HOMEWORK: ROJO

ROJO HOMEWORK 1 (due at class 2)

Grammar lesson: Adjectives

Adjectives in Spanish agree in gender (usually) and number with the nouns they modify. They are also usually placed after the noun.

Examples:

el libro rojo (the red book)—masculine singular

los libros rojos (the red books)—masculine plural

la mesa roja (the red table)—feminine singular

las mesas rojas (the red tables)—feminine plural

NOTES

• Notice that the adjective "rojo" reflects the gender and number of the noun with different endings: "-o," "-os," "-a," "-as."

• Adjectives that end in "e" don't agree in gender, only number. (examples: grande/grandes, importante/importantes)

• Nouns that en in "o" are almost always masculine.

• Nouns that end in "a" are usually feminine, except most words ending in "-ma" (el problema), "-ta" (el artista—could also be "la artista), and "-pa" (el mapa).

• Feminine nouns also end in "-ción" (la educación), "-dad" (la comunidad).

Check out this web page for detailed information about the gender of nouns in Spanish.

Assignment 1

Read a children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write a list of 24 DIFFERENT nouns in Spanish (simple, concrete ones that you can easily explain to another student without using English) and describe each with a different adjective in Spanish (a simple, concrete one) in the appropriate form. Of the 24 nouns, make sure you have 6 masculine singular, 6 masculine plural, 6 feminine singular, and 6 feminine plural.

ROJO HOMEWORK 2 (due at class 3)

Lesson 1: The verb SER (to be: identity and characteristics)

The irregular, but very important verb SER (to be) is used to identify and describe things.

It is conjugated like this:

SER is used to express something’s IDENTITY. (SER means "to be" in the sense of EXISTING and being identified as something.)

USES OF SER

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

2. Characteristics (El gato es negro.)

3. Profession (Ramón es doctor.)

4. Religion (Nosotros somos budistas.)

5. Ideology (Ellos son socialistas.)

6. Nationality (Tú eres italiano.)

7. Geographic origin (Tú eres de Italia.)

8. Material composition (La silla es de metal.)

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

Lesson 2: ESTAR

ESTAR is used to express something’s CONDITION or LOCATION. It means "to be" in the sense of being in a particular STATE.

It is conjugated like this:

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 children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write one original example of your own for each use of each verb (SER: 9, ESTAR: 5) for a total of 14 sentences. As always double space and use new vocabulary of your choosing.

ROJO HOMEWORK 3 (due at class 4)

Lesson: 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 (or gerund) 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 expect, based on the subject, but 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: YENDO

• Verbs that end in -EER and -UIR have present participles ending in -YENDO. For example:

  • Leer: leyendo

  • Construir: construyendo

Assignment 1

Read a children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write a one-page, double-spaced narrative about a room in your house. Choose a few objects there and

answer these questions:

• Where are things in relation to each other?

• Where are they from?

• What do they look like?

• In what condition are they?

• AND What 3 things are happening in the moment that you write? (USE THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE FOR THIS.)

Use SER and ESTAR based on the assignment from class 3. In addition, endeavor to use the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE.

Example:

En la cocina, la lavadora de platos está a la derecha del horno. Es de Tacoma y es blanca. Es usada pero está como nueva. El gato está comiendo su comida a la izquierda de la refrigeradora.

(In the kitchen, the dishwasher is to the right of the oven. It’s from Tacoma and it’s white. It’s used but it’s like new. The cat is eating its food to the left of the refrigerator.)

ROJO HOMEWORK 4 (Due at class 5)

Assignment 1

Read a children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write a description of your house, outside, inside, and its contents using adjectives from the vocabulary if you can and any others you’d like (given that you think you’ll be able to explain them in class to another student without using English). Max 1 page. As always double space and use new vocabulary of your choosing.

ROJO HOMEWORK 5 (due at class 6)

Lesson 1: The irregular verb IR (to go)

Example: Simón va a la casa. (Simón goes to the house.)

NOTE the use of the preposition "a", meaning "to" here.

Lesson 2: The irregular verb VER (to see)

Examples:

1. David ve la casa. (David sees the house.)

2. Yo veo a David. (I see David.)

3. La niña ve al niño. (The girl sees the boy.)

NOTES:

• The use of the preposition "a" in examples 2 and 3. This is called the "personal a." It is used whenever a direct object is human. Note that it is not used in the first example: the direct object is not human.

• In example 3, "al" is a contraction of the preposition "a" and the definite article "el." "a" + "el" = "al."

Lesson 3: Using IR to Express Actions in the Future.

The verb IR in combination with the preposition "A" and ANOTHER VERB IN ITS INFINITIVE FORM are used to express future actions.

The formula is IR + A + INFINITIVE

Example: Juan va a comer a la 1:00. (Juan is going to eat at 1:00.)

NOTE: In the example, the verb IR is conjugated to match the subject (Juan va), but “comer” is in the infinitive form.

Assignment 1

Read a children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write 5 sentences with IR and a destination. (Example: Simón va a la tienda.)

Assignment 3

Write 5 sentences with VER and non-human objects. (Example: Tú ves la casa.)

Assignment 4

Write 5 sentences with VER and human objects, using the "personal a". (Example: Enrique ve a María.)

Assignment 5

Write 5 sentences using IR to express actions in the future. (Example: Vamos a bailar en la discoteca esta noche.)

ROJO HOMEWORK 6 (due at class 7)

Lesson 1: The preposition PARA

1. Destination/place: Salimos para Madrid. (We are leaving for Madrid.)

2. Destination/person: Esto es para Ud. (This is for you.)

3. A future time limit: Es para mañana. (It’s for tomorrow.)

4. Use/function: Es un cepillo para el pelo. ("It's a brush for the hair." Meaning, "It’s a hair brush.")

5. Comparison to a certain standard: Para su edad, lee bien. (For her age, she reads well.)

6. Perspective: Para mí es demasiado lento. (For me it’s too slow.)

7. Employer: Trabajo para el Departamento de Salud. (I work for the Department of Health.)

8. Purpose/goal (in order to): Nado para divertirme. (I swim to have fun.)

Assignment 1

Read a children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write an original sentence based on each use of PARA. (Total: 8 sentences.) Always double space and use new vocabulary of your choosing.

ROJO HOMEWORK 7 (due at class 8)

The preposition POR

Lesson 1: Exchange/Substitution

1. In exchange for: Usted tiene que pagar por la mazana, señor. (You have to pay for the apple, sir.

2. Giving thanks: Gracias por las galletas. (Thanks for the cookies.)

3. On behalf of: Trabajo por Roberto porque está enfermo. (I'm working for Robert because he's sick.)

Lesson 2: Through

4. Duration of an action: Trabajo por una hora. (I’m working for an hour.)

5. Motion/place: El tren pasa por un túnel. (The train passes through a tunnel.)

6. Means/manner: Lo envío por correo aéreo. (I’m sending it by air-mail.)

Lesson 3: Other uses of POR

7. Proximity: El carro está por el árbol. (The car is by the tree.)

8. Indefinite time period: Duerme por la tarde. (He sleeps in the afternoon.)

9. Per: Me pagan por día. (They pay me per day.)

Assignment 1

Read a children's story book in Spanish and bring it to class tell a partner about it in Spanish. You can check out such books from your local library, or find them online.

Assignment 2

Write an original sentence based on each use of POR. (Total: 9 sentences.) Always double space and use new vocabulary of your choosing.