Unit 2 Spanish Lecture & Test Review

Administrative & Homework Reminders

  • Homework due next class: “Just study” (no written assignment) and be ready for the Unit 2 test.
  • One student still not showing up on Canvas grade book; professor waiting for confirmation.
  • Lab (online “laboratory”) activities for Unit 2 must be completed; grades for remaining labs will be posted tonight.
  • Expect practice from textbook pp. 53–57 and an additional exercise between tomorrow and the following day.
  • Unit 2 test will probably start around 10:00–10:30 a.m. after 1 hour of in-class practice.
  • Time limit for the test: 60 minutes.
  • Weighting: Verb section ≈ 45 – 50 % of total grade; culture component ≈ 15 % (to be introduced later).
  • Future courses: SPAN 1020 (Castilian 1020) offered summer 2026 – will cover objects, reflexives, etc.

Cultural & Historical Context

  • Puerto Rico
    • Name to know: Pedro Albizu Campos – leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist/Independence Party; imprisoned by U.S. government and died in prison.
    • “Macheteros”: armed group that attacked the U.S. Capitol (1951/1953) for independence; arrested by Capitol Police.
  • U.S. immigration detention
    • Report of Colombians held in poor conditions in the “Alligator Prison” (Everglades, FL).
    • Anecdote: Colombian-American voter deported son despite supporting Trump; illustration of policy impact.

Key Vocabulary Distinctions & False Cognates

  • librería = bookstore (where you buy books) │ biblioteca = library (where you borrow/read).
  • buscar = to search/look for (no preposition “for” in Spanish).
  • enviar un email / mandar un email – both acceptable.
  • contabilidad = accounting.
  • compañía vs. compañera vs. campana – watch spelling (prof. mentioned “companza” confusion).
  • reunión usually means “meeting”; reencuentro means a reunion after a long time.
  • asistir (a) = to attend; concurrir (a) = to attend; atender = to take care of / assist (false cognate).
  • ver (to see) vs. ir (to go) – identical present tense vosotros forms (veis / vais) can create confusion.

Gender & Number of Nouns

  • Definite article forms: el / la / los / las.
  • Indefinite article forms: un / una / unos / unas.
  • Memorize irregular gender:
    • foto (from fotografía) – feminine.
    • día – masculine.
    • mano – feminine.
  • Agreement rule: article + noun + adjective must match in gender & number.
  • Do NOT change noun number on the test questions—only supply correct articles/adjectives.

Articles: Definite, Indefinite & Zero

  • First mention: often indefinite or zero article; second mention: definite.
    • Ej.: “Escuchamos canciones de amor.” → “Las canciones de amor que escuchamos son baladas.”
  • When destination is general/home, drop article: “Voy a casa.”
  • Contraction a + el = al ; de + el = del
    • Must contract when the place name is masculine and includes el.
    • Feminine places keep full form: “a la biblioteca”, not al biblioteca.
  • English and Spanish use articles similarly; transfer instincts from English but confirm with gender & contraction rules.

Sentence Structure & Direct Objects

  • Minimum sentence = subject + verb; object is optional.
    • "Trabajo." is complete (subject implied).
  • Direct object = first receiver of the verb’s action; answers “what/whom?” immediately after the verb.
    • Example: “Leo un libro.” (¿Qué leo? → un libro – direct object)
  • Phrases answering when/where are NOT direct objects.

Present-Tense Conjugation Review

  • Regular endings
    • –AR: o, as, a, amos, áis, an
    • –ER: o, es, e, emos, éis, en
    • –IR: o, es, e, imos, ís, en
  • Subject-verb agreement critical; underline/circle subject before conjugating on test.
  • Pronoun drop allowed; verb ending reveals subject (unless ambiguity with multiple subjects).

Adverbs & Phrases of Frequency (Unit handout)

  • siempre – always
  • casi siempre – almost always
  • a menudo / con frecuencia – often
  • a veces – sometimes
  • rara vez / raramente – rarely
  • nunca – never
  • todos los días / cada día – every day
  • Position flexible: start, middle, or end of sentence.

Compound Future (Ir + a + Infinitive) – Preview Only

  • Structure: [ir (conjugated)] + a + [infinitive]
    • Ej.: “Voy a estudiar.” = “I am going to study.”
  • NOT tested on Unit 2; will appear in Unit 5.

Stem-Changing “Boot” Verbs – Upcoming Units

  • Present tense changes inside the shoe/boot (yo, tú, él/ella, ellos/ellas):
    • e → ie: pensar, cerrar.
    • o → ue: dormir, poder.
    • e → i: pedir, servir.
  • Full treatment starts Unit 4; know the concept for future.

Reflexive Verbs – Preview

  • Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) not required for Unit 2 test; will be in SPAN 1020.

Test-Taking Strategies

  • Arrive prepared; 60-min limit affords time—do not rush.
  • Step-by-step:
    1. Read whole sentence.
    2. Identify & mark subject(s).
    3. Determine verb(s) to conjugate; select correct ending.
    4. Check article-noun-adjective agreement.
    5. Re-read for meaning; ensure no extra article errors.
  • If uncertain on articles, default to English logic + gender rules.
  • Practice “back-formation” on exercises: given infinitive in parentheses → conjugate properly.

Practice & Example Sentences Discussed

  • Voy a la casa. / Voy a casa. (both correct; second more common for one’s own home).
  • Voy al restaurante. (a + el).
  • Ellos no hablan en clase y escuchan al profesor. (two verbs sharing same subject).
  • Susan trabaja en la casa. (first mention – article optional; second mention needs definite article).
  • ¿A dónde vas? – Voy al partido. (question in tú – answer in yo).
  • ¿Asistes a la reunión? – Sí, concurro / asisto todos los días.
  • Marcos saca la basura. / Marcos y Ana sacan la basura. (subject change → verb change).

Practical Tips & Professor’s Anecdotes

  • Even native speakers confuse librería/biblioteca; memorize firmly.
  • Drink mate for inspiration (professor’s running joke):
    • Claims to drink mate “in the shower, pool, everywhere.”
    • Recommends Latino markets (Silver Spring Market, El Patio, Bestway) for supplies.
  • Humor: “You gotta fight for your right to mate.” (parody of Beastie Boys lyric).

Looking Ahead (Units 3–5)

  • Unit 3 will begin immediately after Unit 2 test.
  • Units 4 & 5 labeled “most complicated” (stem-changers, future constructions, wider vocab).
  • Continuous practice in book + new handouts to distinguish exceptions vs. regular patterns.

Ethical / Philosophical Asides

  • Discussion of public funding: “We should not finance other countries/territories with taxes.”
  • Emphasis on protecting public spaces & public works.
  • Language learning philosophy: don’t over-complicate; leverage English parallels, focus on communication first.

Checklist Before the Test

  • [ ] Memorize gender of irregular nouns (foto, día, etc.).
  • [ ] Review all vocabulary from Unit 2 list.
  • [ ] Drill present-tense endings for AR, ER, IR.
  • [ ] Practice sentence formation with subject, verb, (direct) object.
  • [ ] Review contractions al and del; know when not to contract.
  • [ ] Re-read handouts on adverbs of frequency and practice placing them in sentences.
  • [ ] Rest well – professor insists: “Don’t hand it in early; do it right!”