The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is incorrect.
The sentence “Ellos vivió en el sótano” is grammatically incorrect because of a subject-verb agreement error. In Spanish, as in English, the verb must be conjugated to match the subject in both person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural).
Let’s break down the sentence to understand the mistake. The subject is “Ellos,” which is the third-person plural pronoun meaning “they” (referring to a masculine or mixed-gender group). The verb is “vivió.” This is the third-person singular preterite (simple past) tense conjugation of the verb “vivir” (to live). “Vivió” correctly pairs with singular subjects like “él” (he), “ella” (she), or “usted” (you, formal). For example, the sentence “Él vivió en el sótano” (He lived in the basement) would be grammatically correct.
However, since the subject is the plural “Ellos,” the verb must also be in its third-person plural form. The correct preterite conjugation for “Ellos” is “vivieron.”
Therefore, the corrected sentence should be: “Ellos vivieron en el sótano.” This translates to “They lived in the basement.”
The original sentence, “Ellos vivió en el sótano,” creates a grammatical conflict, attempting to say “They he lived in the basement,” which is nonsensical. This highlights the importance of matching the verb form to the subject to ensure the sentence is logical and clear. Proper conjugation is a fundamental aspect of Spanish grammar that ensures the listener or reader understands exactly who is performing the action of the verb.
