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Use of articles: Learners of English and Spanish, translate to Spanish, Advanced

Use of articles: Learners of English and Spanish, translate to Spanish, Advanced

7
votes

This is a difficult exercise especially considering that the translation will be difficult. I will post two sets of sentences, stay tuned

Only upper Intermediate to advanced students of Spanish for the translations!

Spanish natives

Fill in the gaps with the article if necessary

Other languages (except English)

Fill in the gaps with the article if necessary and translate

English speaking natives

Translate to Spanish

(¡ojo con las traducciones , el uso del artículo tiene trucowink! )

INSERT THE CORRECT ARTICLE (a, an, the) , IF NECESSARY, IN THE BLANKS

1) ..... wealth does not always bring ..... happiness.

2) ..... weather is very peculiar this year.

3) ..... Russia of ..... Czars was very different from ..... Russia of today.

4) Does ..... equality mean anything if it's applied to people?

5) Perhaps ..... bed is ..... most essential part of ..... furniture in ..... house.

6) ..... longer you stay in ..... England ..... better you should understand ..... mentality of ..... people.

7) ..... banks of ..... Seine in ..... Paris are better laid out than those of ..... Thames in ..... London.

8) She works as ..... usherette in ..... cinema in ..... London.

9) ..... London of Dickens’s time comes to ..... life in his books.

10) ..... wisdom does not always come with ..... age.

11) ..... applause at ..... end of ..... concert was deafening.

12) He swore to fulfill his life's ambition by ..... hook or by ..... crook.

13) ..... debris was scattered all over ..... road.

14) May I draw ..... attention to ..... discrepancy between your figures and ours?

15) ... captain never gives ..... order to abandon ..... ship until all ..... hope is lost

9959 views
updated Feb 27, 2011
edited by 00494d19
posted by 00494d19
¡Excelente Heidi, lo intentaré más tarde! - galsally, Feb 24, 2011
He pasado demasiado tiempo con el hilo de 'Amar', ahora me duele la cabeza. :/ - galsally, Feb 24, 2011
El uso de articulos en español aún me confunde, pero es un bueno ejercicio de todos modos La aregadecería si alguien puede darme las reglas. - BellaMargarita, Feb 24, 2011
I was looking over number 5 and 13, and (at least from my perspective) both of these could lead to two different but correctly worded sentence - Izanoni1, Feb 24, 2011
Number 15 appears even more troublesome in that I can think of at least four separate (English) sentences for #15 - Izanoni1, Feb 24, 2011
and the answers? - dewclaw, Feb 25, 2011

17 Answers

2
votes

La riqueza no siempre trae felicidad.smile

El tiempo está muy raro este año.smile

La Rusia de los zares era muy diferente a la Rusia de hoy.smile

¿Significa algo la igualdad si se la aplica a la gente?wink

Puede ser el mueble más importante de la casa sea la cama.confused

Cuanto más tiempo te quedas en Inglaterra, mejor entenderás la mentalidad de la gente.wink

Las orillas del Sena en Paris están mejores distribuidas que las del Támesis en Londres. smile

Es acomodadora en un cine en Londres.smile

El Londres de la época de Dickens cobra vida en sus libros. --perfecto! smile

La sabiduría no siempre llega con la edad.smile

El aplauso al final del concierto fue ensordecedor.--perfecto! smile

Juró cumplir la ambición de su vida por las buenas o por las malas. ---perfecto smile

Los restos estaban dispersos por toda la calle. ----perfecto smile

Permita que atraiga su atención a la discrepancia entre sus cifras y las nuestras. ----perfectosmile

Un capitán nunca da orden de abandonar el barco hasta que se haya perdido toda esperanza.wink

updated Feb 26, 2011
edited by 00494d19
posted by --Jen--
casi impecable, genial! and the winner iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis - 00494d19, Feb 26, 2011
¡bien hecho, Jenny! - galsally, Feb 26, 2011
6
votes

Thanks a lot for the exercise, Heidi! smile

1) Wealth does not always bring happiness.

