Gramática. El Ventilador C1

El ventilador – Libro del alumno

El ventilador es un manual de español de nivel superior (C1 del Marco común europeo de referencia) con las siguientes características:

Una concepción comunicativa de la enseñanza de las lenguas basada en el enfoque por tareas.
Un tratamiento de la gramática que parte de la atención al significado.
La inclusión de modelos textuales muy variados, representativos de diferentes registros de lengua.
Dinámicas y contenidos inéditos en este nivel que promueven experiencias comunicativas en múltiples espacios.
Actividades variadas que propician el equilibrio entre fluidez, corrección y expresividad que caracteriza este nivel.

Descarga aquí

15. October 202015. October 2020

The imperfect subjunctive (el imperfecto de subjuntivo) follows many of the same rules as the present subjunctive. Introduced with a preterite, imperfect, conditional, or past perfect WEIRDO verb in the independent clause, the imperfect subjunctive often refers to a previous experience, but can also refer to unlikely events or possibilities.

Check out these examples of the imperfect subjunctive.

EXAMPLES
Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría por todo el mundo. If I had more money, I would travel around the whole world.
Si yo fuera tú, no lo haría. If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.

Imperfect Subjunctive Forms

Finding the Imperfect Subjunctive Stem

To conjugate a verb in the imperfect subjunctive, you’ll need to know the third person plural (ellos, ellas) preterite form of the verb you’re using. Why? Instead of using the infinitive for a stem, the imperfect subjunctive uses the third person plural of the preterite (minus the -ron). Whatever the third person preterite from of a verb is, whether regular or irregular, becomes the base for the imperfect subjunctive stem.

Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Formula

imperfect subjunctive stem = third person plural preterite form minus –ron ending

Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Examples

Here are the imperfect subjunctive stems of some common Spanish verbs.

INFINITIVE	THIRD PERSON PRETERITE FORM	IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE STEM
caber	cupieron	cupie-
dar	dieron	die-
decir	dijeron	dije-
dormir	durmieron	durmie-
estar	estuvieron	estuvie-
haber	hubieron	hubie-
hablar	hablaron	habla-
hacer	hicieron	hicie-
ir	fueron	fue-
leer	leyeron	leye-
tener	tuvieron	tuvie-
pedir	pidieron	pidie-
poder	pudieron	pudie-
poner	pusieron	pusie-
preferir	prefirieron	prefirie-
querer	quisieron	quisie-
saber	supieron	supie-
sentir	sintieron	sintie-
ser	fueron	fue-
traducir	tradujeron	traduje-
traer	trajeron	traje-
ver	vieron	vie-

Imperfect Subjunctive Endings

When conjugating the imperfect subjunctive, you can choose from two different sets of endings. Both are correct, though use of the first set, whose yo ending is -ra, is more widespread.

SUBJECT	SUBJUNCTIVE 1 ENDINGS	SUBJUNCTIVE 2 ENDINGS
yo	-ra	-se
tú	-ras	-ses
él, ella, usted	-ra	-se
nosotros	-ramos	-semos
vosotros	-rais	-seis
ellos, ellas, ustedes	-ran	-sen

Watch out for the accents

Nosotros imperfect subjunctive conjugations have a tilde on the vowel that comes immediately before the subjunctive ending. For example:

habláramos /hablásemos

escribiéramos/escribiésemos

Here are three common verbs conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive with each set of endings.

Subjunctive 1

SUBJECT	HABLAR	HACER	TRADUCIR
yo	hablara	hiciera	tradujera
tú	hablaras	hicieras	tradujeras
él, ella, usted	hablara	hiciera	tradujera
nosotros	habláramos	hiciéramos	tradujéramos
vosotros	hablarais	hicierais	tradujerais
ellos, ellas, ustedes	hablaran	hicieran	tradujeran

Subjunctive 2

SUBJECT	HABLAR	HACER	TRADUCIR
yo	hablase	hiciese	tradujese
tú	hablases	hicieses	tradujeses
él, ella, usted	hablase	hiciese	tradujese
nosotros	hablásemos	hiciésemos	tradujésemos
vosotros	hablaseis	hicieseis	tradujeseis
ellos, ellas, ustedes	hablasen	hiciesen	tradujesen

Imperfect Subjunctive Uses

The imperfect subjunctive can be used to talk about past occurrences, current opinions of past events, doubts and wishes, as well as in if clauses and polite requests.

1. Past Occurrences

If the WEIRDO verb in the independent clause is in the preterite or the imperfect, then the subjunctive verb that follows will be imperfect.

