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Year 8 - Spanish

Activities: singular 'hacer' and subject pronouns

Comparing what people do: -ER and -IR verbs

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn to form the first person plural form of -er and -ir verbs, and the third person plural 'hacen'. They learn English has two translations of the Spanish present tense - present simple and continuous. Spanish subject pronouns are introduced. Stressed syllables are introduced.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use subject pronouns and singular forms of 'hacer' to contrast the activities you do with those you, she, or he does.

Key Notes

  • If the stress is on the final syllable of a word ending in 'n' or 's' or a vowel, there is an accent on the last vowel.
  • Words ending in other consonants have final syllable stress and no accent, e.g. 'genial'.
  • 'Hacer' means 'to do, make'. It is irregular in its 'I' form only; 'I do, I make' is 'hago'.
  • 'Hacer' combines with many nouns to make common verb-noun phrases, e.g. 'Hago un esfuerzo'.
  • Subject pronouns add emphasis or clarity in Spanish; they are often used to contrast the actions of different people.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • final syllable stress: pronouncing the final syllable more heavily than other syllables in a word
  • hacer: Spanish verb meaning 'to do, doing' or 'to make, making'
  • hago: irregular 1st person singular 'I' form of 'hacer' meaning 'I do, I make'
  • verb-noun phrase: common pairing of verb and noun, e.g. 'make an effort'
  • subject pronoun: represents the person, people or thing(s) doing the verb, e.g. 'I', 'we', 'they'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Subject pronouns, e.g. 'I', 'she', 'we', 'they', are used in the same way in Spanish and English.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

If the stress is on the final syllable of a word ending in 'n' or 's' or a vowel, there is an accent on the last vowel. Words ending in other consonants have final syllable stress and no accent, e.g. 'genial'.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'final syllable stress'

pronouncing the final syllable more heavily than other syllables in a word. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: Subject pronouns, e.g. 'I', 'she', 'we', 'they', are used in the same way in Spanish and English. Correction: English always uses subject pronouns. Spanish often relies on verb endings alone to indicate the 'doer'. However, Spanish has subject pronouns, e.g. 'yo' (I), 'tú' (you), 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), which are used for emphasis and clarity, as needed.

More Lessons In This Unit

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