Function and Structure Notes
Master List
A Proficiency Planning Document
Novice
Levels I and II
Function:
Getting to Know Someone
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Examples:
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Lkja;skdj
Jljk
jlkjj
Practice:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Kljl
Kjlj
Lkjl
Lkjl
jlkjl
Structure: Personalized Question and
Answer
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
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
PQ+A is used to get to know someone in a Spanish-speaking
country.
These questions and answers must be memorized; by doing
so, you will look much smarter in Spanish than you really are.
Questions and Answers (Preguntas y respuestas)
¿Cómo te llamas?

Me llamo Scott.
¿De dónde eres?

Soy de Newport.
¿Cuántos años tienes? 
Tengo quince (15) años.
¿Dónde vives?

Vivo en Newport.
¿Cómo estás?

Estoy bien / mal / regular.
¿Cómo eres?

Soy alto, flaco, y popular.
¿Qué es ésto?

Es un libro.
Structure: Nouns (singular and plural)
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1.
2.
3.
A noun is a word that represents a person, place,
thing or concept.
To make most nouns plural in Spanish, add an “s” if
the word ends in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
If a word ends in a consonant (any letter other that
a,e,i,o,u), add an “es.”
If a noun (or adjective) ends with the letter “z,” the
“z” becomes a “c” when plural and you add an “es”.
Lápiz = lápices.
Examples:
El coche = los coches
El árbol = los árboles
La actriz = las actrices
Structure: Adjectives and Noun/Adj.
Agreement
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An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Good
= bueno
Spanish adjectives generally follow the nouns that
they modify. El coche rojo.
Nouns that end in “O” are masculine and most
nouns that end in “A” are feminine. THIS IS
IMPORTANT for AGREEMENT
Spanish adjectives must agree in GENDER and in
NUMBER with the nouns they modify.
Most adjectives can be spelled 4 different ways in
Spanish:
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
Bueno  Bueno, buena, buenos, buenas. They all mean the
SAME thing.
Some adjectives that end in “E” can only be made plural by
adding an “S”
Structure: Subject Pronouns
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The subject is the person, place, thing or idea that
DOES the verb.
Subject pronouns are words used to represent the
subject in a sentence.
Subject pronouns include: I, you, he, she, it, we,
they.
In Spanish, these pronouns are:
I = Yo
You = Tú
He = Él
She = Ella
You (formal) = Usted
We = Nosotros / Nosotras
Structure: Present tense AR verbs
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Verbs are the action or power words in a
sentence; they describe what someone is
doing.
In Spanish, verbs must be changed
(conjugated) to match the person (subject)
using the verb.
There is nice, easy pattern to these changes
(conjugations) of the verb.
Simply memorize the pattern in order to
conjugate verbs.
Remember: YOU MUST CHANGE THE VERBS
TO MATCH THE SUBJECT!
Pattern:
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To conjugate AR verbs, you must first take the STEM of the
verb.
The stem of any AR verb is the INFINITIVE minus AR (the
infinitive is the stem + AR).

HABLAR = infinitive meaning “to speak”

The STEM of HABLAR  HABL
Once you have the stem of the verb, simply add the ending
that match each subject.
Yo = O
I speak= Yo hablo.
Tú = AS
You speak= Tú hablas.
Él / Ella / Usted = A
He/She speaks= Habla.
Nosotros (as)= AMOS
We speak= Nosotros hablamos.
Ellos / ellas / Uds. = AN
They/You all speak = Hablan.
Structure: Present tense ER/IR verbs
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Verbs are the action or power words in a sentence;
they describe what someone is doing.
In Spanish, verbs must be changed (conjugated) to
match the person (subject) using the verb.
There is nice, easy pattern to these changes
(conjugations) of the verb.
Simply memorize the pattern in order to conjugate
verbs.
Remember: YOU MUST CHANGE THE VERBS TO
MATCH THE SUBJECT!
 Pattern:

To conjugate ER/IR verbs, you must first take the
stem of the verb. The STEM of any ER/IR verb is
the INFINITIVE minus ER/IR (the infinitive is the
stem + ER/IR).
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VIVIR = infinitive meaning “to live”
The STEM of VIVIR  VIV
Once you have the stem of the verb, simply add
the ending that match each subject.
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Yo = O
I live = Yo vivo.
Tú = ES
You live = Tú vives.
Él / Ella / Usted = E He/She lives = Vive.
Nosotros(as)=EMOS/IMOS We live= Vivimos.
Ellos / ellas / Uds. = EN
They/You all live = Viven.
Structure: Using cardinal numbers
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Counting in Spanish is as easy as counting in
English; you just use different words to express
each number.
1. Uno
16. diez y seis
31. treinta y uno 900. Novecientos
2. Dos
17. diez y siete
40. cuarenta
1,000. un mil
3. Tres
18. diez y ocho
50. cincuenta 1,000,000. un millón
4. Cuatro
19. diez y nueve
60. sesenta
5. Cinco
20. veinte
70. setenta
6. Seis
21. veintiuno
80. ochenta
7. Siete22. veintidós
90. noventa
8. Ocho23. veintitrés
100. ciento / cien
9. Nueve
24. veinticuatro
200. doscientos
10. Diez
25. veinticinco
300. trescientos
11. Once
26. veintiséis
400. cuatrocientos
12. Doce
27. veintisiete
500. quinientos
13. Trece
28. veintiocho
600. seiscientos
14. Catorce
29. veintinueve 700. setecientos
Structure: Question words
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Use question word vocab at the beginning of the
sentence to ask ?.
¿Quién es la maestra?
They do not say DO in questions; just use the
correct form of the verb.
To ask a question without a question word, simply
place the verb before the subject: ¿Vas tú a la
clase?
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Question Words
¿Cómo?=How?/What?
¿De dónde?=From where?
¿Qué ?=What?
¿Quién / quiénes?=Who?
¿Cuál / cuáles? = Which?¿Cuándo?=When?
¿Dónde?=Where?
¿Por qué?=Why?
¿Cuánto(s)?=How much/many?
Structure: The verbs SER and ESTAR
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The verbs SER and ESTAR both mean “to be” in
English.
SER = Soy/Eres/Es/Somos/Son
ESTAR = Estoy/Estás/Está/Estamos/Están
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I am = Soy/Estoy
You are = Eres/Estás
He/she/it is = Es/Está
We are = Somos/Estamos
They are = Son/Están
The tricky part is to know when you should use one
and not the other.
The general rule of use is:

Use SER for more permanent or lasting qualities and
ESTAR for more temporary conditions.
How you feel and where you are, always use
the verb ESTAR.
Structure: HACER expressions
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To ask about the weather, use ¿Qué tiempo hace?
Use the following expressions with the verb HACER
(Hace – it makes/it does) to describe weather.
Hace frío.
 Hace sol.
 Hace viento.
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Hace calor.
Hace fresco.
Hace mucho sol.
Sometimes, use ESTAR to discuss weather.
Está nublado.
 Está lluvioso.
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Structure: NEVAR and LLOVER
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To ask about the weather, use ¿Qué tiempo hace?
Use the verbs NEVAR (eie) and LLOVER (oue) to
discuss when it snows or rains.
It’s snowing
 Nieva.
It’s raining.
 Llueve.
To discuss if it is SNOWY (nevado) or RAINY
(lluvioso), use the verb ESTAR.
Structure: IR + A + Infinitive
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To discuss what is going to happen or what
someone is going to do, use the IR + A + Infinitive
An INFINITIVE is an unconjugated or unchanged
verb.
IR means to go and its forms include: Voy, Vas, Va,
Vamos, Van.
Examples:
 Voy a acechar el animal. I’m going to stalk the
animal.
 Vamos a cazar los tigres. We’re going to hunt the
tigers.
Structure: The Verb ESTAR and Prepositions
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Use the verb ESTAR (to be) to describe the location
of nouns.
Use prepositions to locate the object.
Prepositions:
Cerca de = near or close to
lejos de = far from
al lado de = next to or beside
alrededor de = around or surrounding
delante de = in front of
en frente de = facing
detrás de = behind
a la derecha de = to the right of
a la izquierda de = to the left of
dentro de = inside of
afuera de = outside of
Structure: Adverbs
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Use these adverbs to express frequency of
actions.
Adverbs do not change like adjectives do!
Siempre = always
nunca
= never
rara vez = rarely
a veces = sometimes
todos los días = everyday
poco
= a little
Mucho
= a lot / often
de vez en cuando = once in a while
Structure: TENER QUE
or
HAY QUE
Use the verb TENER (to have) + QUE +
Infinitive (2nd verb) to tell what
someone has to do.
 Use HAY QUE + Infinitive (2nd verb)
when there is no specific subject.
 Be sure to conjugate TENER
 Examples:
1. Ella tiene que salir.
2. Tú tienes que hablar en la clase.
3. Hay que estudiar en la escuela.
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Structure: Class and Weekday
Vocabulary words
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Use class (una materia) and weekday vocabulary
words to describe when you have classes.
Use EL or LOS in front of the days of the week in
order to mean “On”
Examples:

El lunes tengo la clase de arte.
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On Monday I have Art class.
Los martes y miércoles ellos tienen la clase de
historia.
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On Tuesdays and Wednesdays they have History class.
Structure: Using the verb SER for TIME
Use the verb SER in the forms of ES or
SON to tell what time it is.
 Add minutes up to the :30 mark.
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Subtract minutes after the :30 mark.
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Es la una y diez. (1:10)
Son las dos menos veinte. (1:40)
Use cuarto(:15/:45) and media(:30)
instead of quince and treinta.
Structure: The Verb IR (to go)
Use the verb IR to say GO or GOES or
IS GOING
 Voy, vas, va, vamos, van
 Use A for “to”
 ¿Adónde? is the correct question word
to use with the verb IR.
Example:
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Ella va a la tienda.
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She goes to the store.
Structure: QUERER (to want)
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The forms of the verb QUERER are:
 Quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos,
quieren.
To say that you want TO DO something:
 Add the infinitive (2nd verb) immediately
after QUERER to describe wanting TO DO
something.
Example:
 I want to eat the pizza.

Yo quiero comer la pizza.
Structure: Sequential Vocabulary
To explain the order of events in
Spanish, use Sequential Vocabulary.
 Vocabulary Words:
Primero= first
por fin= finally
Entonces= then antes (de)= before
Luego= later
después (de)= after
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When a noun or infinitive follows
antes or después, use the preposition
de.
Structure: Comparison Phrasing
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To compare nouns to one another, use
comparison phrases.
Use más___que or más de + # to say
“more___than” or “more than (#)”
Use menos__que or menos de + # to mean
“less__than” o “less than (#)”
Use tan__como or tanto como to mean
“as___as” or “as much as”
Mayor (older), menor (younger), mejor
(better), peor (worse) stand without the
más or menos before them.

Examples:
 Ella
es más bonita que el perro.
 Soy menos gordo que un elefante.
 Somos tan guapos como los chicos
 Me gusta tenis más que fútbol.
 Ella es mejor que el hombre.
 Soy mayor que mi hermano.
 Tú eres peor que Molly!
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Practice:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Kljl
Kjlj
Lkjl
Lkjl
jlkjl
Structure: The verb DAR (to give) and
Indirect Object Pronouns
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The forms of the verb DAR are:
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Doy, das, da, damos, dan
It is an irregular verb in the first person 
(DOY = I give).
Place an indirect object pronoun in front of
the verb to tell to whom you give the gift.
Te doy… = I give you…
Indirect Object Pronouns are:
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Me = me
Te = you
Le = him/her/it
Nos = us
Les = them / you all
Structure: Stem-changing verbs in the
Present tense
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1)
2)
3)
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When conjugating (changing to match the subject)
certain verbs, you need to make an extra change in
some of the STEMS.
Remember that the STEM is the INFINITIVE
without the AR/ER/IR ending.
These changes happen in one of three ways;
E to IE  CERRAR = Cierro, cierras, cierra, cerramos, cierran
O to UEDORMIR=Duermo,duermes, duerme, dormimos,duermen
E to I  PEDIR = Pido, pides, pide, pedimos, piden
These changes do NOT take place in the WE form
View the next page to see commonly stemchanging or “boot” verbs.
Common Stem-Changing Verbs
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EIE stem-changing verbs:
CERRAR (to close)
PERDER (to lose)
PENSAR (to think)
COMENZAR (to begin) PREFERIR (to prefer)
SENTAR (to sit)
ENTENDER (to understand) QUERER (to want) SENTIR (to feel)
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OUE stem-changing verbs:
VOLVER (to return) MORIR (to die) RECORDAR (to remember)
CONTAR (to count/tell) PODER (can)
ENCONTRAR (to meet)
DORMIR (to sleep) MOVER (to move)
MOSTRAR (to show)
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EI stem-changing verbs:
COMPETIR (to compete) PEDIR (to ask for/order) SEGUIR (to follow)
CORREGIR (to correct) REíR (to laugh)
SERVIR (to serve)
ELEGIR (to elect)
REPETIR (to repeat) SONREíR (to smile)
Structure: Irregular Verbs in the Present tense
CABER (to fit) - quepo / cabes / cabe / cabemos / caben
CONSTRUIR (to construct)construyo/construyes/construye/construimos/construyen
COGER (to grab)- cojo / coges / coge / cogemos / cogen
SABER (to know)- sé / sabes / sabe / sabemos / saben
TENER (to have)- tengo / tienes / tiene / tenemos / tienen
VER (to see)- veo / ves / ve / vemos / ven
CAER (to fall)- caigo / caes / cae / caemos / caen
DAR (to give)- doy / das / da / damos / dan
HACER (to do/to make)- hago / haces / hace / hacemos / hacen
PONER (to put/to set)- pongo / pones / pone / ponemos / ponen
TRAER (to bring)- traigo / traes / trae / traemos / traen
SALIR (to leave)- salgo / sales / sale / salimos / salen
VENIR (to come)- vengo / vienes / viene / venimos / vienen
DECIR (to say/tell)- digo / dices / dice / decimos / dicen
OIR (to hear)- oigo / oyes / oye / oímos / oyen
SEGUIR (to follow)- sigo / sigues / sigue / seguimos / siguen
VALER (to be worth)- valgo / vales / vale / valemos / valen
CONOCER (to know)conozco / conoces / conoce / conocemos / conocen
Structure: Conjunctions
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Conjunctions are words that join parts of
sentences or even entire sentences.
They are connecting words such as “and, or/either,
nor/neither, but.”
Here are the forms in Spanish:
 Y = and
 O = or
 Ni = neither / nor
 Pero = but
Spanish requires the use of the “double negative”
There are other ways to say but, including SINO
and SINO QUE; these are used for specific reasons
and will be discussed later.
Structure: Definite and Indefinite
articles
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Articles are adjectives that help to identify nouns.
In English, we have 1 definite article, THE, which
refers to specific things (the boy, the idiot).
We also have indefinite articles, A and AN, which
refer to one of those things in general (a boy, an
idiot).
Here are the Spanish definite articles. There are 4
of them because they act like adjectives and must
match the noun they are describing for
Noun/Adjective agreement.
 El coche
La puerta
 Los coches
Las puertas
Indefinite articles also have 4 forms, one to
correspond to the gender and number of the noun
they modify
Structure: Negative sentences
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If one answers a question negatively, a negative
word must come before the verb. Here is a list of
negative words that will come in handy:
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Nada
Nadie
Ni, ni
No
Nunca
=
=
=
=
=
nothing
no one
neither, nor
no, not
never
In addition to saying “no”, you must use one of the
words to continue the negative meaning through
the verb phrase.
Example:

¿Vas a la tienda?
Structure: Expressions with the verb TENER
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

The Spanish word, TENER (to have), combines with many
other words to form commonly-used expressions.
These expressions will seem weird to an English-speaker but
you must simply memorize them.
Tengo sed. = I’m thirsty.
Tengo diez años. = I’m ten years old.
Tengo calor. = I’m hot.
Tengo frío. = I’m cold.
Tengo hambre. = I’m hungry.
Tengo miedo. = I’m scared/afraid.
Tengo sueño. = I’m sleepy.
Tengo suerte. = I’m lucky.
Tengo razón. = I’m right.
Tengo prisa. = I’m in a hurry.
These expressions can be used with any form of TENER.
Structure: Possessive Adjectives
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Possessive adjectives are words that let people
know to whom or to what something belongs.
Unlike most adjectives, these are ALWAYS found
BEFORE the nouns that they modify.
These words are adjectives; they must match the
nouns that they modify.
Possessive Adjectives
Mi /mis = my
Tu / tus = your
Su / sus = his /her
Nuestro/nuestros/nuestra/nuestras = our
Su / sus = their
Structure: Possessive adjectives
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The long forms of possessive adjectives can serve
either as adjectives or pronouns.
As adjectives, they must FOLLOW the nouns that
they modify and correspond to those nouns.
These long forms tend to be used for slightly
greater emphasis.
 E.g. It’s mine, not yours!
Possessive Adjectives
Mío/a (s) = mine, my
Tuyo/a (s) = yours, your
Suyo/a (s) = his, her, her
Nuestro/a (s) = our, ours
Suyo/a (s) = theirs, yours, your, their
Structure: The verb GUSTAR
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GUSTAR is one of several Spanish verbs that
always use Indirect Object Pronouns.
The construction of a sentence with GUSTAR
places an Indirect Object Pronoun first, then a form
of GUSTAR, and then the subject.
 IOP + GUSTAR + Subject = Correct Sentence
Because the subject is most often an object or
objects, GUSTAR is usually seen as gusta/gustan.
You can also use gusta with Infinitives!
Indirect Object Pronouns
Me = me
Te = you
Le = him, her, you (formal)
Nos = us
Les = them, you all
Structure: Adverbs
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Adverbs are used to modify or qualify verbs,
adjectives, or even other adverbs.
These words help to describe how, where, or with
what intensity or purpose something was done.
There are several different types of adverbs:
A. Adverbs formed from Adjectives
B. “Stand Alone” adverbs
C. Adverbial phrases
The following pages will address each type.
Structure: Adverbs formed from
Adjectives



By taking the feminine form of an adjective and
adding the suffix (ending) “mente,” you form an
adverb.
This suffix “mente” is the equivalent of adding “ly”
to an adjective (Quick  Quickly).
 Rápido=fast/quick and to change to “quickly”:
 Rápido  Rápida + mente = rápidamente
If there is more than one “mente” adverb in a
sentence, simply drop the suffix from the first one.


