Question

The Body Part 2

Grammar Hunches: Adverbs - Mente (Practice) Active
Prompt
Now that you have worked through a lot of material that includes these basic patterns, and you have compared grammatically correct and incorrect sentences, write down what you think is a rule that could explain what makes a sentence grammatically correct or not. For example, you might write something like: "verbs always match nouns in number, and they usually come before the noun." In other words, make your best guess for the grammar rule that makes sense out of the pattern(s) you see in the phrases you have been working with. Review if you need to, and you might briefly check your hunches against the sentences you have been working with in this or previous modules. Keep in mind that what you're after is your hunch, not a grammar rule from a text book. Now check your hunch with the explanation of this principle in the following pattern.

Answer 1

The general rule for adverbs is that they must match the verb they modify in terms of tense and number. In other words, adverbs must be conjugated to fit the verb they modify. For example, the present tense conjugation of the adverb 'mente' is 'menten', and it must be used with the present tense verb 'practice' to make it grammatically correct, as in 'Practice Activemente'. This rule also applies to other adverbs, such as 'aprenda' (learn), 'escuche' (listen), and 'escriba' (write).

Answer 2

My hunch is that the adverb "mente" is used to modify adjectives and indicates the manner or way in which something is done. It is added to the feminine singular form of the adjective. For example, the adjective "rápido" (fast) becomes "rápidamente" (quickly). I also suspect that this pattern follows the general rule that adverbs usually come after the verb they modify in Spanish.

After reviewing the examples, I think my hunch is correct. The adverb "mente" is added to the feminine singular form of the adjective, and it modifies the adjective to indicate the way or manner in which the action is done. Additionally, the adverb usually comes after the verb it modifies. For example, "Habló claramente" (He spoke clearly) and "Caminamos lentamente" (We walked slowly).