Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Randomness

I would love to be rich enough to apply paint without thinking about painting thinly cause of the cost.

I love acrylics.  LOVE them.

I miss painting, I am studying too much.

I got a 64% in my Spanish test today, imperatives are HARD.  I was lucky to get that.

Big Catalan writing to submit due on Thursday, I have to ask about which conjugation would be most appropriate..formality wise, Catalan has three levels, (at least) it would seem.  You, as in you singular, you as in you plural and he as in third person singular, in ascending levels of formality, I think, all refering to you, as in you singular.  Got that clearly?  I could call you:  you, y'all or he, each being more formal than the one before.

I have also figured out what complements de regime verbals are!!! I know, few of you out there are excited, and I am about to blindside you with grammar  BUT,  I AM EXCITED!!!!  Complements are kind of like phrases and kind of like objects, as in direct or indirect.

A complement de regime verbal (CRV) (or something like that) is a type of prepositional complement (we might call that a prepositional phrase).  BUT it is a specific type.  It is a prepositional complement that acts as a direct object, specifically for transitive verbs (they must take a direct object, for instance the sentence, "I give" is incomplete, cause it leaves you wondering if I give blood, presents or a damn.)

SO, a CRV is a direct object to a transitive verb that must begin with a preposition (or else it is simply a direct object and I flow another way on the flowchart of Catalan pronouns).  This means that it requires very specific pronouns when it is replaced, (in English we almost always would use that or it, though I oversimplify slightly).  It gets even rougher though, as there are 5 possible prepositions for these types of complement, one of which takes one pronoun, and the other four or which take a different one.

Imagine me, if you will.  About to say a sentence, and I am feeling wild, reckless and ridiculous and you, my dear listener are hopefully feeling patient, because as I wind into this sentence I must decide if the pronouns are to go before or after the verb (depends on the tense), then I must decide what type of complement it is, and if the verb is transitive or not, then I must analyse which preposition is in use in order to discover which pronoun to use, and then I must remember which order the pronouns go in as they generally go indirect object first, and then direct object, but some must always be first in line, and others second and still others before certain ones but after others, sort of like squabbly siblings.  Finally, I must decide which of these pronouns I can and cannot combine into new and different ones, and which ones can or cannot be abbreviated onto the verb or appostrophied onto the end of a different verb.

But what happens now?  I'm middle aged and I've forgotten what the f*ck I was going to say, so instead we go for a coffee.

Sound good?

6 comments:

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

You lost me somewhere around imperatives are hard. Learning another language later in life is a challenge, I'm not sure I would be up to it myself. Ah yes, paint, why don't you paint generously over those imperatives?

thecatalanway said...

Relax and breathe and paint and run!
Imperatives from your heart.
all the language is inside you - I feel sure of it. And our brains can catch up later with what we know from just speaking and listening. I seem to be learning more about english every day but I've spoken it for almost 54 years!
If your heart says paint more - then get back to the easel! It's so important to create create create! Look forward to popping over there one day and seeing the pictures in real life, K x

Tiffany at Patheya said...

You lost me at the grammar talk. I started skimming but!! I agree with K, you get to the painting if you love it.
Big hugs and hope to see you soon.

swenglishexpat said...

Wow, if only all students were like you! Dedicated. Good luck tomorrow!

kate said...

Yikes! I knew Catalan was complicated, but, yikes! They do have "complemento de regimen verbal" in Spanish, too, but it's just like verbs in English that must always take a particular preposition (like, "depend on".) Anyway, keep at it! I'm sure you will get it eventually.

oreneta said...

Bodhi! Now there's a thought! She gave me more homework with imperatives for tomorrow! I could paint on them!!!

Kate, I did paint more today, I've got one nearly done and one underway now, and I feel much better. It is true that we do understand a lot, but if I am to erase some of the mistakes I make all the time, I have to grind some of it in more consciously. Hard though at times.

Tiff! I would skim if I wasn't doing the course! BARÇA!!!!

Swenglishexpat, wish I had a little more inate talent to go along with all the swotting. To use a Catalan phrase, soc una formiga, which is to say that I am an ant, as in, not so terribly bright, but I work bloody hard and get there in the end. It isn't really an insult, though I am not sure you want it said about you either. For me, with languages, it is, sadly, thus.

Kate, it is the pronouns that make it messy. Sounds like in Spanish it is like a collocation in English and doesn't really impact on pronominalisation, not so in Catalan