Can someone proofread this short paragraph on home decorating?

Question

Here is the short article I wrote: Para la oficina, es importante que cree (to create - crear in formal command form) una biblioteca en su oficina porque los bibliotecas son muy bonitas.

Para las cortinas, es malo que mezcla los patrones porque se ve fea, pero es buen que mezcla los colors brilliantes y oscuras porque se ve muy bonito.

Para lograr feng shui (the Chinese art of aesthetics), es importante que arregle los muebles para crear la ilusión de más espacio.

I'm particularly interested in any grammar tips.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Para la oficina, es importante que cree (to create - crear in formal command form) una biblioteca en su casa porque los las bibliotecas son muy bonitas.

...that you create... is not a command here, but it is subjunctive form.

Para las cortinas, es malo que mezcla los patrones porque se ve fea, pero es buen que mezcla los colors brilliantes y oscuras porque se ve muy bonito.

es malo, es bueno are value judgment expression like es importante in your 1st sentence so the subjunctive mood (mezcle) is used after them (you aren't declaring the subordinate clause) colores...oscuros

grammar tip

Since the doer of the creating, mixing, arranging is not important (you or the owners) I would suggest that you use passive voice. (passive se)

It's important that the furniture is arranged so that... rather than It is important that you arrange the furniture.....

Thanks for the tips. I think I'm going to go with subjunctive now. - Harman_M, Oct 12, 2010

Answer 2

After the phrases like "es bueno que" and "es malo que" I think you need to go with the subjunctive i.e., "es bueno que mezclen" and don't forget that cortinas is plural so the verb has to agree (hence mezclen). Also remember that you're referring to a plural thing when you said "se ve" so it has to be "se ven" , right? Los muebles is plural so it's got to be arreglen. In Spanish everything's got to agree and there are certain times that you've got to use the subjuctive and those concepts are very different than English and that's why native English speakers have problems even after years of living in latin america and studying the language.

In this case, the article is to be directed at a friend of my parents. So I was using ustedes formal commands. - Harman_M, Oct 12, 2010

Answer 3

Para la oficina, es importante crear una biblioteca ya que las bibliotecas son muy bonitas.

Para las cortinas no es conveniente mezclar los patrones porque no queda bien, pero sí combinar los colores brillantes con los oscuros, el resultado siempre es bueno.

Si se quiere lograr un efecto de "feng shui" es importante organizar los muebles para crear la ilusión de más espacio.

Answer 4

Should I be using feas, bonitos, bonitas, or just fea, bonito, and bonita?