Spanish Grammar Lesson and the Verbs “Ser” and “Estar”
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 13th, 2009
The Uses of Ser and Estar
If you want to know how to speak Spanish it is important that you understand this topicof Spanish grammar. Although the verbs ser and estar are equivalent to the verb to be in English, the meanings and uses for ser and estar vary greatly in Spanish. In an effort to clarify the appropriate uses for these two verbs, this lesson explains the uses for each verb, and how they differ.
Ser (to be)
Before we explain the different uses for ser, let’s review the conjugations for ser in the present and imperfect tenses.
Present Tense:
Yo soy (I am) nosotros somos (we are)
t
Spanish Grammar Lesson and the Verbs “Ser” and “Estar”
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 13th, 2009
The Uses of Ser and Estar
If you want to know how to speak Spanish it is important that you understand this topicof Spanish grammar. Although the verbs ser and estar are equivalent to the verb to be in English, the meanings and uses for ser and estar vary greatly in Spanish. In an effort to clarify the appropriate uses for these two verbs, this lesson explains the uses for each verb, and how they differ.
Ser (to be)
Before we explain the different uses for ser, let’s review the conjugations for ser in the present and imperfect tenses.
Present Tense:
Yo soy (I am) nosotros somos (we are)
t
Spanish Grammar Lesson on the Present Progressive Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 11th, 2009
The Present Progressive Tense
The progressive tense is used to describe actions that are in progress at a specific moment in time (the present). In English, it is the auxiliary verb “to be” and the present participle. In layperson terms, the “present participle” means verbs with “ing” attached to the end of the verb.
The present tense is used much more frequently in English than it is used in Spanish. As in Spanish, we use it to talk about actions that are in progress “now” or “right now.” But in English, we also use the present progressive tense to describe habitual actions or to speak in general. For example:
I am living in the suburbs.
I am working in the post office.
I am taking Spanish lessons.
In Spanish, the present tense is used to emphasize that an action is taking place now. But many Spanish grammar books do not indicate that there is another use for the present progressive tense. And that the present progressive tense can be used to stress that an action is continuous.
I learned this one from trial and error. As embarrassing as it is to admit, a five year old little girl corrected my Spanish grammar. That’s how I found out.
The first time it happened it happened with an adult. I was trying to tell an adult that I am learning Spanish. Since the Spanish grammar books taught me that the Spanish present progressive tense is only used to describe actions that are in progress “right now,” I did not use the present progressive tense to say that “I am learning Spanish.” Because I was not learning Spanish at that specific moment. At that very moment, I was trying to talk to her in Spanish. So I said “Aprendo espa
Spanish Grammar Lesson on the Present Progressive Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on July 11th, 2009
The Present Progressive Tense
The progressive tense is used to describe actions that are in progress at a specific moment in time (the present). In English, it is the auxiliary verb “to be” and the present participle. In layperson terms, the “present participle” means verbs with “ing” attached to the end of the verb.
The present tense is used much more frequently in English than it is used in Spanish. As in Spanish, we use it to talk about actions that are in progress “now” or “right now.” But in English, we also use the present progressive tense to describe habitual actions or to speak in general. For example:
I am living in the suburbs.
I am working in the post office.
I am taking Spanish lessons.
In Spanish, the present tense is used to emphasize that an action is taking place now. But many Spanish grammar books do not indicate that there is another use for the present progressive tense. And that the present progressive tense can be used to stress that an action is continuous.
I learned this one from trial and error. As embarrassing as it is to admit, a five year old little girl corrected my Spanish grammar. That’s how I found out.
