In this example, there is no clear agent. Who is eating the paella? It could be la gente (3rd sing.) or las personas(3rd pl). Both answers are correct

allison h.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

In this example, there is no clear agent. Who is eating the paella? It could be la gente (3rd sing.) or las personas(3rd pl). Both answers are correct

Asked 6 years ago
InmaKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hola Cinzia

Yes, those two sentences are also correct. 

En mi aldea se comen una manzana cada mañana.

Here, it's using the verb in a more emphatic way. This "se" is called "se aspectual". We have an advanced lesson for that. And the subject (ellos, people in general in my village) is omitted. It is an active sentence, not passive.

En mi aldea la gente se come una manzana cada mañana.

Here it is again an active sentence, not passive, and it's again using the verb with "se" for emphasis. This time you can see the subject "la gente". 

Both impersonal and passive se sentences are a bit of a cross over, there are different ways to translate them in English and this brings a lot of discussion about this topic.

Saludos

Inma

InmaKwiziq team member

Hi Alison

I am not sure what you mean. Could you clarify a bit more please?

The answer for this question, "In Spain people eat paella" is "En España se come paella". This lesson is about forming a passive sentence using "se".

Saludos

Inma

allison h.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

If we want to say "In Spain, paella is eaten" , then "se come" would be the obvious answer. When the sentence is "In Spain, people eat paella" there is a nominative word here. People. There is another translation for the third person plural in this case, no? Or would you have to explicitly say "En España las personas comen paella?" I'm sure I have seen uses of "se comen" without an explicitly named plural subject...

Cinzia F.C1Kwiziq community member

With comer, there is also the fact that both comer and comerse are possible. So it might be:

En España se come paella.

En México se comen frijoles.

(both "passive se" of comer)

But in theory, would it also be possible to use comerse with impersonal plural:

En mi aldea se comen una manzana cada mañana = En mi aldea la gente se come una manzana cada mañana?

In this example, there is no clear agent. Who is eating the paella? It could be la gente (3rd sing.) or las personas(3rd pl). Both answers are correct

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