1. The document outlines key grammar points in Spanish including verb conjugations, stem changers, reflexives, impersonal "se", diphthongs, irregular verbs, and tenses like present, preterite, imperfect, and future. 2. It provides examples and explanations of concepts like saber vs conocer, SER vs ESTAR, and irregular verb sets like "La cucaracha" verbs. 3. Key verb types are defined like stem changers, irregulars with -go, -zco and -oy endings, and "snake" and "snakey" verbs that change roots or add y in the third person.

1. GRAMMAR BOOK
Javier Polhemus

2. 1. Presente ( -ar, -er, -ir)
2. Stem Changers
3. Irregulars( -go, -zco , -oy)
4. Saber vs. Conocer
5. Reflexives
6. „Se‟ Impersonal
7. Dipthongs with accents
8. Verbs like uir/guir, cer/cir, ger/gir

3. 9. Hacer + Time + que +
present
10 and 11. Ser vs. estar
12. Imperfect
13. Prederite
14. Spock
Irregulars
15. La cucaracha
16. Snake
17. Snakey

4. 18. Comparatives
19.Superlatives
20.Future

5. -ar -ir -
- - - -imos - er -
o amos o o emos
-as -aís -es -ís -es -eís
-a -an -e -en -e -en
Hablar-to speak Vivir-to live Comer- to eat
Hablo Hablamo vivo vivimos como comemos
s
Habla Habaí vives vivís come comeís
s s s
Hablan Hablan vive viven come come
n

6.  Stem changers are verbs the are different in the stem
than the average word although are usually easily
predictable. Stems may change in the Notice the e to ie
EXAMPL
ways below.
E
Contiendo change
Condendem
e ie
os
e i Contiende Contendéi
o ue s s
u ue Contiende Contiende
n
Also known as boot verbs for the boot shape the changed
stems make in the chart. This is because the nosotros
and vosotros never undergo a stem change.

7. )
 Irregulars with the –go, -zco, and -oy are different in the
way they are congugated, in the fact that the yo ending
is much different then other verbsEXAMPLE-
-car= -co -qué Conducir
conduzco conducimos
-gar= -go -gué
conduces conducís
-zar= -zo -cé
conduce conducen

8.  Both saber and conocer mean “to know” but
both a different way of when and where to be
used
Usually referring When you are
to when you familiar with a
know a fact or certain thing or
how to complete know a
or do a certain person.
action.

9.  These words are generally placed after
infinitive verbs to be more specific about who
or what the verb is referring to.

10.  The se impersonal is used when there is really
no defined subject. Such examples in English
would be like “they say” , “one” , or “you”
 Example:
English- “How does one play the game?”
Spanish-”Como se juega el juego?”

11.  When there are strong or weak vowels next to
eachother in a word.
 The strong vowels are a,e, and o
 Weak vowels are i, u, y
 EXAMPLE: Ciudad

12.  Uir/guir – always in the present tense and
contain a „y‟ EXAMPLE-
Construir
construyo construimos
construyes construís
construye construyen
Ger/gir- „Yo‟ switches from „g‟ to a „j‟
escojoescogemos
EXAMPLE- Escoger
escoges escogéis
escoge escogen

13.  Hacer + the time it took for the action to be
completed + que + the action verb being
done
EXAMPLE: Hace dos mesas
que recibe el regalo

14. Origi
n
DAT Characteristics
ES
Descriptio Tim
ns
SER e
Event Occupati
on
s
Possesio Relationsh
ns ip

15. SER VS. ESTAR
Health
Er/ir ,
Motion
endo
ESTAR
Ing-ar,
Location
ando
Present
Condition

16.  This tense is used when talking about an
ongoing event that occurred in the past.
AR congugations ER congugations
é amos í imos
aste asteis iste isteis
ó aron ió ieron

17.  Used for past actions that have no specific
beginning or end.
AR congugations ER congugations
aba ábamos ía íamos
abas abais ías íais
aba aban ía ían

18. A grouping of irregular verbs in the
HACER
preterite.
Hice IR/SER
Hicimos
Hiciste
V Fui Fuimo
s
DE
Fuiste
Hizo Hicieron
A R Fue Fueron
DAR/VAR R
D/V i imos
iste
io ieron

19. La cucaracha verbs
Andar Anduv___
Estar Estuv___
Poder Pud__
Poner Pus___
querer Quis___
saber Sup___
tener Tuv___
venir Vin___

20. SNAKE Verbs
In the present tense you change the root of the
word in the third person tenses.
Example: Dormir
DORMI DORMIMOS
DORMISTE
DURMIO DURMIERON

21. SNAKEY Verbs
 Only change in the third person
 Add “y” to the beginning of the suffix
LEI LEIMOS
LEISTE XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
LEYO LEYERON

22. Comparatives
 To make a comparative you usually add
mas/menos before the adjective then the word
que meaning “than”
 This is used when comparing two things.
 EXAMPLE: The dog is less big than the cat.
El perro esta menos grande que el gato,

23. Superlatives
 To make a superlative you use the mas/menos
words but its against everything else.
 Used when saying something is the best/worst
, biggest/smallest,etc…
EXAMPLE: Joe is the fattest boy in the school
Joe esta mas gordo en la escuela.

24. Future tense
 Future tense is used to tell what will happen or
shall happen in the future.
Form Ending
Yo -é
Tu -ás
El/ella/usted -á
Nosotros -emos
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes -án