Spanish demystified a self teaching guide

ix Contents CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 Describing Actions in the Past with the Imperfect The Imperfect Tense The Imperfect Progressive Tense Using Ir a, Volver a, and Acabar de Adverb Formation Expressions of Time with Hacer QUIZ Using the Preterit and the Imperfect Preterit versus Imperfect Verbs That Change Meaning in the Preterit and the Imperfect Uses of the Preterit and the Imperfect Relative Pronouns and Adjectives QUIZ PART THREE TEST 273 274 279 280 281 283 290 293 293 298 301 303 312 315 PART FOUR MASTERING THE SUBJUNCTIVE CHAPTER 16 Introduction to the Subjunctive The Subjunctive Present Subjunctive of Regular Verbs Present Subjunctive of Stem-Changing Verbs Present Subjunctive of Irregular Verbs Spelling Changes in the Present Subjunctive Using the Subjunctive to Express Doubt and Uncertainty QUIZ 323 324 325 326 328 329 More About the Subjunctive Using the Subjunctive to Express Wishes, Wants, and Desire Impersonal Expressions and the Subjunctive Questioning Existence with the Subjunctive A Review of the Subjunctive QUIZ 339 CHAPTER 17 330 337 339 342 344 346 349 www.ATIBOOK.ir x Contents CHAPTER 18 Using the Past Participle The Past Participle Using the Past Participle as an Adjective The Passive Voice The Present Perfect Tense The Past Perfect Tense QUIZ 351 351 354 355 358 363 368 CHAPTER 19 Using the Imperfect Subjunctive The Imperfect Subjunctive Uses of the Imperfect Subjunctive Choosing Between the Subjunctive and the Conditional Conditional Sentences with Si Clauses QUIZ 371 372 374 Using Para and Por The Prepositions Para and Por Expressions with Por Talking About Money Not-So-Simple Expressions for Simple Concepts QUIZ PART FOUR TEST 387 387 391 393 394 399 401 FINAL EXAM 407 English-Spanish Glossary 419 Spanish-English Glossary 429 Answer Key 439 Index 459 CHAPTER 20 379 380 385 www.ATIBOOK.ir ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you, Saskia, for your careful eye, helpful input, and constant cheerleading. Thanks, Gorky, for saving the day with your invaluable comments. Thanks to Adam for feeding me and watching over me, and to Camille, for putting up with me. Final thanks to everyone who offered encouragement and suggestions (there are too many to count), especially Mom, Dad, Eliza, Jonathan, Karen, Juan Manuel, Jeff, and Ellen. xi Copyright â 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use. www.ATIBOOK.ir This page intentionally left blank www.ATIBOOK.ir INTRODUCTION Welcome to Spanish Demystied. Youve probably picked up this book because youre learning Spanish, thinking of learning it, or trying to reawaken some long dormant Spanish skills. Whatever your motivation, this book will present a clear and useful way to learn and practice Spanish. Learning a language can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding tasks you will ever undertake. And this is not propaganda from an enthusiastic language teacher. My own Spanish learning experience has taken a non-traditional path and came somewhat late in life. Ten years ago I packed up my things and moved to Spain with little more than hola and gracias under my belt. Since then I have unearthed Central American Spanish and Andean Spanish, Spanish from the Southern Cone and from the Caribbean. I have worked with Guatemalans, Peruvians, Colombians, Bolivians, and Chileans in their native tongue and I continue to discover new subtleties and variations of one of the worlds most-spoken languages. For many, learning a foreign language can be an intimidating undertaking. This book tries to make the task more accessible by starting with the Spanish you already knowand theres more than you think. As the Latino population in the United States continues to grow, many of us hear Spanish every day. Furthermore, Spanish already imbues our own popular culture. Imagine how many sentences you can already make simply by using the Yo quiero... construction from the Taco Bell commercial! Because so many people in the world speak Spanish (more than 400 million), Spanish language media are ubiquitous, even in non-Spanish-speaking countries. Take advantage of the presence of Spanish-language television, newspapers, radio, and magazines to put what you learn to use, and to familiarize yourself with Latin cultures. As you are learning, its important to remember that there is no universal Spanish. Every region has its own slang, its own sayings, its own vocabularyeven its own verb conjugations. Spanish usage in Spain and the Americas especially can differ signicantly. As such, I have done my best to present what I consider to be a xiii Copyright â 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use. www.ATIBOOK.ir xiv Introduction representative Latin American Spanish. You might not learn the local modismos (expressions) but you should be understood wherever you go. For instance, while you may hear guagua, camioneta, or camiún depending on whether you are in Cuba, Guatemala, or Mexico, the word autobỳs should get you on a bus in any of these countries. And for those of you learning continental (or Iberian) Spanish dont fret. I have noted the most important differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and Latin America. In addition, I have presented the Spanish vosotros form for all verbs, although you will not be tested on it. I have tried to infuse Spanish Demystied with my own love for the language and the excitement I feel every time I speak or hear it. I hope this excitement comes through on the page and motivates you to take what you learn in this book and immerse yourself as much as possible in the world of Spanish. How to Use This Book You can use this book in two ways. You can move sequentially, from beginning to end, building up your Spanish knowledge chapter by chapter. Or, you can jump around, using the Table of Contents to pick and choose the grammar points you most need demystied for you. This book may be used as a self-study guide or as a complement to a class or CD-ROM. Because Spanish Demystied uses a grammarfocused approach, it is the perfect companion to a conversation class or language exchange. Spanish Demystied presents a straightforward approach to Spanish grammar, providing clear explanations of new material, a variety of examples to illustrate that material, and copious opportunities to practice what you learn. In addition to grammar points, you will learn key vocabulary through vocabulary lists and example sentences. The most common words will also appear in the glossary in the back of the book. Throughout the text, Spanish words are represented in bold. English translations appear in italics. For example: Spanish speakers in many regions of Latin America, when speaking colloquially, use the word bien (well) instead of muy to say very, really, or quite. Oftentimes bold will also be used to highlight a particular grammar point. For example: Use the denite article with days of the week to say on. www.ATIBOOK.ir