Spanish I - Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense - Quick Guides

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Study GuideSpanish I–Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense1. Quiz: Stem-Changing Verbs in the Present Tense1.QuestionElla closes la ventana.Answer Choices•cierra•niega•empiezaCorrect AnswercierraWhy This Is CorrectThe verbcerrarmeans“to close.”In the present tense,ella cierratranslates directly to“she closes.”•niega= denies•empieza= beginsSo,cierrais the correct choice because it matches the meaning of the sentence exactly.2.Question¿Qué piensa (Ud.) del presidente?

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Study GuideAnswer Choices•piensan•piensas•piensaCorrect AnswerpiensaWhy This Is CorrectIn Spanish,“Ud.” (usted)usesthird-person singular verb forms, even though it means “you.”The verbpensarin the present tense, third-person singular, ispiensa.•Ud. piensa= You (formal) think•Tú piensas= You (informal) think•Ellos piensan= They thinkSo, the correct sentence is:¿Qué piensa Ud. del presidente?3.QuestionNosotros understand el dilema.Answer Choices•entendemos•entienden•entiendoCorrect Answerentendemos

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Study GuideWhy This Is CorrectThe subject“Nosotros”means“we.”In Spanish, the verbentender(to understand) is conjugated asentendemosfornosotrosin thepresent tense.•entiendo= I understand (yo)•entienden= they understand (ellos/ellas/ustedes)•entendemos= we understand (nosotros)So, the correct sentence is:Nosotros entendemos el dilema.4.QuestionMi hijo no ___ nunca.Answer Choices•miente•mientas•mientenCorrect AnswermienteWhy This Is CorrectThe subject“Mi hijo”isthird person singular, so the correct present-tense conjugation ofmentirismiente.•miente= he lies•mientas= tú form (or used in the subjunctive)•mienten= they lieSince the sentence is asimple present-tense statement,mienteis the correct choice.

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Study Guide5.QuestionEl no can hablar árabe.Answer Choices•prueba•puede•vuelaCorrect AnswerpuedeWhy This Is CorrectThe correct verb ispuede, which is the third-person singular form ofpoder(to be able to / can).The sentence means:He cannot speak Arabic.•puede= can / is able to → correct•prueba= tries/tests → incorrect meaning•vuela= flies → incorrect meaningCorrect sentence:Él no puede hablar árabe.6.QuestionEl bebé no sleep toda la noche.Answer Choices•juega•duerme•viene

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Study GuideCorrect AnswerduermeWhy This Is CorrectThe sentence needs the correct Spanish verb for “sleep.”The verbdormir(to sleep) conjugated forél/ella/ustedisduerme.So the correct sentence is:El bebé no duerme toda la noche.(The baby does not sleep all night.)The other options do not fit the meaning:•juega= plays•viene= comes7.QuestionEn la fiesta las chicas ___ mucho.Answer Choices•ríen•siguen•midenCorrect AnswerríenWhy This Is CorrectThe verbreírmeansto laugh.In this sentence,“las chicas”is third person plural, so the correct present-tense conjugation isríen.

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Study Guide•ríen= they laugh•siguen= they follow•miden= they measureSo the complete and correct sentence is:En la fiesta las chicas ríen mucho.2. Confusing Verbs: Determining Which Verb to Use2.1Ser vs. Estar—Both Mean “To Be,” But Not the SameIn English, we use“to be”for many situations.In Spanish, there aretwo different verbs:•Ser•EstarBoth mean“to be,”but they describedifferent types of situations.Ser: For More Permanent or Defining TraitsSeris used for things that arelong-lasting, defining, or essential.To make this easier, we use an acronym:C-NOTE (Reasons for Using Ser)

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Study GuideUseserfor:•C–Characteristics•Physical or personality traits•Ellos son altos y delgados.•(They are tall and thin.)•N–Nationality / Origin•Where someone is from•Lolita es Colombiana.•(Lolita is Colombian.)•O–Occupation•Jobs or professions•Su padre es abogado.•(His father is a lawyer.)•T–Time•Telling time or dates•Son las cinco y media.•(It’s five thirty.)•E–Event location•Where aneventtakes place•La fiesta es en mi casa.•(The party is at my house.)Important Note:The“E” stands for Event location, which is anexceptionto the location rule you’ll see withestar.2.2Estar: For Temporary Conditions and SituationsEstaris usually used fortemporary states, feelings, or locations.

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Study GuideTo remember this, use the acronym:TLF (Reasons for Using Estar)Useestarfor:•T–Temporary conditions•States that can change•La comida está caliente.•(The food is hot.)•L–Location (not events)•Where something or someone is located•El parque está aquí.•(The park is here.)•F–Feelings, emotions, and health•How someone feels•Estoy nerviosa durante un examen.•(I am nervous during a test.)Reminder:Even though locations don’t always feel temporary,buildings and places still use estar.Onlyeventsuseserfor location.

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Study Guide2.3Conocer vs. Saber—Both Mean “To Know”In English, we use“to know”for many ideas.In Spanish, there aretwo different verbs, and each has a specific use.Conocer: To Be Acquainted WithUseconocerwhen you mean:•Knowinga person•Being familiar witha place•Being acquainted with somethingWhenconoceris followed by a person, it uses the prepositiona.Examples:•Yo conozco a Manuel.•I know (am acquainted with) Manuel.•Conoces bien la ciudad de Guatemala.•You are familiar with Guatemala City.Saber: To Know a Fact or How to Do SomethingUsesaberwhen talking about:•Facts or information•Knowinghow to dosomethingSaberis often followed by aninfinitive(verb ending in-ar,-er, or-ir).In Spanish, you donotsay the word“how”—it is understood.In thepreterite tense,sabermeans“found out.”Examples:•Sabes construir una casa muy bien.•You know how to build a house very well.•Yo sé la dirección.•I know the address.

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Study Guide•No vamos a la piscina porque no sabemos nadar.•We don’t go to the pool because we don’t know how to swim.2.4Llevar, Tomar, and Sacar—Different Ways to Say “To Take”The English verb“to take”can mean many things.Spanish usesdifferent verbs depending on what is being taken.Llevar: To Take or Carry From One Place to AnotherUsellevarwhen you meantransporting a person or an object.If a person is taken somewhere,llevar uses the preposition a.Examples:•Marla lleva a su sobrina a la playa.•Marla takes her niece to the beach.•Juan y Andrés llevan los refrescos a la fiesta.•Juan and Andrés take the drinks to the party.•Llevas a un amigo a la fiesta.•You are taking a friend to the party.Tomar: To Take Transportation or Consume SomethingUsetomarwhen you:•Take ameans of transportation•Take somethingby mouth(food, drinks, medicine)Examples:•Él nunca toma un taxi.•He never takes a taxi.•Es importante tomar vitaminas.•It’s important to take vitamins.•Toman muchas bebidas frías durante el verano.

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