| Learning Spanish can be a difficult process for | | | | - él, ella come - he, she, it or eats |
| many people, many of whom will reach a certain | | | | - usted come - you (polite) eat |
| level of communication often referred to as | | | | - nosotros/as comemos - we eat |
| pigeon Spanish which is when a number of nouns | | | | - vosotros/as comeís - you (all) eat |
| are known and used in conjunction with very | | | | - ellos, ellas comen - they eat |
| basic verb structure to construct very simple | | | | - ustedes comen - you (all) eat(polite) |
| sentences that are only good enough to convey | | | | Present tense conjugation of vivir: regular -ir verb |
| an understandable message. To move beyond this | | | | meaning to live |
| level students must be able to express properly, | | | | - yo vivo - I eat |
| the time and the doer of an action, both of which | | | | - tú vives - you eat |
| are provided by verbs and with a good | | | | - él, ella vive - he, she, it or eats |
| understanding of verbs and verb conjugation the | | | | - usted vive - you (polite) eat |
| key to opening the door to conversational Spanish | | | | - nosotros/as vivimos - we eat |
| will be within their grasp. | | | | - vosotros/as vivís - you (all) eat |
| All English speakers should understand what verbs | | | | - ellos, ellas viven - they eat |
| are and what they are used for and most will | | | | - ustedes viven - you (all) eat(polite) |
| understand that a verb is what tells people | | | | There are some things that should be noted |
| whether an action is being performed now, in the | | | | about the three verb groups above: |
| past or in the future. What an English verb does | | | | - they all have the same ending for the first |
| not relay is who the doer of the action and this is | | | | person singular, I. |
| the major difference between English and Spanish | | | | - the er and ir verb groups have very similar |
| verb construction. | | | | endings. |
| The reason why so many people find Spanish | | | | - ambiguity can be avoided when using the third |
| verbs so difficult to master is that they are so | | | | person singular and plural, and the polite version of |
| much more complicated than their English | | | | you by using the subject pronoun to precede the |
| counterparts and this is because each conjugation | | | | verb.(The subject pronoun is often dropped in |
| of each verb tells us when an action has taken | | | | European Spanish although it is still used frequently |
| part and who performs the action, although there | | | | in Latin American Spanish) |
| are occasions when there is a degree of | | | | Spanish Irregular Verbs |
| ambiguity, but more of that later. | | | | Spanish verbs would be relatively easy to master |
| Basic Structure of a Spanish Verb | | | | if only all verbs followed the rules of regular verb |
| The first point that should be explained is that of | | | | conjugation. As you may have guessed, this just |
| the structure of a verb in Spanish. In English we | | | | is not the case. |
| recognize a verb because it has the preposition to | | | | There are quite a number of verbs that have |
| in front of it, for example to eat, and the | | | | irregularities in how they are conjugated and |
| combination of to and the verb is commonly | | | | unfortunately many of these verbs are also |
| known as the infinitive. In Spanish the infinitive is a | | | | amongst the most commonly used verbs in |
| single word, although it does have two parts called | | | | Spanish. Ser and estar (both meaning to be), |
| the stem and the ending. The ending is often | | | | haber and tener (both meaning to have), ir (to |
| referred to as the equivalent of to in English and | | | | go), hacer (to make or, to do), dar (to give), |
| can be either -ar, -er or -ir. These endings are | | | | coger (to take), poner (to put), poder (to be able |
| important as they are used to group Spanish | | | | to (can)), querer (to want), ver (to see), decir (to |
| verbs into three specific groups called, imaginably, | | | | say), and venir (to come) are the core of |
| the -ar, -er and -ir verb groups. Each group | | | | irregular verbs most often used, but there are a |
| follows a set of specific rules for conjugation as | | | | great deal more. |
| highlighted here. | | | | The irregularities in these verbs can vary greatly |
| Present tense conjugation of hablar: regular -ar | | | | from being highly irregular to a singular variation |
| verb meaning to speak | | | | and the only way to learn them properly is to |
| - yo hablo - I speak | | | | study each one individually, and the best way of |
| - tú hablas - you speak | | | | doing this is to use verb training program |
| - él, ella habla - he, she, it or speaks | | | | specifically designed to improve the speed and the |
| - usted habla - you (polite) speak | | | | enjoyment level at which conjugations are learnt. |
| - nosotros/as hablamos - we speak | | | | Conclusion: |
| - vosotros/as hablaís - you (all) speak | | | | The importance of understanding and using |
| - ellos, ellas hablan - they speak | | | | correct verb conjugation cannot be understated. |
| - ustedes hablan - you (all) speak (polite) | | | | Using verbs correctly is a fundamental part of |
| Present tense conjugation of comer: regular -er | | | | successfully making the transition from beginner |
| verb meaning to eat | | | | to fluent Spanish speaker, and although difficult |
| - yo como - I eat | | | | should be approached with positive mental |
| - tú comes - you eat | | | | preparation. |