Yo como rápida y furiosamente. I eat quickly and furiously.
Multiple “mente” words are not typically used in a
single Spanish sentence.
Structure: “Stand alone” adverbs
Many adverbs in Spanish are totally independent
words and are not formed from adjectives.
 Here is a list of very common adverbs.
Abajo = down
mal = poorly, badly
Afuera = outside
mañana = tomorrow
Ahora = now
mucho = a lot, often
Antes (de) = before
muy = very
Arriba = up
nunca = never
Así = so, thus
(un)poco = a little
Ayer = yesterday
siempre = always
Bien = fine, well
(más) tarde = late ®
Después (de)= after
temprano = early
Hoy = today

Structure: Adverbial Phrases



By combining a preposition with a noun, you can
form an adverbial phrase.
Nouns will combine with three different
prepositions: “a” , “con” , “en”
Common Adverbial Phrases:
A menudo = often
con cuidado = carefully
A veces = sometimes
en cambio = on the other
hand
en ritmo = rhythmically
Con cariño =
Affectionately
Structure: The Progressive tense
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The Present Progressive tense is a tense that gives
extra emphasis to an act that is actually in
progress – an event that is occurring when the
speaker is describing it (in the present or past).
FORMATION:
This tense is normally made by combining a form of
the verb ESTAR (present or imperfect tense) with a
Present Participle.
The Present Participle is equivalent to the “-ing”
form of a verb in English (I am speaking).
To form the Present Participle, take the STEM of
the verb and add “-ando” (AR verbs) or “iendo”
(ER/IR verbs).
Estoy hablando.
Ella está comiendo.
Structure: Irregular Forms of The Present
Progressive tense


IR stem-changing (BOOT) verbs have a special
vowel change, the same vowel change that occurs
in the 3rd person Preterit tense.
 DORMIR  durmiendo (sleeping)
 PEDIR  pidiendo (asking for)
 SENTIR -sintiendo (feeling)
 MORIR  muriendo (dying)
You will need to memorize the following irregular
Present Participles to use the Progressive tense.
 CAER  Cayendo (falling)
 IR  Yendo (going)
 LEER  Leyendo (reading)
 TRAER  Trayendo (bringing)
Structure: ACABAR de + INFINITIVE




To talk about what “just happened,” use the
following equation:
ACABAR + de + INFINITIVE
You must change the verb ACABAR to match the
subject.
You must NOT change the INFINITIVE, or second
verb, in the sentence
Examples:

I just ate.


Yo acabo de comer.
They just threw up.

Ellos acaban de vomitar.
Structure: Common Cognate rules
Structure: Using Ordinal Numbers




Ordinal Numbers describe numbers in order (or
Sequence)
The most common ordinal numbers in Spanish are
the first TEN. Above TEN, you can use cardinal #s.
The words primero + tercero lose the “O” before a
masculine, singular noun.
All ordinal #s change the “o” to an “a” to match a
singular, feminine noun following the #.
Ordinal Numbers (First through Tenth)
1st = Primero
6th = Sexto
2nd = Segundo
7th = Séptimo
3rd = Tercero
8th = Octavo
4th = Cuarto
9th = Noveno
5th = Quinto
10th = Décimo

Intermediate
Level II Honors and
above
Structure: Pronouns after prepositions




You remember the subject pronouns we learned
earlier (yo, tú, él/ella/Ud., Nosotros, Ellos/ellas,
Uds.).
These pronouns served as the main actors or stars
in the sentence, doing the action of the verb.
When a pronoun follows a preposition, the 1st and
2nd person pronouns must change.
Pronouns that follow prepositions:
Mí = me
Ti = you
Él, ella, Ud. = him, her, it, You (formal)
Nosotros(as) = us
Ellos, ellas, Uds. = them, you all.
Structure: PRETERIT tense



To talk about specific past events use the
Preterit tense
To form the Preterit, you simply take the
STEM of the AR/ER/IR verb and add different
endings.
 AR verb endings: é, aste, ó, amos, aron
 ER/IR verbs: í, iste, ió, imos, ieron
Example:
 Yo comí la pizza ayer.
 Anoche ella habló con su amigo.
Structure: CAR, GAR, ZAR verbs


Some verbs require spelling changes in the 1st
person (YO) form of the Preterit tense.
The rest of the forms use the same Preterit endings
•In the YO form only,
•Verbs that end in -gar change g to gu
•Verbs that end in -car change c to qu
•Verbs that end in -zar change z to c
jugué (jugar) = I played
busqué (buscar) = I looked for
almorcé (almorzar) = I ate lunch
Structure: Stem-changing verbs in the
Preterit tense



AR and ER stem-changing verbs do NOT change at
all in the Preterit tense.
These verbs will simply attach the appropriate
endings to the STEMs.
IR stem-changing verbs, however, do change in the
3rd Person forms (singular/plural).
 The changes take on a different pattern that
normal.
 O  U =
 Dormí,dormiste,durmió,dormimos,durmieron
 E  I =
 Sentí,sentiste,sintió,sentimos,sintieron
Structure: Irregular verbs PRETERIT


Some verbs are completely irregular in the
Preterit tense with a different set of endings.
These verbs and endings must be memorized.
Andar – to walk
anduv-
Estar- to be
estuv-
Poder- can
pud-
Poner-to set/put
pus-
Saber-to know
sup-
Hacer-to do/make
hic-
Tener- to have
tuv-
Caber- to fit
cup-
Querer-to want/try
quis-
Haber- there are
hub-
Venir-to come
vin-
estuve
supe
estuviste
supiste
estuvo
Supo HACER = HIZO
estuvimos
supimos
estuvieron
supieron
Structure: PRETERIT vocabulary
•ayer (yesterday)
•anteayer (the day before
yesterday)
•anoche (last night)
•desde el primer momento
(from the first moment)
•durante dos siglos (for two
centuries)
•el otro día (the other day)
•en ese momento (at that
moment)
•entonces (then)
•esta mañana (this
morning)
•la semana pasada (last
week)
•el año pasado (last year)
•hace dos días, años (two
days, years ago)
• ayer por la mañana
• ayer por la tarde
Structure: Object Pronouns




Pronouns are words that stand for nouns.
Object pronouns, as opposed to subject pronouns,
RECEIVE the action from the verb; they do not DO
the verb.
There are 3 types of Object Pronouns
 Direct Object Pronouns
 Indirect Object Pronouns
 Reflexive Pronouns
The following three pages will discuss each type of
pronoun and explain when or when not to use
them.
Structure: Direct Object Pronouns






Direct object pronouns are used in place of nouns which get
“acted upon” directly by verbs.
For example, in the sentence “The Jonas Brothers used the
guitar,” the word “guitar” is the direct object.
In the related sentence, “The Jonas Brothers used it,” the
word “it” is the direct object pronoun. “It” stands for the
guitar.
If the noun/pronoun directly receives the action from the
verb, answering the question “Whom or what?”, then it is a
direct object or DOP.
Direct object pronouns usuall come before the conjugated
verb in a sentence. They can also attach to the back of INFs
Direct Object Pronouns
Me = me
Te = you
Lo/la = him/her/it
Nos = us
Los/las = them/you all
Structure: Indirect Object Pronouns




Indirect Object pronouns are used when the action affects a
noun or pronoun in an indirect way.
The indirect object is still affected by, or may benefit from,
the action, but it does not take the “direct hit” from the verb.
For example: I give Mr. Twehues an apple.
 In this sentence, the apple is given, so it is the direct
object.
 Mr. Twehues loves to eat, and he will benefit from the
apple, so he is the indirect object.
 The IOP answers the question “To whom/what or For
whom/what?”
Indirect Object Pronouns
Me = me
Te = you
Le = him/her/it
Nos = us
Les = them/you all
There has to be a Direct Object for there to be an IOP
Structure: Reflexive Object Pronouns




When a subject and object refer to the same
person or thing, a reflexive object is used.
In the sentence, “I call myself John,” the subject (I)
refers to the same person as the object (John).
In the sentence, “They showered themselves after
the game.” The subject (They) matches the object
(themselves), and a reflexive object pronoun is
used.
Reflexive Object Pronouns
Me = myself
Te = yourself
Se = himself / herself
Nos = ourselves
Se = themselves / yourselves
Structure: The personal “a”





1.
2.
3.
In Spanish, the word “a” is placed between a vreb
and a direct object when the object is a definite
person.
This “a” does not translate into English.
It’s almost as if this “a” protects or buffers the
person from the force of the verb.
Since we don’t have anything like this in English, it
may take you awhile to get used to it.
Examples:
I love Lucy. Yo amo a Lucy.
They see two boys. Ellos ven a dos chicos.
We’re waiting for her. Esperamos a ella.
Function: Talk about events that did not have
a definite ending or beginning.
Structure: IMPERFECT tense
 To talk about non-specific + recurring
events, use the IMPERFECT

AR verb endings: aba, abas, aba, ábamos,
aban
 ER/IR verbs: ía, ías, ía, íamos, ían


Example:
Yo comía la pizza mucho.
 Ella siempre hablaba con su amigo.

