Response:
With a monthly expense of $20,000, Ricardo can make 25 trips via metro and 16 trips by bus. If he undertakes 21 trips weekly, that amount is insufficient to cover bus fares.
Overview:
The problem can be resolved by dividing the weekly expense of $20,000 by the cost of the two forms of transportation: $800 (metro) and $1200 (bus). Knowing he makes 21 trips, the result must meet or exceed that to confirm that Ricardo can accommodate his weekly travel needs. In this instance, he can fulfill the requirement using the metro (with spare funds remaining), but not with the bus (he will be short on funds).
Indeed, Spanish is the most wonderful language ever.
Answer: The correct responses are:
1. es
2. es
3. son
4. es
5. está (note the accent mark at the end; without it, it means "this")
6. está
7. está
8. está
9. estás
10. es
11. eres
12. estar
Explanation: To clarify further, this exercise requires selecting the proper form of the verbs SER and ESTAR, which both mean "TO BE" in English. Many learners of Spanish struggle to distinguish these two verbs. Generally, ESTAR is used when describing a state resulting from a change, either actual or perceived, and to indicate location. For example, in sentence 5: "He is overwhelmed (he has become that way) by his studies," which is why ESTAR is used. Conversely, SER is applied for general descriptions or to identify someone, such as in sentence 11: "Julia, you are a good girl."
