Grammar BookAugusto Melnick

Table of Contents1. Nationalities2. Stem Changers3. Para4. Object Pronoun Placement5. IOP’s6. Gustar7. Affirmative/Negative Words8. Superlatives9. Reflexives10. Affirmative Tú Commands/Irregulars/Pronoun Placement11. Negative Tú Commands/Irregulars/Pronoun Placement12. Sequencing Events13. Preterite14. Trigger Words15. -Car, -Gar, -Zar16. Deber + Infinitive17. Modal Verbs18. Present Progressive19. Adverbs

Stem Changers

1. O > UEDormir: to sleepYo duermoTú duermesEl/Ella/Ud. duerme

Nosotros/as dormimosVosotros/as dormísEllos/Ellas/Uds duermen

2. E > IEPensar: to thinkYo piensoTú piensasEl/Ella/Ud. piensa

Nosotros/as pensamosVosotros/as pensáisEllos/Ellas/Uds piensan3. E > I

Servir: to serveYo sirvoTú sirvesEl/Ella/Ud. sirve

Nosotros/as servimosVosotros/as servísEllos/Ellas/Uds sirven

4. E > UEPeder: to be able toYo puedoTú puedesEl/Ella/Ud. puede

Nosotros/as pedemosVosotros/as pedéisEllos/Ellas/Uds pueden

Para Para means for or in order to. Ex: Ella compra frutas PARA cena. Ex: Yo necesito una taza PARA beber

bebidas.

Object Pronoun Placement1. Attach the pronoun to the infinitive2. Attach the pronoun to a progressive tense3. Attach the pronoun to an affirmative command4. Place the pronoun before a conjugated verb

IOP’s Indirect object pronouns are used to avoid

repetition and answer “whom” or what.” The IOP’s are:

They replace or accompany indirect objects.

MeTeLe

NosOsLes

Gustar Gustar- to like When conjugating gustar, CONJUGATE

BACKWARDS. If the object is singular: me/te/le/nos/les gusta. If the object is plural: me/te/le/nos/les gustan.

Affirmative/Negative Words

Affirmative Negative

Algo (something) Nada (nothing)

Alguien (someone) Nadie (no one)

Algún/alguno(a) (some) Ningún/ninguno(a) (none)

Siempre (always) Nunca (never)

También (also) Tampoco (neither)

Superlatives Add –isimo, -isimos, -isima, or -isimas at the end

of an adjective. Equivalent of “extremely”. If the adjective ends in c>qu, g>gu, z>c. If it ends in –n or –r, add –cisimo/a at the end.

Reflexives In reflexive form, the subject is also the object.

The person does and receives the action. The subject, verb, and pronoun are all in the same form.

Ex: levantarse

Reflexives have 4 different positions: in front of a conjugated verb, attached to a gerund, attached to an infinitive, or attached to an affirmative command.

Yo me levantoTu te levantasEl/Ella/Ud. se levanta

Nosotros nos levantamos

Ellos/as/Uds. se levantan

Affirmative Tú Commands An affirmative command is commanding

someone to do something. To conjugate, simply put the verb in the

el/ella/Ud. form. Ex: caminar- to walk. ¡Camina! Irregulars: di-decir, haz-hacer, ve-ir, pon-poner,

sal-salir, sé-ser, ten-tener, ven-venir

Negative Tú Commands A negative command is telling someone NOT to

do something. To conjugate, first put verb in the “yo” form. Then,

drop the –o. If the verb ends in –ar, put an –es at the end. If the verb ends in –er or –ir, put an –as at the end.

Ex: Don’t speak! ¡No hables! Irregulars: no des-dar (doy in yo form), no estés-

estar (estoy), no vayas-ir (voy), no seas-ser (soy)

Sequencing Events First: primero Then: entonces Later: luego Finally: por fin Before: antes de After: después de In/during the..: por la.. On monday, tuesday..: los lunes, martes, etc.

Preterite Perfected action in the past tense.

-ar verbs

-é -amos

-aste -asteis

-ó -aron

-er/-ir verbs

-í -imos

-iste -isteis

-ió -ieron

Trigger WordsEnglish Spanish

One day Un dia

Once Una vez

Yesterday Ayer

At night A noche

A year ago Hace un año

Already Ya

Last month El mes pasado

Before yesterday Ante ayer

For an hour Por una hora

Finally Por fin

At eight A las ocho

February 5th El cinco de febrero

Twice Dos veces

-car, -gar, -zar In the “yo” form preterite, -car > -qué, -gar > -

gué, & -zar > -cé. Tocar. Yo toqué. Jugar. Yo jugué. Comenzar: Yo comencé.

Deber + infinitive Deber- should

Deber is always followed by an infinitive. Ex: I should go. Yo debo ir.

Yo deboTú debesEl/Ella/Ud. debe

Nosotros debemos

Ellos/as/Uds. deben

Modal Verbs The second verb is never conjugated in a modal

verb combination. You wouldn’t say “yo puedo nado”, you would say “yo puedo nadar.”

Present Progressive Conjugated form of estar + “ing” -ar > -ando -er/-ir > -iendo 3 vowels > -yendo

Hablar > hablando

Escribir > escribiendo

Leer > leyendo

Adverbs For adjectives ending in –o or –a, add –mente to

the feminine form. Ex: lento > lentamente For adjectives ending in –e, -l, or –z, simply add –

mente to the end. Ex: feliz > felizmente.