Grammar is the key to mastering any language. Knowing a lot of foreign words is unlikely to help you communicate with native speakers. It is also very important to know the rules for constructing sentences, using tenses and moods in the language you are learning.
Spanish Grammar
In fact, grammar is an exact science. Therefore, the easiest way to teach it is using special diagrams and tables, which are in almost every textbook. Spanish grammar is quite difficult, especially if you are not familiar with the grammar of other European languages.
It’s quite difficult to change over from Russian. If you know any language, it will be much easier for you. Many languages (and Spanish is no exception) have multiple tenses that need to be consistent, subjunctive moods, and special rules for the use of pronouns, adverbs, and prepositions. However, in the grammar of many languages only general principles are similar. There is a significant difference in the details. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you need to spend quite a lot of effort on learning grammar.
Spanish grammar in tables
It is better to study Spanish using one chosen program, supplementing it with various materials from the Internet. This could be an online language learning course, or a set of manuals, or a program individually developed for you. Spanish grammar, of course, is in all textbooks. It is important that all tasks on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are subordinated to a common concept. This is the only way you can achieve a good result. However, Spanish grammar is not presented in clear tables in all textbooks. That's why you need to find the most convenient materials for learning grammar rules.
Just search the Internet for “Spanish grammar in tables.” You will find a lot of options from which you can choose the most suitable one. There are entire textbooks on Spanish grammar in tables. They are very convenient for those who are just starting to learn the language, and for those who have already reached a certain level. And all thanks to the fact that information in tables and diagrams is easier to perceive and easier to remember due to its clear structure. Often, students visually memorize the table and find the necessary rule in it from memory. In addition, it is easier to show the sequence of actions in the table, and it is this sequence that is taken into account when choosing a particular time in a sentence.
Learning any language, including Spanish, is work that must begin with grammar, the basics. You can pronounce words perfectly, correctly place semantic accents and intonations, but without knowledge of tenses, declensions and conjugations, speech will be clumsy and incomprehensible. Often, students who start learning Spanish have fear in their eyes: there are so many nuances that need to be remembered. As they say, fear has big eyes. A thoughtful step-by-step immersion in grammar resolves all controversial issues, helps you understand the language and master all the key points.
It is impossible to cover a comprehensive course of Spanish grammar in one article; we tried to reveal its main aspects and emphasize its distinctive features with other Romance languages. Now, in order.
Basic Spanish Grammar
At the initial stages, it is important to gradually immerse yourself in the process. Learning grammar on your own is difficult. Much depends on the program and training materials, which must be compiled by professionals. If you don’t like the format of the courses, work with a tutor who will teach you the basics and make a list of books and workbooks.
What you need to know about Spanish grammar:
- When composing a sentence, the subject, which is the subject, performs the action described by the verb. This ligament is found in almost all complete structures, with rare exceptions.
- Spanish has articles - function words that are used before nouns and define the subject. Thus, articles related to the masculine gender are el, and those related to the feminine gender are la.
- In the relationship between a verb and a subject as a subject, the first must be consistent in person and number - that is, in Spanish, as in Russian, conjugation rules apply: I’m in a hurry to work, he’s in a hurry to work, they’re in a hurry to work, you’re in a hurry to work.
There are exceptions - irregular verbs that cannot be conjugated.
- Spanish verbs are conjugated according to tense categories: future, past, present.
A simple sentence and its structure
- The sentence is the main part of speech, from which dialogues, monologues, articles, essays, letters (official and not so official) are made up. To interest your interlocutor, first of all, you need to learn how to express yourself competently. We'll tell you how to express your thoughts in one sentence.
Just like in Russian, the main active elements of Spanish sentences are the subject and the predicate. They act in an inextricable connection, but at the same time they may not be located nearby, in the vicinity of additions or circumstances. Here are some examples:
La casa es grande. Here the subject is La casa, the predicate is es, the modifier is grande. In Russian the predicate is omitted: the house is big. The subject performs classical functions - it is an object in relation to which the predicate performs specific actions. In Spanish, the subject can only be expressed by a noun or pronoun, as in many other languages. The predicate is a verb.
Negative sentences are formed using the particle no:
- El perro no es bueno - The dog is not kind;
- El coche no es nuevo - The car is not new.
