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Difficulty: HardImperative Verbs and Commands

A safety directive in a Spanish-language laboratory manual reads as follows:

"Si ve algún residuo químico, no lo toque usted mismo; infórmeselo de inmediato al supervisor de turno."

Which of the following correctly analyzes the command-pronoun syntax and meaning in this directive?

  1. A
    The directive uses informal singular (tú) commands, with 'lo' in 'no lo toque' referring to the supervisor, and 'se' in 'infórmeselo' functioning as a reflexive pronoun directing the reader to protect themselves.
  2. The directive uses formal singular (usted) commands, where the pronoun 'lo' in both 'no lo toque' and 'infórmeselo' refers to the chemical residue, and 'se' in 'infórmeselo' replaces the indirect object pronoun 'le' to refer to the supervisor.Answer
  3. C
    The directive uses present indicative verbs to describe a habitual safety routine, where the pronouns 'lo' and 'se' indicate that the supervisor has already resolved the hazard.
  4. D
    The directive uses formal plural (ustedes) commands, instructing a group of readers to touch the residue only after they have informed the supervisor.

Answer

The directive uses formal singular (usted) commands, where the pronoun 'lo' in both 'no lo toque' and 'infórmeselo' refers to the chemical residue, and 'se' in 'infórmeselo' replaces the indirect object pronoun 'le' to refer to the supervisor.
The correct analysis shows that the directive uses formal singular (usted) commands ('toque' and 'informe'). The masculine singular direct object pronoun 'lo' refers to 'el residuo químico' in both clauses, and 'se' in 'infórmeselo' represents the indirect object pronoun 'le' (referring to 'al supervisor') changed to 'se' to avoid the phonetic repetition of 'le lo'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical register and verb forms in the directive.
The verbs 'toque' (from 'tocar') and 'informe' (from 'informar') are formal singular (usted) imperative forms. This is reinforced by the presence of 'usted mismo'.
Determining the correct grammatical register helps identify who the instructions are addressing.
2
Analyze the pronoun syntax in the negative command 'no lo toque'.
The direct object pronoun 'lo' precedes the verb 'toque' and refers to the masculine singular noun 'residuo químico'.
Spanish pronoun placement rules mandate that object pronouns precede negative commands.
3
Analyze the pronoun syntax in the affirmative command 'infórmeselo'.
The pronouns 'se' and 'lo' are attached to the end of the affirmative command 'informe'. 'lo' refers to the residue, and 'se' is the indirect object pronoun referring to 'al supervisor' (replacing 'le' to prevent a double 'l' sound).
Spanish pronoun placement rules require object pronouns to attach to the end of affirmative commands, with the indirect object pronoun preceding the direct object pronoun.

Key Concept

Identifying grammatical registers and syntax rules for pronoun attachment with formal affirmative and negative commands.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Imperative Verbs and Commands

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