SPN 601D — Exam 1 | 80 Rules in Plain English

80 beginner-friendly cards for Volume 1, Modules 0–3. Each explains a rule in plain English with short Spanish examples. Grammar terms are explained when needed. Covers agreement, present-tense verbs, gustar, indirect objects, por/para, questions, time, numbers, and classroom language. Based on the official Exam 1 Study Guide and review slides. Vocabulary is condensed; use the original 123-card set for more vocabulary practice. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZtlRXLpa7VUq5QVrCCDRNLlg6ohHR-7u2TSynV_VYXE/ and https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vXdUW3MNW82F17BR6aSypsthbxe-MR3Xfdqj9X7vRoA/ . Excludes El Mundo Tejano, vos, and vosotros.

01 • How do I make describing words match a noun?

A noun names a person, place, or thing. Match masculine/feminine and one/more than one: la casa blanca = the white house; las casas blancas = the white houses.

02 • Which Spanish words mean “the” and “a”?

The: el, la, los, las. A/an: un, una. Some: unos, unas. Use masculine or feminine and singular or plural to match the noun: el libro, la casa.

03 • How can I guess whether a noun is masculine or feminine?

Words ending in -o are usually masculine; -a usually feminine. There are exceptions: el día, la mano. Learn each noun with el or la.

04 • How do I change one thing into more than one?

Add -s after a vowel: casa → casas. Add -es after a consonant: profesor → profesores. Change z to ces: lápiz → lápices.

05 • How do describing words change for girls or women?

An -o ending usually becomes -a: alto → alta. An -e ending usually stays the same: inteligente. Add a plural ending for more than one: altas, inteligentes.

06 • Do words like mi and mis match the owner or the thing owned?

Match the thing owned. Mi libro = my one book. Mis libros = my books. The number of owners does not decide mi versus mis.

07 • How do I say my, your, his, her, or their?

My: mi/mis. Your with tú: tu/tus. His, her, their, or formal your: su/sus. Use the form with -s when the things owned are plural.

08 • How do I choose the right word for “our”?

Match what we own: nuestro libro, nuestra casa, nuestros libros, nuestras casas. Check masculine/feminine and one/more than one.

09 • How do nationality words change?

Use lowercase. Match the person: mexicano for a man, mexicana for a woman. Add -s for a group. Some words work for either gender, such as estadounidense.

10 • Which verb form goes with usted or ustedes?

Usted uses the same form as él/ella: usted habla. Ustedes uses the same form as ellos/ellas: ustedes hablan. Both mean “you,” but use these verb forms.

11 • What does “conjugate a verb” mean?

Change a verb to match who does it. Hablar means to speak. For yo, remove -ar and add -o: yo hablo = I speak.

12 • What endings do regular -ar verbs use?

Yo -o, tú -as, él/ella/usted -a, nosotros -amos, ellos/ellas/ustedes -an. Example: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, hablan.

13 • What endings do regular -er verbs use?

Yo -o, tú -es, él/ella/usted -e, nosotros -emos, ellos/ellas/ustedes -en. Example: como, comes, come, comemos, comen.

14 • What endings do regular -ir verbs use?

Yo -o, tú -es, él/ella/usted -e, nosotros -imos, ellos/ellas/ustedes -en. Example: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, viven.

15 • After quiero or puedo, should I change the next verb too?

No. Leave the next verb in its -ar, -er, or -ir form: quiero estudiar = I want to study; puedo salir = I can leave.

16 • When should I use ser?

Use ser for who someone is, where they are from, their job, characteristics, and time. Soy estudiante = I am a student. Soy de Texas = I am from Texas.

17 • What are the present forms of ser?

Yo soy, tú eres, él/ella/usted es, nosotros somos, ellos/ellas/ustedes son. These mean am, are, or is.

18 • When should I use estar?

Use estar for how someone feels and where a person or thing is. Estoy cansado = I am tired. El libro está aquí = the book is here. Event locations use ser.

19 • What are the present forms of estar?

Yo estoy, tú estás, él/ella/usted está, nosotros estamos, ellos/ellas/ustedes están. Remember the accents on estás, está, and están.

20 • When do I use hay instead of está or están?

Hay means there is/there are: hay dos libros. Está/están tells where a known thing is: los libros están aquí. Hay stays the same for one or many.

21 • What is a stem-changing verb?

The stem is what remains after removing -ar/-er/-ir. Some verbs change a vowel there: pensar → pienso. For the forms on this exam, nosotros keeps the original vowel: pensamos.

22 • How does an e → ie verb work?

Change the stem’s e to ie, then add the ending: pensar → pienso; querer → quiero. Do not change the stem with nosotros: pensamos, queremos.

23 • How does an o → ue verb work?

Change the stem’s o to ue: dormir → duermo; poder → puedo. Nosotros keeps o: dormimos, podemos. The ending still matches who does the action.

24 • How does an e → i verb work?

Pedir becomes pido, pides, pide, pedimos, piden. Notice nosotros keeps e. Decir follows this vowel pattern too, but its yo form is digo.

