Spanish · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 2 of 12
Opinions and reasons
Opiniones y razones
Give and defend your opinion in Spanish: creo que and no creo que with the subjunctive, reasons with porque, como and así que, and polite disagreement.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Give your opinion with creo que and pienso que
- Say what you don't think with no creo que + the present subjunctive
- Give reasons and results with porque, como, así que and por eso
- Agree and disagree politely
Listen
Over lunch in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Diego and his colleague Leire talk about the council's plan to close the city centre to cars. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Diego
Leire, ¿has visto la noticia? El ayuntamiento quiere cerrar el centro a los coches.
Leire, have you seen the news? The council wants to close the centre to cars.
Leire
Sí, la he leído esta mañana. Creo que es una idea excelente.
Yes, I read it this morning. I think it's an excellent idea.
Diego
¿Tú crees? Pues yo no creo que sea buena idea.
Do you think so? Well, I don't think it's a good idea.
Leire
¿Por qué no? En muchas ciudades funciona muy bien.
Why not? It works very well in lots of cities.
Diego
Porque mucha gente vive lejos y necesita el coche para venir a trabajar. Y no creo que las tiendas vendan más sin coches.
Because lots of people live far away and need the car to come to work. And I don't think the shops will sell more without cars.
Leire
Yo pienso lo contrario. Como la gente camina más, compra más en las tiendas del barrio.
I think the opposite. As people walk more, they buy more in the local shops.
Diego
Puede ser. Pero no hay suficientes autobuses, así que mucha gente no tiene otra opción.
Maybe. But there aren't enough buses, so lots of people have no other option.
Leire
En eso tienes razón. El ayuntamiento tiene que poner más autobuses antes de cerrar el centro.
You're right about that. The council has to put on more buses before it closes the centre.
Diego
Exacto. Por eso digo que ahora no es el momento.
Exactly. That's why I say that now isn't the time.
Leire
No estoy de acuerdo. Si esperamos, nunca va a cambiar nada.
I don't agree. If we wait, nothing will ever change.
Diego
Bueno, es verdad que en el centro hay demasiado tráfico.
Well, it's true that there's too much traffic in the centre.
Leire
¿Ves? Al final vas a estar de acuerdo conmigo.
See? In the end you're going to agree with me.
Understand
The present subjunctive
Spanish has a second set of present-tense forms, the “present subjunctive” (). It isn't a tense for another time. It's used after certain expressions, when a sentence is about doubt, wishes or feelings rather than plain facts. You'll meet these expressions one by one in B1.
You already know how to make it, because it's built like the imperative (A2). Take the form of the present, drop the -o and swap the vowel: -ar verbs take -e, -er and -ir verbs take -a. Irregular forms carry over: → , → , → . Stem changes work as in the present: , but .
| Person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / | ||||
| / | ||||
| / | ||||
| / / |
Creo que… / No creo que…
After and (I think that…), use the normal present, the “indicative”: . When you say you don't think something, the verb after goes into the subjunctive: (I don't think it's a good idea). The same happens with .
Six common verbs have irregular subjunctive forms. You know most of them from the imperative.
| Infinitive | Subjunctive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (I don't think it's a good idea.) | ||
| (I don't think it's going to rain.) | ||
| (I don't think he's at home.) | ||
| (I don't think there are any buses.) | ||
| (I don't think she knows.) | ||
| (I don't think he'll give me the day off.) |
Giving reasons, agreeing and disagreeing
(because) usually comes after the main idea. (as, since) goes at the start of the sentence: . and (so, that's why) introduce a result. To react to someone's opinion, use the phrases below.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| … | because… |
| … | as…, since… (at the start of a sentence) |
| … / … | so…, that's why… |
| I agree. | |
| I don't agree. | |
| You're right. | |
| Maybe. / Could be. | |
| It depends. |
More in the grammar: The present subjunctive: que sea, que tenga · Discourse markers: sin embargo, por lo tanto, o sea
New words
- la noticiapiece of news, news story · feminine; : the news
- el ayuntamientotown council, city council; town hall · masculine
- ¿Tú crees?Do you think so? · from : , , …
- la tiendashop · feminine; : the local shops
- venderto sell
- sinwithout · : without cars
- lo contrariothe opposite
- caminarto walk
- suficienteenough · : there aren't enough buses
- la opciónoption, choice · feminine; plural:
- tener razónto be right · : you're right about that
- antes debefore …ing · + infinitive: , before closing
- estar de acuerdoto agree · : to agree with someone
- demasiado / demasiadatoo much; too many (demasiados / demasiadas) · before an adjective it doesn't change:
Practise
1.Complete: “No creo que … buena idea.”
2.Complete with the subjunctive of : “I don't think the shops will sell more.”
I don't think the shops will sell more.
3.Complete with : “I think you're right.”
I think you're right.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I don't think it's a good idea.
5.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Which word fits at the start? “… la gente camina más, compra más.”
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
No creo que sea buena idea.
I don't think it's a good idea.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.