EXAMPLES
Quise que vinieras/vinieses a mi fiesta. I wanted you to come to my party.
Tenía miedo de que no lloviera/lloviese. I was scared it wouldn’t rain.
Le iba a prestar dinero para que se comprara un abrigo. I was going to lend him money so he could buy a coat.

2. Current Opinions of Past Events

The imperfect subjunctive can also be used to express current emotions, doubts, etc. about something that happened in the past.

EXAMPLES
Es bueno que él se casara/casase. It’s good that he got married.
No me parece que el viaje fuera/fuese largo. It doesn’t seem to me that the journey was long.

3. Doubts and Wishes

It’s common to see ojalá or ojalá que used with the imperfect subjunctive to express the idea of hoping for something that is unlikely to happen or is impossible.

EXAMPLES
Ojalá que nevara/nevase en Panamá. I wish it were snowing in Panama.
Ojalá mi hermano se casara/casase. I wish my brother were getting married.

4. If Clauses

When preceded by si (if), the imperfect subjunctive is often used to talk about hypotheticals. Note that the other verb in these constructions is in the conditional.

EXAMPLES
Si yo fuera/fuese reina, viajaría por todo el mundo. If I were queen, I would travel all over the world.
Pintaría más seguido si tuviera/tuviese más tiempo. I would paint more often if I had more time.

5. Polite Suggestions and Requests

The imperfect subjunctive can be used to make very polite suggestions or formal requests.

EXAMPLES
Quisiera/Quisiese dos semanas de vacaciones. I would like two weeks of vacation.

15. October 2020

Pensar vs Conocer

Pensar and creer are a little different. For example, “creer” is to believe as in personal opinion, while “pensar” is when you think about something using your brain.

Creo que ese hombre es guapo. I believe (or I think) that guy is handsome.

We think using our minds. Pensamos usando nuestras mentes.

15. October 202015. October 2020

Saber vs Conocer

Getting to Know Saber and Conocer

In Spanish, there are two verbs that can express the idea of knowing: saber and conocer. It’s important to know the differences between the two because they’re not interchangeable. Let’s learn the meaning of these two very important verbs!

Saber

Saber is used to talk about facts or learned skills. You can use it to talk about information you’ve memorized or to say you know how to swim, draw, speak a language, etc.

Saber Present Indicative Forms

Here are the conjugations of saber in the present indicative.

SUBJECT	PRESENT TENSE FORM
yo	sé
tú	sabes
él, ella, usted	sabe
nosotros	sabemos
vosotros	sabéis
ellos, ellas, ustedes	saben

Now that you know how to conjugate saber, check out these examples.

EXAMPLES
Sé hablar español. I know how to speak Spanish.
Anita no sabe nadar. Anita doesn’t know how to swim.
¿Sabes si Juanita está casada? Do you know if Juanita is married?
¿Sabes dónde hay un buen café? Do you know where a good cafe is?

To express the knowledge of how to do something, use saber plus an infinitive. For example, Yo sé cocinar.

(I know how to cook.)

Conocer

Conocer is used to express familiarity or acquaintance (or lack thereof) with a person, place, or thing. For example you can know, or be acquainted with, a book, a movie, a country, or a certain person.

Conocer Present Indicative Forms

Here are the conjugations of conocer in the present indicative.

SUBJECT	PRESENT TENSE FORM
yo	conozco
tú	conoces
él, ella, usted	conoce
nosotros	conocemos
vosotros	conocéis
ellos, ellas, ustedes	conocen

Now that you know how to conjugate conocer, check out these examples.

EXAMPLES
Conozco un buen sitio para ver la puesta del sol. I know a good place to watch the sunset.
Conoce una película que tal vez te interese. He knows a movie that may interest you.
No conocemos Madrid. We are not acquainted with Madrid.
¿Conoces a mi amiga Melissa? Do you know my friend Melissa?

The personal a must be used after conocer when talking about a person.

Fuente, https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/saber-vs-conocer

13. October 2020

¿Indicativo o Subjuntivo?

Declarar (Indicativo) o no declarar (Subjuntivo)

Usamos un verbo en indicativo cuando queremos declarar el contenido de ese verbo: queremos expresar lo que alguien sabe (una afirmación) o piensa (una suposición) sobre una determinada realidad.

Podemos declarar informaciones directamente (en una oración independiente) o después de una MATRIZ que anuncia una declaración (en una oración subordinada):

Oración independiente. Declaramos (Indicativo)

¿Qué gato es ese?

Es Julio César

Oración subordinada. Declaramos (Indicativo)

¿Qué será eso que se mueve ahí?

