Fem/Masc agreement

Question

"Guarda las piezas que son recogidos primeros en la area de envio."

This sentence is looking pretty goofy to me, but it was approved this way by a Spanish teacher. I think it should be "recogidos primero" (agreement on the verb, not on 'primero'). Is that right? Also, isn't 'area' feminine, but written "el area" when it is singular'

Answer 1

It does contain mistakes. Piezas should agree with the participle recogidas (fem., pl.). Primero here looks to me to be an adverb, which would not take number or gender. And you are correct about área taking el.

I'm assuming the intended meaning is "Save the pieces that are collected first in the area of shipment/consignment/etc.," although I confess that I don't really understand what that means.

The Spanish should be "Guarda las piezas que son recogidas primero en el área de envío." Note the accent marks.

If the intended meaning is "the pieces first collected," I think it would be "las piezas que son las primeras recogidas."

Answer 2

Maybe I'm too old fashioned, but I wouldn't have said "son recogidas" here (even though it is not wrong).

Guarda las piezas que se recogen primero en el área de envío

Answer 3

Good rule of thumb: 99% of native speakers cannot write their own language well, do not spell well, and do not fully understand the grammar of their language.

Translators are a dime a dozen, but good ones are a rare commodity. The fact that you realize that fluency alone does not a translator make, means that you are fairly sophisticated about the topic. Sounds like you should trust yourself a bit more!

Answer 4

Thanks so much, guys! I appreciate it. I'm kind of at a loss here - I consider myself fluent, but not qualified to translate to a native level, so I asked someone who claims that they can do that. And yet, here I am, finding errors all over their work! How do you judge the qualification of translators when, here in Los Angeles, we are surrounded by so-called "native" speakers? Ah well, maybe that's a question for another forum...

Answer 5

HI Calvo, go with James suggestion,it is the only correct one.

this teacher should really revise her texts. I mean.. there are five mistakes in that sentence.

Answer 6

I think the primeros is right, but you are right about área, at least from what I hear. Área is feminine, but takes a masculine article in the singular, same as agua.