Gustar and gustar-type verbs

The most crucial thing you can do in order to master this grammar concept is to stop thinking in English.

 

• The Spanish construction with "gustar" is an indirect one.
   
• The English construction for "liking" something is a direct one.
   
• Trying to make one work the way the other does will lead to nothing but frustration.
   
• Instead, meet the Spanish where it is, and stay with its structure.

Every "gustar" or gustar-type-verb sentence has 2 parts:

 

The first half tells us who is receiving the action of being pleased.
 

This consists of these 2 elements in this order (from left to right):
 

• "A" phrase  + indirect object pronoun
   
• We know what indirect object pronoun to use because of the "a"-phrase.

In the Final Exam section that focuses on gustar-type verbs,

you will need to focus on 2 totally separate operations to discern the correct answer. 

Operation 1: determine the correct indirect object pronoun.

The only way to do this is to find the a-phrase.

It will be to the left of the blank.

• If the phrase is "a mí", the correct IOP is "me". 
• If the phrase is "a ti", the correct IOP is "te".
• If the phrase is "a nosotros" (or "a" [anyone] + "y a mí", which is equivalent to "a nosotros"), the correct IOP is "nos".
   
• If the phrase is "a él", "a ella", "a usted" or "a" + [any singular noun], the correct IOP is "le". 
• If the phrase is "a ellos", "a ellas", "a ustedes" or "a" + [any plural noun or sequence of nouns], the correct IOP is "les".

 

The second half of the sentence tells us what (thing/s or action/s) does the pleasing.
 

This consists of these 2 elements in this order (from left to right):
 

• Gustar-type verb  +
  
  
   
• We know how to conjugate "gustar" because of the element that comes after it in the sentence.

• singular noun OR
• plural noun OR
• verb/s in infinitive 

Operation 2: figure out what the correct conjugation of the gustar-type verb should be.

The only way to do this is to look at the sentence element that governs each verb's conjugation.

This will be to the RIGHT side of the blank.

• You must forget everything on the left-hand side of the blank when performing operation 2. It's useless now.

If what you see on the right-hand side of the blank is:

• a verb in infinitive (or a thousand verbs in infinitive, it doesn't matter), the verb must conjugate 3rd-person singular.
   
• a singular noun, the verb must conjugate 3rd-person singular.
   
• a plural noun or a series of nouns joined by the conjunction "y" (and), the verb must conjugate 3rd-person plural.

Example: 

A mi padre __________________ (molestar) el ruido y el desorden.

• se molesta
• nos molestan
• le molesta
• le molestan

Step one: Discern the indirect object pronoun.

• Look at the left-hand side of the sentence to find the "a"-phrase.
• Realize that it is "a mi padre". "Padre" is a singular noun.
• You know that "le" has to be the correct IOP.
• This lets us rule out "se molesta" and "nos molestan".
• Now you are done with the left-hand side of the sentence. Forget all about it.

Example: 

A mi padre __________________ (molestar) el ruido y el desorden.

• se molesta
• nos molestan
• le molesta
• le molestan

Step two:

Discern the correct conjugation of the verb.

• Look at the right hand side of the blank.
• Ask yourself this: "Do I have one noun here or two? (since we know we have no verbs in infinitive) 
• Realize we have two nouns (ruido + desorden). "Molestar" must conjugate 3rd-person plural because of this.  
• The only possible correct conjugated form is "molestan".