Review for Final Exam (Live Session Makeup Meeting)
 

Best-practice strategies and study tips for these grammar sections:

  • Section 2: present tense of reflexive verbs
     
  • Section 3: indefinite and negative words
     
  • Section 4: preterite of ir/ser
     
  • Section 5: "gustar" and verbs like it
     
  • Section 7: Preterite of -IR stem-changing verbs

  • Section 8: Double-object pronouns

 

In Section 2: Present tense of reflexive verbs

 

1. Make sure you always select a response that includes a reflexive pronoun (all of these verbs are reflexive--you can tell because all of them have a "se" at the end of their infinitives)

  • Our reflexive pronouns are "me", "te", "se", "nos" and "se".

 

2. Make sure you select a response that features a verb correctly conjugated in the present tense. 

  • You must know what reflexive verbs stem change in the present tense. (See textbook page 221.)

Step-by-step instructions for answering questions in this section:

 

To make the right choice:

1. Deal with the reflexive pronoun first. To do this, look at the subject (located to the left of the blank):
 

  • If the subject is not "yo", "tú" or "nosotros" (or equivalent to nosotros, like "mi amiga y yo"), the right reflexive pronoun is "se"
     
  • If it is "yo", the right reflexive pronoun is "me"
     
  • If it is "tú", the right reflexive pronoun is "te"
     
  • If it is "nosotros" or equal to nosotros, the right reflexive pronoun is "nos"

2. Once your reflexive pronoun is safely identified, select the response that features both it *and* the correct present-tense conjugated form of the verb in parentheses.

Remember:

  • 1. Pay close attention to whether it's an -AR, -ER or -IR verb so that you can correctly identify the right present-tense ending for its subject.
  • 2. Rely on your studying to know if the verb you're working with stem-changes or not.
  • --If it does stem change, but the subject is "nosotros" (or equal to nosotros), don't select an answer with a stem change in it.
  • --If it does stem change and the subject is *not* "nosotros", select the response with the appropriate change to the stem vowel.

Example:

1. Mi madre ___________ (probarse) la ropa antes de comprarla.

Step 1: deal with the reflexive pronoun.

Subject is not yo, tú or nosotros.

We know the right choice will feature the reflexive pronoun "se".

Step 2: discern the present-tense conjugation of the verb.

  • Remember whether or not this verb stem changes: it does. The change is o-ue.
  • Check to make sure the subject is not nosotros. It isn't. This means the stem change will show.
  • Realize this is an -AR verb. Subject is 3rd-person singular. Ending has to be "a"

You select "se prueba". 

  • te pruebas
  • se prueba
  • se proba
  • le probas

In Section 3: make sure you know your indefinite-negative word pairs. This is sheer vocabulary learning and recognition.

  • If you see "algo" in bold, the answer has to be "nada".
  • If you see "alguien" in bold, the answer must be "nadie".
  • If you see "a veces" or "siempre" in bold, the answer has to be "nunca".
  • If you see "también" in bold, the answer has to be "tampoco". 
  • If you see "alguna" or "algunas" in bold, the answer has to be "ninguna" (always singular, plural "ningunas" does not exist).
  • If you see "algún" in bold, the answer has to be "ningún".
  • If you see "alguno" in bold, the answer must be "ninguno" (always singular, there is no such form as plural "ningunos"). 

Section 3, which is multiple-choice, should be a place where you pick up 9 easy points.

 

Study success hint: I would strongly recommend making flashcards with indefinite word/s on one side, and the corresponding negative word on the other. 

Like this:

SIDE 1                                                     SIDE 2

In Section 4: make sure to commit these 5 verb forms to memory. They are the preterite forms of "ir"/"ser" (same forms serve for 2 different verbs).

  • If the subject is "yo", the preterite form is "fui".
  • If the subject is "tú", the preterite form is "fuiste".
  • If the subject is "él", "ella", "usted" or a singular noun, the preterite form is "fue".
  • If the subject is "nosotros" (or equivalent to "nosotros"), the preterite form is "fuimos".
  • If the subject is "ellos", "ellas", "ustedes" or a plural noun or a noun series, the preterite form is "fueron".

This should be another section where you pick up 9 easy points.

  • Please remember that none of these forms carry accent marks. Seriously, none of them. I'm not kidding. No accents.

In Section 5: "Gustar"-type verbs

You will be performing 2 totally separate operations in order to select each correct answer.

Operation 1: identify 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".

Operation 2: determine the right conjugation of the gustar-type verb in the present tense.

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 conjugates 3rd-person singular.
  • a singular noun, the verb conjugates 3rd-person singular.
  • a plural noun or a series of nouns joined by the conjunction "y" (and), the verb conjugates 3rd-person plural.

Example: 

A nosotras __________________ (encantar) ir de pesca.

Step one: Discern the correct indirect object pronoun.

  • Look at the left-hand side of the question to find the "a"-phrase.
  • Realize that it is "a nosotras". We know "nos" is the right IOP.
  • This lets us eliminate one false choice: "le encanta".
  • Now you are done with the left-hand side of the sentence. Forget all about it.
  • nos encantamos
  • nos encanta
  • nos encantan
  • le encanta

Example: 

A nosotras __________________ (encantar) ir de pesca.

Step two:

Determine the correct conjugation of the verb in the present tense.

