2110
The Past Tense
(The Passé Composé)
FORMING THE PASSÉ COMPOSÉ WITH
AVOIR
The compound past (past indefinite), which expresses an action or event
completed in the past, is referred to in French as the passé composé. The
word
compound
indicates that this tense is made up of more than one
part. In fact, the passé composé is made up of two elements—the helping
verb,
which
expresses
when
the action took place, and the main verb,
which expresses
what
action took place.
The passé composé of most French verbs, therefore, is formed by
combining the present tense of
avoir
(the helping verb) and the past
participle of the verb expressing the action. Take a look at the following
diagram.
Formation of the Passé Composé
when + what
\
helping verb + main verb
\
avoir (to have) + past participle
Simply stated, the formula for the formation of the passé composé is:
subject (noun or pronoun) + helping verb + past participle
The following sections explain in more detail how to form the two parts
of the passé composé.
The Helping Verb
Avoir
In English, the helping verb is “to have.” Because
avoir
means “to have,”
it is only logical that it would serve as the helping verb in French. First,
avoir
must be conjugated in the present tense:
j’ai nous avons
tu as vous avez
il, elle, on a ils, elles ont
To this conjugation, you must now add a past participle.
Past Participles
The past participle generally expresses an action that has been completed
in the past. In English, past participles are used to form the perfect tenses in the active voice and all tenses in the passive voice. In regular verbs the past participle is usually formed by adding
-d
-ed
.
Study the following sections to learn how to form past participles in
French.
Regular Verbs.
The past participle of regular verbs is formed by dropping
the infinitive endings and adding
-é
for
-er
verbs,
-i
for
-ir
verbs, and
-u
for
-re
verbs:
-ER VERBS -IR VERBS -RE VERBS
aimer aimé finir fini perdre perdu
to love loved to finish finished to lose lost
The past participle usually remains the same for every subject, regardless
of gender or number. Only the helping verb changes:
J’ai joué. Nous avons joué.
Tu as joué. Vous avez joué.
Il (elle, on) a joué. Ils (elles) ont joué.
Irregular Verbs.
Although irregular verbs also have irregular past participles,
they
can
grouped
according
their
endings,
cases:
•
Past participles ending in
-u
:
avoir eu (ew) had
boire bu (bew) drank
connaître connu (koh-new) known
croire cru (krew) believed
devoir dû (dew) had to, owed
lire lu (lew) read
pleuvoir plu (plew) rained
pouvoir pu (pew) was able to
recevoir reçu (ruh-sew) received
savoir su (sew) known
voir vu (vew) seen
vouloir voulu (voo-lew) wanted
•
Past participles ending in
-is
:
mettre mis (mee) put (on)
prendre pris (pree) took
•
Past participles ending in
-it
:
conduire conduit (kohN-dwee) driven, drove
dire dit (dee) said, told
écrire écrit (ay-kree) written, wrote
•
Irregular past participles:
être été (ay-tay) been
faire fait (feh) made, done
offrir offert (oh-fehr) offered
ouvrir ouvert (oo-vehr) opened
NOTE
If an irregular verb is contained within a larger verb, both generally form
their past participles in the same way: mettre changes to mis; permettre
changes to permis; ouvrir changes to ouvert; couvrir changes to couvert.
USING THE PASSÉ COMPOSÉ WITH ÊTRE
The passé composé of 17 verbs is formed by combining the present tense
of
être
and the past participle of the verb. Most of these verbs express
motion or a change of place, state, or condition, that is, going up, down,
in, or out or remaining, in a house, perhaps.
DR. and MRS. VANDERTRAMPP are the inhabitants of this house.
This mnemonic device may be helpful as you try to commit these 17
verbs to memory. When you read, notice that most verbs that take
être
as their helping verb have regular past participles. The few that don’t,
show an asterisk (*) before the past participle.
Verbs Using Être in the Passé Composé
LETTER INFINITIVE PAST PARTICIPLE
D devenir (to become) *devenu (duh-vuh-new)
R revenir (to come back) *revenu (ruh-vuh-new)
M mourir (to die) *mort (mohr)
R retourner (to return) retourné (ruh-toor-nay)
S sortir (to go out) sorti (sohr-tee)
V venir (to come) *venu (vuh-new)
A arriver (to arrive) arrivé (ah-ree-vay)
N naître (to be born) *né (nay)
D descendre (to descend) descendu (deh-sahN-dew)
E entrer (to enter) entré (ahN-tray)
R rentrer (to return) rentré (rahN-tray)
T tomber (to fall) tombé (tohN-bay)
R rester (to remain) resté (rehs-tay)
A aller (to go) allé (ah-lay)
M monter (to go up) monté (mohN-tay)
P partir (to leave) parti (pahr-tee)
P passer (to pass by) passé (pah-say)
First, conjugate
être
in the present tense:
je suis nous sommes
tu es vous êtes
il, elle, on est ils, elles sont
To form the passé composé, you must now add a past participle:
Je suis
allé au parc
. (I went to the park.)
FORMING THE PASSÉ COMPOSÉ WITH
ÊTRE
Unlike verbs that use
avoir
as their helping verb, verbs that use
être
have
past participles that agree in number (singular or plural [add
]) and gender
(masculine
feminine
[add
])
with the subject noun or pronoun.
Note how the past participle differs with different subjects:
Agreement of Past Participles
MASCULINE SUBJECTS FEMININE SUBJECTS MEANING
je suis arrivé je suis arrivée I (have) arrived
tu es arrivé tu es arrivée you (have) arrived
il est arrivé elle est arrivée he/she (has) arrived
nous sommes arrivés nous sommes arrivées we (have) arrived
vous êtes arrivé(s) vous êtes arrivée(s) you (have) arrived
ils sont arrivés elles sont arrivées they (have) arrived
Note that
vous
can be a singular or plural subject for both masculine
and
feminine
subjects.