Function: Talk about events that did not have
a definite ending or beginning.


Structure: Irregular verbs IMPERFECT
There are only 3 irregular verbs in the
imperfect tense.
Ser—
to be
era
eras
era
éramos
eran
Ver—
to see
veía
veías
veía
veíamos
veían
Ir—
to go
iba
ibas
iba
íbamos
iban
Function: Talk about events that did not
have a definite ending or beginning.

Structure: IMPERFECT vocabulary
•a menudo (often)
•a veces (sometimes)
•cada día (every day)
•cada semana (every week)
•cada mes (every month)
•cada año (every year)
•Con frecuencia (frequently)
•de vez en cuando (from time
to time)
•en aquella época (at that
time)
•frecuentemente (frequently)
•generalmente (usually)
•muchas veces (many times)
•mucho (a lot)
•nunca (never)
•por un rato (for awhile)
•siempre (always)
•tantas veces (so many times)
•todas las semanas (every
week)
•todos los días (every day)
•todo el tiempo (all the time)
•varias veces (several times)
Function: Discuss ongoing/incomplete
events in the past tense.

Structure: IMPERFECT tense
She was talking when…
 They were yelling when…
 While I was closing the door…
 I was walking through the park when…


Example:
Yo mataba la bruja cuando entró su
amiga.
 Mientras ella estaba en el castillo, los
hombres lobos robaron su carro.

Function: Talk about weather/atmosphere and
time in the past tense.

Structure: IMPERFECT tense
Eran las once = It was 11:00.
 Era la una y media = It was 1:30.
 Estaba nublado = It was cloudy.
 Hacía mucho calor = It was very hot.
 Llovía mucho = It was raining a lot.
 Hacía sol = It was sunny.

Function: Describe people, places,
things, in the past tense.
Structure: IMPERFECT tense
 Use the verb SER, which is irregular,
to describe people, places, and things
in the past tense
 Examples:

1.
2.
3.
Ella era repelente.
Los tigres eran enormes.
La casa era aterradora.
Function: Narrate a story in the past

•
•
•
•
•
PRETERIT
is used for actions that
can be viewed as single
events.
is used for actions that
were repeated a specific
number of times.
is used for actions that
occurred during a
specific period of time.
is used for actions that
were part of a chain of
events.
is used to state the
beginning or the end of
an action.

•
•
•
•
•
IMPERFECT
is used for actions that
were repeated habitually.
is used for actions that
"set the stage" for another
action.
is used for telling time and
stating one's age.
is used to set the scene in
a story with weather.
is used for descriptions in
the past.
Structure: Double Object Pronouns






Do you remember all of the object pronouns you’ve studied so
far? Do you know when/how to use them?
Oftentimes, a speaker will choose to use two object
pronouns in the same sentence. The nouns for which these
pronouns stand will already have been made clear to the
listener or reader.
Examples:
 I gave a present to my sister  I gave her it.
 We bought the dogs for you.  We bought them for you.
The traditional order for when multiple pronouns are used in
a sentence is RID : Reflexive, Indirect, Direct
I give you it  Te lo doy.
 You (te) is the indirect object pronoun.
 It (lo) is the direct object pronoun.
 They both are placed BEFORE the conjugated verb.
Object pronouns can also be attached to the ends of INFs!
Structure: Double Object Pronouns



There is a special case in Spanish in which the
third person indirect object pronouns “le” or “les”
are replaced by the word “se.”
This change occurs when “le” or “les” is followed
by any third person direct object pronoun (lo, la,
los, las).
Why?
It’s just easier to say “Se lo” than “Le lo” and
others.
Examples:
I told him it  Se lo dije.
We gave them to her  Se los dimos.
They sold it to us  Nos lo vendieron.


1.
2.
3.
Structure: Choosing between SABER
and CONOCER

To use the past tense of SABER and CONOCER, you should
know that the translation is dfferent when using the Preterit
vs. the Imperfect.



1.
Spanish has 2 ways to say “to know”: SABER and CONOCER
CONOCER is used when you want to say that you are
familiar with someone, something, some place, etc.
1.
2.
2.
SABER  Preterit = Found out. Imperfect = Knew
CONOCER  Preterit = Met . Imperfect = Knew, used to know
I know the city of Newport well.
She knows me, we dated in high school!
SABER is used when a person is speaking about a fact,
something that could usually be said easily.


Eg. I know where you live. Yo se donde vives.
To say you know how to do something, use SABER as well. Él
sabe bailar.
Structure: HACER expressions










HACER is commonly used to mean “to do” or “to
make.” It is also used when describing weather.
There are a number of special expressions that use
the verb HACER. These must be memorized!
Expressions with HACER
HACER caso a = pay attention to
HACER cola = to stand in line
HACER frente = to face up to
HACER la maleta = to pack a suitcase
HACER puente = to take a long weekend
HACERSE amigos = to become friends
HACER una pregunta = to ask a question
Structure: Reflexive Actions



In a reflexive construction, the subject and the
object of a sentence refer to the same thing.
In other words, the subject is doing something
to/for him or herself.
These constructions make use of the reflexive
object pronouns.


Eg. Me llamo Craig. I call myself Craig.
For even more emphasis, you can add the word
mismo/misma/mismos/mismas according to the
gender and number of the subject.

Me digo a mi mismo (a). I tell myself…
Structure: Reciprocal Actions





Sometimes two people do the exact same thing to
eachother.
If two people write a letter to eachother, it is a
reciprocal action.
For reciprocal actions, two or more people are
needed; therefore only 2 object pronouns are used:
SE and NOS.
For added emphasis and to avoid confusion with
reciprocal sentences, the following words may be
added after the verb: uno a otro, una a otra, unos a
otros, unas a otras.
These are the only 4 possibilities. It is not possible
to “mix” genders here.
 The boy and the girl talk to eachother.
Structure: Formal Command forms
(Ud./Uds.)
We use direct commands to ask or tell someone to
do something.
 One person can look at another and say “Do it!” or
“Don’t do it!”
 A formal command is addressed to a person or
persons with whom you would use Ud./Uds.
Formation:
 Use the subjunctive tense for conjugating these
command forms.
 Remember to take the STEM of the verb and to add
the opposite ending to make the subjunctive, or in
this case, the formal command conjugation.
 AR: Hable, hablen! or No hable! No hablen!
 ER/IR : Viva, no viva! Vivan, no vivan!

Structure: Formal Command forms
(Ud./Uds.)

With stem-changing “boot” verbs, change the stem,
and then add the opposite ending:


Spelling changers in the 1st person preterit will
change as well in command forms:


Busque!, Conozca!, Paguen!, Dirijan!, Comience!, Toquen!
Any verbs that have an irregular YO form in the
first person will be irregular in the command form.


Sienten! Sientense! No se sienten!
Haga!, Diga!, Ponga!, Salgan!, etc.
There are some super-irregulars as well:
SER= Sea / Sean
IR = Vaya / Vayan
DAR = Dé / Den
ESTAR = Esté / Estén
Structure: Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives help to distinguish one
noun from another.
 They use spatial imagery (?) to place an object in
relationship to the speaker or listener.
Demonstrative adjectives
Este = this
esta = this
Estos = these
estas = these
Ese = that
esa = that
Esos = those
esas = those
Aquel= that (over there) aquella= that (over there)
Aquellos /aquellas = those (over there)
 These adjectives are placed in front of nouns.
 Also, aquel/aquellos refer to objects farther away

Structure: Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns are used in the place of
nouns (previously referred to with demonstrative
adjectives).
 These demonstrative adjectives can be turned into
pronouns (and stand alone) simply by adding an
accent mark.
Demonstrative pronouns
Éste = this (one)Ésta = this (one)
Éstos = these (ones) Éstas = these (ones)
Ése = that (one) Ésa = that (one)
Ésos = those (ones) Ésas = those (ones)
Aquél= that (over there) aquélla= that (over there)
Aquéllos /aquéllas = those (over there)
 There are 3 neuter forms as well; these are used

Structure: Uses of POR and PARA
“Por” and “para” are very confusing because they
both mean “for.”
Uses of POR
1. In exchange for: Ill pay you for the toy.
2. Duration of time: I studied for 3 hours.
3. Rate: He charges $70 an hour! (for one hour).
4. Movement through space: …through the forest.
5. Motive/reason: I sang for my parents.
6. By means of: We travel by car.
7. Taking the place of: He is playing for me.
8. Before an infinitive meaning “because of” or “by”:
 By practicing often, they learned a lot.
 By arriving early…

Structure: Uses of POR and PARA
“Por” and “para” are very confusing because they
both mean “for.”
Uses of PARA
1. Destination: I am leaving for Florida.
2. Intended for (recipient): It’s for you.
3. Deadline: Send it in by tomorrow.
4. Purpose/use: The gun is for protection.
5. Exception: She is strong for a woman.
6. Before an infinitive meaning “in order to”: In order
to win, you have to play.
7. Viewpoint: For me, this is the best school.


