Unit structure
18
T18
A decision guided by experience.
Organization: Grammar linked to
communicative functions.
The Grammar
The selection and sequence of the grammatical elements
was determined keeping three fundamental criteria
in mind: the use of the structures, their productivity in
communicative contexts, and their difficulty.
For example, the verbs
ser
,
estar
,
and
tener
are presented
before the verb
gustar
because they are more frequently
used, they are more productive, and they present fewer
difficulties for English speakers than the verb
gustar
.
In general, the presentation of grammar is linked to
a communicative function. For example, in Unit 1, dedicated to
the theme of personal life, the following functions and structures
are learned:
Theme: Personal Life
Desafío 1
Identifying yourself
and others
Desafío 2
Describing people
Desafío 3
Describing family
relationships
Desafío 4
Expressing states
and feelings
The verb
estar
The verb
tener
Possessive adjectives and the preposition
de
(
to show possession)
Adjectives
Subject pronouns
The verb
ser
Verbos con raíz irregular (e > ie)
Gramática
Verbos irregulares
J
Irregular verbs do not follow typical conjugation patterns.
Ser
and
tener
,
for example, are irregular verbs.
ser
yo soy, tú eres…
tener
yo tengo, tú tienes…
J
Irregular verbs may change the stem or the endings.
Remember: To identify the stem of a verb, delete the
-
ar
,
-
er
,
-
ir
endings
from the infinitive form.
lav
-
ar
prend
-
er
abr
-
ir
Verbos con raíz irregular (
e
>
ie
)
J
Some verbs, like
cerrar
(
to close)
,
require a stem change from
e
to
ie
.
J
Other verbs like
cerrar
are:
empezar
(
to begin)
yo emp
ie
zo
preferir
(
to prefer)
yo pref
ie
ro
entender
(
to understand)
yo ent
ie
ndo
querer
(
to want)
yo qu
ie
ro
pensar
(
to think)
yo p
ie
nso
Comparación.
What irregular English verbs do you know? Give three examples
and explain why they are irregular.
Note: The
e
>
ie
stem change
affects all the present tense
forms except
nosotros
,
nosotras
and
vosotros
,
vosotras
.
This is why these
verbs are called “boot or shoe
verbs.”
Singular
Plural
yo
c
ie
rro
nosotros
nosotras
cerramos
tú
c
ie
rras
vosotros
vosotras
cerráis
usted
él
ella
c
ie
rra
ustedes
ellos
ellas
c
ie
rran
V
ERBO
CERRAR
(
TO CLOSE
)
.
P
RESENTE
En Guatemala