1. Grammar Book
Marcela Ray

2. Table of Contents
Part One
1. Present Tense
2. Stem Changers
3. Irregular “yo” verbs
4. Saber vs. Conocer
5. Reflexives
6. „Se‟ Impersonal
7. Present tense with dipthongs
8. Verbs Similar to Gustar
9. Irregular Verbs ending in –uir/-guir, -cer/-cir, -ger/-gir
10. Hacer Expressions
11. Imperfect Part Two
12. Preterite 15. Preterite vs. Imperfect
13. Comparitives/Superlatives 16. Future vs. Conditional
14. Future tense 17. Por
18. Para
19. Por vs. Para
20. Commands
21. Present Perfect
22. Double Object Pronouns
23. Adverbs
24. Subjunctive
25. Progressive with ir, andar, and seguir

3. For present tense Yo Nosotros
verbs, you
replace the Tú Vosotros
ar/er/ir ending
with the related Él/Ella/ Ellos/Ellas/
conjugation.
Usted Ustedes
-ar -er -ir
-o -amos -o -emos -o -imos
-as -áis -es -éis -es -ís
-a -an -e -en -e -en
1. Present Tense

4. Ir Estar Ser Dar
• Voy • Estoy • Soy • Doy
• Vas • Estás • Eres • Das
• Va • Está • Es • Da
• Vamos • Estamos • Somos • Damos
• Van • Están • Son • Dan
(1.) Present Tense Irregular Verbs

5. e → ie (Perder)
e→i (Pedir)
o → ue (Dormir)
u → ue (Jugar)
Example:
Cerrar (e-ie): cierro cerramos
cierras cerráis
cierra cierran
 There is no stem change for nosotros or vosotros.
 These are also called boot verbs.
2. Stem Changers

6. -car: -co → -qué
-gar: -go → -gué
-zar: -zo → -cé
Example:
Empacar: empaqué empacamos
empacaste
empacó empacaron
 It only changes in the first person singular tense.
3. Irregulars (-car,-gar,-zar)

7. Saber and Conocer both mean “to know,” but
they are not interchangable.
 Saber: to express knowledge or ignorance of
information, skills, or facts.
ex: Él sabe matemáticas.
 Conocer: to say that one is or is not acquainted
with a person, place, or an object.
ex: Yo no conozco a Juan.
4. Saber vs. Conocer

8.  Reflexive verbs show action being done to oneself.
 They use the pronouns:
me nos
te os
se se
-The pronouns can go in front of the conjugated verb
(Se baña) or hook on to the end of the infinitive
form of the verb (bañarse).
Reflexive verbs include: lavarse, llamarse, and
vestirse
5. Reflexives

9.  In english, people frequently say things like,
“You shouldn‟t smoke” or “One shouldn‟t text
and drive,” but “you” and “one” aren‟t really
referring to anyone specific. These are called
impersonal expressions.
 In Spanish, you add the pronoun „se‟ in front of
the verb you are using.
 Example:
How does one say “ice cream” in Italian?
=¿Cómo se dice “helado” en italiano?
6. ‘Se’ Impersonal

10.  Some verbs need an accent to break up the
dipthong in order to place stress on the proper
syllable.
 A dipthing is a weak vowel („i/y‟ or „u‟) with a
strong vowel („a‟, „e‟, „o‟), or two weak vowels
coming together to form one syllable.
 Example:
Esquiar (to ski): esquío esquíamos
esquías
esquía esquían
7. Present Tense with dipthongs

11. Gustar and verbs similar to gustar do not
conjugate like normal verbs. Gustar only
conjugates to “gusta” or “gustan.” You use
“gusta” if the object that you like is singular,
and you use “gustan” if the object you like is
plural.
Ex: Me gusta la clasa.
Te gustan las comidas.
Verbs similar to gustar include: Aburrir (to
bore), fascinar (to facinate), bastar (to be
sufficient), importar (to be important to),
interesar (to interest), molestar (to bother), etc.
8. Verbs like Gustar

