Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal

blouse this morning.
What did Alice buy this afternoon?
When did you buy the house?
Where is my hat?
Are you going to be in Cuba tomorrow? (Is he, she going to be in Cuba tomorrow?)
I’m going to the movies tonight.
I’m going to have dinner on the train.
Who is going to buy the tickets?

la fábrica
    a a comprar” is a third man form and means:
you are going to buy
are you going to buy?
he is going to buy
is he going to buy?
she is going to buy
is she going to buy?
    In fact, it refers to anybody (singular) in the world except yourself.
    When pupils reach this point they often ask, “How do you know who’s going to buy, if it can mean so many different persons?” The answer is that people always know the subject of their conversation. If they are talking about Charles, it obviously means that Charles is going to buy. If they are talking about Mary, it means that Mary is going to buy, and so on.
    In Spanish you always establish the subject of conversation and continue to talk in the third man form indefinitely. Everyone knows that if you are talking about Charles, everything you say is about Charles, although you don’t mention him again. Then,when you want to change the subject, you mention somebody else. For example, “Is Mary going to San Francisco too?” This starts a whole conversation about Mary.
    One day, one of my pupils asked a Mexican visitor, “How do you know what you’re talking about?” The Mexican smiled and answered, “Señorita, Mexicans always know what they’re talking about, don’t Americans?”
¿ Va a comprar la casa?
Are you going to buy the house?
¿ Va a comprar la casa su papá?
Is your father going to buy the house?
    Notice that the two questions above are identical except that the words “su papá” have been added to the second. This word order is used when asking about a third person in the future.
    EXAMPLES :
¿ Va a comprar un sombrero?
Are you going to buy a hat?
¿ Va a comprar un sombrero su mamá?
Is your mother going to buy a hat?
¿ Va a estacionar el auto?
Are you going to park the car?
¿ Va a estacionar el auto Roberto?
Is Robert going to park the car?
¿ Va a tomar un taxi?
Are you going to take a taxi?
¿ Va a tomar un taxi María?
Is Mary going to take a taxi?
WORDS TO REMEMBER
la universidad,
the university
mañana,
tomorrow
la fábrica,
the factory
cudndo,
when
Carlos,
Charles
probablemente,
probably
que,
what
 
    TRABAJAR,
to work
     TRABAJÉ,
I worked

NO TRABAJÉ,
I didn’t work

¿ TRABAJÓ USTED?
Did you work?
    Voy a trabajar.
I’m going to work
    ¿ Va a trabajar Carlos?
Is Charles going to work?
CONVERSACIÓN
    ¿ Va a trabajar mañana?
    Sí, voy a trabajar mañana.
    ¿ Dónde va a trabajar?
    Voy a trabajar en la universidad.
    ¿ Va a trabajar mañana el profesor?
    Sí, el profesor va a trabajar mañana.
    ¿ Dónde va a trabajar el profesor?
    El profesor va a trabajar en la universidad.
    ¿ Va a trabajar mañana su papá?
    Sí, papá va a trabajar mañana.
    ¿ Dónde va a trabajar su papá?
    Papá va a trabajar en la oficina.
    ¿ Va a trabajar está tarde el doctor?
    Sí, el doctor va a trabajar esta tarde.
    ¿ Dónde va a trabajar el doctor?
    El doctor va a trabajar en el hospital.
    ¿ Va a trabajar mañana Carlos?
    Sí, Carlos va a trabajar mañana.
    ¿ Dónde va a trabajar Carlos?
    Carlos va a trabajar en la fábrica.
    ¿ Dónde va a trabajar María?
    María va a trabajar en casa.
    ¿ Va a comprar una casa su papá?
    Sí, papá va a comprar una casa.
    ¿ Va a comprar una casa en San Francisco?
    No, no va a comprar una casa en San Francisco.
    ¿ Dónde va a comprar la casa?
    Va a comprar la casa en Santa Barbara.
    ¿ Cuándo va a comprar la casa?
    Va a comprar la casa mañana.
    ¿ Va a comprar una casa su mamá?
    No, no va a comprar una casa.
    ¿ Qué va a comprar su mamá?
    Va a comprar un sombrero y un suéter para papá.
    ¿ Va a comprar una blusa?
    Sí, probablemente va a comprar una blusa.
¿ Compró usted un radio?
¿ Compró usted una