HOMEWORK: ESMERALDA

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 1 (due at class 2)

Lesson 1: The Preterite Tense

The preterite is one of the principle past tenses in Spanish. Its uses:

• To express that an action happened and was completed in the past.

• To express that an action happened or began at a particular time in the past.

(When we go over the IMPERFECT tense, you’ll see that the first use is relative.)

Examples:

• Ayer, hablé con dos estudiantes. (Yesterday, I spoke with two students.)

• Hace tres años, viajé a Ecuador. (Three years ago, I traveled to Ecuador.)

Lesson 2: First Conjugation Verbs in the Preterite (-AR Verbs)

First conjugation preterite endings are as follows:

Example: HABLAR

Lesson 3: Second and Third Conjugation Verbs in the Preterite (-ER & -IR Verbs)

Second and third conjugation preterite endings are the same:

Example: COMER

Example: VIVIR

Assignment 1

Do reading of your choice in Spanish (a children’s book, a chapter book, an article) and bring it to class, prepared to tell a partner about it. (This assignment applies to Homework 1, 3, 5, and 7.)

Assignment 2

Practice the form of the preterite by writing out the full conjugation for three regular verbs from each group (3 -AR, 3 -ER, 3 -IR).

Assignment 3

Practice these verbs and others ORALLY, conjugating them by memory, without il you have them down.

Assignment 4

Write a page, double spaced, which details a sequence of events from yesterday, or your last trip to Cancún or whatever.

All verbs should be in the preterite. Endeavor to use all regular verbs. It should be, "This happened, then this happened, then this happened."

Example: Volé a Cancún. Salí del avión. Recogí mi maleta. Etc.

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 2 (due at class 3)

Lesson: The imperfect tense

The imperfect is used to express actions in the past from the perspective that they are not complete. This does not mean that relative to the

present they are not complete. Usually it is relative to other actions in the past.

Principal uses:

1. As a context for other actions. Example: Cuando yo caminaba al mercado, vi un pájaro. (When I was walking to the market, I saw a bird.)

2. To describe habitual or frequent actions in the past. Example: Durante los años 90, yo comía mucho en el Restaurante Otto's. (During the 90s, I ate at Otto's Restaurant a lot.)

All verbs (with the exception of 3) are regular in imperfect.

-AR VERBS HAVE THESE ENDINGS (note that the first and third person singular endings are the same):

Example of an -AR verb in the imperfect tense: HABLAR

-ER & -IR VERBS HAVE THESE ENDINGS (note, again, that the first and third person singular endings are the same):

Example of an -ER verb in the imperfect tense: COMER

Example of an -IR verb in the imperfect tense: VIVIR

Assignment 1

In oral and written form, practice 3 -AR, 3 -ER verbs, and 3 -IR verbs in the imperfect until you can recite them from memory.

Assignment 2

To practice the imperfect tense in the sense that it expresses the notioin of “used to,” write a page about things you used to do (habitual, frequent actions). Use the imperfect heavily. Remember to double space.

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 3 (due at class 4)

Lesson 1: Some irregular verbs in preterite tense

SER/IR

PONER

PODER (Note that, in the preterite, PODER means to accomplish something that you were making an effort at. In the negative, it means to fail to do so.)

SABER (Note that, in the preterite, SABER means to find out.)

Lesson 2: Preterite Tense vs. Imperfect Tense

Both these tenses can describe the very same action, just from a different perspective.

• THE PRETERITE looks at the action as completed, over with, very neat and tidy.

• THE IMPERFECT looks at the action as ongoing relative to other actions, not so neat or tidy.

Examples:

1. Ayer manejé a Portland. (Simply, "I drove to Portland.")

2. Cuando manejaba a Portland, escuché la radio. (When I was driving to Portland, I listened to the radio.) In example 2, the action first action began before and ended after the second action, providing context.

3. Cuando escuchaba la radio, supe que Jimmy Carter murió. (When I was listening to the radio, I found out that Jimmy Carter died.) In example 3, the exact same action on the exact same day is expressed using imperfect because, relative to the third action (found out), the action began before and finished afterward.

Assignment 1

Do reading of your choice in Spanish (a children’s book, a chapter book, an article) and bring it to class, prepared to tell a partner about it in class.

Assignment 2

Study and memorize the preterite conjugation of SER/IR, PONER, PODER, and SABER (as laid out in Lesson 1).

Assignment 3

Write out three sequences of three sentences similar to the model sequence above in Lesson 2. Endeavor to incorporate the irregular verbs outlined above (SER, IR, PONER, PODER, SABER) in the preterite and use them for inspiration.

NOTES REGARDING ASSIGNMENT 3:

• The pattern for each sequence should be as follows:

  • Sentence 1: Verb 1 in preterite.

