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Spanish II - The Present Tense Indicative

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    Study Guide Spanish II – The Present Tense Indicative 1. Extra Y Verbs Some Spanish verbs follow a very predictable spelling pattern . Once you understand it, these verbs become much easier to use. 1.1 What Are Extra – Y Verbs? Any verb that ends in – uir (but not verbs ending in – guir ) follows this rule: A y is added before the normal ending This happens in all forms except : • nosotros / nosotras • vosotros / vosotras This spelling change makes pronunciation smoother and easier to say. Example Verb: Construir (to build) Notice the pattern in the chart: • yo construyo • tú construyes

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    Study Guide • él / ella / usted construye • ellos / ellas / ustedes construyen But look closely: • nosotros construimos • vosotros construís These two forms do NOT add a y This same pattern applies to all – uir verbs (except – guir verbs). 1.2 Other Common – Uir Verbs That Follow This Pattern All of the verbs in this list conjugate exactly like construir : • concluir (to conclude) → yo concluyo • constituir (to constitute) → yo constituyo • contribuir (to contribute) → yo contribuyo • destruir (to destroy) → yo destruyo • fluir (to flow) → yo fluyo

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    Study Guide • huir (to run away, to flee) → yo huyo • incluir (to include) → yo incluyo Helpful tip: Many of these verbs are made from a base verb plus a prefix . For example: • influir = in + fluir 1.3 A Special Case: Oír (to hear) The verb oír is similar to – uir verbs , but it has extra changes you need to remember. What makes oír different? 1. It adds a y in the same places as – uir verbs: o oyes, oye, oyen 2. It is also a – go verb in the yo form : o yo oigo 3. It keeps its accent mark : o In the infinitive : oír o In nosotros and vosotros forms: • oímos • oís

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    Study Guide Summary • – uir verbs (except – guir) add y in all forms except nosotros and vosotros • Construir is the model verb for this pattern • Many common verbs follow this same rule • Oír follows a similar pattern but also: • Has a yo – go form • Keeps accent marks in specific forms 2. Stem‐Changing Verbs in the Present Tense So far, you’ve learned verbs where the ending changes. Now it’s time to learn a new kind of pattern — one where the stem of the verb changes. This may sound tricky at first, but don’t worry. Spanish stem - changing verbs follow very clear and predictable rules once you understand how they work. 2.1 What Is a Verb Stem? The stem of a verb is what remains after you remove the infinitive ending: • - ar • - er • - ir Example: • hablar → stem: habl - • comer → stem: com - • vivir → stem: viv -

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    Study Guide 2.2 What Are Stem - Changing Verbs? In stem - changing verbs: • The stem changes • The endings stay normal Because the stem changes, these verbs are called stem - changing verbs (or stem - changers ). Important: • You cannot always identify a stem - changing verb just by looking at the infinitive. • You must memorize which verbs stem - change and what type of change they use. 2.3 When Does the Stem Change? The stem only changes in stressed syllables . That means: • Yo, tú, él, ella, usted • Ellos, ellas, ustedes The stem does NOT change in: • nosotros / nosotras • vosotros / vosotras This rule applies to all stem - changing verbs . 2.4 Types of Stem Changes In the present tense, Spanish has three main types of stem changes: 1. e → ie 2. o → ue 3. e → i Verbs are grouped based on which change they use. Once you know the pattern, conjugation becomes much easier.

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    Study Guide 2.5 E → IE Stem - Changers This is the most common type of stem change. • The stressed e in the stem changes to ie • If a verb has two e’s in the stem, the second e (closer to the ending) changes Example: Cerrar (to close) Notice: • cierro, cierras, cierra, cierran • nosotros cerramos , vosotros cerráis (no stem change)

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    Study Guide 2.6 Common - AR Verbs with E → IE Examples include: • acertar – to guess • cerrar – to close • empezar / comenzar – to begin • pensar – to think • negar – to deny

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    Study Guide Example: Perder (to lose) Important detail: • The - er ending is not part of the stem • Perder has one e , so that e changes to ie 2.7 Verbs with Two E’s in the Stem When a verb has two e’s , the second one changes. Example: Defender (to defend)

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    Study Guide 2.8 - IR Verbs with E → IE These verbs follow the same pattern as mentir .

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