  • Look at the right hand side of the blank.
  • Ask yourself this: "Is ir a singular noun, a plural noun or a verb in infinitive?" 
  • Realize it's an infinitive. "Encantar" must conjugate 3rd-person singular because of this: "encanta" is correct.

The answer is indeed "nos encanta". 

  • nos encantamos
  • nos encanta
  • nos encantan
  • le encanta

In Section 7: Preterite of -IR verbs that stem change in the present.

Keys to success:

  1. Make sure you any answer you select is actually in the preterite tense.
     
  2. Remember your preterite endings for -IR verbs (see next slide)
     
  3. Only consider answer options with a special preterite stem change if the subject is 3rd-person singular or 3rd-person plural.
     
  4. If the verb should have a stem change, it must be a single-vowel stem change:
    o--->u (never ue), e--->i (never ie).
     
  5. If the verb is reflexive, remember to select an answer that has a reflexive pronoun!

Preterite endings for -IR verbs:

  • yo--->í
     
  • tú--->iste
     
  • él/ella/usted or a singular noun--->ió
     
  • nosotros/nosotras (or equivalent)--->imos
     
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes or plural noun or noun series--->ieron

Examples:

Yo ______________ (dormirse) a las nueve anoche.

 

This lets us rule out 2 false choices:

  • dormí
  • duermo

Step 1--ask yourself: Is this verb reflexive?

  • If it is, deal with the reflexive pronoun.
  • This verb is reflexive.
  • We look at the subject and see that it is "yo".
  • This makes our reflexive pronoun "me".
  • me dormí
  • dormí
  • me durmí
  • duermo

Step 4--add the conjugated preterite ending to the stem.

  • Here, it's "í", because the subject is yo. You are done.
  • You select "me dormí".

Step 3--ask yourself: What is the subject?

  • If the subject is yo, tú or nosotros, leave the stem alone.
  • If the subject is 3rd-person (singular or plural), make the special stem change.
  • The subject here is "yo". We do NOTHING to the stem  "dorm". 

Step 2--work on the conjugated form.

  • Remove the -ir ending to derive the stem: "dorm".
  • me dormí
  • dormí
  • me durmí
  • duermo

Yo ______________ (dormirse) a las nueve anoche.

In Section 8: Double-object pronouns

Don't over-complicate things! 

  • Pay attention only to the relevant parts of the prompt sentence.
  • Ignore everything else.
     

In each each answer option, 2 things will be present:

  • 1. An indirect object pronoun
  • 2. A direct object pronoun


Step 1: The indirect object pronoun will already be present in the prompt (it will be in italics). Find it.

  • If it is "me", "te" or "nos", it will remain the same.
  • If it is "le" or "les", it will become "se".

Step 2:  Locate the direct object noun/noun phrase in the prompt sentence. (It will be in bold purple.)

 

  • Remember: We will only use 4 direct-object pronouns in this exam section: lo, la, los or las.
     
  • Ask yourself: Is this direct-object noun singular or plural? (This will narrow your choices to [a] either la or lo or [b] either las or los.)
     
  • Then ask yourself: Is this direct-object noun masculine or feminine? (This will allow you to decide between la or lo, or las or los.)
     
  • Select the response that contains both the correct indirect object pronoun and the correct direct object pronoun.

Examples:

¿La cena? Mi mejor amiga nos preparó la cena.

Mi mejor amiga ____________ preparó.

Step 1: Find the indirect object pronoun in the prompt sentence.

  • It's "nos".
  • That's not "le" or "les".
  • Nothing will happen to it--thus, "nos" has to be part of the correct response.
  • This lets out rule out 2 responses:
  • se la and te la--bye!
  • se la
  • nos las
  • nos la
  • te la

¿La cena? Mi mejor amiga nos preparó la cena. Mi mejor amiga ____________ preparó.

Step 2: Determine your direct-object pronoun.

  • Look at bolded "cena".
  • Ask yourself: is this noun singular or plural? It's singular--choice is now between "lo" and "la".
  • Ask yourself: is this noun masculine or feminine? It's femine--this makes the choice for you. It's "la".
  • Select "nos la". 
  • se la
  • nos las
  • nos la
  • te la

¿Esos problemas? Yo le expliqué esos problemas a mi jefe. Yo ____________ expliqué a mi jefe.

Step 1: Find the indirect object pronoun in the prompt sentence.

  • OOOH! It's "le"! 
  • This means it must change to "se"--and this lets us rule out 2 incorrect responses:
  • me las and le los are eliminated.
  • Note that this change to "se" would also happen if our indirect object pronoun were "les".
  • me las
  • se les
  • le los
  • se los

¿Esos problemas? Yo le expliqué esos problemas a mi jefe. Yo ____________ expliqué a mi jefe.

Step 2: Determine your direct-object pronoun.

  • Look at bolded "problemas".
  • Ask yourself: is this noun singular or plural? It's plural--choice is now between "los" and "las".
  • Ask yourself: is this noun masculine or feminine? It's masculine--this makes the choice for you. It's "los".
  • Select "se los".
  • Note that "se les" cannot be the right answer here, because the 2nd element (les) is an indirect object pronoun, and that's not allowed in this construction.
  • me las
  • se les
  • le los
  • se los