Level 2 Study Guide

In Level 2, we continue limiting our phrases almost exclusively to present tense.

Exercise SetVerb + Infinitive

This is a common two-verb pattern where you only have to worry about conjugating the first verb.

The first exercise starts each sentence with some form of poder (to be able to, or “can”). Put it in front of an infinitive, and you can say things like:

• I can work.
• I can study.
• I can read.

The pattern continues with the remaining exercises, each focusing on one verb. They have the same phrase-grid pattern:

Exercise SetInfinitive Patterns

Here we introduce a number of other common patterns involving the infinitive.

infinitive as subject

In Spanish, the infinitive can function as the subject of a sentence. When it does, English will usually translate the infinitive with an -ing form:

• Hablar español es difícil. (Speaking Spanish is difficult.)
• Viajar es caro. (Traveling is expensive.)

In some cases, you can translate it as the English infinitive form starting with “to”:

• Hablar español es difícil. (To speak Spanish is difficult.)
• Viajar es caro. (To travel is expensive.)

The important point is that Spanish uses the infinitive, not the Spanish gerund, in this role. You would not say:

• Hablando español es difícil. (wrong)

ir future

Although Spanish has a future tense, which is covered in later exercises, it also has a very common and simple way to talk about the future using the verb ir (“to go”).

The pattern is: ir + a + infinitive.

For example:

• Voy a aprender español. (I am going to learn Spanish.)
• Vas a estudiar mañana. (You are going to study tomorrow.)

The verb ir is conjugated for the person doing the action, followed by a, and then the infinitive:

• voy a — I am going to
• vas a — you are going to
• va a — he/she is going to
• vamos a — we are going to
• van a — they are going to

A word-for-word translation of voy a aprender might look like “I go to learn,” but that is not how the expression is understood. Ir + a + infinitive is the standard Spanish construction for “going to + verb” and is one of the most common ways to express the future.

trailing pronouns

A common pattern in Spanish is to attach an object pronoun (a pronoun that receives the action) to the end of an infinitive.

• hablarlo — to speak it / talk about it
• hacerlo — to do it
• verla — to see her / to see it
• ayudarme — to help me
• conocerte — to meet you / to know you

The infinitive and the pronoun are written together as one word:

• hacer + lo → hacerlo
• ver + la → verla
• ayudar + me → ayudarme

This often occurs when the infinitive follows another conjugated verb:

• Quiero hacerlo. (I want to do it.)
• Necesito verla. (I need to see her.)
• Voy a ayudarte. (I am going to help you.)

This particular form is easier to learn because the pronoun appears in the same sequential order as it does in English—after the verb. Other pronoun patterns in Spanish are different, and they are more challenging to get used to.

trailing pronoun + ir future

These phrases employ both of the last two concepts: the ir future with a trailing pronoun.

with adverb: ir future

These exercises continue with the ir + a + infinitive pattern for talking about the future, but add an adverb or adverbial phrase that provides more information about the action. Also, to help us focus, we limit these phrases to third-person plural (van) in all cases.

para + infinitive

Our final exercise in this category is another fairly common pattern involving the preposition para.

Exercise SetVerb + Gerund

Spanish gerunds are often paired with estar. But there are other verbs they can be found with, and we have created exercises for the most common ones:

• estar
• pasar
• andar
• acabar
• seguir

The verb pasar deserves special mention because it is a common verb and is used in a variety of different ways.

Exercise SetVerb + A

Earlier, we introduced ir + a + infinitive as a common way to talk about the future:

• Voy a estudiar. (I am going to study.)

The word a is also used after certain verbs when another verb follows. In English, these expressions often use “to”:

• aprender a — to learn to
• invitar a — to invite to
• ayudar a — to help to

In these constructions, it can be helpful to translate a as “to,” although it can also seem redundant.

For example:

• aprendo (I learn.)
• leer (To read.)
• Incorrect: Aprendo leer.

The correct form is:

• Aprendo a leer. (I am learning to read.)

This also needs to be distinguished from the personal a, which comes before a noun that is a person:

• Veo a María. (I see María.)

Exercise SetReflexive Pronouns

A reflexive verb describes an action that returns to or affects the person performing the action.

In English, reflexive forms such as “himself” or “myself” are used only occasionally. In Spanish, reflexive constructions are much more widespread and are a major part of everyday speech. Many verbs have a reflexive form, sometimes with a meaning that differs noticeably from the non-reflexive form. Spanish also has its own set of reflexive pronouns, which are used with these verbs.

The reflexive pronouns are:

• me (myself)
• te (yourself)
• se (himself, herself, yourself, themselves)
• nos (ourselves)

With a conjugated verb, the reflexive pronoun normally goes before the verb:

• Me lavo. (I wash myself.)
• Te peinas. (You comb your hair.)
• Se levanta. (He/She gets up.)
• Nos vestimos. (We get dressed.)

This structure can be challenging, but these exercises will help you get used to it.

reciprocal reflexive

This is a special case that describes two or more people doing something to or with each other. It is used with plural subjects and commonly uses nos or se.

• Nos ayudamos. (We help each other.)
• Se miran. (They look at each other.)
• Nos hablamos. (We talk to each other.)
• Se abrazan. (They hug each other.)

