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Unit structure
18
T20
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 Level 2, Unit 1,
dedicated to the theme of personal life, the following functions
and structures are learned:
Level 2, Unit 1. Theme: Personal Life
Desafío 1
Identifying yourself
and others
Desafío 2
Describing people
Desafío 3
Expressing states
and feelings
Desafío 4
Asking questions
Interrogatives
Comparison and superlative
Adjectives and nouns
Possessive adjectives and pronouns
Verbos con raíz irregular
(e
>
ie)
Gramática
Verbos irregulares
>
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…
>
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
)
>
Some verbs, like
cerrar
(to close)
, require a stem change from
e
to
ie
.
>
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
5
1
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