2) The weather is very peculiar this year.

3) The Russia of the Czars was very different from the Russia of today.

4) Does equality mean anything if it's applied to people?

5) Perhaps the bed is the most essential part of furniture in the house.

6) The longer you stay in England the better you should understand the mentality of the people.

7) The banks of the Seine in Paris are better laid out than those of the Thames in London.

8) She works as an usherette in a cinema in London.

9) The London of Dickens’s time comes to life in his books.

10) Wisdom does not always come with age.

11) The applause at the end of the concert was deafening.

12) He swore to fulfill his life's ambition by hook or by crook.

13) Debris was scattered all over the road.

14) May I draw attention to the discrepancy between your figures and ours?

15) A captain never gives the order to abandon ship until all hope is lost.

updated Feb 25, 2011
edited by cogumela
posted by cogumela
es cuierto, tambien faltaba el sujeto en may I draw... - 00494d19, Feb 23, 2011
revisa, cogu, es artículo indefinido y definido;) - 00494d19, Feb 23, 2011
Aaah, Okay! :) - cogumela, Feb 23, 2011
Hi Laura - I think #6 is not quite correct (missing articles) - ian-hill, Feb 23, 2011
I would consider revising #5 and #6 - Izanoni1, Feb 23, 2011
I agree about #5 - ian-hill, Feb 23, 2011
Thank you both! :) - cogumela, Feb 23, 2011
You might consider going back over number 5 again. :) - Izanoni1, Feb 24, 2011
casi perfecto,. en 5, a o the house - 00494d19, Feb 25, 2011
In 5 you could also say a bed/a house - Izanoni1, Feb 25, 2011
2
votes
  1. La riqueza no siempre da la felicidadwink
  2. El tiempo es muy raro este añoconfused
  3. La Rusia del Czar fuera muy diferente de la Rusia de hoy en díawink
  4. ¿La igualdad significa algo si está aplicado a la gente o no?wink
  5. Quizá la cama es la parte más esencial de la casawink
  6. Cuanto más tiempo que te quedes en Inglaterra lo mejor entendrías la mentalidad de la gentewink
  7. Los bancos del Seine en París están mejores distribuidos que los del Thames en Londreswink
  8. Es una acomodadora en un cine en Londressmile
  9. El Londres del Tiempo de Dickens anima en sus librosconfused
  10. La sabiduría no siempre viene con la edadsmile
  11. Los aplausos al fin del concierto era ensordecedorwink
  12. Juró cumplir con su ambición de la vida sin importar quéwink
  13. Escombros estaban esparcidos por todo la carreterawink
  14. Puedo llamar la atención a la discrepancia entre tus dedos y nuetros?confused
  15. El capitán nunca da órdenes para evacuar el barco hasta que toda la esperanza se la pierde.wink
updated Feb 26, 2011
edited by 00494d19
posted by dewclaw
well done - 00494d19, Feb 25, 2011
2
votes

1) La riqueza no trae siempre consigo la felicidad.smile

2)
El clima es muy raro este año.confused (estar)

3) El Rusia de los zares era muy distinto al Rusia de hoy. wink

4)
¿Significa algo la igualidad si se las aplica a personas?wink

5) Quizá la cama es la parte más importante de los muebles en la casa.wink

6)
Cuanto más tiempo llevas en Inglaterra, mejor entendrías la mentalidad de la gente.wink

7)
Las orillas del Sena se sitúa mejor que las de Támesis en Londres.wink

8) Ella trabaja de acomodadora en un cine en Londres.smile

9)
El Londres de los tiempos de Dickens reviven en sus libros.wink

10)
La sabiduría no viene siempre con la edad.smile

11) El aplauso al cabo del concierto fue ensordecedor.smile

12)
Él juró cumplir su ambición de la vida, cueste lo que cueste.wink

13) .. Los escombros estaban esparcidos por toda la calle.smile

14)
¿Me permite llamar la atención a la discrepancia entre sus números y los mios?-----perfecto!! smile