Me imagino que será Julio César

–> Usamos un verbo en subjuntivo (o infinitivo) cuando no queremos declarar el contenido de ese verbo, porque no queremos expresar con él ni una afirmación ni una suposición: es solo una idea virtual

Un verbo en subjuntivo siempre depende de una MATRIZ con la que expresamos deseos, rechazo, posibilidad o valoraciones:

**Nunca usamos subjuntivo para expresar una opinión directamente (en una oración independiente)**

Es posible que sea Julio César.

Yo no creo que sea Julio César. A él no le gusta jugar con la basura.

29. September 2020

Imperfect

The Spanish imperfect tense (el pretérito imperfecto o copretérito) is used to describe past habitual actions or to talk about what someone was doing when they were interrupted by something else.

Regular Imperfect Forms

There are only two sets of endings for regular imperfect verbs in Spanish, one for -ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs.

To conjugate a regular verb in the imperfect tense in Spanish, simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the imperfect ending that matches the subject.

Check out the table of regular imperfect endings below.

Regular Imperfect Verb Endings

SUBJECT	-AR VERBS	-ER AND -IR VERBS
yo	-aba	-ía
tú	-abas	-ías
él, ella, usted	-aba	-ía
nosotros	-ábamos	-íamos
vosotros	-abais	-íais
ellos, ellas, ustedes	-aban	-ían

Irregular Imperfect Forms

There are only three verbs with irregular conjugations in the imperfect: ir, ser, and ver. Here they are!

Irregular Imperfect Conjugations

SUBJECT	IR (TO GO)	SER (TO BE)	VER (TO SEE)
yo	iba	era	veía
tú	ibas	eras	veías
él, ella, usted	iba	era	veía
nosotros	íbamos	éramos	veíamos
vosotros	ibais	erais	veíais
ellos, ellas, ustedes	iban	eran	veían

Uses of the Imperfect Tense

In general, the imperfect is used to talk about past actions, conditions, or events that occurred habitually or repeatedly or that were in progress at a point in the past. It is also used to tell time, talk about dates, give a person’s age, and describe characteristics, conditions, and feelings in the past. Read on for more about these uses of the imperfect.

1. Habitual or Repeated Actions

Habitual or repeated actions are those that were done over and over in the past. These are often things a person used to or would do.

EXAMPLES
Almorzábamos cada día. We used to eat lunch together every day.
Todos los sábados las mujeres iban de compras. Every Saturday the ladies would go shopping.

2. Actions that Were in Progress in the Past

It’s quite common to see the imperfect used to talk about something that was happening when something else occurred. It’s also used for actions that continued in the past for an unspecified period of time.

When talking about a past action in progress that was interrupted, the action in progress is in the imperfect, while the interrupting action is in the preterite. For more on the differences between the preterite and the imperfect, check out this article!

EXAMPLES
Iba a clase cuando sonó el teléfono. I was going to class when the telephone rang.
Mi papá cocinaba cuando entré a casa. My dad was cooking when I came in the house.
A veces le dolían las manos y las piernas. Sometimes her hands and feet ached.

3. Times and Dates

The imperfect is used to talk about times and dates in the past.

EXAMPLES
Eran las tres de la tarde. It was three o’clock in the afternoon.
Era el 9 de mayo. It was May 9th.

4. Age

The imperfect is commonly used to talk about age in the past.

EXAMPLES
La niña tenía 4 años. The little girl was 4 years old.
Los perros tenían dos años cuando los adopté. The dogs were two years old when I adopted them.

5. Descriptions of Characteristics, Conditions, and Feelings

The imperfect is used to give descriptions in the past, especially those that set the scene in terms of the senses.

EXAMPLES
Mi profesor era alto y tenía el pelo ondulado. My professor was tall and had wavy hair.
El campo era bello. The countryside was beautiful.
Hacía calor esa noche. It was hot that night.
Me sentía feliz con mi trabajo nuevo. I was happy with my new job.
Quería mudarme a otro país. I wanted to move to another country.

29. September 2020

Preterite

The Spanish preterite tense (el pretérito o el pretérito perfecto simple) is used to describe actions completed at a point in the past.

The Spanish preterite is not used to describe habitual or continuous actions in the past with no specific beginning or end. In such cases, the imperfect tense is used.

Regular Spanish Preterite Forms

There are only two sets of endings for regular preterite verbs, one for -ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs. To conjugate a regular verb in the preterite tense, simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the preterite ending that matches the subject. Check out the table of regular preterite endings below.