There are some verbs in Spanish where the “for” is
built in: BUSCAR, ESPERAR, PEDIR, etc.
Structure: Uses of the INFINITIVE

1.
The infinitive of a verb is the form that ends in AR/ER/IR. The
infinitive is used frequently in these four ways.
The infinitive is often found following a conjugated verb:

2.
It must follow a preposition:

3.
The infinitive, not the ING form of the verb, must follow the
preposition  Después de hablar… = After speaking…
The infinitive can function as a noun:

4.
The first verb is conjugated and carries the subject. The two
verbs work together for one meaning = Me gusta hablar.
Often in combination with “El”  El comer es bueno = Eating is
good.
The infinitive can take the place of the subjunctive:



This only happens with certain verbs in an indirect command
A speaker can choose to use the infinitive or the subjunctive with the
following: DEJAR, HACER, MANDAR, PERMITIR, PROHIBIR
Examples:


Mi madre me hace estudiar. = My mom makes me study.
Te prohibo fumar en la clase. = I prohibit you to smoke.
Structure: Informal (direct) commands




Use tú commands to tell someone what to do or to
give someone directions.
To form affirmative tú commands, take the verb
(COMER) and change it to the third person form
(COME). ¡Come el sandwich! = Eat the sandwich!
To form negative tú commands, take the verb
(COMER) and change it to the opposite 2nd person
(tú) form (COMAS). ¡No comas la serpiente! = Don’t
eat the snake!
Examples:
 Talk! = ¡Habla!
Don’t talk! = ¡No hables!
 Climb! = ¡Sube!
Don’t climb! = ¡No subas!
Structure: IRREGULAR Tú Commands


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Unfortunately, there are many irregular forms of Tú
Commands. You have to memorize these.
Affirmative
Negatives
DECIR—¡Dime! = Tell me! ¡No me digas! = ?
HACER—¡Hazlo! = Do it!
¡No lo hagas! = ?
IR—¡Ve! = Go!
¡No vayas! = ?
PONER—¡Pon! = Put!
¡No pongas! = ?
SALIR—¡Sal! = Leave!
¡No salgas! = ?
SER—¡Se! = Be!
¡No seas! = ?
TENER—¡Ten! = Have!
¡No tengas! = ?
VENIR—¡Ven! = Come!
¡No vengas! = ?
Structure: PRESENT PERFECT

The Present Perfect tense is used to talk about
what you have done.







I have eaten pizza.
She has studied for the test.
Use HABER in present tense (he, has, ha, hemos,
han) w/ past participle to form the Present Perfect
Form the past participle by removing AR and ER/IR
endings from the infinitive and adding either ADO
or IDO.
hablar - ar + ado = hablado
comer - er + ido = comido
vivir - ir + ido = vivido
Structure: Irregular Past Participles
abrir (to open) - abierto
(open)
cubrir (to cover) cubierto (covered)
decir (to say) - dicho
(said)
escribir (to write) escrito (written)
freír (to fry) - frito
(fried)
hacer (to do) - hecho
(done)
morir (to die) - muerto
(dead)
poner (to put) - puesto
(put)
resolver (to resolve) resuelto (resolved)
romper (to break) - roto
(broken)
ver (to see) - visto
(seen)
volver (to return) vuelto (returned)
Structure: Past Participles as adjectives




1.
2.
3.
The past participles used in the Present Perfect
tense (and all perfect tenses) end in “o” and can
were used in a verbal function.
However, past participles can be used as
adjectives as well.
These past participles can follow a noun directly,
and are often found after the verb ESTAR.
Examples:
La puerta está cerrada.
Las sillas rotas no sirven para nada.
El televisor está roto.
Structure: The Future tense




The future tense is used when discussing what will happen or
what someone will do.
The true future tense (will) is used to describe events that
are a little further away in the mind of the speaker.
All AR/ER/IR verbs take the following endings attached to the
INFINITIVE:
 Hablaré, Hablarás, hablará, hablaremos, hablarán.
 Comeré, comerás, comerá, comeremos, comerán.
There are several irregular verbs in the future tense; the only
thing to remember is the different stem. The endings are the
same!
DECIR -- diré
SABER -- sabré
PODER -- podré
PONER -- pondré
TENER -- tendré
SALIR -- saldré
CABER -- cabré
VALER -- valdré
HABER -- habré
VENIR -- vendré
QUERER – querré
HACER -- haré
Advanced
Levels III and above
Structure: Relative Pronouns


1.
2.
3.
4.

A relative pronoun is a word or group of words that
connect a dependent clause to a subject found at
the beginning of the sentence.
A relative pronoun “relates” these two parts of a
sentence and, as a pronoun, refers to the subject
of a sentence. There are four common Relatives.
QUE
QUIEN/QUIENES
EL QUE, LA QUE, LOS QUE, LAS QUE
EL CUAL, LA CUAL, LOS CUALES, LAS CUALES
These relative pronouns will be described in detail
on the following 3 pages.
Structure: Relative Pronouns: QUE


“Que” can be used to refer to a person, place, or
thing. In English it can be translated as “Who,”
“Whom,” “Which,” or “That.”

La escoba que compré es verde.

The broom that I bought is green.
“Que” follows most one-syllable prepositions when
referring to a place or thing. The word “CONDENA”
contains all prepositions commonly used with
“que” : con que, de que, en que, a que.
 El apartamento en que vivimos tiene muchos
patios.
 The apartment in which we live has many patios.
Structure: Relative Pronouns:
Quien/Quienes


The relative pronouns “Quien/Quienes” refer
exclusively to people. They can mean either “who”
or “whom.”
These words are used after prepositions and in
non-restrictive clauses, off set by commas. A non
restrictive clause gives parenthetical, nonessential information.

The students of whom I speak are excellent.
“Quien/Quienes” can also begin a sentence—in that
case they mean “One who,” or “He or she who,” or
“Those who.”
 Quienes practican, ganan.


Los estudiantes de quienes yo hablo son
excelentes.
Structure: Relative Pronouns:
EL/LA/LOS/LAS QUE
EL/LA/LOS/LAS CUAL/CUALES
These longer forms have 3 main uses:
1. When following all prepositions other than
“con, de, en, a.” Like para, sobre, cerca de,
por, sin…
2. When referring back to the 1st of 2 or more
antecedents (subjects).
3. As an alternative to “que, quien, quienes”
in a clause that is NOT restrictive (giving
non-essential information).

Structure: The Passive Voice
The active voice usually has 3 parts: subject, a
transitive verb (one with a direct object), and a
direct object. Eg. The girl cut the cake.
 The passive voice turns everything around; the
direct object now becomes the subject, the star of
the show! Eg. The cake was cut by the girl.
 Here is the simple formula for the PASSIVE voice:
Direct Object +SER + Past Participle + por+ subject

Una estatua es comprada por los hombres.
1.
A “se” sentence is used more often in Spanish.

2.
3.
4.
Se habla español aquí. = Spanish is spoken here.
Passive voice can use any form of SER.
Past Participle agrees with the NEW subject.
With some verbs, you can use DE instead of POR
Structure: “IF” clauses




1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
“If clauses” in Spanish contain the word “si.”
These clauses may introduce a condition and a
promise (If it rains, he will not come) or a
hypothetical situation (If she were taller, she would
be happier).
There are 2 categories of “If clauses” in Spanish:
those that use the Indicative and those that use
the Subjunctive.
We will discuss 5 separate types of “If clauses”:
The Present with the Future
The Present with the Present
The Imperfect Subjunctive with the Conditional
The Pluperfect Subjunctive and Conditional Perf.
Sentences with “Como si.”
Structure: “IF” clauses: Indicative
The Present/Future



This type of “If clause” answers the question, “If
“X” happens, what will be the consequence?”
The formula for using the Present/Future “If clause”
is simple:
Si + Present tense + “,” + Future tense
or
Future tense + Si + Present tense
Si llueve mañana, él no viajará aquí.

If it rains tomorrow, he will not travel here.

No compraremos el sofá si cuesta demasiado.

We will not buy the couch if it costs too much.
These sentences share the use of the Present

Structure: “IF” clauses: Indicative
Present / Present

The “If clauses” that use the Present Indicative
with the Present Indicative follow this pattern:
If “X” happens, then “Y” always happens.

