2.6. Intermediate Spanish Grammar: Building Complex Sentences

Intermediate Spanish grammar is a crucial step for those who want to achieve fluency in the language. At this level, it is essential to learn to form complex sentences that allow for richer and deeper communication. This chapter of our e-book focuses on helping you master this skill.

Understanding Complex Sentences

A complex sentence is one that contains a main sentence and at least one subordinate sentence. The subordinate phrase, which can be a noun, adjectival, or adverbial phrase, provides additional information and is usually introduced by a subordinate conjunction.

For example, in the sentence "El libro que estoy leyendo es muy interesante" ("The book I'm reading is very interesting"), "El libro es muy interesante" is the main sentence and "que estoy leyendo" is the subordinate phrase.

Building Complex Sentences

Building complex sentences in Spanish requires mastering several grammatical structures. Here are some tips:

1. Use of Subordinate Conjunctions

Subordinate conjunctions, such as "que" (that), "porque" (because), "aunque" (although), "si" (if), among others, are used to connect the main sentence to the subordinate. For example: "Estoy happy because aprobé el Examen" ("I'm happy because I passed the exam").

2. Use of Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns, such as "que" (who), "quien" (who), "el que" (what), "cuyo" (whose), among others, are used to refer to a noun mentioned earlier and introduce a subordinate phrase. For example: "La mujer con la que hablé es mi profesora" ("The woman I spoke to is my teacher").

3. Use of Verbs in the Subjunctive

The subjunctive is often used in subordinate sentences to express doubt, possibility, necessity, future action, among others. For example: "Espero que vengas a la fiesta" ("I hope you come to the party").

Practice and Consistency

Learning to form complex sentences in Spanish takes practice and consistency. We recommend that you read and write a lot in Spanish, paying special attention to complex sentences. Also, try to form your own complex sentences, whether in conversations, emails or essays. Over time, you will become more comfortable and confident using these frameworks.

In summary, forming complex sentences is an essential skill for achieving fluency in Spanish. By mastering this skill, you will be able to express your thoughts and feelings more accurately and in detail, which will certainly enrich your Spanish learning experience.