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Spanish I - Basic Sentence Structure

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    Study Guide Spanish I – Basic Sentence Structure 1. Quiz: Sentence Structure 1. Question _____ toca la guitarra. Answer Choices • Tú • Diego • Diego y Rebeca Correct Answer Diego Why This Is Correct The verb “toca” is in the third - person singular form. • Tú would require tocas • Diego y Rebeca would require tocan Since Diego is a single person (third - person singular), “Diego toca la guitarra” is grammatically correct. 2. Question _____ venden la casa. Answer Choices • Ellos • El • Nosotros

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    Study Guide Correct Answer Ellos Why This Is Correct The verb venden is in the third person plural form. Ellos matches this conjugation correctly. • Ellos venden la casa. ✔ • El vende la casa. ✘ (singular) • Nosotros vendemos la casa. ✘ (different verb ending) Therefore, Ellos is the correct choice. 3. Question _____ bebimos los refrescos. Answer Choices • Tú • Ellas • Nosotros Correct Answer Nosotros Why This Is Correct The verb “bebimos” is in the first - person plural (nosotros) form of the preterite tense. This form is used when “we” performed the action in the past. • Yo bebí → I drank • Tú bebiste → You drank

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    Study Guide • Nosotros bebimos → We drank Example Sentence: Nosotros bebimos los refrescos. 2. Conjunctions 2.1 What Are Conjunctions? One of the easiest ways to make your sentences more interesting is by using conjunctions . Conjunctions are small words that join ideas together . They can connect: • words • phrases • complete sentences In English, the most common conjunctions are and , but , and or . English Examples Here are some examples of how conjunctions work in English: • Jill and Brad are my neighbors. • Brad or Jill mows the lawn once a week. • Brad mows in the morning, but Jill prefers the evening. Each conjunction has a specific job: • and adds information • or gives a choice • but shows contrast 2.2 Spanish Conjunctions Spanish uses very similar conjunctions. The most basic Spanish conjunctions are:

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    Study Guide These conjunctions are used almost the same way as in English , which makes them easier to learn. 2.3 Subject – Verb Agreement with Conjunctions When conjunctions join subjects, they affect how the verb is used. Using y (and) When y joins two subjects, the subject becomes plural , so the verb must also be plural . • Estela y Coleta bailan tango. • (Estela and Coleta dance the tango.) • Notice that bailan is a plural verb form. Using o (or) When o joins two subjects, the subject is treated as singular , so the verb stays singular . • Miguelita o Marisol baila el flamenco hoy. • (Miguelita or Marisol dances the flamenco today.) • Notice that baila is a singular verb form. 2.4 Using pero (but) There is one important rule to remember about pero : pero can only be used to join complete sentences , not just nouns. • Juan baila pero Marco canta. • (Juan dances but Marco sings.)

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    Study Guide 2.5 Special Changes in Spanish Conjunctions Spanish conjunctions sometimes change their form to make pronunciation easier. o → u The conjunction o changes to u when it comes before a word that starts with o - or ho - . y → e The conjunction y changes to e when it comes before a word that starts with i - or hi - . These changes help Spanish sound smoother and avoid repeating similar sounds. Summary • Conjunctions connect ideas in a sentence • Spanish conjunctions y, pero, o work like and, but, or • y → plural verb • o → singular verb • pero joins only full sentences • y becomes e before i / hi • o becomes u before o / ho

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