Answers
Nov 27, 2013 - 02:50 PM
The expression 'acabar de' ends with a preposition. When you use a verb immediately after a preposition in Spanish, it's always in the infinitive form---no matter what it sounds like in English. So.....acabo de llegar= I've just arrived.....acabamos de hablar = we've just spoken. It's a phrase that comes in handy....just don't analyze it too much!
Nov 27, 2013 - 02:55 PM
Your second question about deber being followed by an infinitive; in Spanish when you have two verbs back to back like this, the first one gets all the attention....you focus on what I "can" do or what I "should" do. The second verb is in the infinitive form because it's the idea of what you can or should do. To sum it up: when there are two verbs back-to-back, the first one is conjugated, the second stays in the infinitive form. Hope this helps.
Dec 01, 2013 - 09:53 AM
Thank you so much Marilynn! I tend to waste a lot of time stressing over things I can't reason out and that time could be better spent studying more Spanish. These will be good signposts to watch for--a verb after a preposition and two verbs lined up together--and help focus me on the need for the infinitive.