1.
Examples:
Vamos a la finca si tenemos tiempo.

2.
Si llueve, no jugamos al béisbol.


We go to the farm if (when) we have time.
If it rains, we don’t play baseball.
All of these sentences will express habitual
activities; not one time events or conditions.
Structure: “IF” clauses using the
Subunctive Mood





1.
2.
3.
In these sentences, a hypothetical situation is
presented.
The situation is explained in a way that makes it
seem doubtful, unlikely to happen, or even contrary
to fact.
It is for this reason that the Subjunctive is used
along with the Conditional.
Which form of the Subjunctive? Either the
Imperfect Subjunctive or Pluperfect Subjunctive.
There are three formations to examine:
Imperfect Subjunctive with Conditional
Pluperfect Subjunctive and Conditional Perfect
Sentences with “Como si” (As IF clauses)
Structure: “IF” clauses: Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive / Conditional


The Present Subjunctive or Present Perfect
Subjunctive is NEVER used with an “If clause.”
These sentences follow the pattern:
Si + Imperfect Subjunctive + “,” + Conditional
or
Conditional + Si + Imerfect Subjunctive

1.
2.

Examples:
Si lloviera, no jugaríamos al beisbol.
Iríamos a la finca si tuviéramos tiempo.
These sentences may be read as excuses for not
doing something now, or for not having done
something in the past.
Structure: “IF” clauses: Subunctive
Pluperfect Subjunctive / Conditional Perfect

Similar to Imperfect Subjunctive/Conditional, these
sentences will imply the same thing, only with a
more complicated (perfect) translation into
English.

Formula 1= Si + PP.Subj + “,” + Cond. Perf.
Formula 2= Cond. Perf + Si + Pluperfect Subj.

Examples:

1.
Si hubiera llovido, no habríamos jugado al béisbol.

2.
If it had rained, we would not have played baseball.
Habríamos ido a la finca si hubiéramos tenido
tiempo.
Structure: “IF” clauses: Subunctive
“Como si” clauses (AS IF)




1.
The words “como si,” meaning “as if” will always
require a past subjunctive tense in the formula.
“Como si” introduces an idea that appears to be
contrary to fact.
Formulas:
 Present + como si + Imperfect Subjunctive
 Present + como si + Pluperfect Subjunctive
Examples:
Ella actúa como si fuera una princesa.

2.
She acts as if she were a princess.
Los chicos hablan como si hubieran sabido todo.

The boys talk as if they had known everything.
Structure: Indefinite words:
Negative and Affirmative

Here are the most common indefinite words. Affirmative words
are on the left and negative words are on the right.
Affirmative
Algo= something
Lo demas= the rest
Alguien= someone
Los/las demas= the rest
Alguno= some
Ambos= both
Cada= each
Cualquier= any
Otro= other/another
Todo= all
Uno= a
Mucho= many/much
Tanto= so much/many
Negative
nada= nothing
nadie= no one
ninguno= none/any/
no one
poco= few
a little, so little
Structure: Past Perfect Tense



Use HABER in imperfect (había, habías, había,
habíamos, habían) w/ past participle to form the
Past Perfect
Forming the Past Participle:
Examples:
 Ellos habían puesto la mesa.
 They had set the table.
 Yo había visto la película.
 I had seen the movie.
Structure: Accent Marks

In Spanish, a syllable has one vowel sound


If a word ends with a vowel or with the letters “n”
or “s,” the stress, or emphasis, is naturally on the
second to last syllable.


Co-mo, vi-da, hi-jo, es-tu-dian-tes
If a word ends with a consonant other than “n” or
“s,” the stress is naturally on the last syllable


Dedo: de-do
Varie-dad, trop-i-cal, cam-i-nar
Accent marks are necessary to distinguish one
word from another when they have the same
spelling (si and sí), with interrogatives (¿qué?), and
to signal a break from the normal rules that
indicate which syllable of a word is stressed
(inglés)
Structure: The Conditional tense

The Conditional tense is used to explain what would
happen in a hypothetical situation.


It is also used commonly to describe an action subsequent
to another past action or to a time in the past.



1.
Keep the ar/er/ir and add Ía, ías, ía, íamos, ían (hablaría,
comerías, viviríamos)
Irregular Verbs

3.
I would like to speak to the manager, please.
Could you (would you be able to) tell me when the next train leaves?
How it’s formed:
Regular AR/IR/ER Verbs

2.
My friends told me they would come to the party later.
The Conditional is also used to make a polite or softened
requeset.


I would go to the movies if I had money.
Hacer: Har-ía, ías….Saber: Sabr-ía, ías… Salir: Saldr-ía,
ías…
Other irregulars
Structure: The Subjunctive
The Subjunctive mood is used for a variety of
things in the Spanish language such as talking
about something that is wished for or something
that may not be true (i.e. expressing doubt)
 For example, “I hope she calls” or “I doubt he
will come.”

Forming the Subjunctive:
1. Regular verbs

2.
Drop the AR and add the opposite ending: AR- e,
es, e, emos, en ER/IR- a, as, a, amos, an
Examples:


Casar- Case, cases, case, casemos, casen
Comer- Coma, comas, coma, comamos, coman
Structure: Stem-changing verbs in the
Subjunctive Mood


Stem changing verbs in the subjunctive operate the same
way as in the present tense.
The stem change only takes place within the first, second
and third person singular and also in the third person
plural, making them “boot” verbs.


In other words, only the yo, tu, el/ella/usted, and ustedes forms are
changed in the subjunctive of stem-changing verbs.
Just as in regular subjunctive forms, the ending also changes in the
word.
Examples:
1. CERRAR- Cierre, cierres, cierre, cerremos, cierren
2. CONTARCuente,cuentes,cuente,contemos,cuenten
3.
IR verbs in the subjunctive are different. The stem change
still occurs in the same places, but the first person plural
(nosotros) also changes.
1.
SENTIR- sienta, sientas, sienta, sintamos, sientan
Structure: Irregular verbs in the
Subjunctive Mood

Irregular verbs in the subjunctive are the
same as they were in the 1st person of the
present tense.









CABER- quepa, quepas, quepa, quepamos,
quepan
CAER- caiga, caigas, caiga, caigamos, caigan
DECIR- diga, digas, diga, digamos, digan
HACER- haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagan
PONER- ponga, pongas, ponga, pongamos,
pongan
SALIR- salga, salgas, salga, salgamos, salgan
TENER- tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengan
VALER- valga, valgas, valga, valgamos, valgan
VENIR- venga, vengas, venga, vengamos, vengan
Structure: Spelling-changing verbs
in the Subjunctive

Just as in the present tense, the Subjunctive
has a number of verbs that have spelling
changes to help the pronunciation sound found
in the infinitive.
 Found in verbs with endings CAR, CER/CIR,
GAR, GER/GIR, and ZAR
 Ending
 Car-
changes
que Sacar- saque, saques…
 Cer/Cir- zca Conocer- conozca, conozcas…
 Gar- gue Pagar- pague, pagues…
 Ger/Gir- ja Escoger- escoja, escojas…
 Zar- ce Rezar-Rece, reces…
Structure: Super-irregular verbs in
the Subjunctive
 There
are six verbs that do not follow the
1st person spelling rule of the present
tense
Dar, estar, haber, ir, saber, and ser.
 Dar-
dé, des, dé, demos, den
 Estar- esté, estés, esté, estemos, estén
 Haber- haya, hayas, haya, hayamos,
hayan
 Ir- vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayan
 Saber- sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepan
Structure: The Subjunctive after
Indirect commands
An indirect command features a main clause that asks
someone to do something, and a dependent clause, after
the word que, that mentions the action that the speaker
wants the person to do.
 The subjunctive is used in the dependent clause, after
“que”
 Example: “Quiero que mi amigo me llame- I want my
friend to call me”
 In the sentence above, the dependent clause hasn’t
happened yet; it’s not yet true, which is why the
subjunctive is used.
Common command verbs which the Subjunctive follows:






Decir- to tell
Desear- to desire
Esperar- to hope
Querer- to want
Structure: The Subjunctive after
verbs of Emotion


The Subjunctive is not only used for uncertainty; it can be
found in any dependent clause after “que” when the main
clause expresses an emotional reaction to the action in
the second clause.
Verbs that express emotion:









Alegrarse de- to be glad that
Frustrale a alguien- to be frustrating to someone
Gustarle a alguien- to be pleasing to someone
Molestarle a alguien- to bother someone
Preocuparle a alguien- to worry someone
Sentir (ie)- to regret
Sorprenderle a alguien- to surprise someone
Tener miedo de- to be scared
Formula for this type of sentence:

Verb or expression of emotion in main clause + que + verb in
the subjunctive
Structure: Indefinite Pronouns

Pronouns are words that take places of nouns




Indefinite pronouns do not refer to specific
people or things



Yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros/as, ellos, ellas, ustedes
Me, te, le, nos, les
These can be direct, indirect, or reflexive.
The three most common indefinites are: algo- something,
alguien- someone/somebody, and alguno/a/os/as- some,
someone (of a larger group).
Before a masculine singular noun, alguno is shortened to
algún!
Corresponding negatives also go with these
indefinites



Algo- nada- nothing
Alguien- nadie- no one
Alguno/a/os/as- ninguno/a- none
 Before a masculine singular noun, ninguno is shortened to
ningún!
Structure: The Present Perfect
Subjunctive


The present perfect subjunctive is used in the dependent
clasue after “que” when the main clause expresses
emotion about an action that has occured in the recent
past.
It is formed using haber in the subjunctive followed by a
past participle
 Haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayan follwed by (hablar)
hablado, (comer) comido, or (vivir) vivido etc.
 Examples:
 Me

alegro de que hayan visto la película.
I am glad that you have seen the movie.
 Nos

frustra que no haya llovido hoy.
It frustrates us that it has not rained today.
Structure: Temporal Expressions
using LLEVAR + HACER



The verbs LLEVAR and HACER can be used to describe
action that has been going on for a certain length of time
The most common way to express ongoing action is with
LLEVAR followed by a length of time and then a present
participle; LLEVAR + length of time + present participle
(i.e. hablando, comiendo, or viviendo)
Construction of this tense with HACER is slightly more
formal. This formula takes a form of HACER with “que”
followed by a conjugated verb.