SINGULAR PLURAL
Vous êtes parti. Vous êtes partis.
Vous êtes partie. Vous êtes parties.
•
For a mixed group, always use the masculine form.
Jean et Marc sont venus.
Marie et Anne sont venues.
Jean et Marie sont venus.
•
If the masculine past participle ends in an unpronounced consonant,
you should pronounce the consonant for the feminine singular and
plural forms:
Il est mort. (eel eh mohr) Ils sont morts. (eel sohN mohr)
Elle est morte. (ehl eh mohrt) Elles sont mortes. (ehl sohN mohrt)
SPECIAL VERBS
The verbs
descendre
,
,
passer
,
,
retourner
, and
are
listed as verbs that use
être
as their helping verb, because this is generally
the
case.
They
may,
however,
take
avoir
as their helping verb when
they are used with a direct object. A direct object answers what or whom
the subject is acting upon. Notice how the meaning of these verbs
changes depending on the helping verb that is used and how there is
number and/or gender agreement with
être
but not with
avoir
:
Il est descendu du bus. He got off the bus.
Il a descendu l’escalier. He went downstairs.
Il a descendu ses bagages. He took his bags downstairs.
Elle est montée dans sa chambre. She went up to her room.
Elle a monté l’escalier. She went upstairs.
Elle a monté sa valise. She took her suitcase upstairs.
Tu es passé(e) chez Luc. You passed by Luke’s house.
Tu as passé un mois en France. You spent a month in France.
Je suis rentré(e) tôt. I came home early.
J’ai rentré les chaises de jardin. I brought in the garden chairs.
Elle est retournée à Paris. She returned to Paris.
Elle a retourné la robe. She returned the dress.
Elles sont sorties hier soir. They went out last night.
Elles ont sorti leur argent. They took out their money.
NOTE
To express that an event has just occurred, you may use a subject noun
or pronoun + the present tense of venir + de (d’ before a vowel or vowel
sound) + an infinitive in place of the passé composé: Il vient de sortir.
(He just left.)
THE IMPERFECT
The imperfect (or
l’imparfait
) expresses a continuing state or an incomplete
action
the
past;
other
words,
an
action
that
was
at
an
indefinite time in the past:
La porte était ouverte.
(The door was
open.)
Ils regardaient la télévision.
(They were watching television.)
Regular Verbs
The imperfect of regular verbs is formed by dropping the
-ons
ending of
the
nous
form of the present tense of regular verbs and all irregular verbs
except
être
and adding the endings highlighted in bold.
-ER VERBS -IR VERBS -RE VERBS
dîner (to dine) obéir (to obey) vendre (to sell)
nous dînons nous obéissons nous vendons
je dîn
ais
j’obéiss
ais
je vend
ais
tu dîn
ais
tu obéiss
ais
tu vend
ais
il dîn
ait
elle obéiss
ait
on vend
ait
nous dîn
nous obéiss
nous vend
vous dîn
iez
vous obéiss
iez
vous vend
iez
ils dîn
aient
ils obéiss
aient
elles vend
aient
Shoe Verbs
Only two categories of verbs with spelling changes need a closer look in
the imperfect:
•
Verbs ending in
-cer
change
c
ç
before
a
to keep the soft
c
sound. The change occurs inside the shoe only:
je pla
ç
ais nous placions
tu pla
ç
ais vous placiez
il pla
ç
ait ils pla
ç
aient
•
Verbs ending in
-ger
insert a silent
between
and
a
to keep the
soft g (
zh
) sound. The change occurs inside the shoe only:
je mang
ais nous mangions
tu mang
ais vous mangiez
il mang
ait ils mang
aient
For more on shoe verbs see Chapter 22:00.
The Imperfect of Être
The only verb that is irregular in the imperfect is
être
:
j’étais nous étions
tu étais vous étiez
il, elle, on était ils, elles étaient
The Imperfect of Irregular Verbs
You form the imperfect of irregular verbs in the same manner as the
imperfect of regular verbs. It is, therefore, very important to remember
the correct present tense
nous
form of these verbs.
aller (to go) nous allons
avoir (to have) nous avons
boire (to drink) nous buvons
conduire (to drive) nous conduisons
connaître (to know) nous connaissons
croire (to believe) nous croyons
devoir (to have to) nous devons
dire (to say, tell) nous disons
dormir (to sleep) nous dormons
écrire (to write) nous écrivons
faire (to make, do) nous faisons
lire (to read) nous lisons
mettre (to put) nous mettons
offrir (to offer) nous offrons
ouvrir (to open) nous ouvrons
pouvoir (to be able to) nous pouvons
prendre (to take) nous prenons
recevoir (to receive) nous recevons
savoir (to know) nous savons
venir (to come) nous venons
voir (to see) nous voyons
vouloir (to wish, want) nous voulons
Simply drop the -
and add the imperfect endings:
Il venait toujours
en retard
. (He always came late.)
NOTE
1. To distinguish tenses, verbs ending in -ions in the present have an
additional i before the -ions and the -iez imperfect endings: nous
étudiions, vous vérifiiez.
2. Two irregular verbs that are only used in the third person singular form
in the imperfect are: falloir (to be necessary), il fallait; and pleuvoir
(to rain), il pleuvait.
DECIDING WHEN TO USE THE
PASSÉ COMPOSÉ OR THE IMPERFECT
The passé composé expresses an action that was completed at a specific
time in the past. Think of the action as one moment in time. Think, too,
of a camera. The passé composé represents an action that could be captured
by
a
photograph—the
action
happened
and
was
completed.
The imperfect, on the other hand, expresses an action that continued in
the past over an indefinite period of time. Think of the action as a wavy line.
