Todo tipo de...

Question

The sentence that got me thinking is "Me encantan todo tipo de bailes."

Am I right in thinking that "todo tipo de", as an adjectival phrase, is invariable? Therefore, it is wrong to write "Me encantan todos tipos de baile", making todo into an adjective of tipo.

This is counter intuitive for English speakers as we think the "kind" should be made into plural and "dance" in the singular and invariable.

Other examples:

I have tried all kinds of pill, and none of them worked. I have tried every type of pill, and none of them worked.

Interesting, isn't it??

Answer 1

Hi pibosan:

You are right, but the sentence should read, actually

Me encanta todo tipo de bailes

because the main noun is tipo, not bailes

That's what got me thinking, cogumela, because I expected it to be encanta. But unless it was a typo in the book, it definitely said "entcantan". - Pibosan, Nov 13, 2011

Me encantan todos tipos de baile, is wrong? - macapi, Nov 13, 2011

Sí, macapi: Me encantan todos "los" tipos de baile. - cogumela, Nov 13, 2011

Pibosan: it must be a typo, indeed. - cogumela, Nov 13, 2011

Gracias - macapi, Nov 13, 2011

Answer 2

Hello everyone!

I asked my teacher and she said that "todo tipo de" is a qualifier and is invariable. So the "encantan" agrees with "bailes" instead. I have to say I don't find this very logical, although I accept that languages and grammar are NOT necessarily logical.

Would any native Spanish speaker like to comment?

Is your teacher a native Spanish speaker? - billygoat, Nov 17, 2011

Indeed. She is from Galicia. Her English isn't that fluent but we understand her well enough. - Pibosan, Nov 17, 2011

very interesting. So you would expect her to be correct here then? Im confused now, are we saying Me encanta or Me encantan is correct? - billygoat, Nov 17, 2011

The plural form is correct: me encantan todo tipo de bailes. - Pibosan, Nov 19, 2011

Answer 3

I like the qualifier (actually I would say quantifier) description a lot more than the adverbial one, but I disagree with both.

Me encantan ..¿qué? .... todo tipo de bailes..a noun phrase

within that phrase:

bailes is a noun, object of a prepositional phrase...adjectival prepositional phrase because it modiifes tipo a noun. todo is an adjective because it also modifies a noun (tipo).

I see nothing adverbial about the noun phrase.

I am enchanted by what? ......types

what kind of types? ....types of dance

how many types?.....all types

All you need do is look up tipo in the dictionary. It is a noun. No other uses as another part of speech are listed.

Answer 4

This is above my head, but after spending two days thinking about Venezuelan wasp stings and being kicked in the **** by donkeys, I actually think the original sentence seems fine, it's short and understandable, why fuss' Me encantan todos tipos de baile' actually, to me, a humbe beginner, seems quite ok. It's only a matter of a letter or two, compare that to the Venezuelan gorillas...LOL

Sorry, I used a donkey word for bottom, it was not allowed. - annierats, Nov 17, 2011

Hey, communication is the name of the game. If we both understand each other, so what if we are both wrong. - 0074b507, Nov 17, 2011

Donkeys don't kick, do they Annie?? - territurtle, Nov 17, 2011

Mm, it's best to watch them carefully,turtle dear, they don't always look where they are going.. - annierats, Nov 18, 2011

Answer 5

Thanks qfreed. I meant to say adjectival not adverbial.

I have been reading about "todo" in the Butt & Benjamin. It said that "after "tipo de" and similar phrases such as "clase de, género de", countable nouns are usually made plural:

¿Por qué hacen los hombres este tipo de cosas?

Perhaps this is just that but with "todo" added.

I think to save time and brain capacity, I will in future just memorise that "todo tipo de" is followed by nouns in the plural and the verb agrees accordingly. I have wasted too much time on trying to unravel such a small point.

countable and uncountable was my suspicion about the number of what follows the de. I'm glad that you researched it , because I have often questioned it but never looked it up. Now all I have to do is sear it into my brain. - 0074b507, Nov 17, 2011