Doubt on verbs
First of all I would like to thank you for this website, it is very useful for learning Spanish, I am really happy for this, I am from Brazil, my name is Tiago and I am a new student in this website, I thank God for you.
My doubt is about one sentence:
El hecho de Jesús haber camino sobre las aguas fue registrado en los Evangelios de Mateo, Marcos y Lucas.
I would like to know if the correct way would be "haber caminado" rather than "haber camino." what is the correct?
please, help me!
thank you....
4 Answers
Olá, Tiago,
You are right, this sounds definitely wrong:
El hecho de Jesús haber camino sobre las aguas fue registrado...
Alternatives I can think of:
El hecho de Jesús caminando sobre las aguas fue....
El hecho de que Jesús caminó sobre las aguas fue....
El hecho de que Jesús hubiera caminado sobre las aguas fue...
El hecho de Jesús haber camino sobre las aguas fue registrado en los Evangelios de Mateo, Marcos y Lucas.
The first clause doesn´t make sense. I would say "El hecho de que Jesús había caminado ............................................" This structure indicates that the walking was completed before the recounting of it while both actions have their individual conjugations of past.
I would just use "caminó" without the haber personally. I don't know why it isn't conjugated though (why it isn't ha caminado). "Haber camino" would be like saying "there is a path," which makes sense, but not in this context. I agree, therefor, that "caminado" is definitely the correct choice.
I would go for Cogumela's last example,El hecho de que Jesús hubiera caminado sobre las aguas fue... because we cannot be sure of this, therefore it's in the subjunctive.. This one suits, at least those of us without a firm faith.
Also, I'm certain that Cogumela is a native speaker! Always pay attention to the natives.
