Advantages and Disadvantages (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Advantages and disadvantages
Key vocabulary: Technology and opinions
Learning Strategy: Focus on learning vocabulary in pairs of opposites (like ventaja/desventaja) and practice using them in context to discuss both positive and negative aspects of technology.
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| la cámara | the camera | recordar | to remember |
| lento/a | slow | la contraseña | the password |
| rápido/a | quick, fast | la duda | the doubt |
| la red | the net, network, web | el beneficio | the benefit |
| la ventaja | the advantage | conectar | to connect |
| la desventaja | the disadvantage | confiar | to trust |
| apagar | to turn off | ||
| dejar de + infinitive | to stop ...ing | ||
| depender de | to depend on | ||
| funcionar | to work, function | ||
| guardar | to keep, save | ||
| olvidar | to forget | ||
| preocupar | to worry, to be a worry |
Example sentences
These examples demonstrate how to use the new vocabulary in context when discussing technology:
Me compré una cámara nueva porque la antigua era muy lenta. I bought myself a new camera because the old one was very slow.
Una de las ventajas de la tecnología es que puedes conectar con personas de todo el mundo. One of the advantages of technology is that you can connect with people from all over the world.
La gran desventaja es que dependemos demasiado de nuestros móviles. The big disadvantage is that we depend too much on our mobile phones.
No hay duda de que la tecnología ha cambiado nuestras vidas. There is no doubt that technology has changed our lives.
Grammar note: Notice how preocupar works like gustar - the thing that worries you is the subject: Me preocupa la tecnología (Technology worries me).
Grammar focus: The imperfect continuous
The imperfect continuous describes what someone "was doing" at a specific moment in the past. It combines the imperfect tense of estar with the present participle.
Formation:
- estar in imperfect: estaba, estabas, estaba, estábamos, estabais, estaban
- Present participle: -ar verbs add -ando, -er/-ir verbs add -iendo
| Person | Estar (imperfect) | + Present participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | estaba | + trabajando | estaba trabajando |
| tú | estabas | + comiendo | estabas comiendo |
| él/ella | estaba | + escribiendo | estaba escribiendo |
Worked Example: Using Imperfect Continuous
Estaba haciendo mis deberes cuando se me apagó el ordenador. I was doing my homework when the computer turned off.
Analysis:
- Estaba haciendo = imperfect continuous (ongoing action)
- se apagó = preterite (interrupting action)
- The ongoing action is interrupted by a sudden event
Flexible phrases for expressing opinions
These phrases will help you express your views about technology more sophisticatedly:
Usage Tip: These phrases work as sentence starters to introduce your opinions with more nuance and sophistication than simple statements.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| No hay duda de que... | There is no doubt that... |
| Una de las cosas que me preocupa es que... | One of the things that worries me is that... |
| La gran ventaja es que... | The big advantage is that... |
| El problema principal es... | The main problem is... |
Translation practice
Translate into English:
- La tecnología es muy rápida pero a veces no funciona bien.
- Estaba guardando mis fotos cuando se apagó la cámara.
Translate into Spanish: 3. I was connecting to the internet when I forgot my password. 4. The main advantage is that we can communicate quickly.
Common errors and fixes
Error: Estaba estudiando cuando el ordenador se apagaba
Fix: Estaba estudiando cuando el ordenador se apagó
Reason: Use preterite (se apagó) for the interrupting action, imperfect continuous (estaba estudiando) for the ongoing action.
Error: Me gusta mucho de la tecnología Fix: Me gusta mucho la tecnología Reason: Don't use "de" after gustar when followed by a noun.
Error: Es muy rápida la internet
Fix: Internet es muy rápida or La conexión a internet es muy rápida
Reason: "Internet" doesn't usually take an article in Spanish, or be more specific about the connection.
Answers to translation practice
- Technology is very fast but sometimes it doesn't work well.
- I was saving my photos when the camera turned off.
- Estaba conectando/conectándome a internet cuando olvidé mi contraseña.
- La gran ventaja es que podemos comunicarnos rápidamente.
Key Points to Remember:
- Technology vocabulary helps you discuss both las ventajas (advantages) and las desventajas (disadvantages) of modern life
- The imperfect continuous (estaba + -ando/-iendo) describes ongoing past actions, often interrupted by another event
- Use flexible phrases like "No hay duda de que..." to express strong opinions about technology
- Remember that preocupar works like gustar - the thing that worries is the subject
- Practice distinguishing between ongoing actions (imperfect continuous) and interrupting actions (preterite)