord manufacturers have curtailed their production with a
view (á fin de) to check the downward (á la baja) tendency of prices.

8. I matched his sample and I secured the order.

9. Did you hear from your traveller lately?

10. They charged us too much, we can buy on spot (en el mercado) much
cheaper.

11. Spot cotton (el algodón disponible) was quoted yesterday one point
higher than the day before, but futures declined (bajaron) 3/32

12. Perhaps there are better prospects of the growing crop (nueva
cosecha) at present.

13. Do not be long (no tarde V.) in making up your mind (decidirse de)
one way or the other.

14. No, I shall soon decide what to do, but I must have a little time
for reflection. I cannot bind myself on the spot (al punto).

15. Some of the prints have grease spots (manchas de aceite) and we must
refuse to accept them unless under (a menos que nos haga) a reasonable
allowance.

16. He has a villa in a delightful spot (sitio) in the country (campo).