25 • What is unusual about jugar?

Its u changes to ue except with nosotros: juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, juegan. To name a sport, use jugar a: juego al fútbol.

26 • How do I use ir to say where someone goes?

Forms: voy, vas, va, vamos, van. Add a + place: voy a casa. A + el becomes al: voy al parque = I go to the park.

27 • What are the forms of tener?

Tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tienen. Tengo is special. The e changes to ie in tienes/tiene/tienen, but not tenemos. Tener means to have.

28 • What are the forms of venir?

Vengo, vienes, viene, venimos, vienen. Vengo is special. Nosotros stays venimos. Venir means to come.

29 • Which common verbs have a special yo form ending in -go?

Hacer → hago; poner → pongo; salir → salgo; traer → traigo; decir → digo. These are the “I” forms. Do not add -go to the other forms.

30 • When does Spanish use tener where English uses “am”?

For age, hunger, thirst, hurry, and fear: tengo veinte años, tengo hambre, tengo sed, tengo prisa, tengo miedo. Learn these as tener phrases.

31 • How do I choose gusta or gustan?

Look at what is liked. One thing or an activity: gusta. More than one thing: gustan. Me gusta el libro; me gustan los libros.

32 • Why is “They like studying” les gusta estudiar?

Estudiar is an activity, so use gusta. Les tells us who likes it. The number of people does not decide gusta versus gustan.

33 • What simple pattern can I use with gustar?

Who likes it + gusta/gustan + what they like. Me gusta leer = I like reading. Le gustan los libros = he/she likes books.

34 • Why do I need le in “A Ana le gusta leer”?

A Ana tells us the name. Le is still needed before gusta. Think: name for clarity, le for the sentence pattern. Do not say “A Ana gusta leer.”

35 • Where do I put no with gustar?

Put no before me/te/le/nos/les: No me gusta leer = I do not like reading. The same order works in no le doy = I do not give to him/her.

36 • What is an indirect object, in simple words?

It is the person an action is done to or for. In “Ana gives Luis a book,” Ana gives, the book is given, and Luis receives it. Luis is the indirect object.

37 • Which short words mean to me, to you, or to them?

Me = to/for me. Te = to/for you (tú). Le = to/for him, her, or usted. Nos = to/for us. Les = to/for them or ustedes.

38 • How do I choose le or les?

Count the people receiving, not the things. One person: le doy dos libros. Several people: les doy un libro. Le = one receiver; les = more than one.

39 • Where do me, te, le, nos, and les go?

Usually before the changed verb: me trae = brings me; te doy = I give you; nos explica = explains to us. Do not write “trae me” in these statements.

40 • Where can the short word go in “I am going to give you…”?

Either before voy or attached to dar: te voy a dar OR voy a darte. Both mean I am going to give you. Use te once, not twice.

41 • What four meanings should make me think of para?

A goal, a person receiving something, a deadline, or a destination. Examples: para aprender, para Ana, para mañana, para Madrid.

42 • When does para mean “in order to”?

Use para + unchanged verb to explain a goal: estudio para aprender = I study in order to learn. Keep aprender in its -er form.

43 • When do I use para with a person?

When something is meant for that person: un regalo para Ana = a gift for Ana. Ask: who is supposed to get it?

44 • When do I use para with a time?

Use para for a deadline: la tarea es para mañana = the homework is due tomorrow. Think “by when?”

45 • When do I use para with a place?

Use para to show where someone is headed: salimos para Madrid = we leave for Madrid. You can also say vamos a Madrid = we go to Madrid.

46 • How can I tell a reason from a goal?

Por gives the reason: estoy nervioso por el examen = I am nervous because of the exam. Para gives a goal: estudio para aprender = I study to learn.

47 • How do I say how long something lasts?

Your course review uses por for duration: por una semana = for one week. Compare para mañana = due tomorrow. How long: por. By when: para.

48 • When does por mean “through”?

Use por for the area you move through: camino por el parque = I walk through the park. This describes your route, not just your destination.

49 • What are two other common uses of por?

Payment: pago diez dólares por el libro = I pay ten dollars for the book. Communication: hablamos por teléfono = we talk by phone.

50 • What is the difference between por qué and porque?

Por qué asks “why?” It has two words and an accent. Porque answers “because.” It is one word without an accent.

51 • How do I pick a question word from an answer?

Ask what the answer gives you: a person, place, time, reason, amount, or description. Choose the Spanish question word for that kind of information.

52 • When should I use qué?

Qué means what. Use it for an action, a definition, or “what + noun”: ¿Qué haces? = What do you do? ¿Qué clase tienes? = What class do you have?

53 • When should I use cuál instead of qué before es?

Use cuál to ask for a specific answer, like a phone number: ¿Cuál es tu número? Use qué to ask what something means: ¿Qué es un número?

54 • When do I use quién or quiénes?

Quién means who for one person: ¿Quién es? Quiénes asks about several people: ¿Quiénes son? Con quién means with whom.