Think again of a camera. The imperfect represents an action that could be
captured by a video camera—the action continued over a period of time; it
was happening, used to happen, or would (meaning “used to”) happen.
Clues to the Passé Composé and the Imperfect
The following words and expressions often require the use of the passé
composé because they specify a time period:
l’année passée (lah-nay pah-say), last year
avant-hier (ah-vahNt yehr), the day before yesterday
d’abord (dah-bohr), at first
enfin (ahN-faN), finally
ensuite (ahN-sweet), then, next
l’été passé (lay-tay pah-say), last summer
finalement (fee-nahl-mahN), finally
une fois (ewn fwah), one time
hier (yehr), yesterday
hier soir (yehr swahr), last night
l’autre jour (lotr zhoor), the other day
ce jour-là (suh zhoor lah), that day
un jour (uhN zhoor), one day
le mois passé (luh mwah pah-say), last month
soudain (soo-daN), suddenly
Use the imperfect with these expressions that generally imply repetition:
autrefois (otr-fwah), formerly
chaque jour/semaine (shahk zhoor/suh-mehn), each (every) day/week
chaque mois/année (shahk mwah/ah-nay), each (every) month/year
de temps en temps (duh tahN zahN tahN), from time to time
d’habitude (dah-bee-tewd), usually
en ce temps-là (ahN suh tahN lah), at that time
fréquemment (fray-keh-mahN), frequently
habituellement (ah-bee-tew-ehl-mahN), habitually
parfois (pahr-fwah), sometimes
souvent (soo-vahN), often
toujours (too-zhoor), always
tous les jours/mois (too lay zhoor/mwah), every day/month
tout le temps (too luh tahN), all the time
Use the imperfect with the following verbs when they are used to express
a state of mind in the past:
aimer (eh-may), to like, love
croire (krwahr), to believe
désirer (day-zee-ray), to desire
espérer (ehs-pay-ray), to hope
être (ehtr), to be
penser (pahN-say), to think
pouvoir (poo-vwahr), to be able to
préférer (pray-fay-ray), to prefer
regretter (ruh-greh-tay), to regret, be sorry
savoir (sah-vwahr), to know (how)
vouloir (voo-lwahr), to want
When these verbs express a state of mind occurring at a specific time in
the past, the passé composé is used:
Il ne pouvait pas venir. He couldn’t come.
Il n’a pas pu venir hier. He couldn’t come yesterday.
The basic uses of the passé composé and the imperfect are summarized
below.
Passé Composé
•
Expresses specific actions or events that were started and completed
at a definite time in the past (even if the time isn’t mentioned):
Il a préparé le dîner.
(He prepared dinner.)
•
Expresses a specific action or event that occurred at a specific point
in past time:
Il est sorti hier.
(He went out yesterday.)
•
Expresses a specific action or event that was repeated a stated
number of times:
Jean est tombé deux fois.
(John fell two times.)
Imperfect
•
Describes ongoing or continuous actions or events in the past
(which may or may not have been completed):
Elle parlait à son
ami.
(She was speaking to her friend.)
•
Describes habitual or repeated actions in the past:
Il sortait souvent
le soir.
(He often went out in the evening.)
•
Describes a person, place, thing, or state of mind in the past:
Elle était triste. She was unhappy.
Le ciel était bleu. The sky was blue.
La fenêtre était ouverte. The window was open.
Ils voulaient partir. They wanted to leave.
NOTE
1. Use the imperfect to describe a situation that was going on in the past
when another action or event took place. The action or event that took
place is in the passé composé: Je sortais quand le téléphone a sonné.
(I was going out when the telephone rang.)
2. Would, when it means “used to,” indicates the use of the imperfect.
When it states what the subject would do under specific conditions,
would indicates the use of the conditional, which is discussed in further
detail in Chapter 20:00.
THE PLUPERFECT
Use the pluperfect (
le plus-que-parfait
) to describe an action that had
been completed in the past before another past action took place. The
pluperfect is actually the compound form of the imperfect. That means
that it must be composed of two parts: the imperfect of the helping verb
avoir
être
(which expresses “had”) + the past participle of the verb
indicating the action that took place. The
plus-que-parfait
is formed,
then, as follows: imperfect of
avoir
être
+ past participle.
Voici le livre que vous aviez demandé. Here is the book you had
asked for.
Elle avait faim parce qu’elle n’avait She was hungry because she
rien mangé. hadn’t eaten anything.
THE PASSÉ SIMPLE (THE PAST DEFINITE)
The simple past, known in French as the passé simple, is a simple tense
that is composed of one single verb form. The passé simple is used to
express a completed past action and is seen primarily in formal, literary,
and historical writings. The passé composé, also used to express a completed
past
action,
used,
the
other
hand,
mainly
conversation
and
informal
writing.
You form the passé simple (the past definite) of regular verbs by dropping
the
infinitive
ending
-er
,
-ir
,
-re
and adding the endings indicated
in bold.
PARLER FINIR VENDRE
je parl
ai
je fin
je vend
tu parl
as
tu fin
tu vend
il parl
a
elle fin
on vend
nous parl
âmes
nous fin
îmes
nous vend
îmes
vous parl
âtes
vous fin
îtes
vous vend
îtes
ils parl
èrent
ils fin
elles vend
The Passé Simple of Shoe Verbs
The only shoe verbs that necessitate a change in the passé simple are
those that end in
-cer
and
-ger
. This means that all forms require a
change except the
ils
plural form:
1. Verbs ending in
-cer
change
c
ç
before
a
to keep the soft
c
sound:
avancer
:
j’avançai
,
tu avanças
,
il avança
,
nous avançâmes
,
vous avançâtes
,
ils avancèrent
.