For ongoing present actions, both the form of HACER and the
verb following “que” must be in the present tense; for actions
in the past, HACER and the verb after ‘que” must both be in
the past tense.
“Hace” or “Hacía” + period of time + que + verb in present or
imperfect
Structure: Idiomatic Expressions
with the following:
(DAR/HABER/HACER/TENER/VOLVER)

Expressions with DAR









Expressions with HABER







Dar la luz- to bring out, come to light, also to give birth
Dar con- to run into, to find
Dar cuerda a- to wind
Dar de beber/comer- to give drink/food to
Dar una vuelta- to take a stroll
Darse cuenta de- to realice
Darse la mano- to shake hands
Darse prisa- to be in a hurry
Haber de + infinitive- to ought to do something
Hay mucho que hacer- there’s alot to do
Hay neblina- its foggy
Hay que + infinitive- one must do something
Hay sol- it’s sunny
No hay de qué- you’re welcome
Expressions with HACER



Hacerse viejo/a- to grow old
Hacer el papel- to play a role
Hacer caso a- to pay attention to
Structure: Idiomatic expressions
contd.

Expressions with TENER








Tener la culpa- to be guilty
Tener cuidado- to be careful
Tener éxito- to be successful
Tener ganas de- to want to do something/to
feel like
Tener prisa- to be in a hurry
Tener que- to have to do something
Tener que ver con- to have to do with
Expressions with VOLVER




Volver a + infinitive- to do something again
Volver en sí- to come to; to regain
consciousness
Volver(le) loco/a- to drive someone crazy
Volverse loco/a- to go crazy
Structure: The Future Perfect
tense



1.
Examples:
Habrán hecho las enchiladas.

2.
They will have made the enchiladas.
Antes de las siete nos habremos cepillado los
dientes.

3.
The Future Perfect describes an event that will take place
prior to another event, or before a time in the future.
It is formed with the future form of HABER with a past
participle
 Habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habrán + hablado,
comido, vivido etc.
Before seven we will have brushed our teeth.
Lo habrás entendido todo.

You will have understood it all.
Structure: The Conditional Perfect
tense
The Conditional Perfect describes an event that
would have taken place if something else had
happened.
 How to form it
 Habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habrían +
past participle (i.e. hablado, visto, roto etc).

 Examples:
1.
Habríamos entendido las palabras si hubiéramos
estudiado.

2.
We would have understood the words if we had studied.
Habría comido las galletas si hubiera comprado
leche.

I would have eaten the cookies if I had bought milk.
Structure: Unexpected Events (III
p.96)




1.
Examples:
¡Se te cayeron los pantalones!

2.
Your pants fell down!
Se les olvidó el libro.

3.
The Spanish language makes use of a special construction
with the pronoun “se” to refer to accidents or evens that
we didn’t expect to happen.
Se + me, te, le, nos, or les + verb + subject
Verbs that are commonly used in this construction are:
ACABAR, CAER, OLVIDAR, PERDER, and ROMPER
They forgot the book.
A Julia se le acabó la comida.

Julia ran out of food.
Structure: The Imperfect
Subjunctive tense
The Imperfect Subjunctive is used when the
tense in the main or dependent clause are in the
past.
 It is found in the dependent clasue after “que”
ususally describing the action in the past. The
main clause will either be in a past indicative
tense (preterite, imperfect, past perfect, or
conditional) or possibly in a present or future
tense.
How it’s formed:
Take the 3rd person plural form of the preterite


1.

2.
Hablar- hablaron
Take off the “on” at the end and add the endings:
a, as, a, amos, an
Structure: The Past Perfect
Subjunctive tense
The Past Perfect (Pluperfect) is simply a form of
the imperfect subjunctive. It refers to an action
that occurred prior to another action, or prior to
a specific point in time in the past.
 It is also found after verbs of emotion, like the
imperfect subjunctive.
How to form the Pluperfect:
Take the imperfect subjunctive form of HABER and
add a past participle
 Hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos,
hubieran + hablado, visto, vuelto..etc.


1.
Structure: Which form of the
Subjunctive to use?

If the sentence calls for the subjunctive, and if the
verb in the main clause is in the:



Present, present perfect, future, future perfect, or
command form
Then choose: a present or past subjunctive: present
subjunctive, present perfect subjunctive, imperfect
subjunctive, or pluperfect (past perfect) subjunctive
If the sentence calls for the subjunctive, and if the
verb in the main clause is in the:


Preterite, imperfect, pluperfect, conditional, or conditional
perfect
Then choose: a past subjunctive: imperfect subjunctive
or pluperfect (past perfect) subjunctive
Structure: The Subjunctive after verbs
and expressions of
If the main clasue expresses doubt about the
verb in the dependent clause, you must use the
subjunctive.
 The subjunctive reflects the fact that the action
or idea of the dependent clause may not take
place or may never have taken place.
Examples of doubtful phrases:
 Dudo que, niego que, no creo que, no es probable
que, es probable que, no es posible que, es
posible que, no es cierto que..etc.
 After each “que” the subjunctive comes into use
in the dependent clause.


Doubt.
Structure: The Subjunctive or the
indicative after Impersonal
expressions



1.
Examples:
Es verdad que uno y uno son dos.

2.
Most impersonal expressions will require the subjunctive
after “que,” however, some express certainty and do not
need it.
The most common ones are:
 Es cierto, es claro, es evidente, es indiscutible, es
obvio, es seguro, and es verdad.
 All use “que” after them in the dependent clause with a
verb in the indicative, not the subjunctive.
 All these phrases express certainty, not doubt.
It’s true that one and one are two.
Era claro que mi hermano podía nadar.

It was clear that my brother could swim.
Structure: The Subjunctive after
undefined / indefinite
Antecedents or Negatives



1.
Examples:
No hay nadie que hable mucho en esta clase.

2.
There is no one that talks alot in this class.
No existe un elefante que pueda volar.

3.
This form of subjunctive occurs when the subject of the
main clause is not definite or may not even exist.
The subject in the main clause isn’t true, doesn’t or hasn’t
existed; it is a “ghost” clause.
There is no elephant that can fly.
¿Hay alguien que desee acompañarme a la fiesta?

Is there anyone who wants to accompany me to the
party?
Structure: The Subjunctive after
some Adverbial expressions



1.
Examples:
Voy a salir ahora a menos que quieras hablar
conmigo.

2.
The most common adverbial expressions can be
remembered by ESCAPA: En caso de que- in case, Sin quewithout, Con tal que- provided that, A menos que- unless,
Para que- in order that, and Antes de que- before.
Each of these expressions ends with “que” and must have
the subjunctive, no matter what.
I’m going to leave now unless you want to talk to me.
Vas a salir sin que yo te hable.

You are going to leave without my speaking to you.
Structure: The use of the Imperfect
Subjunctive to make polite requests
The imperfect subjunctive can also be used to
make a polite request, an alternative to the
conditional.
 It uses the following verbs: DEBER, PODER, and
QUERER.
Examples:
Debiéramos ir al cine. ¿Tienes dinero?


1.

2.
¿Pudiéramos pasar un rato en el parque?

3.
We should go to the movies. Do you have money?
Could we spend time in the park?
Quisiéra hablar con mis amigos, por favor.

I’d like to speak with my friends, please.
Structure: The use of “se” to express
the passive voice or an impersonal
subject



1.
Examples:
Se busca una criada nueva en esa casa.

2.
A new maid is being searched for in that house.
Se desean profesores de español.

3.
The passive voice can be formed by using “se” before the
verb in the sentence. The verb will be in the 3rd person
singular or plural.
Se + verb + subject
Spanish teachers are wanted.
Se venden carros aquí.

Cars are sold here.
Structure: The use of the 3rd Person
Plural (undefined) to express the
Passive Voice
To form the passive voice, simply use the
indefinite 3rd person plural form.
Examples:
Construyeron esos edificios en 1990.


1.

