Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

GIVING ADVICE AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS67.367.3.2 Question word + poder + infinitiveLike the construction above, this expression with poder is commonly used in thespoken language.¿Qué puedo hacer?What can I do?¿Qué puedo decirles?What can I tell them?¿Dónde puedo ponerlo? Where can I put it? 21.1 (p. 99)67.3.3 Question word + conditionalThis construction is similar to that in 67.3.1 above but slightly less common.¿Cómo lo harías tú?How would you do it?¿Cuál comprarías tú?Which one would you buy?¿Qué le respondería usted?What would you answer to him/her? 16.1.1.2 (p. 59); 17.7 (p. 77)67.3.4 ¿Qué harías tú/haría usted en mi lugar?This is another colloquial and common way of asking for advice and suggestions, andapart from the use of the familiar or polite form, there are no other variations withinthis construction.No sé qué hacer. ¿Qué harías tú en mi lugar?I don’t know what to do. What would you do in my position?Es una situación muy dificil. ¿Qué haría usted en mi lugar?It is a very difficult situation. What would you do in my position?67.3.5 Aconsejar/sugerir (+ que + subjunctive)Aconsejar and sugerir may be used in independent sentences or as part of a mainclause followed by a subordinate clause containing a subjunctive. Their use is equallycommon in the spoken and the written language.¿Qué me aconsejas?What would you advise?¿Qué (nos) sugieres?What do you suggest?¿Qué me aconsejas que haga?What would you advise me to do?¿Qué (nos) sugieres que le digamos?What do you suggest we should tell him/her? 18.1.1 (p. 84); 12 (p. 48)380