2. Verbs ending in
-ger
insert silent
between
and
a
to keep the soft
zh
) sound. This means that all forms require a change except the
ils
plural form:
voyager
:
je voyageai
,
tu voyageas
,
il voyagea
,
nous
voyageâmes
,
vous voyageâtes
,
ils voyagèrent
.
The Passé Simple of Irregular Verbs
All irregular verbs in the passé simple add the following endings to their
stems. Note that the circumflex (^) goes above the vowel of the stem:
je -s nous ^mes
tu -s vous ^tes
il, elle, on -t ils, elles –rent
You will find that the stem of the passé simple very often resembles, or
is the same as, the past participle used for the passé composé. The following
list
shows
the
irregular
verb
for
the
passé
simple:
INFINITIVE STEM INFINITIVE STEM
avoir eu- mettre miboire
bu- mourir mouruconduire
conduisi- naître naquiconnaître
connu- offrir offricroire
cru- ouvrir ouvridevoir
du- pouvoir pu-
dire di- prendre pridormir
dormi- recevoir reçuécrire
écrivi- savoir suêtre
fu- venir vinfaire
fi- voir vilire
lu- vouloir voulu-
NOTE
1. The passé simple is rarely used conversationally. It is really only
necessary to learn it and recognize that it is a past tense in written
materials.
2. Venir (and related verbs such as tenir, souvenir, and so forth) is the
only verb whose stem ends in a consonant. Add the circumflex accent
over the i that precedes the n: je vins, tu vins, il vint, nous vînmes,
vous vîntes, ils vinrent.
TIME’S UP!
Read this young girl’s story about her past and fill in the correct form of
the verb in the appropriate tense: the passé composé or the imperfect.
A l’âge de 14 ans j’ (1. aller) tous les jours à l’école parce
qu’il y (2. avoir) un très beau garçon, Raymond, dans ma classe
de français. En général, il (3. faire) rarement attention aux filles
dans la classe parce qu’il (4. jouer) tous les jours au basket
avec des amis. Mais un jour, il (5. rester) après les cours et
il m’ (6. demander) mon numéro de téléphone. Il
(7. vouloir ) sortir avec moi et vraiment, j’ (8. être) très surprise.
Nous (9. aller) au cinéma voir une histoire d’amour ridicule.
C’est comme ça que je (j’) (10. faire) la connaissance de
mon fiancé.
LISTENING EXERCISES 1.1 - 1.9
1.1 SPEED LISTENING: Note only the essential details of what you hear:
(Refer to the tapescript for confirmation.)
a. Edinburgh is
b. The city is
c. The annual
d. The centre
e. The New Town
f. The Old Town
g. The Festival
h
j
1.2 NUMBERS AND LETTERS: (Refer to the tapescript for confirmation.)
A i ii iii iv v :
vi vii viii ix x
В i ii iii iv
v vi vii viii
ix x
С i ii iii. iv
v vi vii viii
ix x
D i ii ;.. iii iv v
vi vii viii ix x
1.3 GENERAL INFORMATION: Listen to Radio Items 1 & 2 and complete the
chart with the basic details: (Refer to the tapescript for confirmation.)
Radio
Item 1
Radio
Item 2
What? Where? When? Who? How? Why?
1.4 GAPFILL: Listen to Radio Item 1 again and complete the gaps in the summary
of the passage below with the correct word or phrase you hear:
Violent video (1).. could be responsible for a rise in violence by children in
society, but not enough (2). has been done to prove it. Although a disturbed
child may (3).............. violently after playing a (4).... computer game, it is
possible that he or she will react similarly after a less violent stimulus. There is a great
amount of violence on TV and in computer games because violence
Young (6) however, play less violent games than young males, but this may
be because of the way in which (7).... companies package their products.
Computer games are (8)........... ....; unlike TV, playing games is not a passive activity.
Perhaps children can relieve their (9) harmlessly in this way. Or maybe such
games reward violence instead of punish it. If you agree, telephone (10)
1.5 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS: Listen to Radio Item 2 a second
time and answer the following questions:
i. 'zines can be read: iii. The 'zine called 'Fill Me In' is sold in:
a) on a word-processor a) supermarkets
b) online b) alternative bookshops
c) in a comic c) second-hand bookshops
d) none of the above d) all of the above
ii. Jean has published: iv. The publishing team's office is:
a) two issues of the 'zine a) at home
b) three issues b) in the Design College
c) four issues c) in an alternative bookshop
d) none of the above d) in the front room of a bookshop
1.6 SPECIFIC INFORMATION: Listen again to the radio items:
6
i. Who believes violent video games increase child violence?
ii. In the first section of the talk, violent video games are also described as being
'video games _'.
iii. How are the video games that appeal to female players described?
iv. What may software companies be guilty of in the way they market games?
v. What are the onscreen rewards for violence in video games?
i. Ordinary magazines fortunes' ebb and flow'. What do you think this means?
ii. Jean's 'zine is described as 'another desk-topped magazine clone'. The
word clone means a replica, or something modelled exactly on the original'.
What is her 'zine a replica of?
iii. How many 'zines has Jean already sold?
iv. Where did Jean meet the other members of her publishing team?
v. What does Jean say is the reason for the success of her 'zine?
1.7 PREDICTION AND PREPARATION: In the Listening Sub Test you
are given very little time to look at the questions before the tape begins. However,
you must use what time you are given wisely. Try to predict as much as you can
about the content of a section you are about to hear, and circle key words and
phrases that you should listen for.
Look at the questions in Exercises 1.8 and 1.9 and circle the keywords and phrases
to listen for. Take no longer than 30 seconds.
Try to predict what you will hear on the tape. Ask yourself:
- who is probably talking and to whom?
- what is the precise topic that the person is likely to be talking about?
