Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

DESCRIBING PROCESSES AND RESULTS 42.1Mira, primero frío la cebolla y luego agrego los champiñones.Look, first I fry the onion and then I add the mushrooms.Una vez que recibamos las solicitudes haremos una selección.Once we receive the applications, we’ll make a selection.Para abrir la cuenta tiene que rellenar esta solicitud.To open the account you have to fill in this form.42.1.2Impersonal expressionsImpersonal expressions focus on the process itself, that is, on the action or actions to becarried out, directing attention away from the logical subject who performs the action.The impersonal expressions used in this context are:(a) Hay que + infinitive 42.1.2.121.7 (p. 102)(b) Third person plural of verb24.4 (p. 114)(c) Se + third person verb23.8 (p. 111); 23.9 (p. 111); 24.3 (p. 113)(d) Ser + past participle24.1 (p. 112)Hay que + infinitive/third person plural of verbHay que, ‘one has’ or ‘needs to’, ‘you have’ or ‘need to’, like the third person plural ofthe verb, are common in colloquial, spoken language but infrequent in writing, exceptin a very informal style.248Hay que cortar la fruta en trozos pequeños.You have to cut the fruit in small pieces.Para conseguir un buen resultado hay que dejarlo hervir quinceminutos.To achieve a good result you have to let it boil for fifteen minutes.Hay que is also found in combination with personal forms, for example the present ortener que.Hay que poner en marcha el motor primero, y después hay que/tienes que pisar/pisas el embrague.You have to start the engine first, and then you have to press/you pressthe clutch.Una vez que seleccionan los candidatos llaman a una entrevista.Once they select the candidates they call them for an interview.Recogen a los pasajeros y después los llevan a los hoteles.They pick up the passengers and then they take them to the hotels.