15) El capitan nunca da el orden de abandonar el barco hasta que se haya perdido la esperanza.wink

updated Feb 26, 2011
edited by 00494d19
posted by Deanski
Ojala tuviera a lo menos una respuesta sin falla. - Deanski, Feb 24, 2011
Sí Deanski, pero dudo que vaya a ser la mía. ;s - galsally, Feb 25, 2011
hi dean, most of the mistakes, even though I accepted all your sentences, were due to subject - verb agreement, be careful with that. - 00494d19, Feb 26, 2011
2
votes

1) La riqueza no siempre da la felicidad.smile

2) . El tiempo is muy raro este año.confused (sorry, estar, in any case, it was not is, jeje

3) El Rusia de los zares fure muy diferente al Rusia actual.confused

4) La igualdad significa algo cuando es aplicado a personas?smile

5) Quizás la cama es el mueble el más importante en la casa.wink

6) Cuanto más tempo se queda en Inglaterra, más debería entender la mentalidad de la gente.smile

7) Las orillas del Sena en París fue planeadas mejor que las del Támesis.confused

8) Trabaja como acomodadora en un cine en Londres.smile

9) El Londres del tiempos de Dickens se anima en sus libros.wink

10) . La sabiduría no siempre acompaña los años.confused

11) Los aplausos al fin del concierto fueron ensordecedores. smile

12) Jura realizar sus sueños por las buenas o por las malas.wink

13) Los restos iban regados por toda la calle.wink

14) Permitame llamar atención sobre una discrepancia entre sus datos y nuestros.wink

15) El capitán no da nunca la orden de abandonar el barco hasta se ha perdido toda la esperanza.wink

updated Feb 26, 2011
edited by 00494d19
posted by lorenzo9
Los restos estaban regados por toda la calle. - LuisCache, Feb 23, 2011
Aahhhh! 'Se anima' - good one! - galsally, Feb 25, 2011
2
votes

1) Wealth does not always bring happiness.

2) The weather is very peculiar this year.

3) The Russia of the Czars was very different from the Russia of today.

4) Does equality mean anything if it's applied to people?

5) Perhaps the bed is the most essential part of the furniture in a house.

6) The longer you stay in England the better you should understand the mentality of people.

7) The banks of Seine in Paris are better laid out than those of the Thames in London.

8) She works as an usherette in the cinema in London.

9) The London of Dickens’s time comes to life in his books.

10) Wisdom does not always come with the age.

11) The applause at the end of the concert was deafening.

12) He swore to fulfill his life's ambition by the hook or by the crook.

13) The debris was scattered all over the road.

14) May I draw attention to the discrepancy between your figures and ours?

15) The captain never gives the order to abandon the ship until all the hope is lost

Thanks Heidi.

updated Feb 25, 2011
posted by Dakie
Great attempt: I would consider revising #7, #8, #10, #11 and #15. - Izanoni1, Feb 24, 2011
Look at number 12 too Dakie, especially as it's a 'frase hecha'. Well done though, this isn't easy! :) - galsally, Feb 25, 2011
Oops....I meant to write #12 and not #11 - Izanoni1, Feb 25, 2011
Oh thanks I'll check them. :) - Dakie, Feb 25, 2011
dakie, you never did check look at the answers at the end... - 00494d19, Feb 25, 2011
1
vote

Perfectly correct, Sally, good catch, Jenny had a lot of things to say too, jeje, I missed out on some sentences.

Está muy raro.....

Bueno, nadie es perfectoraspberry

updated Feb 27, 2011
posted by 00494d19
Gracias amiga mía. :) - galsally, Feb 27, 2011
1
vote

1) ..... wealth does not always bring ..... happiness.

La riqueza no siempre trae la felicidad.smile

2) ..... weather is very peculiar this year.