Regular Preterite Verb Endings

SUBJECT	-AR VERBS	-ER AND -IR VERBS
yo	-é	-í
tú	-aste	-iste
él, ella, usted	-ó	-ió
nosotros	-amos	-imos
vosotros	-asteis	-isteis
ellos, ellas, ustedes	-aron	-ieron

Keep an Eye on the Accents

Note that the first person singular (yo), third person singular (él, ella), and second person formal singular (usted) preterite forms have tildes

(written accents) on the final vowel. Keep in mind that one little tilde can change both the tense and subject of a sentence. For example:With a tilde:

EXAMPLES
Mandó una carta. He/She sent a letter.

Without a tilde:

EXAMPLES
Mando una carta. I send a letter.

Present and Past Nosotros

The first person plural (nosotros) endings for regular -ar and -ir verbs are the same for both the preterite and present tenses. Context clues, such as adverbs like siempre (always) and ayer (yesterday), can help you figure out if a nosotros form refers to the past or the present.

EXAMPLES
Siempre cocinamos paella los domingos. We always cook paella on Sundays.
Ayer cocinamos paella para mi familia. Yesterday we cooked paella for my family.

Irregular Spanish Preterite Forms

Four of the most common verbs with irregular preterite forms are ser, ir, dar, and ver. For more on tricky preterite forms, check out our article here.

Irregular Preterite Verb Conjugations

SUBJECT	SER (TO BE)	IR (TO GO)	DAR (TO GIVE)	VER (TO SEE)
yo	fui	fui	di	vi
tú	fuiste	fuiste	diste	viste
él, ella, usted	fue	fue	dio	vio
nosotros	fuimos	fuimos	dimos	vimos
vosotros	fuisteis	fuisteis	disteis	visteis
ellos, ellas, ustedes	fueron	fueron	dieron	vieron

Seeing Double

Note that ser and ir have the exact same forms in the preterite.

Uses of the Preterite

The preterite is used to talk about completed actions in the past. More specifically, it is used to talk about beginnings and ends, things that took place on specific days or dates, at specific times or during specific time periods, and events in a sequence.

1. Completed Events

The preterite is used to talk about completed events, especially those with very clear beginnings and ends.

EXAMPLES
Compré un coche nuevo. I bought a new car.
Ben y Cristina se casaron. Ben and Cristina got married.
Roberto nació en Costa Rica. Roberto was born in Costa Rica.

2. Beginnings and Ends

Beginnings and ends themselves are also talked about using the preterite. Key verbs you’ll see used to talk about beginnings and ends in the past are empezar (to begin), comenzar (to begin), terminar (to finish), and acabar (to end).

EXAMPLES
Empezó a nevar. It began to snow.
La película terminó con una sorpresa. The movie ended with a surprise.

3. Specific Times and Dates

The preterite is used to talk about past events or actions that occurred on specific days or dates, at specific times, and during specific time periods.

EXAMPLES
Regresé anoche a las diez. I got back last night at ten.
Vivió en Perú por tres meses. He lived in Peru for three months.
Leíste este libro el mes pasado. You read this book last month.
Nacho nació el tres de agosto. Nacho was born on August third.

4. Events in a Sequence

The preterite is used for listing past events that took place in a sequence.

EXAMPLES
Me levanté, me vestí, y salí para la fiesta. I got up, got dressed, and left for the party.
Tú entraste, bebiste un vaso de agua y comiste una hamburguesa. You came in, drank a glass of water, and ate a hamburger.

Looking for information on the differences between the preterite and the imperfect? Check out this article!

Fuente https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/spanish-preterite-tense-forms

29. September 202029. September 2020

Present

Regular Present Indicative Forms

Below you’ll find instructions for forming regular verbs in the present tense, including the endings you need to know for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.

Verbs that End in -ar

To conjugate an -ar verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ar) and add the ending that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.

Present Tense Endings for -ar Verbs

SUBJECT	-AR ENDINGS	EXAMPLE WITH HABLAR	ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo	-o	hablo	I speak
tú	-as	hablas	you (informal) speak
usted	-a	habla	you (formal) speak
él, ella	-a	habla	he/she speaks
nosotros	-amos	hablamos	we speak
vosotros	-áis	habláis	you (informal) speak
ustedes	-an	hablan	you (formal) speak
ellos, ellas	-an	hablan	they speak

Verbs that End in -er

To conjugate an -er verb, remove the infinitive ending (-er) and add the ending that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.