1.8 TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: Listen to Lecture 1 on the tape:
a. No-one actually knows how one's first language is learnt. T F NG
b. There are very few facts known about how language is learnt. T F NG
с Subliminal language learning can only take place overnight. T F NG
d. You do not need to listen closely to the words on the tape. T F NG
e. You learnt your first language quickly because you were exposed T F NG
daily to new words.
f. Watching TV or playing the radio in a foreign language is useless. T F NG
g. The words on the subliminal tape must be spoken softly and slowly. T F NG
h. You should restrict the number of new words when starting to T F NG
learn a language.
i. Reading a foreign newspaper is never a waste of time. T F NG
j. The author thinks that learning a new language in six weeks is possible. T F NG
1.9 SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS: Refer to Lecture 1 on the tape.
Note that the answers below have a MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FOUR WORDS:
i. Who have many theories to explain language learning?
ii. Name two suggested times for playing subliminal learning tapes:
1
2
iii. What do babies react to in the mother's womb?
iv. A vocabulary of how many words is required to learn basic English?
v. What important difference is there between people who speak other languages?
..... .....
(ANSWERS ON PAGE 111)
TAPESCRIPTS 1.1 -1.8 (pages 5-7)
(SIDE 1)
1.1 Narrator: 202 Useful Exercises for IELTS. Part One. Listening Exercise 1.1. Listen to the following
sentences, pausing your machine after each sentence to write down the essential details of what you have heard:
a. Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland.
b. The city is often regarded as the most cultured and cosmopolitan city north of London.
c. The annual Edinburgh International Festival attracts over a million visitors from all around the world.
d. The centre of the city is in two parts: the New Town and the Old Town.
e. The New Town was designed to improve upon the cramped and crowded city conditions.
f. The Old Town, medieval in style, is a maze of narrow alleyways down which sewage once ran freely.
g. The Festival is actually a concurrent series of separate arts festivals lasting for three weeks.
h. Now the largest Arts festival on Earth, it was once dominated by opera.
i. Today, festival performances range in taste from the exotic and controversial to the highly sophisticated.
j. This most romantic of cities boasts a spectacular castle, set high on top of an extinct volcanic rock.
1.2 Narrator: Exercise 1.2. A. Write down the numbers you hear in the following sentences:
A i. The earliest known inhabitants established settlements in Scotland in 6000 B.C.
ii. Scotland is 275 miles long and, at its broadest point, only 150 miles wide.
iii. Edinburgh averages 140 days of rain a year, with an average of 1.89 and 2.72 inches in January
and July respectively.
iv. Its average temperature in summer is 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees centigrade.
v. Its average temperature in winter is 43 degrees Fahrenheit or 6 degrees centigrade.
vi. The original Celtic language, Gaelic, is understood by less than 2% of the Scottish population.
vii. In 1992, polls showed that 1 out of 2 Scots favoured independence from England.
viii. Edinburgh Zoo, with Scotland's largest animal collection, is set amidst 197.6 hectares of parkland.
ix. Robbie Burns, Scotland's most revered poet, was born on January 25, 1759 in a cottage in Alloway.
x. There are more than 440 golf courses in Scotland; the game being played as long ago as the 1400s.
B Narrator: B. Spell correctly the names of the Scottish cities and towns you hear:
i. INVERARAY iv. KIRKCALDY vii. ABERDEEN x. BANNOCKBURN
ii. HELENSBURGH v. DUNFERMLINE viii. GLASGOW
iii. FALKLAND vi. SKYE ix. LOCHINVER
C Narrator: C. Spell correctly the names of the following persons associated with Scotland:
i. John Knox - (religious leader who helped shape the democratic Scottish government)
ii. Robert Louis Stevenson - (one of the best-loved authors of classics'Treasure Island' and 'Kidnapped')
iii. James Maxwell - (scientist who discovered the laws of electrodynamics)
iv. Andrew Carnegie - (philanthropist who gave his name to New York's Carnegie Hall)
v. David Livingstone - (missionary and explorer who worked to end the slave trade in Africa)
vi. Flora MacDonald - (assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie to regain the British crown for Catholicism)
vii. Mary Stuart - (Catholic Queen of Scots; executed by Elizabeth I of England)
viii. Dorothy Maclean - (New Age environmentalist and spiritual founder of the Findhorn cult)
ix. Robert Bruce - (inspired by a tenacious spider, he drove the English from Scotland)
x. Sir James Barrie - (author best known for having written the classic children's story 'Peter Pan')
D Narrator: D. Write down the telephone numbers of the tourist offices in the following Scottish towns:
i. Jedburgh (01835/863435) v. Loch Tay (01567/820397) ix. Stonehaven (01569/762806)
ii. Stirling (01786/475019) vi. Dunoon (01369/703785) x. Braemar (013397/41600)
iii. Callander (01877/330342) vii. Armadale (01471/844260)
iv. Aberdour (01383/860325) viii. Stornaway (01851/703088)
1.3 Narrator: Exercise 1.3. Radio Item 1:
RADIO This week's controversial topic is... 'violent video games'. Are they responsible for a rise in the number of attacks
ITEM by children in the schoolyard?' Some social commentators say yes. Worse, it has been suggested that two recent
1 killings by teenagers were prompted by the playing of video games with extreme content. But is it proven?
The jury is out on this issue. Not nearly enough research has been done to either prove or disprove that violent
gaming leads to violence in children in real life. What is known is that a child who is already disturbed might
certainly react violently after playing a violent computer game; but a psychotic child might just as easily react
inappropriately to having seen a family video or after reading the newspaper.