Structure of interrogative sentences
Everything is simple here. To make an interrogative sentence, you only need to put the verb in the subject position - swap them. To do this, you do not need to use additional articles and particles. Here's an example:
- Ésta es la puerta - This is the door;
- Es ésta la puerta? - Is this a door?
To answer a question with a statement, put yes at the beginning of the sentence:
- Es la escuela nueva? - Is the school new?
- Sí, la escuela es nueva - Yes, the school is new.
If you want to answer in the negative, instead si we use no.
Another feature of Spanish grammar is that in interrogative sentences the definitions are ahead of the predicates and come before them:
- Es bella la mujer? - Is the woman beautiful?
- Son anchas las calles? - Are the streets wide?
The difference between the structure of English sentences and Spanish ones is the absence of auxiliary verbs (do, did, does):
- Vas al cine? - Are you going to the cinema?
- Va tu padre al cine? - Is your father going to the cinema?
Use of personal pronouns
Personal pronouns in Spanish play the same role as in Russian. They are used in a sentence as analogues of subjects in the form of nouns. Let's give an example: A girl is getting ready for school - She is getting ready for school. Here the personal pronoun She replaces the subject Girl.
Often, in context, personal pronouns replace nouns - when it is already clear who the text is talking about. This allows you to avoid repetitions and convey your thoughts more clearly without unnecessary explanations. Spanish has the same system - you do not need to constantly use personal pronouns if they have previously been used in previous sentences (unlike English). Verbs in Spanish change in conjugation according to persons; in the text it is immediately clear which pronoun they refer to.
Singular personal pronouns:
- yo- I
tú- You
usted- You
el- He
ella- she.
Personal pronouns in the plural:
- nosotros- We
vosotros- You
ustedes- You (politely)
ellos- they (masculine)
ellas- they (feminine).
One of the features of Spanish and the difference from the Russian language is the absence of the personal pronoun It.
Pronoun yo
We are talking about the pronoun I, which in Russian always acts as a predicate in a sentence. In Spanish, the yo function is the same, only it is often omitted - it is implied, but not used in the text. For example: (Yo) Me voy. - I'm leaving.
Pronouns nosotros and nosotras
These pronouns are used when talking about oneself and at the same time about someone. In Russian - We. The form nosotros speaks of the plural when there are both men and women in the group. The use of nosotras according to the rules is only possible in relation to the feminine gender:
- Jorge y yo (nosotros) jugamos al tenis. Jorge and I (we) play tennis.
- Luz y yo (nosotras) jugamos al tenis. Luce and I (we) play tennis.
Pronouns You and You (tú/usted)
We translate into Russian the scheme for using personal pronouns. When we say You, Spaniards - tú. The meaning You also has a respectful form - usted, which is used when addressing older people or as part of business ethics. It is customary to address children in Spanish as tú.
In communication between people, the usted form quickly transforms into tú - when the relationship develops into friendship. If you want to maintain subordination, keep distance between the interlocutor, it is better to use usted.
Examples of sentences with two forms:
- How about se llama usted? What is your (respectful) name?
- Vas tú con Juan en el auto? Will you go with Juan in the car?
Peculiarities of using the pronoun vosotros
This form of the personal pronoun You is used mainly in Spain. In other countries with Spanish-speaking populations, vosotros is included in the curriculum in schools, but is not used in everyday speech. So Latin Americans as you say ustedes. This trend is explained by the blurring of the boundaries between the formal and informal forms of you (plural).
This pronoun is used when in a dialogue a person addresses a group of people at once. Vosotros is the normative plural of the form tú. As mentioned above, in live speech ustedes is pronounced, which implies both a polite and a simple colloquial form:
- Adónde van ustedes dos? Where are you two going?
- Ustedes van conmigo, ¿Verdad? You guys will come with me. Fine?
Important note: If you want to use usted and ustedes as shorthand, they are always capitalized: Ud. (usted) and Uds. (ustedes). So in writing, according to the rules, it must be pronounced in full.
Dispute between ellos and ellas
The rule says: ellos (in Russian they) is used to refer to men and women in a group. The difference between the pronoun ellas is that it is used strictly in relation to a group of female persons. Here's an example:
- Juan y Jorge (ellos) escuchan. Juan and Jorge (they) are listening.
- Luz y Susana (ellas) escuchan. Luce and Susana (they) are listening.