Present Tense Endings for -er Verbs

SUBJECT	-ER ENDINGS	EXAMPLE WITH COMER	ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo	-o	como	I eat
tú	-es	comes	you (informal) eat
usted	-e	come	you (formal) eat
él, ella	-e	come	he/she eats
nosotros	-emos	comemos	we eat
vosotros	-éis	coméis	you (informal) eat
ustedes	-en	comen	you (formal) eat
ellos, ellas	-en	comen	they eat

Verbs that End in -ir

To conjugate an -ir verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ir) and add the ending that matches the subject. You can find these endings in the table below.

Present Tense Endings for -ir Verbs

SUBJECT	-IR ENDINGS	EXAMPLE WITH VIVIR	ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yo	-o	vivo	I live
tú	-es	vives	you (informal) live
usted	-e	vive	you (formal) live
él, ella	-e	vive	he/she lives
nosotros	-imos	vivimos	we live
vosotros	-ís	vivís	you (informal) live
ustedes	-en	viven	you (formal) live
ellos, ellas	-en	viven	they live

Copy Cats

Notice that most of the present tense endings for -er and -ir verbs are the same. Only the nosotros and vosotros endings are different.

Irregular Yo Forms

Some present tense yo conjugations undergo spelling changes or are irregular.

Verbs with Spelling Changes in the Yo Form

Verbs that end in -guir, -ger, or -gir undergo a spelling change in their present tense yo forms.

For verbs that end in -guir, the yo form ends in go.
For verbs that end in -ger or -gir, the g in the yo form changes to a j.

SPANISH INFINITIVE	ENGLISH INFINITIVE	YO FORM
extinguir	to extinguish	extingo
dirigir	to direct	dirijo
escoger	to choose	escojo
exigir	to demand	exijo
recoger	to pick up	recojo

Verbs with Irregular Yo Forms

The following verbs have irregular yo forms. The other present tense forms of these verbs follow the patterns for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.

SPANISH INFINITIVE	ENGLISH INFINITIVE	YO FORM
caber	to fit	quepo
caer	to fall	caigo
conocer	to know	conozco
dar	to give	doy
hacer	to do/make	hago
poner	to put	pongo
saber	to know	sé
salir	to leave/to go out	salgo
traducir	to translate	traduzco
traer	to bring	traigo
valer	to be worth	valgo
ver	to see	veo

Most verbs that end in -cer or -ucir have irregular present tense yo forms. Click here for more on irregular present tense verbs.

Here are a few examples of the above verbs in action.

EXAMPLES
Hago la tarea en la biblioteca. I do my homework in the library.
Sé que hoy es martes. I know today is Tuesday.

Stem-changing Verbs

Many present tense verbs undergo what is called a stem change. The present tense endings for these verbs are regular, but there is a vowel change in the verb stem (the part of the verb that comes before -ar, -er, or -ir). Click here to read our article on stem-changing verbs.

Present Indicative Uses

The Spanish present tense can be used to talk about habitual actions, routines, things happening now or in the near future, universal truths, facts, hypotheticals, lapses of time, and for ordering in restaurants and stores. Read on for more on each of these uses.

Dropping Subject Pronouns

Because the endings of Spanish verbs indicate who the subject of an action is, you can often drop the subject pronoun (yo, tú, nosotros, etc.). Many Spanish speakers rarely use personal pronouns, although this varies from country to country.

For example, in the sentence Hablo español. (I speak Spanish.), the pronoun yo isn’t really necessary. The -o ending tells you who the subject of the verb is.

1. Habitual Actions

Habitual actions are activities that a person does every day (or very often) . Daily routines, responsibilities, hobbies, and jobs can be talked about using the present tense.

EXAMPLES
Me levanto a las seis y media cada mañana. I get up at six thirty every morning.
Doy de comer al perro tres veces cada día. I feed the dog three times each day.
Trabajo para el zoológico. I work for the zoo.
Estudio biología en la universidad. I study biology at the university.

2. Things Happening Now

In English, something happening at the moment of speaking is usually expressed using the present progressive. In Spanish, both the simple present and the present progressive can be used to talk about things happening now.

EXAMPLES
¿Cómo estás? How are you doing?
Estoy bien, gracias. I’m doing well, thank you.
¿Qué haces? What are you doing?
Limpio la cocina. I’m cleaning the kitchen.

3. Things Happening in the Near Future

The Spanish present tense can also be used to talk about things that will happen in the near future.

EXAMPLES
Voy al parque. ¿Vienes? I’m going to the park. Want to come?
Salgo para el aeropuerto en media hora. I’m leaving for the airport in half an hour.

