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Year 8 - Spanish

Free time: -er and -ir verbs 2nd person singular

Activities in and out of school: -er and -ir verbs

Unit Summary

This unit introduces the first and second persons singular of the preterite for -er and -ir verbs, contrasted with their present tense counterparts. Pupils form yes/ no questions in the present and preterite tenses, and learn that some adjectives precede the noun.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use the preterite of -er and -ir verbs to talk about free time.

Key Notes

  • Words with stress on the third-last syllable have an accent on the stressed vowel.
  • The 1st person singular of -er and -ir verbs ends in (-í) in the preterite.
  • The 2nd person singular of -er and -ir verbs ends in (-iste) in the preterite.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • third-last syllable: some words in Spanish have emphasis on the third-last syllable of a word when it is spoken
  • 1st person singular: form of pronouns and verbs used to refer to yourself, i.e. 'I'
  • 2nd person singular: form of pronouns and verbs used to refer to who the speaker is adressing, i.e. 'you'
  • preterite: describes completed events in the past, e.g. 'I did'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The word 'pie' is pronounced like the English word 'pie'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

Words with stress on the third-last syllable have an accent on the stressed vowel. The 1st person singular of -er and -ir verbs ends in (-í) in the preterite.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'third-last syllable'

some words in Spanish have emphasis on the third-last syllable of a word when it is spoken. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The word 'pie' is pronounced like the English word 'pie'. Correction: In Spanish 'pie' is also a 1-syllable word but we hear each letter distinctly, and Spanish 'i' is pronounced 'i' as in the Spanish word 'idea'. To say it correctly, enunciate each letter but quickly so that the word sounds as one syllable, 'p-i-e'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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