Stylistic uses of tenses
Historic present, polite imperfect, future and conditional of probability.
| Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| historic present | Colón llega a América en 1492. | vivid narration of history |
| present as a command | Tú te callas y me escuchas. | stern order: «You'll be quiet and listen» |
| polite imperfect | Quería pedirle un favor. | softened request: «I wanted to ask…» |
| imperfect of play / dreams | Yo era el rey y tú eras el dragón. | imaginary scenario |
| future of probability | Tendrá unos cincuenta años. | guess about the present |
| concessive future | Será muy listo, pero es antipático. | «he may well be…, but» |
| conditional of probability | Serían las tres. | guess about the past |
| journalistic conditional | El ministro habría dimitido. | unconfirmed report |
- ¿Dónde está Luis? – Estará durmiendo.Where's Luis? – He's probably asleep.
- Venía a preguntarle por el piso.I was calling to ask you about the flat.
Test yourself
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What does «Serán las cinco» express?
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a guess: it must be about five -
What does «Será rico, pero no es feliz» mean?
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He may be rich, but he isn't happy. -
What is the «presente histórico»?
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the present used for past events in a narrative -
Rephrase «El presidente habría aceptado» in neutral style.
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Según fuentes, el presidente ha aceptado / Al parecer…