4. Timeless Events/Universal Truths

Things that are universally known or generally excepted are often expressed using the simple present. These can be facts, opinions, or proverbs.

EXAMPLES
Uno más uno son dos. One plus one is two.
Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo. Wisdom comes with age. (Literal translation: The devil’s wisdom comes more from age than from being the devil.)
El hombre es mortal. Mankind is mortal.

5. Hypothetical Situations

When used with the conjunction si (if), the present tense can express hypothetical situations and outcomes.

EXAMPLES
Si llega Marcos, salgo. If Marcos comes, I’m out.
Si llueve, la fiesta termina. If it rains, the party’s over.

6. Lapses of Time

The present tense is commonly used to talk about the amount of time something has been going on. The following formula is used with the present tense for this purpose.

hace + time period + que + present tense verb

EXAMPLES
Hace tres años que esperamos tu llamada. We’ve been waiting three years for your call.
Hace una semana que pinta este cuadro. He’s been painting this painting for a week.

7. Ordering

It’s also quite common to use the present tense in Spanish when ordering something in a restaurant or store.

EXAMPLES
Me trae un café, por favor. Would you bring me a coffee, please?
Quiero el arroz con pollo. I would like the chicken and rice.

Fuente, https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/spanish-present-tense-forms

29. September 202029. September 2020

Por vs Para

Learning the differences between por and para

is often quite challenging, and with good reason. In Spanish, both por and para take on the responsibilities of not only for, but also by, on, through, because of, in exchange for, in order to, and several other prepositions and phrases. Por suerte (luckily), we’ve got a whole series on this tricky pair, so get ready to master the differences between por and para!

Por

Por is used to talk about movement, modes and means of travel and communication, exchanges, duration, and motivation, among other things. Let’s take a closer look at some examples of these common uses of por.

1. Travel and Communication

Por can be used to talk about the way you travel or communicate. This can refer to mode of travel (car, train, etc.) or communication (email, phone, etc.) or even the route you take.

EXAMPLES
La contacté por correo. I contacted her by mail.
Viajé por Francia y España. I traveled through France and Spain.
¿Quieres pasar por el parque? Do you want to go through the park?

2. Exchanges

Por is used to talk about exchanges and trades.

EXAMPLES
Te cambio mi manzana por tu sandwich. I’ll trade you my apple for your sandwich.
Te doy sesenta pesos por la mochila. I’ll give you sixty pesos for that backpack.

3. Duration

Por is used to talk about the length of time an activity went on for.

EXAMPLES
Tengo que trabajar por ocho horas hoy. I need to work for eight hours today.
¿Dormiste por 12 horas? ¡Qué vida la tuya! You slept for 12 hours? Lucky dog!

4. Motivation

Por is used to talk about motivations or reasons for doing something.

EXAMPLES
Por su amor a los niños, quiere ser pediatra. Because of her love for children, she wants to be a pediatrician.
Trabajo por ti, porque te quiero cuidar. I work for you, because I want to take care of you.

Para

Para is used to talk about destinations, recipients, deadlines, and goals. Check out the following examples of these common uses of para.

1. Destinations

Para is used to talk about physical destinations, especially the endpoint of a trip.

EXAMPLES
Salgo para Chile mañana. I leave for Chile tomorrow.
¿Para dónde vas con tanta prisa? Where are you going in such a hurry?

2. Recipients

Para is used to indicate the intended recipient of something, such as a gift.

EXAMPLES
Este regalo es para Adela. This gift is for Adela.
No, Bruno. Estos chocolates no son para los perros. No, Bruno. These chocolates aren’t for dogs.

3. Deadlines

Para is used to talk about deadlines, including dates and times.

EXAMPLES
Necesito la presentación para el viernes. I need the presentation by Friday.
Tengo que terminar esto para las ocho. I need to finish this by eight o’clock.

4. Goals

Para is used to talk about goals and purposes. It’s especially common to see para used with an infinitive to talk about why something is done.

EXAMPLES
Trabaja mucho para ganar más dinero. He works a lot in order to earn more money.
Corro para mantenerme en forma. I run to stay in shape.

There are also many expressions that are used with por and para. Some very common examples are shown in the table below.

POR PHRASE	ENGLISH TRANSLATION	PARA PHRASE	ENGLISH TRANSLATION
por ejemplo	for example	para siempre	forever
por favor	please	para variar	just for a change
por supuesto	of course	para que	so that/in order that
por ciento	percent	para qué	for what reason
por qué	why	para dónde	where to
por fin	finally	para ti	for you

Looking for common expressions with por and para? Check out our article on expressions with por and para.