Unfortunately, it is too early to say yet whether the immense amount of violence on TV and in video games has
a deleterious effect on children, but one thing is certain - violence sells. And, interestingly, violence appeals far
more to young male video gamers than to young female players; the latter preferring games which rely more on
discovery and the development of the relationships between the characters onscreen. Does this prove that boys
are somehow instinctively more violent than girls? Not necessarily. It could merely be that the way in which non-
100
Fractions and decimals
Said Written Said
half 0.5 point five
a quarter 0.25 point two five
three quarters
0.75 point seven five
Percentages
Written Said
25% twenty five percent
50% fifty percent
75% seventy five percent
100% a/one hundred percent
Units
Written Said
$1,200 one thousand two hundred
dollars
£16,486
sixteen thousand four hundred
and eighty-six pounds
545kms
five hundred and forty-five
kilometres
$25.35
twenty-five dollars thirty-five
How to say '0'
nought
used in mathematical expressions and
decimals:
'nought times three equals nought'
0.3 = 'nought point three' (or 'point three')
0.03 = 'point nought three'
zero used in scientific expressions, especially
temperatures:
20
C = minus twenty degrees or
twenty degrees below zero
also used to mean 'the lowest point':
'The heavy rain reduced visibility to zero'
'o' (the letter)
used in telephone numbers:
0171 390 0062 = 'o one seven one three
nine o double o six two'
nil/nothing used to express the score in games such
as football:
2 - 0 = 'two nil' or 'two nothing'
DEFINITE ARTICLE
THE
Articles in English are invariable. That is, they do not change according to
the gender or number of the noun they refer to, e.g.
the boy, the woman,
the children
'The'
is used:
1. to refer to something which has already been mentioned.
Example: An elephant and a mouse fell in love.
The mouse
loved
the elephant's
long trunk,
and
the elephant
loved
the mouse's
tiny nose.
2. when both the speaker and listener know what is being talked about, even
if it has not been mentioned before.
Example: 'Where's
the bathroom?
'
'It's on
the first floor
.'
3. in sentences or clauses where we define or identify a particular person or
object:
Examples:
The man
who wrote this book is famous.
'Which car did you scratch?'
'The red one.
My house is
the
one with a blue door.'
4. to refer to objects we regard as unique:
Examples:
the sun
,
the moon
,
the world
5. before superlatives and ordinal numbers: (
see Adjectives
Examples:
the highest
building,
the first
page,
the last
chapter.
6. with adjectives, to refer to a whole group of people:
Examples:
the
Japanese
Nouns - Nationalities
),
the
old
7. with names of geographical areas and oceans:
Examples:
the
Caribbean, the Sahara, the Atlantic
8. with decades, or groups of years:
Example: she grew up in
the
seventies
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
THE + SUPERLATIVE
'the'
is placed before the superlative:
For example: He is the richest man in the world.
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
IRREGULAR COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
These adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative
forms:
Adjective
Comparative Superlative
good
bad
worse worst
little
less least
much
far
further / farther furthest / farthest
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
FORMING THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE
Number of syllables
Comparative
Superlative
one syllable
+ -er
+ -est
tall
taller tallest
one syllable
with the spelling consonant + single vowel + consonant: double the
final consonant:
fat fatter fattest
sad sadder saddest
Number of syllables Comparative Superlative
two syllables
+ -er
OR more + adj
+ -est OR
most + adj
ending in:
-y, -ly, -ow
ending in:
-le, -er or -ure
these common adjectives -
handsome, polite, pleasant, common, quiet
happy happier/ more happy happiest/ most happy
yellow yellower/ more yellow yellowest/ most yellow
simple simpler/ more simple simplest/ most simple
tender tenderer/ more tender tenderest/ most tender
If you are not sure, use MORE + OR MOST +
Note:Adjectives ending in '-y' like happy, pretty, busy, sunny, lucky etc:. replace
the -y with -ier
or -iest
in the comparative and superlative form
busy busier busiest
Number of syllables Comparative Superlative
three syllables or more
more + adj most + adj
important more important most important
expensive
more expensive most expensive
Examples:
a. A cat is
fast
,
a tiger is
faster
but a cheetah is
the fastest
b. A car is
heavy
,
a truck is
heavier
,
but a train is
the heaviest
c.
A park bench is
comfortable
,
a restaurant chair is
more comfortable
,
but a sofa
the most comfortable
NOUN MARKERS
Noun markers are articles or adjectives that tell you whether a noun is
singular (sing.) or plural (pl.), masculine (m.) or feminine (f.). Three of
the most common markers, as shown in the following table, are definite
articles expressing “the,” indefinite articles expressing “a,” “an,” “one,”
or “some,” and demonstrative adjectives expressing “this,” “that,”
“these,” and “those.”
Singular Noun Markers
MEANING MASCULINE FEMININE
definite article the el la
indefinite article a, an un(o) una
demonstrative adjectives this este esta
that ese esa
that aquel aquella
Plural Noun Markers
MEANING MASCULINE FEMININE
definite article the los las
indefinite article some unos unas
demonstrative adjectives these estos estas
those esos esas
those aquellos aquellas
Definite Articles
The definite article the indicates a specific person or thing: the teacher,
the house. The definite article precedes the noun that it modifies and, in
Spanish, agrees with that noun in gender and number. The masculine or
feminine gender of the noun is usually, but not always, easily recognizable
by the noun ending: -o for masculine and -a for feminine. Plural
nouns end in -s:
el muchacho the boy la muchacha the girl
los muchachos the boys las muchachas the girls
Use the definite article in the following instances:
• With nouns in a general or abstract sense: El chocolate es delicioso.
(Chocolate is delicious.)
• With time of day:
Es la una. It’s one o’clock.
Son las siete. It’s seven o’clock.
• With names of languages, except immediately after hablar, en,
and de:
El español es fácil. Spanish is easy.
But:
Hablo español. I speak Spanish.
El libro está escrito en español. The book is written in Spanish.
Es un libro de español. It’s a Spanish book.