2.
Hablan español in Puerto Rico.

3.
Spanish is spoken in Puerto Rico.
Dicen que va a llover hoy.

4.
Those buildings were built in 1990.
They say that it is going to rain today.
Lo descubrieron en México.

It was discovered in Mexico.
Structure: Punctuation and Spanish
Capitalization (Bk III p.220)

Upside down question marks and exclamation
point are found at the beginning of a sentence
that is a question or an exclamation, or at the
point in the sentence that is the actual question


Spanish notations:





5,000- 5.000
5.5%- 5,5%
$1,000,000.55- $1.000.000,55
Cents- centavos
In dialogue:


Bailas bien, ¿no?
Periods and commas are found outside quotations, not inside
like in English.
Months, days of the week, and nationalities aren’t
capitalized.
 El martes, noviembre, norteamericano.
Structure: The uses of the word “lo”




1.
Examples:
Comprendo lo peligrosos que son esos ladrones.

2.
I understand how dangerous those robbers are.
Mi amigo y yo siempre pensamos lo mismo.

3.
Adjectives or adverbs can function as abstract nouns in
combination with the article “lo.”
“Lo” is often used with verbs such as SER, ESTAR, and
PARECER to represent a previously stated idea or
description.
Lo is also used in many idiomatic expressions: a lo lejosin the distance, a lo mejor- probably, lo de siempre- the
same as usual.
My friend and I always think the same.
No nos gusta lo despacio que ella se peina el pelo.

We don’t like how slowly she combs her hair.
Structure: The uses of PERO, SINO and
SINO QUE



Pero, sino, and sino que, meaning but, nevertheless, or but
rather, are words used to help connect clauses within
sentences.
Pero is the most common way to say “but” and is found
after affirmative clauses or after negaive clauses when
there are no direct contrasts of equivalent parts of
speech.
Sino can mean but rather and is used after a negative
clause when there is a direct contradiction in the second
clause.


No soy alta, sino baja. I’m not tall, but (rather) short.
Sino que also means but rather and is found after negative
clauses when there is a contradicting idea expressed with
a conjugated verb in the second clause.

No preparamos enchiladas en esta cocina, sino que las
comemos. We don’t prepare enchiladas in this kitchen, but
rather we eat them.
Intermediate Low (4) Function
Make suggestions / Give Advice
Structure: The SUBJUNCTIVE
 The SUBJUNCTIVE is formed by
taking the yo form of the verb,
dropping the “o” and adding the
opposite (AR or ER) ending.

Hablar  Habl-  Hable, hables, hable,
hablemos, hablen.
 Comer  Com-  Coma, comas, coma,
comamos, coman.
 Tener Teng-  Tenga, tengas, tenga,
tengamos, tengan.

Intermediate Low (4) Function
Make suggestions / Give Advice
Structure: Irregular SUBJUNCTIVE
 The following verbs are IRREGULAR
in the subjunctive tense.
 DAR-dé, des, dé, demos, den
 ESTAR-esté,estés,esté,estemos,estén
 HABER-haya / hayan
 IR-vaya,vayas,vaya,vayamos,vayan
 SABER-sepa,sepas,sepa,sepamos,sepan
 SER-sea, seas, sea, seamos, sean

Intermediate Low (4) Function
Make suggestions / Give Advice

Practice:
1. I think that you are crazy.
2. She doubts that I am rich.
3. We hope they can drive well
4. I want you to shut up!
5. I need a person that is funny.
Intermediate Low (4) Function
Make suggestions / Give Advice
Structure: The SUBJUNCTIVE with
the verbs SUGERIR + RECOMENDAR
 Use RECOMENDAR, SUGERIR, y
ACONSEJAR coupled with the
subjunctive tense to give advice or
make suggestions
 Les sugiero que corran mucho.
 Te recomiendo que no hables en la
clase.
 Me aconseja que aplique ahora.

Intermediate Low (4) Function
Make suggestions / Give Advice

Practice: ¡Completen las frases!
1. Te recomiendo que…
2. Te sugerimos que…
3. El doctor me aconseja que…
4. Nos recomienda que…
5. Me aconsejas que…
Intermediate Low (4) Function
Express your opinion
Structure: Impersonal Expressions
(2-234) and the SUBJUNCTIVE
 Use impersonal expressions + the
subjunctive to express your opinion.







Es
Es
Es
Es
Es
Es
bueno que…
Es malo que…
importante que…
Es mejor que…
lógico que… Es peligroso que…
posible que… Es probable que…
raro que…
Es ridículo que…
triste que…
Es una lástima que…
Intermediate Low (4) Function
Express your opinion

Practice: ¡Completen las frases!
1. Es lógico que…
2. Es probable que…
3. Es raro que…
4. Es una lástima que…
5. Es peligroso que…
Intermediate Mid (5) Function
Describing subsequent actions



Structure: The Conditional Tense
The CONDITIONAL is used to describe an
action subsequent to another past action
or to a time in the past.
Just as the present and future are linked,
(Tú dices que lloverá), likewise the
conditional and past are linked.
 Last week Tessa told me she would
arrive by 9:00am
 La semana pasada Tessa me dijo que
llegaría a las nueve.
Intermediate Mid (5) Function
Describing subsequent actions
Structure: The Conditional Tense
 The CONDITIONAL is formed by
taking the infinitive of any AR/ER/IR
verb and adding the following
endings:
 ía, ías, ía, íamos, ían
 HABLAR—hablaría, hablarías …
 COMER—comería, comerías …
 VIVIR—viviría, vivirías …

Intermediate Mid (5) Function
Describing subsequent actions








Structure: IRREGULAR verbs in the
Conditional Tense
The following verbs are irregular in the
conditional tense.
HACER - haría…
DECIR – diría…
CABER – cabría…
HABER – habría…
PODER – podría…
QUERER-querría…
SABER – sabría…
PONER – pondría…
SALIR – saldría…
TENER – tendría…
VALER – valdría…
VENDER-vendría…
Intermediate High (6) Function
Express conjecture or wonder
about past events



Structure: The Conditional Tense
The CONDITIONAL is used to express
conjecture or wonder about past events,
what may have happened…
Using the Conditional tense when the
preterit or imperfect would be expected
creates this conditional of conjecture.
 ¿Qué hora sería?
 (I

wonder) What time was it?
La chica estaría en casa ayer.
 The
girl was (probably) at home yesterday
Novice Mid (2) Function
Persuading Others
Structure: The verb DEBER
 The verb DEBER means “should” or
“ought to”


Debes comer buena comida.
 You

Ella debe hacer ejercicios.
 She

should eat good food.
should exercise.
Ellos deben ir a la escuela.
 They
should go to school.
Novice Mid (2) Function
Persuading Others

Practice:
1. You should rest your legs.
2. She should close her eyes.
3. They should take the pill.
4. We should ask for medicine.
5. I should go to the hospital.
Novice Mid (2) Function
Describe Daily Routine
Structure: Reflexive Verbs (2-187)
 Reflexive verbs use reflexive
pronouns to bounce or reflect the
action back to the speaker.
 Reflexive pronouns include ME, TE,
SE, NOS, SE, and are placed in front
of the conjugated (changed) verb.

Me afeito en la mañana.
 Te cepillas los dientes en la noche.
 Ella se lava la cara en el baño.

Novice Mid (2) Function
Describe body parts and pain
Structure: The verb DOLERSE and
body part vocabulary
 The verb DOLERSE is very similar to
GUSTARSE.


Me duele la pierna.
 My

leg hurts.
Te duelen los ojos.
 Your

eyes hurt.
Nos duelen las manos.
 Our
hands hurt.
Novice High (3) Function
Talk about feelings



Structure: The verb ESTAR or SENTIRSE or
TENER and vocabulary (1-195)
ESTAR can be coupled with emotional
vocabulary like triste, contento, deprimido,
aburrido, etc.
TENER is used with the following vocab (1229)



Calor, frío, cuidado, miedo, prisa, razón, sueño,
suerte, hambre, and sed.
Yo tengo prisa = I’m in a hurry.
SENTIRSE means “to feel” and is reflexive.
 Me siento mal.
 Ella se siente bien.
 Te sientes enfermo.
Novice Mid (3) Function
Describe time periods


Structure: HACE QUE expressions
Use HACE + period of time + que +
present tense to describe how long it has
been or how long it has been going on.



Hace cuatro años que quiero hablar con ella.
(I’ve wanted to talk to her for 4 years).
Hace una hora que lo espero. (I’ve been
waiting for him for an hour).
If asking a question, use ¿Cuánto tiempo
+ hace que + present tense.

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que miras la TV?
 How long have you been watching TV?
Intermediate Low (4) Function
Describe time periods in the past
Structure: HACE QUE expressions
 When discussing actions in the past
or time periods in the past, use
 HACE + time + que + PRETERIT for
describing how long AGO it has
been…



Hace un año que yo vi un monstruo = I saw a
monster one year ago.
HACÍA + time + que + IMPERFECT for
describing how long HAD it been…

Hacía dos años que yo veía un monstruo = It
Intermediate Low (4) Function
Describe time periods in the past

Practice:
1. They used the medicine a year
ago.
2. She had problems with her ankle
four months ago.
3. It had been 6 days since he had
talked to her.
4. How long ago did you eat that?
5. How long had it been before you
kissed your dog?