Regular and irregular Spanish verbs
Let's start with the endings that are characteristic of the infinitive form of verbs - infinitives. In Spanish these are combinations -ar, -er or -ir. Regardless of how the infinitives end, the verb, in turn, can be either regular or irregular. The conjugation rules of both groups are different from each other.
Regular verb conjugation:
The conjugation pattern is easy to understand and remember. It is enough to learn how the verb changes to -ar, and you will be able to conjugate other words of the group expressed in the indefinite form without any problems. The same applies to verbs ending in -ir and -er. Everything is logically connected.
Conjugation of irregular verbs:
Here the situation is more complicated. Verbs often behave unpredictably. You will have to learn the irregular forms of each verb, otherwise you will make mistakes. They will understand your speech, the meaning will be preserved due to the other components of the sentence, but the sentence will sound ugly and illiterate. Therefore, try to remember all the endings well.
What you need to know about regular verbs
When conjugating Spanish verbs, their base - the root - does not change, is not shortened, and does not lose a single letter. For example: preparar (translated into Russian - to cook) is an already modified form with the ending -ar. Let's look at other conjugation options: yo preparo; él, ella, usted prepara; tú preparations; vosotros, vosotras preparáis; nosotros, nosotras preparamos; ellos, ellas, ustedes preparan.
Now let's look at how verbs are conjugated in the correct form of the present tense ending in -er using the example of comprender (translated into Russian - to understand): yo comprendo; tú comprendes; él, ella, usted comprende; nosotros, nosotras comprendemos; vosotros, vosotras comprendéis; ellos, ellas, ustedes comprenden.
And let's talk about changing verbs to -ir in the correct present tense form. Let's break down the options with the word aburrir (to bother): yo aburro; tú aburres; él, ella, usted aburre; nosotros, nosotras aburrimos; vosotros, vosotras aburrís; ellos, ellas, ustedes aburren.
If you are just getting acquainted with the Spanish language and are still “swimming” in grammar, try to construct sentences in the present tense, these forms are easier to use and easiest to remember.
Irregular Verbs
Studying the conjugation of these verbs must be taken seriously; it is more difficult to remember than the correct ones. The main thing is to follow the diagram, which describes all the forms with endings. Carry the sign with you as a hint until you have it memorized.
Let's consider an example with the word tener (translated into Russian - to have). The root is ten, changing in the present tense to the forms tien and teng. Here you can see a pattern similar to the conjugation of regular verbs ending in er.
Here are some examples:
- yo tengo; tú tienes; él, ella, usted tiene; nosotros, nosotras tenemos; vosotros, vosotras tenéis; ellos, ellas, ustedes tienen.
It is best to memorize the conjugation scheme for irregular verbs - this way you will avoid mistakes in sentence construction, combination with subject, attribute and object.
When starting to learn Spanish grammar, don’t try to grasp the immensity. This is impossible. Step-by-step immersion in the topic and practicing the material in practice will help you master the basics of the language and achieve a fluent conversational level.
In 2008, I developed some great strategies for myself for dealing with tricky Spanish grammar.
Although I still stumble over certain aspects of the language from time to time, I can confidently say that I at least know how to avoid serious mistakes and difficulties that will make me not want to continue studying the language.
- Dedicate the first 3 months to present time.
Verbs in Spanish are conjugated by persons and numbers, and this makes learning grammar especially difficult for all Russian speakers. When I started learning Spanish, I just decided that I needed to make things a little easier for myself, at least at the first stage, so I concentrated on studying and simply ignored the fact that other tense forms existed.
Of course, now there is a lot of indignation because of such “bad advice,” but try it yourself: three months of communication in the present tense will give you a head start, which will be enough to understand - at least in theory - other tenses in the Spanish language. In addition, you will use the present tense so often that you will master it perfectly, and the correct one will never be in question.
- Practice past and future tenses.
After three months of talking “in the present tense,” I decided to connect - primarily to practice conjugating verbs in the past and future tense. The interactions in class gave me exactly the insight I needed to make progress in this area. After spending so much time and effort developing the habit of not making mistakes in the present tense, I was pleased to realize that I had mastered the future and past tenses much faster than I expected.
- Keep a separate notebook to write down the gender of Spanish nouns.
