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Intermediate Spanish Review Lesson 26 Probability and possibility in the past Posted by on Feb 25, 2014 in Learning, Spanish Grammar, Spanish Vocabulary, Videos

¡Hola! ¿Cómo estáis?

Hoy vamos a practicar hablar sobre probabilidad y posibilidad en el pasado. Today we are going to practice how to talk about probability and possibility in the past in Spanish.

Answers to all tasks involved in this lesson will be given at the end of the post and you can also follow a link with this post to watch the original theory video lesson on the same topic.

To go back and watch the original video lesson please follow this link:

Intermediate theory video lesson 26

1. First, please translate the following sentences from Spanish to English:

A lo mejor mañana llueve.
Tal vez esté en el trabajo.
Puede que sea lo mejor.
Igual viene Mario mañana.
Quizás tengas que hablar con ella.
Lo mismo viene hoy.
Seguramente tengas razón.
Puede ser que vengan mis amigos.

2. Next, let´s translate these sentences from English to Spanish:

It could be that I go again.
Maybe we will go to that restaurant (using “Quizás”)
Maybe you are right (using “tal vez”)
Maybe it is true (using “Lo mismo”)
It could be that it is fun.
Possibly I will go to the beach tomorrow.
Maybe it´s cold tomorrow (using “Igual”)
Maybe it is interesting (using “A lo mejor”)

3. Finally, I will say a few sentences expressing probability and possibility in the past in Spanish. I will repeat each twice: one time using a verb in indicative and the other in subjunctive. You should repeat the correct one. For example, if I say “A lo mejor vino” and “A lo mejor viniera”. The correct one is the first choice, as “A lo mejor” is an expression that always needs a verb in indicative after:

Puede ser que hay mucha gente / Puede ser que haya mucha gente.
Igual hace calor mañana / Igual haga calor mañana.
A lo mejor voy contigo / A lo mejor vaya contigo.
Puede que vamos juntos / Puede que vayamos juntos.
Lo mismo es interesante / Lo mismo sea interesante.
A lo mejor podemos vernos el viernes / A lo mejor podamos vernos el viernes.
Puede ser que voy a Alemania / Puede ser que vaya a Alemania.
Lo mismo busco otro trabajo / Lo mismo busque otro trabajo.
Puede que lo intento otra vez / Puede que lo intente otra vez.
Igual perdemos el partido / Igual perdamos el partido.

Esto es todo por hoy.

I hope this practice video lesson has been useful for you. If you are clear on how to use Spanish expressions of probability and possibility in the present tense, using them in past tense is quite simple. When you need the subjunctive, just add the past subjunctive rather than the present.

Nos vemos pronto con más prácticas de español. ¡Adiós!

I hope you are enjoying my weekly interactive Spanish lessons. Follow this link for many more great resources to help you learn and practice Spanish.

Answers:

1.
Maybe it will rain tomorrow.
Maybe he is at work.
It could be that it is the best thing.
Maybe Mario comes tomorrow.
Maybe you have to talk to her.
Maybe he/she/it comes today.
Possibly you are right.
It could be that my friends come.

2.
Puede ser que vaya otra vez.
Quizás vayamos a ese restaurante.
Tal vez tengas razón.
Lo mismo es verdad
Puede que sea divertido.
Seguramente iré/vaya mañana a la playa.
Igual hace frío mañana.
A lo mejor es interesante.

3.
Puede ser que haya mucha gente.
Igual hace calor mañana.
A lo mejor voy contigo.
Puede que vayamos juntos.
Lo mismo es interesante.
A lo mejor podemos vernos el viernes.
Puede ser que vaya a Alemania.
Lo mismo busco otro trabajo.
Puede que lo intente otra vez.
Igual perdemos el partido.

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About the Author: Laura & Adam

Laura & Adam have been blogging and creating online Spanish courses for Transparent Language since 2010. Laura is from Bilbao in northern Spain and Adam is from Devon in the south of England. They lived together in Spain for over 10 years, where their 2 daughters were born, and now they live in Scotland. Both Laura & Adam qualified as foreign language teachers in 2004 and since have been teaching Spanish in Spain, the UK, and online.