• With parts of the body when the possessor is clear: Cierra los ojos.
(Close your eyes.)
• With titles of rank or profession except when addressing the person:
El doctor Rueda llega. Dr. Rueda arrives.
But:
Buenos días, Doctor Rueda. Good morning, Dr. Rueda.
• With days of the week in a plural sense to express something that
takes place regularly, except after the verb ser (to be) when expressing
dates:
Los domingos descanso. On Sundays I rest.
But:
Hoy es lunes. Today is Monday.
• With seasons, except that it may be omitted after en:
Me gusta la primavera I like spring (summer, fall, winter).
(el verano, el otoño,
el invierno).
But:
Voy a España en (el) otoño. I am going to Spain in the fall.
• With most geographical names (rivers, mountains, oceans, countries,
states, and cities):
Vivo en los Estados Unidos. I live in the United States.
El Amazonas es un río. The Amazon is a river.
• Before verb infinitives used as nouns (although when the infinitive
is the subject of the sentence, the definite article may be omitted):
(El) llegar temprano es bueno. (Arriving early is good.)
• Before nouns of weight or measure: dos dólares la docena
(two dollars a dozen)
The definite article is omitted:
• Before nouns in apposition, except where there is a family or
business relationship:
Madrid, capital de España, Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a
es una ciudad maravillosa. marvelous city.
But:
Susana, la hermana de Susan, Juan’s sister, is very intelligent.
Juan,es muy inteligente.
• Before numerals expressing the numerical order of rulers: Carlos
Segundo (Charles the Second).
The neuter definite article lo is used as follows:
• The neuter lo (used for masculine or feminine, singular or plural)
precedes a masculine adjective used as a noun to express an abstract
idea or a quality:
Pienso lo mismo que ellos. I think the same as they do.
Lo caro no es siempre Expensive is not always better than
mejor que lo barato. inexpensive.
• Lo + adjective (or adverb) + que = how
Ya veo lo peligroso que es. I see how dangerous it is.
¿Escuchas lo rápidamente Do you hear how fast he speaks?
que él habla?
Indefinite Articles
The indefinite article refers to persons and objects not specifically iden-
tified: a dog, some cats. The indefinite article also precedes the noun that
it modifies and must agree with that noun in gender and number:
un muchacho a boy una muchacha a girl
unos muchachos some boys unas muchachas some girls
Omit the indefinite article in these situations:
• Before nouns showing a class or group (occupation, nationality,
religion, etc.) unless the noun is modified:
Soy profesora. I’m a teacher.
Es americana. She’s (an) American.
But:
Soy una buena profesora. I’m a good teacher.
Es una americana importante. She’s an important American.
• Before or after certain words that generally have the article in
English:
otro día another day
cierto hombre a certain man
cien libros a hundred books
mil dólares a thousand dollars
tal mujer such a woman
¡Qué lástima! What a pity!
Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives indicate or point out the person, place, or thing
referred to: this girl, that country, these people, those pens. A demonstrative
adjective precedes the noun that it modifies and agrees with that
noun
gender
and
number.
In Spanish, the demonstrative adjective is selected according to how
near or directly concerned the noun is to the speaker and the person
addressed in the conversation.
Este/esta (this) and estos/estas (these) refer to nouns that are close to
and directly concern the speaker:
este muchacho this boy esta muchacha this girl
estos muchachos these boys estas muchachas these girls
Ese/esa (that) and esos/esas (those) refer to nouns that are not near or
directly concerned with the speaker or the person being addressed:
ese muchacho that boy esa muchacha that girl
esos muchachos those boys esas muchachas those girls
Aquel/aquella (that) and aquellos/aquellas (those) refer to things that are
quite far from or do not directly concern either the speaker or the person
being addressed:
aquel muchacho that boy aquella muchacha that girl
aquellos muchachos those boys aquellas muchachas those girls
Demonstrative adjectives may be reinforced by using corresponding
adverbs that show location:
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE ADVERB MEANING
este, esta, estos, estas aquíhere
ese, esa, esos, esas ahíthere (but not too far)
aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas allá over there (rather far)
este libro aquíthis book here
esa pluma ahíthat pen there
aquellos lápices allá those pencils over there
NOUNS
A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, idea, or quality.
All Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine and the gender of
most of them can be determined by their meaning or ending. Most masculine
nouns
end
-o,
while
feminine
nouns
end
-a. A few nouns
must be learned on an individual basis.
Gender-Obvious Nouns
Nouns that refer to males are obviously masculine. Refer to this list for
common nouns you’ll see:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
abuelo ah-boo-weh-loh grandfather
hijo ee-hoh son
hombre ohm-breh man
muchacho moo-chah-choh boy
niño nee-nyoh boy
padre pah-dreh father
sobrino soh-bree-noh nephew
tío tee-yoh uncle
Nouns that refer to females are obviously feminine. Refer to the table
below for the female counterparts of the males listed above:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
abuela ah-boo-weh-lah grandmother
chica chee-kah girl
hija ee-hah daughter
madre mah-dreh mother
muchacha moo-chah-chah girl
mujer moo-hehr woman
sobrina soh-bree-nah niece
tía tee-yah aunt
Some nouns can be either masculine or feminine depending upon whom
you are speaking about. Make sure to use the gender marker that identifies
the person correctly. The following list of words may be used to
refer to both males and females.
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
artista ahr-tees-tah artist
dentista dehn-tees-tah dentist
estudiante ehs-too-dee-yahn-teh student
joven hoh-behn youth
turista too-rees-tah tourist
El artista es talentoso. The (male) artist is gifted.
La artista es talentosa. The (female) artist is gifted.
