Using the Spanish Verb Pedir

Using the Spanish Verb Pedir The verb pedir is used to refer to the making of requests and is typically translated as to ask for or to request. It should not be confused with preguntar, which usually means to ask a question. Translating Pedir Keep in mind that if using pedir to mean to ask for, you shouldnt translate the for separately, as its meaning is already included in the verb. If youre a beginner at learning Spanish, it may help you to think of pedir as meaning to request, because the sentence structure you use with that English translation may more closely mimic the Spanish sentence structure. For example: Mis hijas me pidieron que les escribiera un libro. Both  My daughters asked me to write a book for them, and  My daughters requested that I write them a book are good translations. The two English sentences have the same meaning, but the second one is worded more similarly to the Spanish. Here are some examples of pedir in action: El gobierno pidià ³ la ayuda para los damnificados por el huracn. (The government asked for help for the hurricane victims.) ¿Es malo si mi enamorada me pide dinero para resolver sus problemas? (Is it bad if my sweetheart is asking me for money in order to solve her problems?)No pidas eso. (Dont ask for that.)No pido el dinero para mà ­. (Im not asking for the money for myself.)Pidieron un coche y salieron de prisa. (They asked for a car and left in a hurry.) ¿Quà © pides para tu cumpleaà ±os? (What are you asking for for your birthday?) Note that pedir que is followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood: Te pido que me escuches. (Im asking you to listen to me.)Pediremos que se reconozca el resultado de la eleccià ³n. (We will ask that the outcome of the election be recognized.)Nunca he pedido que me manden estos libros. (I have never asked them to send me these books.) Although to request or to ask for nearly always works as a translation, in some contexts it is sometimes better translated with a different verb. For example, pedir  can sometimes have a stronger meaning than ask: Un tercio de los votantes pidieron un cambio radical. (A third of the voters called for a radical change.)Mi jefe con rabia pudo haber borrado los archivos. (My boss angrily demanded to have the files be erased.) Pedir can also be used to refer to the ordering of merchandise or services: Me pongo muy triste cuando quiero pedir pizza y no tengo dinero. (I get very sad when I want to order pizza and I dont have any money.)Lo pidieron tarde por internet y no llegà ³ a tiempo. (They ordered it late online and it didnt arrive on time.) Phrases Using Pedir Here are some common phrases using pedir: pedir un deseo: to make a wish.  ¿Quà © pasa con las monedas que tiramos en las fuentes cuando pedimos un deseo? (What happens with the coins we throw in fountains when we make a wish?pedir la mano de:  to ask for someones hand in marriage. Le pedà ­ la mano de mi esposa en la estacià ³n del tren. (I asked for my wifes hand in marriage at the train station.)pedir justicia:  to seek justice, to demand justice. Los manifestantes piden justicia para el hombre que murià ³. (The demonstrators are demanding justice for the man who died.)pedir la Luna:  to ask for the moon, to ask for something impossible. Nuestros clientes no piden la Luna. Simplemente quieren disfrutar de un servicio rpido. (Our customers arent asking for the moon. They simply want to enjoy quick service.)pedir perdà ³n:  To ask for forgiveness, to apologize. Me pide perdà ³n por haberme hecho tanto daà ±o. (She apologized for having caused me so much harm.)pedir permiso:  to ask for permission. Nunca l e hemos pedido permiso a nadie. (We have never asked for permission from anybody.) Conjugation of Pedir Keep in mind that pedir is conjugated irregularly, following the pattern of vestir. When the -e- of the stem is stressed, it becomes an -i-. For example, here is the conjugation of the present-tense indicative mood: yo pido (I request), tà º pides (you request), usted/à ©l/ella pide (you/he/she request), nosotros/as pedimos (we request), vosotros/as pedà ­s (you request), ustedes/ellos/ellas piden (you/they request).

Definition and Examples of Linguistic Competence

Definition and Examples of Linguistic Competence The term linguistic competence refers to the unconscious knowledge of grammar that allows a speaker to use and understand a language. Also known as grammatical competence or I-language.  Contrast with linguistic performance. As used by Noam Chomsky and other linguists, linguistic competence is not an evaluative term. Rather, it refers to the innate linguistic knowledge that allows a person to match sounds and meanings. In  Aspects of the Theory of Syntax  (1965), Chomsky wrote, We thus make a fundamental distinction between competence  (the speaker-hearers knowledge of his language) and performance  (the actual use of language in concrete situations). Examples and Observations Linguistic competence constitutes knowledge of language, but that knowledge is tacit, implicit. This means that people do not have conscious access to the principles and rules that govern the combination of sounds, words, and sentences; however, they do recognize when those rules and principles have been violated. . . . For example, when a person judges that the sentence John said that Jane helped himself is ungrammatical, it is because the person has tacit knowledge of the grammatical principle that reflexive pronouns must refer to an NP in the same clause. (Eva M. Fernandez and Helen Smith Cairns, Fundamentals of Psycholinguistics. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011) Linguistic Competence and Linguistic Performance In [Noam] Chomskys theory, our linguistic competence is our unconscious knowledge of languages and is similar in some ways to [Ferdinand de] Saussures concept of langue, the organizing principles of a language. What we actually produce as utterances is similar to Saussures parole, and is called linguistic performance. The difference between linguistic competence and linguistic performance can be illustrated by slips of the tongue, such as noble tons of soil for noble sons of toil. Uttering such a slip doesnt mean that we dont know English but rather that weve simply made a mistake because we were tired, distracted, or whatever. Such errors also arent evidence that you are (assuming you are a native speaker) a poor English speaker or that you dont know English as well as someone else does. It means that linguistic performance is different from linguistic competence. When we say that someone is a better speaker than someone else (Martin Luther King, Jr., for example, was a terrific ora tor, much better than you might be), these judgements tell us about performance, not competence. Native speakers of a language, whether they are famous public speakers or not, dont know the language any better than any other speaker in terms of linguistic competence. (Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Linguistics for Everyone. Wadsworth, 2010) Two language users may have the same program for carrying out specific tasks of production and recognition, but differ in their ability to apply it because of exogenous differences (such as short-term memory capacity). The two are accordingly equally language-competent but not necessarily equally adept at making use of their competence. The linguistic competence of a human being should accordingly be identified with that individuals internalized program for production and recognition. While many linguists would identify the study of this program with the study of performance rather than competence, it should be clear that this identification is mistaken since we have deliberately abstracted away from any consideration of what happens when a language user actually attempts to put the program to use. A major goal of the psychology of language is to construct a viable hypothesis as to the structure of this program . . .. (Michael B. Kac, Grammars and Grammaticality. John Benjamins, 1992)