In these expressions, the action is reciprocal: each person performs the action in relation to the other person or people.

Exercise SetVerbs Like Gustar

Gustar is usually translated as “to like,” but its grammatical structure is different from the English verb “to like.” A more literal meaning of gustar is “to please.”

• Me gusta. (I like it.)

Literally, this means “It pleases me.”

In this pattern, gusta is the third-person singular form of gustar, and the thing being liked is the subject. Me identifies the person who is pleased.

This creates a word order that can initially feel backwards to English speakers:

• Me gusta el libro. (I like the book.)

Literally, this means “The book pleases me.”

Several other common Spanish verbs use the same general pattern:

• Me interesa. (It interests me.)
• Me importa. (It matters to me.)
• Me encanta. (I love it. / It delights me.)
• Me queda. (It fits me. / I have it left.)
• Me parece. (It seems to me.)
• Me preocupa. (It worries me.)

This different structure and word order takes some getting used to. These exercises provide repeated practice with the pattern so that it becomes more natural.

Exercise SetPassive Se

Spanish often uses se to describe actions without emphasizing who performs them. Depending on the sentence, this can create a passive, impersonal, or general meaning. These exercises give practice with several common patterns.

common signs

Common signs and notices often use passive se to express rules, services, or things that are done.

• Se habla español. (Spanish is spoken.)
• Se venden casas. (Houses are sold.)

se + estar + gerund

This pattern describes an action that is currently in progress without focusing on who is doing it.

• Se está trabajando. (Work is being done. / They are working.)

se + haber + past participle

This pattern describes an action that has already taken place, again without emphasizing who performed it.

• Se ha terminado. (It has been finished.)
• Se han vendido muchos. (Many have been sold.)

appearance

These phrases use se with sensations, conditions, or things that are perceived.

• Se siente el calor. (You can feel the heat.)
• Se oye la música. (The music can be heard.)

impersonal

We include the impersonal se here even though it is not actually passive. Impersonal se is used for general statements about what people do. There is no specific person performing the action.

• Se duerme poco. (People sleep little.)
• Se vive bien aquí. (People live well here.)

present + modal verb

Se can also be used with modal verbs such as poder or deber to describe what can, should, or must be done.

• Se puede entrar. (You can enter.)
• Se debe esperar. (You should wait.)

Exercise SetSpecial Constructions

These exercises include a number of common patterns that do not fit neatly into a single tense or verb pattern.

past participle with estar

Estar + past participle is often used to describe a resulting condition or state.

• Estoy dormido en el sofá. (I am asleep on the couch.)
• Él está sentado en la silla. (He is seated in the chair.)
• Estamos preparados para el examen. (We are prepared for the exam.)

Here the past participle often works much like an adjective, so it can change to agree with the person or thing being described.

past participle with haber

Haber + past participle is used to form the perfect tenses, such as “have done,” “has seen,” or “have made.”

• He tomado una decisión. (I have made a decision.)
• ¿Has leído el artículo? (Have you read the article?)
• Han traducido el documento. (They have translated the document.)

Unlike estar + past participle, the participle normally does not change to agree with the subject.

prepositional pronouns

After many prepositions, Spanish uses special pronoun forms such as mí, ti, nosotros, ellos, conmigo, and contigo.

• Esto es importante para mí. (This is important for me.)
• Lo hago por ti, no por mí. (I do it for you, not for me.)
• ¿Vienes conmigo al parque? (Will you come to the park with me?)

Conmigo and contigo are especially important because they combine con with the pronoun into a single word.

comparatives

Comparatives are used to compare people or things.

• Él es más alto que yo. (He is taller than me.)
• Él tiene menos dinero que antes. (He has less money than before.)
• Este es mejor que el otro. (This is better than the other.)

Common patterns include más...que (more...than), menos...que (less...than), mejor (better), peor (worse), mayor (older/greater), and menor (younger/lesser).

hay & hubo

Hay means “there is” or “there are.” Hubo is the past-tense preterite form, meaning “there was” or “there were.” Later exercises will cover the preterite tense in detail.

• Hay un problema. (There is a problem.)
• Hay dos opciones. (There are two options.)
• Hubo una reunión breve ayer. (There was a brief meeting yesterday.)
• Hubo varios perros en el parque. (There were several dogs in the park.)

tener que

Tener que + infinitive is a very common way to express obligation: “to have to do something.”

• Tengo que limpiar la cocina hoy. (I have to clean the kitchen today.)
• ¿Tienes que abrir la tienda tan temprano? (Do you have to open the shop so early?)
• Tenemos que poner la mesa. (We have to set the table.)

The pattern is:

tener + que + infinitive

The form of tener changes with the subject, while the following verb remains in the infinitive.

tan como

Tan...como and tanto...como are used to make comparisons meaning “as...as,” “as much...as,” or “as many...as.”

• Él es tan alto como yo. (He is as tall as me.)
• Él tiene tanto dinero como yo. (He has as much money as I do.)
• Él tiene tantos libros como yo. (He has as many books as I do.)

Use tan with adjectives and adverbs. Use tanto, tanta, tantos, or tantas when referring to amounts or quantities.