El tiempo está muy raro este año.confused

3) ..... Russia of ..... Czars was very different from ..... Russia of today.

  • La Rusia de los zares era muy diferente de la Rusia hoy en día.*wink (articles!!)

4) Does ..... equality mean anything if it's applied to people?

¿Significa algo la igualidad si se los aplica a los seres humanos?wink

5) Perhaps ..... bed is ..... most essential part of ..... furniture in ..... house.

Quizás la cama sea la parte más importante de los muebles en casa.smile

6) ..... longer you stay in ..... England ..... better you should understand ..... mentality of ..... people.

Cuanto más permaneces en inglaterra, más comprenderías la mentalidad de la gente.wink

7) ..... banks of ..... Seine in ..... Paris are better laid out than those of ..... Thames in ..... London.

Las orillas del Sena en Paris son mejor diseñadas que las del Támesis en Londres.--perfecto smile

8) She works as ..... usherette in ..... cinema in ..... London.

Trabaja de acomodadora en un cine en Londres.smile

9) ..... London of Dickens’s time comes to ..... life in his books.

Londres en la época de Dickens aparece vívido en sus libros. (No idea about 'comes to life, de verdad!)confused

10) ..... wisdom does not always come with ..... age.

La sabiduría no siempre llega con la madurez.-----perfecto! smile

11) ..... applause at ..... end of ..... concert was deafening.

El aplauso al terminar del concierto fue ensordecedor.wink

12) He swore to fulfill his life's ambition by ..... hook or by ..... crook.

Juró cumplir la ambición de su vida por todos los métodos necesarios.wink

13) ..... debris was scattered all over ..... road.

Los escombros se esparcieron por todo la calle.wink

14) May I draw ..... attention to ..... discrepancy between your figures and ours?

A ver si puedo llamar su atención sobre una discrepancia entre sus cifras y las nuestras --perfecto pero sin interrogativos smile

15) ... captain never gives ..... order to abandon ..... ship until all ..... hope is lost

Un capitán nunca da la orden para abandonar el barco hasta que se pierda toda esperanza.-perfecto! smile

That was rather difficult! - No pain no gain ^.^

updated Feb 27, 2011
edited by galsally
posted by galsally
I overcomplicated the simplest one. :/ - galsally, Feb 26, 2011
1
vote

I was just going to correct my 'weather' question - but should it be 'ser' or 'estar'? I notice both versions have smiley faces.

El tiempo es muy raro este año smile

El tiempo está muy raro este año. smile

Or is it like the marriage thing and said differently in Spain as opposed to other areas?

updated Feb 26, 2011
posted by galsally
1
vote

I think that without further context, sentences 5, 13, 14 and 15 could all lead to more than one correct answer:

5) Perhaps ..... bed is ..... most essential part of ..... furniture in ..... house.

? Perhaps a bed is the most essential part of furniture in a house.
? Perhaps the bed is the most essential part of furniture in the house.

13) ..... debris was scattered all over ..... road.

? Debris was scattered all over the road.
? The debris was scattered all over the road.

14) May I draw attention to ..... discrepancy between your figures and ours?

? May I draw attention to the discrepancy between your figures and ours?
?May I draw attention to a discrepancy between your figures and ours?

(Using "a" could imply that there may be more than one discrepancy involved)

15) ... captain never gives ..... order to abandon ..... ship until all ..... hope is lost

? A captain never gives an order to abandon ship until all hope is lost.
? A captain never gives the order to abandon a ship until all hope is lost.
? A captain never gives the order to abandon ship until all hope is lost.
? The captain never gives an order to abandon ship until all hope is lost.
? The captain never gives the order to abandon ship until all hope is lost.
? The captain never gives an order to abandon the ship until all hope is lost.

Any of these would be acceptable sentences (but would for the most part would entail slightly different meanings). The reason for so much variation is that both "give the order" and "abandon ship" as they might be used here are idiomatic expressions; however, this does not preclude the use of articles in either case.

