Using "el" before stating something
Why is "el" used in these sentences: "Nuestro enfoque es el de obtener los nombres." "Estos problemas incluyen el decidir qué materiales utilizar para un proyecto, el resolver desacuerdos con otros niños o el compartir con otros niños."
It doesn't seem like "el" means "the". So what does it mean? Thank you in advance!
2 Answers
Those "el"s are Relative Pronouns. They refer back to "enfoque" in the first sentence, and to "problema" in the second.
Our focus is (the focus) to get the names. Or more natural: Our focus is that of getting names...
These problems include (the problem) to decide which materials to use, (the problem) to resolve disagreements... Or more natural: These problems include that of deciding which materials to use, that of resolving disagreements...
We may say in English:
That isn't the bank where I deposited my money.
Ese no es el banco en el que deposité mi dinero.
That is not the bank in which I deposited my money. (This is how I now talk in English since I've learned Spanish. lol)
I don't like how it sounds/looks the first sentence by itself. To me, if you use the sentence alone, it should not have the "el de." It would only be: Nuestro enfonque es obtener los nombres. On the second sentence, those verbs, decidir, resolver y compartir are treated as subjects or sustantivos and that is why they have the article "el" in front. They sound about right.