I carried this damn notebook with me all the time, because in Spanish, and with it the articles, and with them and, were given to me with great difficulty. The notebook had only two columns: one column for masculine nouns, the other for feminine nouns.
Over time, I understood the general rules, patterns of determining gender, and wrote down the most commonly used words. After some time, I remembered this notebook only to write exceptions there. A common rule is that nouns that end in "a" are most often feminine, but Spanish is full of exceptions to the rule. El Clima(weather, climate) is a perfect example of this: it ends in “a”, but it is a masculine word. Diligently writing down exceptions whenever I encountered them helped me progress from Basic to Intermediate.
- Write in Spanish every day.
Whether you're doing writing exercises from a textbook, writing stories, or simply journaling in Spanish, you should make it a point to do it every day. Start blogging about your Spanish learning journey, documenting your mistakes, discoveries, learning experiences, and Spanish-related events in your life.
The only sure way to understand Spanish grammar is to put it into practice and become aware of any doubts. Every time I take on a new language, I keep a diary - this was the same with Spanish. Whenever I felt like I was hitting a brick wall with my Spanish grammar, I would open my journal and go through every mistake and every unclear point step by step. The ability to correctly express one's thoughts, even with a rather limited vocabulary and arsenal of grammatical phrases, is the most important skill that must be mastered before moving on to more complex vocabulary and grammar.
- Pay special attention to the subjunctive mood.
You will constantly come across verb forms in, so do not avoid it, but, on the contrary, carefully study all cases of its appearance
In principle, it is not easy for native Russian speakers to understand this aspect of Spanish grammar. , on which all attention will be concentrated on the subjunctive mood, is what you need! And in between classes, work on your exercises.
- Learn to see the logical connection between grammatical structures.
Desde(from, from, with), pero(but, however), sin embargo(however, despite, nevertheless) mientras(while, for now), de todas manners(Anyway), por lo tanto(therefore, thereby, therefore) are common logical connectives that are needed to construct longer common sentences and support more abstract conversation.
I found that by learning what conjunctions, allied words, and linking words are used in the present, past, future, conditional, and subjunctive moods, I learned to maintain the correct order of elements in different types of sentences and to pay attention to the subjunctive moods.
I started approaching Spanish grammar from the mathematical side:
2 + 2 = 4, and after desde que(since then) in Spanish the verb is always in the present or past subjunctive form.
- Read, read and read again.
When you read in Spanish, you literally see with your own eyes how Spanish grammar works and how sentences are constructed correctly, and you can compare your own texts (do you remember to write at least something every day?) with a kind of standard of Spanish-speaking writers or journalists. An important factor to consider is to choose sources that are trustworthy.
I took 20 minutes every day to read news and articles on the websites of the most famous Spanish-language newspapers. Not only was I aware of current events, but I was also confident that the Spanish grammar that came to my attention was correct and normative.
- Avoid bad habits.
Never, ever skip in Spanish: yes, in order to put an accent, you will need to switch the layout, but this is extremely important! Whether you are sending a formal letter or a message to a friend, you must write correctly.
Some of my friends who started learning Spanish at the same time as me write pretty poorly. When I write in Spanish, I do it with confidence because I made my life easier by making it difficult for myself from the very beginning and paying attention to acento agudo from the very beginning.
Hablo(I say) different from habló(he spoke, she spoke, you spoke), and it is necessary to always show this difference. You will find that if you memorize the correct placement of superscripts from the very beginning, it will become a habit, and you will not have to painfully look at the word, wondering whether there is an accent on the vowel or not.
- Have fun with the easy aspects of Spanish grammar.
Spanish grammar is mostly vague and confusing, but there are some topics that are very clear and simple. For example, when using conditionals, you only need to add “-ia” to the stem part of the verb.
Enjoy these moments because, despite its difficulty, Spanish grammar will make you smile, laugh and feel free to chat in a new language.
Greetings to all lovers of the Spanish language and those just starting to study it!
Perhaps one of the reasons you started learning Spanish (besides your love for the language, of course) is because you've heard about how "easy" it is compared to other languages. So you bought your first textbook and, out of curiosity, decided to look at the end. And then what? That's right, tables of verb conjugations in about 15-20 tenses. And each has 3 conjugations, not to mention numerous deviant and irregular verbs.