Looking for even more practice with por and para? Check out our article on more with por and para.

Fuente: https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/por-vs-para

29. September 202029. September 2020

Ser vs Estar

Learning the differences between ser and estar, por and para, and the subjunctive and the indicative is often quite challenging for learners of Spanish. ¡Ánimo! (Cheer up!) After reading this article, you’ll have a good handle on the first of these tricky pairs, ser and estar.

Review Time: if you’re not sure how to conjugate these two important verbs (they’re irregular), check out the verb conjugation tables for ser and estar.

Uses of Ser

Ser is used to talk about permanent or lasting attributes. If this general rule is too vague for you, think of the acronym DOCTOR, which stands for Descriptions, Occupations, Characteristics, Time, Origin, and Relationships. Let’s take a look at each of the above categories individually.

1. Descriptions

Descriptions are the essential qualities that define a person or thing and probably won’t change anytime soon. These descriptions can be names, physical descriptions, nationalities, and even religions.

EXAMPLES
Yo soy Raúl. I am Raul.
Yo soy alta, morena, y delgada. I am tall, dark-skinned, and thin.
Bob es inglés. Bob is English.
Andrés es católico. Andres is Catholic.

Find more on using ser with descriptions here!

2. Occupations

An occupation is what someone does for a living or as a hobby. Basically, if you’re talking about how someone makes money or fills their time, you’ll use ser.

EXAMPLES
Soy profesora de español. I am a Spanish teacher.
Ellos son estudiantes. They are students.
Mi padre era jardinero. My father was a gardener.
Juanita es bailarina. Juanita is a dancer.

Notice that the indefinite articles un, una, unos, and unas may not be used when talking about occupations with ser. They’re often only included if extra information following the occupation is given. Compare the following:

EXAMPLES
Es doctora. She’s a doctor.
Es una doctora que tiene vocación por ayudar a sus pacientes. She’s a doctor who’s dedicated to helping her patients.

3. Characteristics

Characteristics are personality descriptions of a person. This category is included to hammer home the point that ser is used to talk about descriptions.

EXAMPLES
Amalia es inteligente, atrevida, y amable. Amalia is intelligent, daring, and friendly.
Mi esposo es romántico y cariñoso. My husband is romantic and caring.

4. Time

Time can refer to days, dates, years, and the time on the clock.

EXAMPLES
Hoy es miércoles. Today is Wednesday.
Ayer fue mi cumpleaños. Yesterday was my birthday.
Ahora es la una. Right now it is one o’clock.
Son las cinco veinticinco. It’s five twenty-five.

Find more on using ser with time here!

5. Origin

The place a person or thing is from or the material something is made of can be considered an origin.

EXAMPLES
Celia es de España. Celia is from Spain.
Este chocolate es de México. This chocolate is from Mexico.
Las sillas son de madera. The chairs are made of wood.
Mi anillo es de oro. My ring is made of gold.

6. Relationships

Personal relationships, such as family ties, friendship, and romantic relationships, are also talked about using ser.

EXAMPLES
Lynne es mi madre. Lynne is my mother.
Marcos es mi exnovio. Marcos is my ex-boyfriend.
Juana es mi jefe. Juana is my boss.

Find more on using ser with origins here!

Uses of Estar

Estar is used to indicate temporary states and locations. If that general rule doesn’t suffice, there are two acronyms that you can think of, PLACE and LoCo. PLACE stands for Position, Location, Action, Condition, and Emotion. LoCo stands for Locations and Conditions. Let’s look at PLACE now.

1. Position

Position refers to the physical position or posture a person or thing is in.

EXAMPLES
Mi abuela está sentada. My grandmother is seated.
Estaba acostada cuando me llamaste. I was lying down when you called me.

2. Location

The location of someone or something describes where it is permanently, temporarily, or conceptually.

EXAMPLES
El baño está a la derecha de la sala. The bathroom is to the right of the living room.
Estamos en el café ahora y estaremos en el cine en 20 minutos. We are at the café right now and we will be at the movie theater in 20 minutes.
Mi abuelo está en la luna. My grandfather is out of it.

Exception! The location of an event or party is described using ser, not estar.

La fiesta es en mi casa.

(The party is at my house.)

Find more on using estar with locations here!

3. Actions

Estar is used to describe ongoing actions and is often followed by a present participle (such as lavand) or a past participle (such as muerto).

EXAMPLES
Estoy lavando los platos sucios. I am washing the dirty dishes.
Estamos leyendo los periódicos. We are reading the newspapers.
Mi bisabuelo está muerto. My great-grandfather is dead.