The sentence in number 12 also includes a very common idiomatic expression, "by hook or by crook." Although this is probably by far the most common phrasing of this expression, you can also find examples where the definite article is employed with the expression. Interestingly enough, of the two, the original expression as attributed to Oliver Cromwell followed the latter form: By the hook or by the crook we will be victorious tonight.

updated Feb 26, 2011
edited by Izanoni1
posted by Izanoni1
I agree Iza, however I think in the 'abandon ship' scenario your sentence number 5 is most likely to be heard. Which do you prefer? - galsally, Feb 26, 2011
oh, now I'm torn though because 3 is pretty much equal to my ears! - galsally, Feb 26, 2011
oh, but the hook or the crook, never saw that before----iinteresting. - 00494d19, Feb 26, 2011
by the way, why didn't you do this one? - 00494d19, Feb 26, 2011
same iin Spanish by the way, several answers were possible - 00494d19, Feb 26, 2011
@Heidita....I started to, but kept getting interrupted (on four separate occasions), so I just gave up on it. - Izanoni1, Feb 26, 2011
@galsally...I don't really have a preference, but I do think that context might play a part in which might be more appropriate. For example, if you are speaking of a specific captain you would likely never start with "a captain;" however, if the captain - Izanoni1, Feb 26, 2011
were the one doing the speaking I think that it would be more likely to hear "a captain" for instance in a scolding tone as if to remind the listener of his position. For example, if someone were to say to him: "Captain, we have to abandon ship!"... - Izanoni1, Feb 26, 2011
..."Not on your life! A captain never...." - Izanoni1, Feb 26, 2011
1
vote

I'll do the English part too if you like wink

updated Feb 25, 2011
posted by lorenzo9
1
vote

Nobody wants to do this one? big surprise

menos mal que tenemos a coguwink

updated Feb 25, 2011
posted by 00494d19
0
votes

Translations:

1.La riqueza no siempre da felicidad/no siempre hace feliz.

2.El tiempo está muy raro este año

3.La Rusia de los Zares era muy diferente a la Rusia de hoy en día

4.¿Significa "igualdad" algo si se aplica a personas?

5.Quizá sea la cama la parte más esencial del mobiliario de la casa

6.Cuanto más tiempo te quedes en Inglaterra tanto mejor deberías entender la mentalidad de la gente

7.Las orillas del Sena en París están mejores trazadas que las del Támesis en Londres

8.Es acomodadora en un cine en/de Londres

9.El Londres de de los tiempos de Dickens se revive en sus libros.

10.No siempre se adquiere sabiduría con la edad.

11.Los aplausos al final del/al acabar el concierto eran ensordecedores

12.Juró que iba a cumplir su ambición de la vida costara lo que costara.

13.Los escombros estaban esparcidos por toda la carretera

14.¿ Me permite señalar la discrepancia entre sus cifras y las nuestras?

15.El/un capitán nunca da la orden de abandonar el barco a no ser que se haya perdido toda esperanza.

updated Feb 26, 2011
edited by 00494d19
posted by 00494d19
0
votes

Look at your posts, if you have any questions about an individual sentence or phrase, let me know, also those who have not answered here can ask of coursewink

I have accepted all those sentences which were comprehensible.

Sally, in your sentence for example:

Hace tiempo ......

the corrrect form was hace un tiempo.

Hace tiempo = a long time ago

Hace un tiempo = some time ago, the weather is....

updated Feb 26, 2011
posted by 00494d19
Ah, that was just me getting in a holy pickle, Heidi! Hace viento, hace sol - my poor brain says pues.. hace tiempo lol! Me voy a acordar este punto. :) - galsally, Feb 26, 2011
0
votes

I am correcting each post individually this time.

smile = correct

wink = maybe a mistake but ok

confused = wrong tense or not comprehensible

updated Feb 25, 2011
posted by 00494d19