Gramática en acción 6.1
1. Ser and Estar página 200
Both ser and estar mean “to be”, but they are used differently.
Use Ser for the following:
- to identify people and things
- to say where they are from
- to describe what someone is like (characteristics, personality traits)
- to give the day, date, and time
- *Use ser to describe what a food or drink is normally like
Use Estar for the following:
- to say where someone or something is
- to ask and say how you are doing
- to describe how something tastes, looks, or feels at a particular moment
2. Pedir and Servir página 202 (memorize these forms)
In some –ir verbs with an e in the stem, the e changes to I in all the present tense
forms except nosotros & vosotros. Two examples are pedir and servir.
Pedir (to ask for)
Pido
Pides
Pide
Pedimos
Pedís
Piden
Servir (to serve)
Sirvo
Sirves
Sirve
Servimos
Servís
Sirven
3. Preferir, Poder, and Probar página 204 (memorize these forms)
Preferir has an e to ie stem change. It can be followed by a noun to say what
someone prefers or by an infintive to say what someone would rather do or prefer
to do.
Preferir (to prefer)
Prefiero
Prefieres
Prefiere
Preferimos
Preferís
Prefieren
The verbs poder and probar have an o to ue stem change. Poder is usually
followed by an infintive to say what someone may, is able to, or can do.
Poder (to be able to, can, or may)
Puedo
Puedes
Puede
Podemos
Podéis
Pueden
The verb probar means to try something, as in to taste.
Probar (to try, taste)
Pruebo
Pruebas
Prueba
Probamos
Probáis
Prueban
4. Nota Cultural página 200
Corn is a food staple in many Spanish speaking countries, but Mexico claims it as
its own. The first varieties of corn were grown near present day Mexico City, and
can be seen in the Museum of Anthropology. In the language of the Aztecs, one
word for corn was elotl which became elote in Mexican Spanish.