The first time it happened it happened with an adult. I was trying to tell an adult that I am learning Spanish. Since the Spanish grammar books taught me that the Spanish present progressive tense is only used to describe actions that are in progress “right now,” I did not use the present progressive tense to say that “I am learning Spanish.” Because I was not learning Spanish at that specific moment. At that very moment, I was trying to talk to her in Spanish. So I said “Aprendo espa
Learning Spanish Online and the Future Indicative Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on April 1st, 2009
The Future Indicative Tense
This Learning-Spanish Grammar lesson covers the Future Indicative Tense for regular verbs. Similar to English, the Future Indicative Tense in Spanish is used:
1. To express a future action or condition.
Juan no hablar
Learning Spanish and the Pluperfect Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on March 30th, 2009
The Pluperfect Tense
In this Spanish lesson, we will learn the Pluperfect Tense. Whether you are learning Spanish online, with CDs, or Learning Spanish software, you will find this lesson helpful in your journey to learn how to speak Spanish.
For the most part, the Pluperfect Tense is used to express a past fact or action that occurred before another past action took place.
In English, this can be expressed in the following manner:
I had thought of you when you called.
Although in English we tend to use the preterite to express two consecutive actions in the past, in Spanish this is rarely the case. Instead, the Pluperfect Tense is used.
In Spanish, the above sentence is translated to:
Yo hab
Learning Spanish Grammar Online and the Preterite Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on March 30th, 2009
The Preterite Tense
The preterite tense is another topic that seems to confuse English speakers of Spanish. English speakers learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the preterite with the imperfect and vice versa. Both tenses describe actions that took place in the past. But I think English speakers just learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the two because in English in certain instances we sometimes use the same form of a verb to describe an action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, in the same instance, you cannot use both the preterite or the imperfect. Only one would be correct.
For example, in English , we can use the past tense of the verb “to go” (i.e. “went”) to describe two different actions that took place in the past.
1. I went to the shopping mall three times.
2. When I was young, I went to the shopping mall.
(Note: In English, for number “2” you could also say “When I was young, I used to go to the shopping mall.)
Both sentences use the same verb “went” to describe the action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, you cannot use the same verb tense. In the first sentence, you must use the preterite of “ir” (fui), and the imperfect verb tense (iba) in the latter.
Yo fui al almac
Learning Spanish Online and the Future Indicative Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on March 26th, 2009
The Future Indicative Tense
This Learning-Spanish Grammar lesson covers the Future Indicative Tense for regular verbs. Similar to English, the Future Indicative Tense in Spanish is used:
1. To express a future action or condition.
Juan no hablar
Learning Spanish Grammar Online and the Preterite Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on March 25th, 2009
The Preterite Tense
The preterite tense is another topic that seems to confuse English speakers of Spanish. English speakers learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the preterite with the imperfect and vice versa. Both tenses describe actions that took place in the past. But I think English speakers just learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the two because in English in certain instances we sometimes use the same form of a verb to describe an action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, in the same instance, you cannot use both the preterite or the imperfect. Only one would be correct.
For example, in English , we can use the past tense of the verb “to go” (i.e. “went”) to describe two different actions that took place in the past.
1. I went to the shopping mall three times.
2. When I was young, I went to the shopping mall.
(Note: In English, for number “2” you could also say “When I was young, I used to go to the shopping mall.)
Both sentences use the same verb “went” to describe the action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, you cannot use the same verb tense. In the first sentence, you must use the preterite of “ir” (fui), and the imperfect verb tense (iba) in the latter.
Yo fui al almac
Learning Spanish and the Pluperfect Tense
Posted by Buy essay Blog | Uncategorized | Posted on March 23rd, 2009
The Pluperfect Tense
In this Spanish lesson, we will learn the Pluperfect Tense. Whether you are learning Spanish online, with CDs, or Learning Spanish software, you will find this lesson helpful in your journey to learn how to speak Spanish.
For the most part, the Pluperfect Tense is used to express a past fact or action that occurred before another past action took place.
In English, this can be expressed in the following manner:
I had thought of you when you called.
Although in English we tend to use the preterite to express two consecutive actions in the past, in Spanish this is rarely the case. Instead, the Pluperfect Tense is used.
In Spanish, the above sentence is translated to:
Yo hab