Do you know how to say “I like Spanish language ” or “I feel like learning more about Valencia” in Spanish? If not, read the post below to learn it 😉
In the previous post of our Spanish school El Rincón del Tándem, we have analyzed several types of constructions: reciprocal, reflective and reflective impersonal. So, today we continue exploring this topic, explaining the evaluative construction.
Evaluative constructions are syntactic structures that consist of two elements. The first is a subject (S) that produces a reaction, emotion, feeling expressed by the verb. The second is an indirect object (IO) that refers to the person on which this reaction occurs.
Verbs
Evaluative constructions work with verbes like gustar (to like), apetecer (to feel like), doler (to hurt), molestar (to bother), preocupar (to worry), etc.
A mí me gusta el fútbol = I like soccer
A mí (IO) – fútbol (S)
¿No te interesa saber qué pasará luego? =Are you not interested in knowing what will happen next?
Te (IO) – saber (S)
A María le duele mucho el estómago = Maria’s stomach hurts a lot
A María (IO) – el estómago (S)
In case the construction contains more subjects (nouns and/or infinitive verbs) the verb is in the plural when the noun in the plural is closer than the infinite to the verb.
Verb in the singular:
Me gusta leer novelas = I like reading novels
Me gusta el deporte y hacer excursiones = I like sport and hiking
Verb in the plural:
Me molestan los ruidos y escuchar los gritos de los vecinos = Noises and neighbours shouting bother me
Me encantan los regalos e ir de compras = I love very much presents and go shopping
Verbs + adj/noun/adv
In some cases, you can find a combination of verb + adjective / noun or adverb to express the reaction or feeling produced by the subject. For instance:
DAR + miedo, igual, risa, rabia, etc.
PARECER + raro, bien, estupendo, maravilloso, etc.
CAER + bien, fatal, etc.
Examples:
Me dan miedo las medusas = I’m afraid of jellyfish
Me parece raro cenar temprano = Having dinner early seems weird to me
¿A ti no te cae bien Paola, verdad? = You do not like Paola, do you?
We hope that this post will help you to expand your knowledge of Spanish grammar.
Stay tuned with our Spanish school blog to keep improving your language skills!
Have a nice week!