12. Coger Exigir
• Cojo • Exijo
• Coges • Exiges
• Coge • Exige
• Cogemos • Exigimos
• Cogen • Exigen
Conocer Decir
• Conozco • Digo
• Conoces • Dices
• Conoce • Dice
• Conocemos • Dicimos
9. Verbs like • Conocen • Dicen
-ger/-gir,
Atribuir Conseguir
• Atribuyo • Consigo
-cer/-cir, • Atribuyes
• Atribuye
• Consigues
• Consigue
-uir/-guir • Atribuimos
• Atribuyen
• Consigimos
• Consiguen

13. The verb "hacer" can be used to indicate the
length of time an action has been taking
place.
 Use the formula: Hace + time + que +
present tense
 (Hacer + the amount of time needed for the
action to be completed + que + the present
tense form of the verb being used.)
10. Hace + time + que + present tense

14.  Imperfect verbs describe an ongoing or repeated
action taking place in the past. (“I used to…”)
 Examples:
Los pajaros cantaban. → The birds were singing.
Mi mamá tenía una cara bonita. → My mom
had a pretty face.
-ar: -aba -ábamos -er/-ir: -ía - íamos
-abas -ías
-aba -aban -ía -ían
11. Imperfect

15. • iba
• ibas Trigger Words:
• iba •Todos los dias
Ir: • íbamos
• iban
•Siempre
•A menudo
•Con frecuencia
•De vez en cuando
• era •Habitualmente
• eras
• era
•Normalmente
Ser: • éramos
• eran
•A veces
•Todas las noches
•Cada dia
•Por/en la tarde
• veía •Por/en la noche
• veías •Por lo general
• veía •Por lo regular
Ver: • veíamos
• veían
•Frecuentemente
•Etc.
(11.) Irregular Imperfects and Trigger Words

16.  The preterite is a past tense perfected action or
a snapshot of time, and it has a beginning
and/or an ending.
 Conjugations: -ar -er/-ir
-é -amos -í -imos
-aste -iste
-ó -aron -ió -ieron
Trigger Words:
Anteayer, el dia anterior, ayer, el jueves pasado,
la semana pasada, el fin de semana pasado, el
mes pasado, el otra dia, una vez, esta tarde,
etc.
12. Preterite

17. Ir/Ser Dar/Ver Hacer
fui d/vi hice
fuiste d/viste hiciste
Fue d/vio hizo
fuimos d/vimos hicimos
fueron d/vieron hicieron
(12.) Spock Verbs

18. Andar: anduv-
Estar: estuv-
Poder: pud-
Poner: pus- -e
Querer: quis- -iste
Saber: sup- -o
Tener: tuv- -imos
Venir: vin- -isteis
Conducir: conduj-
-ieron
If there is a „j‟-
Producir: produj-
drop the „i‟ on Traducir: traduj-
„ieron‟ Decir (e-i): dij-
Traer: traj-
(12.) Cucaracha Verbs

19.  Snake and Snakey verbs are verbs that change in the
third person only.
 Example of snake verbs:
Pedir: pedí pedimos
pediste
pidieron pidieron
 Example of snakey verbs:
Leer: leí leímos
leíste
leyó leyeron
 Snakey verbs change the „i‟ to „y‟ in the third person.
(12.) Snake and Snakey Verbs

20. Superlatives describe what is the most or least of
something.
Subject + Noun + Mas/Menos + Adjective/Adverb + de +
 Ex: Esta es la playa más bonita de todas.
This beach is the prettiest of all.
Comparatives compare one thing to another. (better,
older, etc.)
>Mas/menos + adj/adv/noun + que
>tan (or tanto) + adj/adv (or noun) + como
 Ex: Mi equipo de fútbol favorito es mejor que el tuyo.
My favorite soccer team is better than yours.
13. Superlatives and Comparatives

21. 1) Ir + a + infinitive is the future tense for the
immediate future. (“Going to”)
2) The more formal way to use the future tense
is by conjugating the verb (“I will”). Verbs in
the future tense all use the same endings, no
matter if they are –ar, -er, or –ir.
 You do not take the –ar, -er, or –ir off the verb
when you are conjugating it. (Nadaré)
 Endings: -é
-ás
-á
-emos
-án
14. Future Tense

22.  Decir: dir- Trigger Words:
 Haber: habr- •La próxima semana
 Hacer: har- •En ocho años
 Poder: podr- •Luego
-é •Mañana
 Poner: pondr-
-ás •Planifico
 Querer: querr-
-á •Espero
 Saber: sabr-
-emos •Etc.
 Salir: saldr-
-án
 Tener: tendr-
 Valer: valdr-
 Venir: vendr-
(14.) Irregular Future and Triggers