In this article, I'll tell you why you shouldn't be intimidated by these tables, whether you really need to learn all these tenses, and what you should focus on first if you want to start communicating in Spanish as quickly as possible.
How many tenses are there in Spanish?
Opinions on this issue differ, but according to the most popular of the existing versions, there are 18 of them. Some times are found in various textbooks under different names, so I have indicated some of them in brackets.
Modo Indicativo (indicative):
- Presente de Indicativo;
- Pretérito Indefinido (aka Pretérito Perfecto Simple or even just Pretérito)
- Pretérito Imperfecto de Indicativo;
- Pretérito Perfecto de Indicativo (Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto);
- Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Indicativo;
- Pretérito Anterior de Indicativo;
- Futuro Simple de Indicativo (Futuro Imperfecto);
- Futuro Perfecto de Indicativo (Futuro Compuesto);
Modo Imperativo (imperative):
- Imperativo Afirmativo (Imperativo Positivo);
- Imperativo Negativo.
Modo Condicional:
- Conditional Simple (Potential Simple);
- Condicional Perfecto (Condicional Compuesto, Potencial Compuesto).
Modo Subjuntivo (subjunctive):
- Presente de Subjuntivo;
- Pretérito Imperfecto de Subjuntivo;
- Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo;
- Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo;
- Futuro Simple de Subjuntivo;
- Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo.
What tenses do we not need at all?
First of all, look at the end of the list and remember that Futuro Simple de Subjuntivo And Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo are not used in modern Spanish, either written or spoken. They remain only in various official documents: constitutions, legislative acts, etc. So, unless you are a lawyer planning to work in a Spanish-speaking country, you will never need these times. And even if you wanted to learn these tenses, it would become a serious problem, because... You won’t find them in almost any textbook anymore. In a very small number of the most fundamental textbooks they are given, but they are given literally 1-2 pages and the reference nature of this information is specially emphasized.
Another tense that is no longer used in oral speech is Pretérito Anterior de Indicativo. It represents the pre-past tense, while emphasizing that the action took place not just before another action in the past, but right immediately before it. Unlike the previous two tenses, it is still used in literature for greater emphasis, but in colloquial speech it will always be used instead of either the ordinary pre-past tense (Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Indicativo) or the simple past (Pretérito Indefinido).
These three tenses can be familiarized with at an advanced stage of learning Spanish, but you will definitely never have to use them, like most native speakers.
Thus, instead of 18, we now have 15 times left, which makes our path somewhat easier.
What times are needed, but not immediately?
Almost everyone else, i.e. 12 out of 15 remaining. Yes, they are all used in colloquial speech, but almost any thought can be expressed without them. Let's find out why by looking briefly at each of these times.
Remaining times in Modo Subjuntivo ( Presente de Subjuntivo, Pretérito Imperfecto de Subjuntivo, Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo, Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo ) immediately fade into the background: you will study them when you already have a fairly high level of language.
The task is made easier by the fact that each of these tenses has a counterpart in Modo Indicativo, the tenses of which you will already know by now, and also by the fact that all grammatical forms of Modo Subjuntivo verbs are based on forms that you will also already know. Those. you almost won’t have to learn the conjugations of verbs in these 4 tenses; you will remember them quite quickly or, even easier, understand the logic of their formation, because You will already have the necessary knowledge for this. So the main task will be to understand the situations in which the subjunctive tenses are used.
The situation with Condicional Perfecto And Futuro Perfecto de Indicativo approximately the same: you don’t have to learn conjugations, you will understand them immediately, because By now you will already know Condicional Simple and Futuro Simple. It will be much more important to analyze all cases of their use.
In any case, the 6 tenses discussed above belong to levels B1-B2, so until you reach the appropriate level of language proficiency, you shouldn’t even worry about them: this is a truly advanced level.
Imperativo Afirmativo And Imperativo Negativo We also put it off for later. The thing is that in the Spanish language there are several forms of expressing a request, wish or order, and the imperative mood is far from the most common and polite of them. And speakers are much more likely to say, “Could you please close the window?” or “Will you close the window?” than “Close the window.” In many textbooks, this mood is already found at level A1, and if you have just such a textbook, you can safely skip this lesson: at such an early stage, other topics should be your priority.
Futuro Simple de Indicativo. The situation here is the same as with Imperativo. The future tense in Spanish can be expressed in three ways: the future tense itself, the present tense, and the construction “ir + a + infinitivo” (analogous to the English construction “to be going to”).
