Year 10 - Spanish
Aprender un idioma: 'hay que', 'se puede', 'se necesita', 'se debe'
People and lifestyle: cuestiones de identidad
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces singular and plural forms of 'haber' with an -ar verb stem and '-ado', and an -er or -ir verb stem with '-ido'. Pupils learn some irregular past participles. The unit introduces 'hay que', 'se puede', 'se necesita', 'se debe', and the passive 'se' with the third person.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to make suggestions about how to learn Spanish using 'hay que', 'se debe', 'se puede' and 'se necesita'.
Key Notes
- Impersonal verbs don't refer to a particular person or thing.
- Common impersonal verb phrases in Spanish are 'hay que', 'se puede', 'se necesita' and 'se debe'.
- To make suggestions to someone, use 'hay que', 'se puede', 'se necesita' or 'se debe' followed by an infinitive verb.
- Passive sentences focus on what is done rather than who does it.
- In Spanish, passive sentences can be formed using reflexive pronoun 'se' + 3rd person singular or plural verb.
Vocabulary To Learn
- impersonal verb: verb that doesn't refer to a particular person or thing
- se: pronoun used for impersonal verbs and also in reflexive passive constructions
- infinitive: form of the verb giving its general meaning, with no subject or tense
- passive: grammatical construction that focuses on what is done rather than who does it
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- To mean 'you' in an impersonal, general sense use 'tú'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Impersonal verbs don't refer to a particular person or thing. Common impersonal verb phrases in Spanish are 'hay que', 'se puede', 'se necesita' and 'se debe'.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'impersonal verb'
verb that doesn't refer to a particular person or thing. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: To mean 'you' in an impersonal, general sense use 'tú'. Correction: 'Tú' means 'you' when directed at a specific person. To mean 'you' in an impersonal, general sense use 'se' e.g. 'se puede' (you can).
More Lessons In This Unit
- ¿Alguna vez has ... ? Develop conversations with perfect and preterite tenses Study Guide
- Aprender un idioma: stem-change verbs like 'encontrar', 'pensar', 'poder' Study Guide
- Aprender un idioma: translation, extended writing Study Guide
- Dos idiomas, dos culturas - los Nuyoricans: imperfect for habitual actions Study Guide
- Dos idiomas, dos culturas: develop reading, practise transcription Study Guide
- Hemos venido de Puerto Rico: perfect tense -er/ir regular -ido Study Guide
- Ser de otro país: perfect and preterite tenses Study Guide
- Ser de otro país: perfect tense -ar regular -ado, irregular past participles Study Guide
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