Spanish - Proficiency

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: conocer

preterite - to meet

imperfect - to know

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: pensar

preterite - it dawned on me; emphasizes new idea

imperfect - to think

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: poder

preterite - to manage to do something; overcome an obstacle to complete an activity

imperfect - to have/not have the ability to do something

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: no querer

preterite - implies you did not; you refuse to do something

imperfect - does not imply you refused to do something

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: querer

preterite - tried to, but did not succeed

imperfect - wanted to

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: saber

preterite - to find out

imperfect - to know, be aware of a fact

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: tener

preterite - received; refers to an event which is out of the ordinary

imperfect - to have

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: tener que

preterite - had to do something and did it

imperfect - supposed to do something, but did not do it

Preterite vs. Imperfect meanings: deber

preterite - had to do something, but did not

imperfect - supposed to do something, and maybe did it

How is the future tense formed?

infinitive + é/ás/á/emos/án

• Note that there is no accent in the nosotros form

• Same endings for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs

• There are several irregulars in which the infinitive form is not used and, instead, a modified form is used

How is the conditional tense formed?

infinitive + ía/ías/ía/íamos/ían

• Note that there is an accent in the nosotros form

• Same endings for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs

• There are several irregulars in which the infinitive form is not used and, instead, a modified form is used

Future and conditional irregulars

12

pondr, saldr, tendr, vendr, valdr

podr, querr, sabr

hacer → har

decir → dir

haber → habr

caber → cabr

How is the imperfect subjunctive formed?

• 3rd person plural preterite form (for -ar/-er/-ir)

• remove -ron part

• -AR (add appropriate -ra form)

  • trabajara/trabajaras/trabajara/trabajáramos/trabajaran

• -ER/-IR (add appropriate -iera form)

  • comiera/comieras/comieran/comiéramos/comieran

Note: the nosotros form has an accent on the vowel before the “r”

What are the stem-change patterns for subjunctive verbs?

• -AR/-ER have the same stem changes as in the present indicative (meaning all forms besides nosotros)

• -IR have the same stem changes as in the present indicative in all forms beside nosotros and have a second stem change that only applies to the nosotros form

  • Ex. morir > muera, mueras, muera, muramos, mueran (o > ue | o > u)

  • Ex. sentir > sienta, sientas, sienta, sintamos, sientan (e > ie | e > i)

What are the 6 irregular subjunctives?

DEISS

• dar - dé, des, dé, demos, den

• estar - esté, estés, esté, estemos, estén

• ir - vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayan

• saber - sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepan

• ser - sea, seas, sea, seamos, sean

Same as Ud./Uds. formal command irregulars

What verbs are quasi-irregular in the imperfect subjunctive?

• Verbs with any changes in the preterite (e.g., haber > hubiera, decir > dijiera, ser > fuera, tener > tuviera)

• -IR verbs with a stem change (same stem change as in preterite — basement changes in preterite apply to all forms in the imperfect subjunctive)

  • o > u

  • e > i

  • (no other changes)

Present stem changes

Ending in -ar & -er:

• e > ie

• o > ue

Ending in -ir:

• e > ie

• o > ue

• e > i (only in -ir verbs)

  • e > __ rule depends on recognition, no hard and fast rule

  • Exs.

    • preferir → prefiero → e → ie

    • pedir → pido → e → i

Changes occur in all forms except nosotros

What 3 verbs trigger the use of a gerund?

continuar

pasar

seguir

Present tense endings

-ar

o, as, a, amos, an

-er

o, es, e, emos, en

-ir

o, es, e, imos, en

Preterite endings

-ar

é, aste, ó, amos, aron

-er/-ir

í, iste, ió, imos, ieron

Imperfect endings

-ar

aba, abas, aba, ábamos, aban

-er/-ir

ía, ías, ía, íamos, ían

What are the stem change patterns for preterite verbs?

No -ar or -er stem changes.

Only changes in -ir and limited to:

• o > u

• e > i

only in the 3rd person singular and plural

Imperfect irregulars

3: ir, ser, ver

iba, …íbamos, …

era, …éramos, …

veía, …veíamos, …

is/was or are/were _____

default - se pasiva (used when no agent or no “ya”)

Ex. The cookies are served.

Las galletas se sirven.

Note: “are served” = se + present (not past)

“were served” = se + past

*Exception where se pasiva is not used: if referring to people, use ser to avoid making it sound reflexive

Ex. The students were celebrated.