If you don’t want to stress at all, talk about future events in the present tense, just don’t forget to add “tomorrow”, “in 3 months”, “next year”, etc., so that it is clear that we are still talking about future events.
Yes, this scheme does not work in English, but here I suggest turning to your native Russian language. We can, in the phrase “Tomorrow I’ll go to the cinema,” use a verb in the present tense instead of the future and say “Tomorrow I’ll go to the cinema.” It's the same in Spanish!
If you want to sound more natural, dilute your speech with the construction “ir + a + infinitivo”. You will know it for sure, because all that is required is to conjugate the verb “ir” (to go) in the present tense. Yes, there are some semantic differences in using one method or another, but this is also a topic for a more advanced level. In general, all three options are approximately equivalent.
Conditional Simple. A very useful time, but at the initial stage you can also do without it. After all, instead of the phrase “I would like,” you can simply say “I want.” Yes, it’s a different shade, perhaps less polite, but you can still convey the information to your interlocutor without using the Condicional Simple. And if you use words like “please” and “thank you,” you won’t lose much in terms of politeness.
Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Indicativo is the pre-past tense, which means an action that happened in the past before another action. But again, no one is stopping us from using both verbs in the simple past tense, adding words like “first” and “then” for clarity. The meaning you convey is the same.
All we have left is Pretérito Perfecto de Indicativo , which expresses a completed action in the past, associated with the present, or that occurred in an unfinished period of time. This tense is widely used in Spain, but in Latin America it is almost universally replaced by the simple past tense (Pretérito Indefinido). And if you do the same, you will be perfectly understood, including in Spain. They will simply think that you learned a different version of Spanish, or even that you yourself came from another Spanish-speaking country.
Unfortunately, in most textbooks Pretérito Perfecto is given as the first of the past tenses, but this is only due to the ease of forming its forms. The problem is that this time cannot be used instead of other times, but you can replace it with another time (Pretérito Indefinido) without any problems. So studying Pretérito Perfecto can also be postponed a little, at least until you have mastered the 3 most important tenses. You will still learn it quite quickly due to the already mentioned ease of formation of its forms.
What minimum is needed to freely express your thoughts at the initial stage of language learning?
No, there was no typo at the end of the previous paragraph. By discarding everything unnecessary and non-urgent, we get just 3 times which we need in order to express almost any thought in Spanish. What kind of times are these?
Presente de Indicativo, it's the present tense. And as we already know from this article, it can be used to describe not only present, but also future events. And having mastered the present tense conjugation of the verb “ir” (to go), you can also use the construction “ir + a + infinitivo” (as mentioned above, this is an analogue of the English construction to be going to).
Thus, having learned only one tense, we actually already know two.
Next comes Pretérito Indefinido . This tense is the most common way of expressing a completed action in the past. The same action in the past is expressed by another tense, Pretérito Perfecto, but we have already discussed above why at the initial stage you can do without it.
Pretérito Imperfecto de Indicativo. We already know how to express completed actions in the past, and this time will allow us to express unfinished ones. No other time can convey this, which is why we need it almost from the very beginning.
That's all! It turns out that in order to say something about past, present or future events, we, as in the Russian language, need to know only 3 tenses.
Forward to conquering Spanish grammar!
I hope this article helped you make sure that the system of Spanish times is not as complicated as it seems at first glance, and studying all these times should not become torture if you approach this issue wisely and study the times in the right sequence.
Therefore, feel free to start mastering this beautiful language and very soon you will be able to speak it!
A complete grammar reference book contains information on all the rules of phonetics, spelling, morphology and syntax of the Spanish language. All rules are illustrated with examples and translation into Russian. Accessibility, clarity, clarity of presentation will allow you to master (or repeat) any grammatical topic in the shortest possible time.
An ideal reference book for modern Spanish in terms of content and scope, both for beginners and for those who want to refresh and systematize their grammatical skills.
OMISSION OF THE ARTICLE / OMISIÓN DEL ARTÍCULO.
The article is not used:
before a noun, which is the nominal part of the predicate, denoting profession, nationality, position, etc., after the verbs ser, elegir, nombrar, the article is usually not used:
Andrés fue nombrado ministro. - Andres was appointed minister.
Soy economist. - I am an economist.
