Level 3 Study Guide

Note on pronouns: These exercises have different phrase grid formats because the appropriate verb person depends on the pronoun. (For example, you wouldn't normally say me ayudo - “I help me”). Therefore, each grid includes "pairings" (pronoun + verb person) that produce the most naturally understandable phrases.

Exercise SetDirect Object Pronouns 1

Direct object pronoun placement can be difficult at first, so this set uses very short phrases built around estar. The sentence structure is limited to the pronoun + estar + gerund pattern. There is an exercise for each of the five different persons of estar: estoy, estás, está, estamos, están.

These exercises use the following phrase grid formats:

estoy

estás

está

estamos

están

Exercise SetDirect Object Pronouns 2

This set is very similar to the previous one, with the same organization of exercises around estar, but the phrases are longer and closer to normal conversation. The additional details—such as locations, times, destinations, and purposes—enable you to practice this pattern with fuller, more complete phrases.

Note: These exercises follow the same phrase grid structure as Direct Object Pronouns 1.

Exercise SetDirect Object Pronouns 3

This set combines direct object pronouns with different verbs and subjects. Instead of being grouped by verb person, these exercises are grouped by pronoun: me, te, lo (personal), la, nos, los, and lo (impersonal).

The rows in the phrase grid formats are organized around verb person.

me

te

lo (personal)

la

nos

los

lo (impersonal)

Exercise SetIndirect Object Pronouns

Indirect object pronouns are words that identify the person to whom or for whom something is done. For example, Me da el libro means “He gives the book to me,” and Le explicamos la situación means “We explain the situation to her.” A direct object receives the action itself, while an indirect object identifies its recipient or beneficiary. To tell the two apart, ask what receives the action and then ask to whom or for whom it is done: in Le doy el libro (“I give the book to him”), el libro is the direct object and le is the indirect object; in Le compro flores (“I buy flowers for her”), flores is the direct object and le identifies the beneficiary.

Phrase grid formats for Indirect Object Pronouns:

me

te

le

le voy

les

nos

redundant IO

Exercise SetPreterite/Imperfect 1

These phrases show examples of the different persons for AR, ER, and IR verbs in the preterite and imperfect tenses.

We introduce these together because they are both past tenses and are often challenging to distinguish. The preterite generally describes completed past actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or repeated past actions.

The same event can sometimes be expressed with either tense, depending on how the speaker views it and the context of the conversation.

• Caminé por la playa. — I walked along the beach. (It happened yesterday.)
• Caminaba por la playa. — I walked along the beach. (Back when I lived in that area, I used to walk along the beach.)

This is why “used to” is often a useful English translation of the imperfect when describing habitual past actions.

Note: For regular verbs, the 1st and 3rd singular imperfect forms are the same:
yo hablaba — I used to speak
él hablaba — he used to speak

Note: For AR and IR verbs, the 1st plural preterite form is the same as the present form:
Present: hablamos — we speak
Preterite: hablamos — we spoke
Present: vivimos — we live
Preterite: vivimos — we lived

For this reason, AR/IR preterite has four columns while ER preterite and AR/ER/IR imperfect have five.

Exercise SetPreterite/Imperfect 2

This set has just two exercises because it is essentially an extension of Preterite/Imperfect 1. Whereas the previous set has one verb per row (five verbs total), these exercises give you experience with many more verbs.

Exercise SetPreterite/Imperfect Stories

After becoming familiar with the different preterite/imperfect verbs and persons, these exercises will help you achieve mastery within the context of a story. The phrases go back and forth between preterite and imperfect to help you see the difference, and you can play the phrases in the Player while just listening to the story.