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Machine translation in language learning and teaching
Machine translation in language learning and teaching

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Session 3, Activity 4 (Spanish)

Activity 4 Spanish – understanding the position of adjectives in Spanish

Timing: Allow approximately one hour.

Using OMT to learn language structures, such as the position of Spanish adjectives, is effective because apart from the immediate feedback it provides, it allows learners to identify and correct mistakes, thus reinforcing correct adjective placement.

Now follow the four steps below.

Step 1

Input the English phrases below into OMT for a Spanish translation.

  • A beautiful painting.
  • An old castle.
  • Two young children.
  • A good meal.
  • A big tree.
  • A cat that is black.
  • A story that is interesting.
  • A mountain that is tall.
  • A house that is large.
  • A river that is wide.
  • A car that is fast.
  • A young artist.
  • A small apartment.
  • A new phone.
  • A pretty flower.
  • An ugly statue.
  • A book that is fascinating.
  • A meal that is delicious.
  • A day that is sunny.

Step 2

Read and analyse the Spanish translations. Where are the adjectives usually placed? Is there a general tendency?

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Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Step 3

Using your preferred online search engine or Spanish grammar resource, identify the rule used when positioning adjectives in sentences

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Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Step 4

Review the Spanish translations of the phrases again. Are there any which do not adhere to the rule? Are any corrections necessary?

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Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Discussion

In Spanish, descriptive adjectives generally follow the noun. This includes adjectives for colour (negro), size (grande), and other qualities (interesante, fascinante, soleado).

Adjectives like bueno (good) or nuevo (new) can come before the noun for subjective emphasis or idiomatic usage. For example, buena comida emphasises a subjective quality of the meal (goodness).

Adjectives such as grande (big) and antiguo (old) change meaning depending on whether they come before or after the noun. Placing grande before implies greatness rather than size, and antiguo before means ‘former’. Please note when this adjective precedes a noun it takes the form ‘gran’… (e.g. ‘es una gran escritora’).

Return to Session 3 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .