Ch 42 · Lesson 17Spanish · Chapter 42 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
Connectors of result: así que, por eso, por lo tanto
for a chat, for an essay, ... for so... that, and , the one result connector that takes the subjunctive.
The short version
for a chat, for an essay
, .
Why?Hide
, and all introduce a result, and all take the indicative. What changes is the register: is everyday speech, works almost anywhere, and consiguiente belong in essays and reports. (hence) is the odd one out: it takes the subjunctive.
Result: así que, por eso, por lo tanto
The result family says what followed. All of it takes the indicative; the choice is how formal you want to sound:
- así queso
- por esothat’s why
- por lo tantotherefore
- por consiguienteconsequently
| Connector | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
, . | I was late, so I missed the train. | |
, . | I was tired; that's why I left. | |
; , . | No money; therefore, we wait. | |
| consiguiente | ; consiguiente, . | Nobody came; consequently, it was cancelled. |
is everywhere in speech and fine in an email; in an essay, reads better. sits in the middle and works almost anywhere.
Result can also be built into the sentence with ... (so... that):
.- I was so tired that I fell asleep.
Hence: de ahí que + subjunctive
One result connector breaks the indicative rule. (hence, which is why) takes the subjunctive in standard Spanish, and it belongs to formal Spanish:
; .- He's ill; hence he isn't coming.; .- He doesn't sleep well; hence he's tired.
Going further: Connectors at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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