Can two conjugated verbs be right next to each other?

Question

I am filling in a packet for my AP Spanish class (it is quite correct) and the page I am working on is a fill in the blank paragraph section. The verb in parentheses next to the blank must be conjugated correctly, choosing the appropriate tense (from all tenses). The sentence reads:

 Cuando colgó [el teléfono] lo primero que [él] _____ fue: ... (decir).

My mom is a native speaker and she thinks "dijo" should go in the blank, and I really want to agree. But I always thought two verbs could not be conjugated right next to each other. Any help?

It is Spanish... You can use even more than two verbal forms... - -cae-, Apr 15, 2012

Answer 1

It's true that you wouldn't have two conjugated verbs for the same subject, but your sentence actually has two subjects, each with its own verb -- just as Whig was saying. "The first thing he said" is one phrase. That entire phrase is the subject for the verb "was."

Answer 2

Your mom is correct.

Thank you! - linabeena95, Apr 15, 2012

Answer 3

Yes, your mom is correct.

What I believe that you are thinking about is something like this:

No puede regresar hasta mañana. - I can't come back until tomorrow.

Since puede is conjugated, you do not conjugate regresar. In this way you don't use two conjugated verbs next to each other.

Is this what you were thinking? Let us know if you need further clarification.

it was, thanks! - linabeena95, Apr 18, 2012

Answer 4

To go into a bit more detail (and with the disclaimer that I may not know what I'm talking about), I believe the rule about conjugated verbs is that you generally only have one per clause, so the reason "dijo" is okay here is that it's part of the restrictive clause "que dijo."

good catch whig!!!! - HowardO, Apr 16, 2012

Answer 5

Hi Leena,

I'll give you a phrase containing a few conjugated verbs close to one another:

Cuando colgó el teléfono suspiró profundamente, me miró, se sentó en la silla y lo primero que escuché que me dijo fue: "Tu hermano está grave en el hospital".

Answer 6

"Cuando colgó, lo primero que dijo fue 'Hurra!'"

Perfectamente bien contestado!

De hecho hay tres verbos conjugados: colgó, dijo y fue.

"Cuando colgó, lo primero que dijo fue 'Hurra!'"

Sujeto: lo primero que dijo (el sujeto es una oración).

Verbo principal: fue.

Complemento nominal: Hurra!

Complemento circunstancial: cuando colgó.

Answer 7

Cuando colgó [el teléfono] lo primero que [él] _____ fue: ... (decir). - When he hung up the telephone the first (thing) that he said was:

The "que él dijo" .... "that he said" refers to the action of he speaking.

The "fue" ... "was" refers to the subject of what he said.

If you replace "fue" with "ser" then the sentence doesn't make any sense because there are two subjects each requiring a conjugated verb.

JMO as a non-native speaker.

Answer 8

yes. you can have two verbs next to each other

You can't have two conjugated verbs for the same sentence or subject. - babs_irish, Apr 16, 2012