55 • How do dónde, de dónde, and adónde differ?

Dónde = where. De dónde = from where. Adónde = to where. ¿Dónde estás? Where are you? ¿De dónde eres? Where are you from? ¿Adónde vas? Where are you going?

56 • When do I use cuándo or a qué hora?

Cuándo means when in general: ¿Cuándo es el examen? A qué hora asks for a clock time: ¿A qué hora empieza? = At what time does it start?

57 • How do “¿Cómo es?” and “¿Cómo está?” differ?

¿Cómo es? asks what someone is like: tall, friendly, etc. ¿Cómo está? asks how someone is feeling: tired, happy, etc.

58 • How do I choose cuánto, cuánta, cuántos, or cuántas?

Match what you are counting: cuántos libros, cuántas clases. Masculine/feminine and one/more than one must match. ¿Cuánto cuesta? asks how much something costs.

59 • Which question words need an accent?

Qué, cuál, quién, cómo, cuándo, dónde, cuánto. Remember the accent when these words ask a question. ¿Cómo estás? = How are you?

60 • What do the accents in tú and él change?

Tú = you, but tu = your. Él = he, but el = the. Example: tú tienes tu libro = you have your book.

61 • How do I tell the time?

For one: es la una. For other hours: son las dos, son las tres, etc. Add y cuarto for :15 and y media for :30.

62 • How do I say something happens AT a time?

Use a la una for at one; a las for other hours. Estudio a las ocho = I study at eight. Es/son tells the time; a la/a las tells when an action happens.

63 • How do I say “on Monday” versus “on Mondays”?

El lunes = on Monday. Los lunes = on Mondays, as a routine. Days are lowercase. Lunes itself stays the same; el changes to los.

64 • Where does y go in numbers like 32 or 99?

Put y between tens and ones: treinta y dos, noventa y nueve. Do not put it between hundreds and tens: ciento treinta, not ciento y treinta.

65 • What should I remember about numbers from 16 to 29?

Write each as one word. Accent reminders: dieciséis, veintidós, veintitrés, veintiséis. Twenty-one by itself is veintiuno.

66 • When do I say cien or ciento?

Exactly 100: cien. Numbers from 101 to 199 start with ciento: ciento uno, ciento treinta y dos.

67 • Why does veintiuno sometimes become veintiún or veintiuna?

Before a masculine noun: veintiún libros. Before a feminine noun: veintiuna sillas. When saying the number alone: veintiuno.

68 • How do hundreds change before a feminine noun?

For 200–900, change -os to -as: doscientos libros, doscientas sillas. Memorize the unusual forms: quinientos (500), setecientos (700), novecientos (900).

69 • How do I use mil and un millón before a noun?

Mil personas = 1,000 people. Un millón de personas = 1,000,000 people. An exact million amount needs de before the noun; mil does not.

70 • What easy pronunciation rules should I remember?

Spanish vowels are steady: a = ah, e = eh, i = ee, o = oh, u = oo. H is silent. Ñ sounds like “ny.” An accent tells you which syllable to stress.

71 • How do I politely ask the teacher to do something?

Use ¿Puede + unchanged verb + por favor? ¿Puede repetir, por favor? = Can you repeat, please? ¿Puede hablar más despacio? = Can you speak more slowly?

72 • What is the difference between puedo and puede?

Puedo means I can: ¿Puedo ir al baño? = May I go to the bathroom? Puede with usted means you can: ¿Puede repetir? = Can you repeat?

73 • How do I ask about a word’s meaning, translation, or spelling?

Meaning: ¿Qué significa…? Translation: ¿Cómo se dice… en español? Spelling: ¿Cómo se escribe…? Choose the question that matches the help you need.

74 • How do I say “I do not understand” or “I do not know”?

No entiendo = I do not understand. No sé = I do not know. Tengo una pregunta = I have a question. Use these to explain what help you need.

75 • How do I choose a word for a vocabulary blank?

First ask what would make sense. Then check whether the sentence needs one or more than one, and masculine or feminine. A word must fit both the meaning and the grammar.

76 • How do I work out family relationships?

Start with yourself and follow one connection at a time. La hija de mi tía = my aunt’s daughter = mi prima (my cousin). Check whether the person is male or female.

77 • How can I remember home and chore words together?

Pair a room with something you do there: cocina (kitchen)—lavar los platos (wash dishes); dormitorio (bedroom)—hacer la cama (make the bed).

78 • What should I check when fixing a sentence?

Check who does the action, the verb ending, and whether describing words match the noun. Then check ser/estar, gusta/gustan, le/les, word order, and accents.

79 • How should I approach a true/false reading or listening question?

Track who does what, where, and when. Watch no (not) and pero (but). Do not mix up two people’s actions or likes. Use only what the passage says.

80 • What should I ask myself before choosing a grammar answer?

For most verbs: who does it? For gusta/gustan: what is liked—one thing, an activity, or several things? For le/les: who receives it—one person or several?