  • Sentence 2: Verb 1 (same verb as in sentence 1) in imperfect, Verb 2 in preterite.

  • Sentence 3: Verb 2 (same verb as in sentence 2) in imperfect, Verb 3 in preterite.

• Only use PODER and SABER as verb 3 in any sequence.

• As always, double space your writing please.

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 4 (Due at class 5)

Lesson: Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect

There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense: SER, IR, and VER

SER

IR

VER

Assignment 1

Study and practice these verbs in both written and oral form in order to memorize them.

Assignment 2

Write another story (DOUBLE SPACED) in which you use these verbs in the imperfect and practice the interplay of the preterite and imperfect in other verbs. Again, write about an experience/adventure in nature, trying to use at least some of the vocabulary from the unit LA TIERRA, which we just finished. Focus on the actions relating to some mishap you had, not on describing the fame or history of the setting.

Example: Mi pasión era ir al desierto. Yo iba a cada oportunidad. Siempre cuando yo iba, llevaba amigos. Una vez llevé a mi abuela. Cuando manejábamos al desierto, mi abuela me preguntó si teníamos suficiente agua.

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 5 (due at class 6)

Lesson 1: SER (to be)

SER is a very commonly used and important verb, but rather irregular. SER is used to identify and describe things.

As a reminder, here is how it’s conjugated in the present tense:

SER is used to express something’s IDENTITY or its CHARACTERISTICS.
USES of SER

1. Identifying something as a noun. (Esto es un libro.)

2. Characteristics (El gato es negro.) 3. Profession (Ramón es doctor.)

3. Religion (Nosotros somos budistas.) 5. Ideology (Ellos son socialistas.)

4. Nationality (Tú eres italiano.)

5. Geographic origin (Soy de Wenatchee.)

6. Material origin (La silla es de metal.)

7. When telling time. (¿Qué hora es? Son las ocho.)

Lesson 2: ESTAR
ESTAR is used to express something’s CONDITION or LOCATION.

As a reminder, here is how it’s conjugated in the present tense:

Uses of ESTAR:

1. Physical condition (Estoy enfermo.)

2. Mental condition (Ramón está aburrido.)

3. Emotional condition (Nosotros estamos tristes.)

4. Location (¿Dónde está Waldo? Waldo está en Puyallup.)

5. Temperature of things (La sopa está fría.)

Some comparisons of SER & ESTAR

Assignment 1

Read a book or article and bring it to share and discuss.

Assignment 2

Write one original example sentence of your own for each use of each verb (SER: 9, ESTAR: 5) for a total of 14 sentences. You are welcome to use the verbs in preterite or imperfect, if you like. Be sure to double space.

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 6 (due at class 7)

Lesson 1: The Present Progressive Tense

The Present Progressive is yet another use of ESTAR and is used to express an action that is actually in process. It a compound tense in which ESTAR serves as an auxiliary verb to another verb in its present participle form.

Examples:

• El profesor está explicando. (The professor is explaining.)

• Los estudiantes están escribiendo. (The students are writing.)

Note that ESTAR is conjugated as you’d expected based on the subject, while the present participle does not change.

Also note the endings of the present participles:
-ANDO (as in "explicando") is used with -AR verbs. -IENDO (as in "escribiendo") is used with -ER and -IR verbs.

(There are some verbs with irregular present participles: the verb IR itself—its present participle is YENDO—and those that end in -EER and -UIR. Their present participles end in -YENDO, as in "leyendo.")

Lesson 2: The Past Progressive Tense

By putting ESTAR in the IMPERFECT, you can express that an action WAS HAPPENING.

Examples:

• Yo estaba nadando. (I was swimming.)

• Nosotros estábamos viendo una película. (We were watching a movie.)

Note: The simple imperfect itself expresses these things most of the time.

Assignment
Write a page about an experience you had at a restaurant. Use SER, ESTAR, and the past progressive.

• How was the food? (ESTAR)

• How would you describe the color, texture and shape of the food? (SER)

• What was the restaurant like? Describe the restaurant. (SER)

• Where were things? Describe or indicate relative positions. (ESTAR)

• What was happening? What were you and others doing? (Past progressive)

Example:
Fui al Restaurante La Flor de Weehawken. Las paredes eran verdes y las sillas eran duras. La sopa de lentejas estaba fría y yo estaba enojado.

Mientras tanto, mi esposa estaba comiendo emociadamente sus tacos de atún.

ESMERALDA HOMEWORK 7 (due at class 8)

Assignment
Make a simple dish with one or more of the items from the unit vocabulary list and write down, in Spanish, the steps you took to make it. This is a way to practice both the vocabulary and past tenses. If you can, please bring the dish to share.