Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

GIVING ADVICE AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS67.267.267.2.1 67.2.2 67.2.3 67.2.4Suggesting a course of action involving the speakerVamos a + infinitiveVamos a . . . , ‘Let’s go and . . .’, corresponds mainly to an informal, spoken register,and it is the most frequent way of suggesting a course of action involving the speaker.It is more forceful than other expressions, leaving little ground for dissent.Vamos a tomar una copa.Vamos a comer algo.Vamos a descansar.Let’s go and have a drink.Let’s go and eat something.Let’s go and rest.With a rising intonation, this expression will seem less peremptory, more like theEnglish construction ‘Shall we . . . ?’20.2 (p. 97)Podríamos + infinitive¿Vamos a nadar?Shall we go and swim?¿Vamos a buscar a Martín?Shall we go and fetch Martín?This construction, which is similar to 67.1.4 above, occurs frequently in spokenregisters.21.1 (p. 99)Podríamos pasar la noche aquí.We could spend the night here.Podríamos reservar una habitación.We could reserve a room.Podríamos ir en el coche.We could go in the car.Deberíamos/tendríamos que/haríamos bien en + infinitive67.1.5 (p. 377)Deberíamos entrevistarlos, ¿no crees tú?We should interview them, don’t you think?A mí me parece que tendríamos que insistir.I think we should insist.Haríamos bien en no demostrar ninguna sospecha.We would do well not to show any suspicion.¿Qué le/te parece si + present?This expression is equivalent in meaning to the English expression ‘What about’+ gerund, and it is probably just as frequent as the one in 67.2.2 above. It is, though,378