Los estudiantes fueron celebrados.

is/was or are/were _____ by agent

ser + past participle (with concordancia)

is/was or are/were already _____

estar + past participle (with concordancia)

has/have ____-ed (indicative)

Present perfect

he — hemos

has

ha — han

+ past participle (no concordancia)

had ____-ed (indicative)

Indicativo Pluscuamperfecto

había — habíamos

habías

había — habían

+ past participle (no concordancia)

had ____-ed (subjunctive)

Subjuntivo Pluscuamperfecto

hubiera — hubiéramos

hubieras

hubiera — hubieran

+ past participle (no concordancia)

has/have ____-ed (subjunctive)

Subjuntivo Presente Perfecto

haya — hayamos

hayas

haya — hayan

Formal commands (both affirmative and negative)

(Ud./Uds.)

Affirmative:

• yo form with opposite vowel ending (+n if Uds.) (same as subjunctive)

• attach any IOPs or DOPs to the end (IOPs, then DOPs)

• Ex. I am leaving the house. Clean it. (Ud.) > Estoy saliendo la casa. Límpiela.

Negative:

• yo form with opposite vowel ending (+n if Uds.) (same as subjunctive)

• any IOPs or DOPs go before the conjugated command

• Ex. Do not leave the house. (Ud.) > No salga la casa.

Informal commands (both affirmative and negative)

(Tú commands)

Affirmative:

• 3rd person singular form of verb

• vin, di, sal, haz, ten, ve (ir), pon, sé (ser)

• attach any IOPs or DOPs to the end (IOPs, then DOPs)

• Exs.

  • Leave it (f.) here. > Déjala aquí.

  • Sit down. > Siéntate

Negative:

• tú subjunctive (i.e., yo form with opposite vowel tú ending)

• any IOPs or DOPs go before the conjugated command

• Ex. Do not leave the house. > No salgas la casa.

  • Do not leave it. > No la salgas.

Sit down (informal command)

Siéntate

(formed from sentarse)

Give it to me (both informal and formal Ud.)

Tú/Informal - Dámelo

Ud./Formal - Démelo

Give it to me (formal Uds.)

Dénmelo

Explain it (f.) to her (both informal and formal Ud.)

Tú/Informal - Explícasela

Ud./Formal - Explíquesela

(note how le, IOP for her, turns to se in this context)

Send them (m.) to us (both informal and formal Ud.)

Tú/Informal - Mándanoslos

Ud./Formal - Mándenoslos

Do not buy it (f.) for them (both informal and formal Ud.)

Tú/Informal - No se la compres.

Ud./Formal - No se la compre.

First person prepositional pronoun

mí

Note the accent!

List all prepositional pronouns

mí — nosotros

ti (no accent)

él/ella/Ud. — ellos/ellas/Uds.

List all DOPs

me — nos

te

lo/la — los/las

List all IOPs

me — nos

te

le — les

It has been made.

Se ha hecho,

The one who/that

el que/la que

That which

lo que

The ones who/that /Those who/that

los que/las que

….who (no preposition or comma)

que

…who (following a preposition or comma)

quien(es)

This and These (both f and m)

This - este/esta

These - estos/estas

not yet

todavía no

no longer/not anymore

ya no

not even

ni siquiera

nevertheless

sin embargo

without

sin que

*almost always subjunctive trigger

How is the se accidental formed?

se + IOP + 3rd person singular or plural + noun

Ex. se me olvidaron mis lentes (verb must match in conjugation with the noun — in this case “lentes”)

Ex. se le olvidó el libro

I have [verb] for [time period].

Hace [time period] + que + present verb

Ex. I have lived here for two months. > Hace dos meses que vivo aquí.

I [verb]-ed for [time period] (completed action)

Hace [time period] + que + preterite verb

Ex. I lived there for three years. > Hace tres años que viví allí.

Condición posible

Si [present verb], what tense follows?

present indicative or future

(because it is “posible”)

Ex. Si llueve, me mojaré. o Si llueve, me mojo.

Condición falsa o improbable

Si [pasado subjuntivo verb], what tense follows?

conditional follows

Ex. Si fuera tú, no lo haría. (If I were you, I would not do it.)

Condición imposible

Si [pluscuamperfecto subjuntivo], what tense follows?

conditional perfecto or pluscuamperfecto subjuntivo follows

Ex. Si lo hubieras sabido, no lo habrías hecho nunca. (If you had known, you would never have done it.) or Si lo hubieras sabido, no lo hubieras hecho nunca. (either functions the same)

Como si is a trigger of…

the past subjunctive (e.g., -ara/-iera)

There are as many books as movies.

Hay tantos libros como películas.

(tantos matches libros)

There are as many movies as books.

Hay tantas películas como libros.

(tantas matches películas)

He is worse than you.

Él es peor que tú.

She is greater than me.

Ella es mejor que yo.

(greater as in better)

There are so many books.

Hay tantos libros.

I am so tired.

Estoy tan cansado.

I am too tired.

Estoy demasiado cansado.

only vs. alone

only - sólo or solamente

alone - solo (alone = no accent)

First person prepositional pronoun

mí

Note the accent

Meaning, “A mí me gusta…”