Intriguingly, death in Spanish is seen as an ongoing action, not a permanent state, so estar is used to talk about being dead.

4. Conditions

Physical and mental conditions are described using estar. Things that are likely to vary over several hours, days, or even years can fall into this category.

EXAMPLES
Estoy tan cansada esta mañana. I am so tired this morning.
Mis niños están enfermos hoy. My children are sick today.
Mi padre está un poco loco. My father is a little crazy.

Find more on using estar with conditions here!

5. Emotions

How a person is feeling at a certain moment is described using estar.

EXAMPLES
Estoy triste. I am sad.
Ella está contenta porque recibió unas flores de su novio. She is happy because she got some flowers from her boyfriend.

Meaning Changes With Ser and Estar Phrases

There are some words that can be used with both ser and estar to form verb phrases, and these take on different meanings depending on the verb. Here are some examples of these types of phrases.

SER PHRASE	ENGLISH	ESTAR PHRASE	ENGLISH
ser aburrido	to be boring	estar aburrido	to be bored
ser bueno	to be good	estar bueno	to be tasty/attractive
ser cansado	to be a tiring person	estar cansado	to be tired
ser grave	to be serious	estar grave	to be seriously ill
ser listo	to be clever	estar listo	to be ready
ser malo	to be bad	estar malo	to be ill
ser orgulloso	to be conceited or vain	estar orgulloso	to be proud
ser moreno	to be dark-skinned	estar moreno	to be tanned
ser pálido	to be pale-skinned	estar pálido	to be pale
ser pesado	to be heavy/to be boring	estar pesado	to be annoying
ser rico	to be rich	estar rico	to be tasty
ser seguro	to be safe	estar seguro	to be certain
ser verde	to be green	estar verde	to be unripe
ser viejo	to be old	estar viejo	to look old
ser vivo	to be sharp	estar vivo	to be alive

EXAMPLES
¿Lionel juega fútbol? – Sí, es bueno y es muy rico. Lionel plays soccer? – Yes, he’s good and he’s very rich.
¿Está bueno el café? – Sí, está muy rico. Is the coffee good? – Yes, it’s quite tasty.
¡Qué cansado eres! Ya deja de hablar de ti mismo. How tiring you are! Stop talking about yourself already.
Si estás cansado, te puedes acostar en el sofá. If you’re tired, you can lie down on the couch.

Fuente https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/ser-vs-estar

Imperfect Subjunctive Forms

Finding the Imperfect Subjunctive Stem

***Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Formula***

Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Examples

Imperfect Subjunctive Endings

Watch out for the accents

Subjunctive 1

Subjunctive 2

Imperfect Subjunctive Uses

1. Past Occurrences

2. Current Opinions of Past Events

3. Doubts and Wishes

4. If Clauses

5. Polite Suggestions and Requests

Getting to Know Saber and Conocer

Saber

Saber Present Indicative Forms

Conocer

Conocer Present Indicative Forms

Regular Imperfect Forms

Regular Imperfect Verb Endings

Irregular Imperfect Forms

Irregular Imperfect Conjugations

Uses of the Imperfect Tense

1. Habitual or Repeated Actions

2. Actions that Were in Progress in the Past

3. Times and Dates

4. Age

5. Descriptions of Characteristics, Conditions, and Feelings

Regular Spanish Preterite Forms

Regular Preterite Verb Endings

Keep an Eye on the Accents

Present and Past Nosotros

Irregular Spanish Preterite Forms

Irregular Preterite Verb Conjugations

Seeing Double

Uses of the Preterite

1. Completed Events

2. Beginnings and Ends

3. Specific Times and Dates

4. Events in a Sequence

Regular Present Indicative Forms

Verbs that End in -ar

Verbs that End in -er

Verbs that End in -ir

Irregular Yo Forms

Verbs with Spelling Changes in the Yo Form

Verbs with Irregular Yo Forms

Stem-changing Verbs

Present Indicative Uses

1. Habitual Actions

2. Things Happening Now

3. Things Happening in the Near Future

4. Timeless Events/Universal Truths

5. Hypothetical Situations

6. Lapses of Time

7. Ordering

Learning the differences between por and para

Por

1. Travel and Communication

2. Exchanges

3. Duration

4. Motivation

Para

1. Destinations

2. Recipients

3. Deadlines

4. Goals

Uses of Ser

1. Descriptions

2. Occupations

3. Characteristics

4. Time

5. Origin

6. Relationships

Uses of Estar

1. Position

2. Location

3. Actions

4. Conditions

Imperfect Subjunctive Stem Formula