24. Used for past actions that Used when the past action
are seen as completed. did not have a definite
• -ar endings: -é, -aste, -ó, beginning or end.
-amos, -aron • -ar endings: -aba, -abas,
• -er/-ir endings: -í, -iste, -aba, -ábamos, -aban
-ió, -imos, -ieron • -er/-ir endings: -ía, -ías,
-ía, -íamos, -ían
15. Preterite vs. Imperfect

25. Used to tell Used to express
what "will" probability or
happen, or possibility, and
what "shall" is usually
happen. translated as
• (All verbs): would, could,
Infinitive must have or
form + -é, probably.
-ás, -á, • (All verbs):
-emos, -án Infinitive form
+ -ía, -ías, -ía,
-íamos, -ían
16. Future vs. Conditional

26. Indicates:
 Motion/location- around, through, along,
by
 Duration of an action- for, during, in
 Reason/motive for action- because of, on
account of
 Object of search- for, in search of
 By which something is done- by, by way of,
by means of
 Exchange or substitution- in exchange for
 Unit of measure- per, by
17. Por

27. Indicates:
 Destination- toward, in direction of
 Deadline or specific time in the future- by,
for
 Purpose or goal- in order to, for, used for
 Recipient of something- for
 Comparison with others or opinion- for,
considering
 In the employ of- for
18. Para

28. Para:
Por: • Destination-
• Through- Portal Paraguay
• Location- Portugal • Purpose- Parasites
• Time- Porever live in your body to
• Cause of- Porpose stay alive
• Exchange- • To make an
Import/Export opionion- Paradon
me, but…
• Means of doing
something inplace • Compare/Contrast
of someone else- - Compara
I‟m por, pay for me • Deadline-
Paramedic
19. Por vs. Para

29. • Positive: Drop the „s‟ of the second tú form.
Tú • Irregulars: di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven
• Negative: Put it in the „yo‟ form and change
the ending to the opposite vowel, add an „s‟
• Irregulars: TVDISHES
Usted
• Put it in the „yo‟ form and change the
ending to the opposite vowel.
• Irregulars: TVDISHES
Nosotros
• Put it in the „nosotros‟ form, add
the opposite ending
• Irregulars: TVDISHES
20. Commands

30.  Formed by combining the verb “has” or
“have” with the past participle: I have
studied.
 In Spanish, it is formed by using the
present tense of the auxiliary verb “haber”
with the past participle.
He -ar verb: drop infinitive
Has ending and add –ado
Ha +
Hemos -er/-ir verb: drop infinitive
Han ending and add -ido
21. Present Perfect

31.  The direct object pronouns are: me, te, lo/la,
nos, los/las.
 The indirect object pronouns are: me, te, le,
nos, les.
-Positive: Giver her the ball.
Dé la pelota a ella.
(Tú affirmative command of dar)/ DOP: la/ IOP: le
Délela. (
Désela. (Give it to her.)
-Negative: No se la des.
 If the IOP is le or les and the DOP is lo, la, los,
or las, the le or les changes to se.
22. Double Object Pronouns

32.  Adverbs are formed by adding –mente to
the feminine singular form of the adjective.
This ending corresponds to –ly in English.
-Ex: Claro – Claramente
 When an adjective has a written accent, the
adverb retains it.
 Some adverbs do not follow the –mente
pattern. Common ones include: bastante
(quite), demasiado (too), mal (badly), mucho
(a lot), muy (very), nunca (never), peor
(worse), poco (little), and siempre (always).
23. Adverbs

33.  The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a
mood. Tense refers to when an action takes place
(past, present, future), while mood reflects how the
speaker feels about the action.
 Used to express WEDDING:
Wish, want
Emotion
Doubt
Denial
Impersonal expression
Negation, non-existing
God, guess
 It is formed the same way as usted commands- „yo‟
form, opposite vowel.
24. Subjunctive

34.  Ir + present participle=
slowly but surely ___-ing.
 Andar + present participle=
is going around ___-ing.
 Seguir +present participle=
is still ___-ing.
Present Participles
-ar: -ando
-er: -iendo
-ir: -yendo
25. Progressive with ir, andar, and seguir