Antonio es estudiante. - Antonio is a student.
However, if a noun is used with an adjective, then the indefinite article is placed before it:
Antonio es un buen estudiante. - Antonio is a good student.
Before most names of countries, cities, continents:
América Latina, Mexico, Madrid
If nouns are preceded by possessive, demonstrative, indefinite and negative pronouns-adjectives:
Mi libro está en el bolso. - My book is in my bag.
Este trabajo es muy útil. - This work is very useful.
Algunos hombres entran en el edificio. - Several people enter the building.
Before qualifying nouns:
Estamos sentados a la mesa de madera. - We are sitting at a wooden table. Es una escalera de mármol. - This is a marble staircase.
Contents e
Preface
Spanish alphabet
Part 1. PHONETICS AND SPELLING
Pronunciation
Stress rules
Spelling
Hyphenation
Part 2. MORPHOLOGY
Article
Definite article
Some features of the use of the definite article
Indefinite article
Omission of the article
Article lo
Noun
Masculine nouns
Feminine nouns
Masculine and feminine nouns
Formation of the plural
Adjective
Types of adjectives
Formation of feminine adjectives
Some features of the use of adjectives
Pluralizing adjectives
Degrees of comparison of adjectives
Pronoun
Personal pronouns
Possessive pronouns. Short form (adjective pronouns)
Full form (noun pronouns)
Demonstrative pronouns (adjective pronouns)
Demonstrative pronouns replacing nouns
Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns in exclamatory sentences
Relative pronouns
Indefinite and negative pronouns
Numerals
Cardinal numbers
Ordinals
Fractions
Verb
Classification of verbs
Non-finite verb forms
Infinitive, its meaning and use
Compound infinitive
Past participle and its meaning
Using the past participle
Gerund. Education and meaning
Complex gerund
Formation of tenses, their meaning and use
Indicative. Modo indicativo
Present tense. Presente de indicativo
Verbs ser and estar
Impersonal form of hay and verb tener
Verbs gustar and querer
Verbs conocer and saber
Pronominal verbs
Impersonal verbs
Simple past tense. Pretérito indefinido
Unfinished past tense. Pretérito imperfecto de indicativo
Complex past tense. Pretérito perfecto de indicativo
Pre-past tense. Pretérito pluscuamperfecto de indicativo
Finished past tense. Preterito anterior
Simple future tense. Futuro simple
The future is complicated. Futuro compuesto
Conditional mood. Modo Conditional
Simple conditional. Conditional simple
Complex conditional mood. Conditional compuesto
Imperative mood. Modo imperativo
Affirmative imperative. Imperativo afirmativo
Negative imperative. Imperativo negativo
Subjunctive mood. Modo subjuntivo
Present tense. Presente de subjuntivo
Past tense. Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo
Imperfect of the subjunctive mood. Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo
Pre-past tense. Pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo
Simple future tense. Futuro de subjuntivo
Complex future tense. Futuro compuesto de subjuntivo
Subjuntivo in subordinate clauses
Subjuntivo in subject clauses
Subjuntivo in subordinate clauses of the goal
Subjuntivo in subordinate clauses
Subjuntivo in subordinate clauses
Subjuntivo in relative clauses
Subjuntivo in subordinate clauses of manner of action
Subjuntivo in independent sentences
Conditional sentences
Indirect speech
Passive voice
Verb paraphrases
Paraphrases with infinitive
Paraphrases with participle
Paraphrases with gerunds
Verb, participle and gerund constructions
Infinitive and gerund with direct object
Infinitive constructions replacing subordinate clauses
Participial constructions replacing subordinate clauses
Gerund constructions replacing subordinate clauses
Adverb
Adverb formation
Classification of adverbs
Degrees of comparison of adverbs
Pretext
Simple prepositions and their use
Complex prepositions
Union
Coordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions
Interjection
Word formation
Some types of noun formation
Some types of adjective formation
Some types of verb formation
Part 3. SYNTAX
Simple sentence
Main and minor members of the sentence
Order of words in a sentence
Types of simple sentences
Difficult sentence
Complex sentence
Complex sentence
Punctuation
APPLICATIONS
Appendix I. Using prepositions with verbs
Appendix II. Using prepositions with adjectives
Conjugation table for irregular verbs
Table of individual conjugation verbs.