Grammar Handbook

Zorro Sanchez

Table of ContentsTopics

1. Nationalities2. Stem changers3. Para4. IOP5. Pronoun Placement6. Gustar7. Affirmative and Negative words 8. Superlatives 9. Reflexives10. Affirmative tú commands/ irregulars/

pronoun placement11. Negative tú commands/ irregulars/

pronoun 12. Sequencing events13. Preterite14. Trigger Words15. Car, gar, zar16. Deber17. Modal Verbs18. Present Progressive19. Adverbs

Topics

Nationalities

Stem Changer• Servir• Decir• Despedir

Pedir ( to ask for) E > i

• Querer• Tener • Preferir

Pensar ( to think)E > ie

• Almorzar• Contar• Costar

Dormir ( to sleep)O > ue

Pido

Piden

Pides

Pide

Piensa

Piensas

Pienso

Piensan

Pedimos

Pensáis

Pensamos

Pedís

Duermen Duerme

Duermes

Duermo

Dormís

Dormimos

Para

To indicate destination

To show the use or

purposes of a thing

To mean “in order to” or

“for the purpose of”

To indicate a recipient

To express a deadline or

specific time

To express a contrast

from what is expected

“Estar para” to epress an action that will soon be completed

IOP

Singular

Le (you

formal, him, her)

Te (you

familiar)

Me (me)

Plural

Les (you, them)

Os (you

familiar)

Nos (us)

IOPs are nouns that

tell to whom/what

or for whom/what

Pronoun Placement

• Attach the pronoun to the infinitive• Attach the pronoun to progressive

tense • Attach the pronoun to an affirmative

command• Place the pronoun before a

conjugated verb

Gustar

Gusta/ Gustan

Me (I) Te (You)Le

(Him/ Her/It)

Nos (We)

Os (You all)

Les (They/ Them)

• Negative phrase• No ___ gusta

• Gusta singular• me gusta la

comida

• Gusta antes de un infinitive• me gusta

hablar español

• Gustan • me gustan las

enchiladas

Affirmative and Negative Words

Affirmative Words

Algo

Alguien

Algún/ Alguno(a)Siempre

También

Negative Words

Nada

Nadie

Ningún/ Ninguno(a)Nunca

Tampoco

When you want to talk about an indefinite or negative situation, you use an affirmative or negative word.

If a verb is proceeded by a no, word that follow must be a negative and a double negative is required when no proceeds the verb

SuperlativesSuffix

added to adjective

and adverb

ísimo

ísimos

ísima

ísimas

Equivalent to extremely or very

Adjective and adverb ending in c, g, and z change spelling to qu, go, and c respectively

Adjective that end in n or r form by adding císimo/a

Reflexives

Me Nos

Te Os

Se Se Used when the subject

receives the action

Reflexive verbs will have se attached at

the end like acostarseLocated in front of the conjugated verb, attached to a gerund, attached to an infinitive, or attached to an affirmative command

Affirmative tú commands/ irregulars/ pronoun placement

Irregular command

s

Di

Haz

Ve

Pon

Sal

Sé

Ten

Ven

Put into the tú form and drop the s

Negative tú commands/ irregulars/ pronoun placement

T• No tengas

V• No vengas

D• No des/ digas

I• (Ir)No vayas

S• No seas

H• No hagas

E• No estés

S • No sepas

Put i

nto

yo fo

rm

Change

the

vowel

er/ir

-a

and a

r- e

Add

the

s

Sequencing events

Por l

a

mañ

an

a

Por la tarde Por la

noche

Prim

ero

Entonce

s

Luego Después

Por fin

Antes

de

Después de Los lunes

PreteriteAR ER/IR

-é-aste

-ó-amos-asteis-aron

-ó-iste-ió

-imos-isteis-ieron

YoTú

Él/ella/ustedNosotros/asVosotros/asEllos/ellas/

ustedes

Trigger Words

One day Once Yesterday

At night A year ago Already

Last month Day before yesterday For one hour

Finally At eight On February fifth

Twice

Un día Una vez Ayer

A noche Hace un año Ya

El mes pasado Anteayer Por una

hora

Por fin A las ocho El cinco de Febrero

Dos veces

English Spanish

Car, -Gar, Zar• Car,

gar, and zar forms only have the yo form changed

Tocar• Toqué• Tocaste• Tocó• Tocamos• Tocaron

Jugar• Jugué• Jugaste• Jugó• Jugamos• Jugaron

Comenzar• Comencé• Comenzaste• Comenzó• Comenzamos• Comenzaron

Deber + Infinitivo

Debo

Deben

Debéis

Debemos

Debe

Debes

Deber(should/ought to)

Infinitive

Proper SpanishGrammar

Modal Verbs

These verbs must be paired with and infinitive that follows

the conjugated verb

Present Progressives

Ar= -ando

Er/ir = -iendo

When the verb stem ends in a vowel = -

yendo

• pasando

• moviendo

• leyendo

Adverbs

Adjective•Feliz •Cuidadoso•Frecuente

Plus –mente•Changes the masculine ending to feminine if ending letter is “o”

•Adds mente to end if first rule doesn’t apply

Adverb•Felizmente•Cuidadosametne•Frecuentemente