Some high-frequency words are always masculine or feminine despite the
gender of the person referred to:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
un bebé oon beh-beh an infant
una persona oo-nah pehr-soh-nah a person
una víctima oo-nah beek-tee-mah a victim
Gender-Changing Singular Nouns
Changing the gender of a noun can be as easy as removing the o ending
for the masculine form and substituting an a to get the feminine form as
shown here:
MASCULINE FEMININE MEANING
amigo (ah-mee-goh) amiga (ah-mee-gah) friend
maestro (mah-yehs-troh) maestra (mah-yehs-trah) teacher
nieto (nee-yeh-toh) nieta (nee-yeh-tah) grandchild
niño (nee-nyoh) niña (nee-nyah) child
primo (pree-moh) prima (pree-mah) cousin
vecino (beh-see-noh) vecina (beh-see-nah) neighbor
Some nouns may be masculine or feminine depending upon their meaning
as
shown
below:
MASCULINE FEMININE PRONUNCIATION
el capital (money) la capital (of a city) kah-pee-tahl
el cura (priest) la cura (cure) koo-rah
el guía (male guide) la guía (guidebook/ gee-yah
female guide)
el policía (policeman) la policía (police force/ poh-lee-see-yah
woman)
Gender Endings
Some nouns that end in -o are feminine:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
la mano lah mah-noh hand
la radio lah rrah-dee-yo radio
Some nouns that end in -a are masculine:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
el clima ehl klee-mah climate
el día ehl dee-yah day
el drama ehl drah-mah drama
el idioma ehl ee-dee-yoh-mah language
el mapa ehl mah-pah map
el planeta ehl plah-neh-tah planet
el problema ehl proh-bleh-mah problem
el programa ehl proh-grah-mah program
el tema ehl teh-mah theme
el telegrama ehl teh-leh-grah-mah telegram
Some noun endings are normally feminine:
• -dad: la ciudad, city
• -tad: la dificultad, difficulty
• -tud: la juventud, youth
• -umbre: la costumbre, custom
• -ie: la serie, series
• -ión: la canción, song
Two exceptions to -ión are avión (ah-bee-yohn) airplane, and camión
(kah-mee-yohn) truck.
For masculine nouns referring to people and ending in -or, -és, or -n,
add an a for the feminine equivalents:
MASCULINE FEMININE MEANING
el profesor la profesora teacher
(ehl proh-feh-sohr) (lah proh-feh-soh-rah)
el francés la francesa French person
(ehl frahn-sehs) (lah frahn-seh-sah)
el alemán la alemana German person
(ehl ah-leh-mahn) (lah ah-leh-mah-nah)
Note that if the masculine noun is accented on the last syllable, the
accent is dropped for the feminine form. Two exceptions to this rule are:
el emperador la emperatriz emperor, empress
(ehl ehm-peh-rah-dohr) (lah ehm-peh-rah-trees)
el actor (ehl ahk-tohr) la actriz (lah ahk-trees) actor, actress
Making Nouns Plural
Just as in English, when a Spanish noun refers to more than one person,
place, thing, idea, or quality, the noun must be made plural. Unlike
English, however, it is not enough to simply change the noun; the marker
must
made
plural
as
well.
Spanish nouns ending in a vowel add a pronounced -s to form the
plural:
el muchacho (the boy) los muchachos lohs moo-chah-chos
(the boys)
una amiga (a friend) unas amigas oo-nahs ah-mee-gahs
(some friends)
este hombre (this man) estos hombres ehs-tohs ohm-brehs
(these men)
esa niña (that girl) esas niñas (those girls) eh-sahs nee-nyahs
aquel libro (that book) aquellos libros ah-keh-yos lee-brohs
(those books)
Spanish nouns ending in a consonant (including y) add pronounced -es
(ehs) to form the plural:
el papel (paper) los papeles lohs pah-peh-lehs
el mes (month) los meses lohs meh-sehs
el actor (actor) los actores lohs ahk-toh-rehs
la ley (law) las leyes lahs leh-yehs
Spanish nouns undergo the following changes in the plural:
• Nouns ending in -z change -z to -ce before adding -es:
el lápiz (pencil) los lápices lohs lah-pee-sehs
la actriz (actress) las actrices lahs ahk-tree-sehs
el pez (fish) los peces lohs peh-sehs
• In order to preserve the original stress of the noun, you may need to
add or delete an accent mark:
el joven (youth) los jóvenes lohs hoh-beh-nehs
el examen (test) los exámenes lohs ehg-sah-meh-nehs
el francés (Frenchman) los franceses lohs frahn-seh-sehs
la canción (song) las canciones lahs kahn-see-yoh-nehs
• Nouns ending in -s, except for those ending in és, do not change in
the plural:
el (los) jueves ehl (lohs) hoo-weh-behs Thursday(s)
la (las) dosis lah (lahs) doh-sees dose(s)
• In cases where there is a group of nouns from both genders, the
masculine plural form of the noun is used:
el padre y la madre = los padres (the parents)
el niño y la niña = los niños (the children)
el señor y la señora Ruiz = los señores Ruiz (the Ruizes)
Some nouns in Spanish are always plural:
ENGLISH SPANISH PRONUNCIATION
eyeglasses las gafas lahs gah-fahs
los espejuelos lohs ehs-peh-hooweh-lohs
mathematics las matemáticas lahs mah-tehmah-tee-kahs
vacation las vacaciones lahs bah-kahsee-yoh-nehs
Some nouns are singular but refer to a group of people. Make sure to use
a singular verb that agrees with these subjects:
SPANISH PRONUNCIATION ENGLISH
el equipo ehl eh-kee-poh team
la familia lah fah-meel-yah family
la gente lah hehn-teh people
el grupo ehl groo-poh group
la pareja lah pah-reh-hah couple
el público ehl poo-blee-koh audience
todo el mundo toh-doh ehl moon-doh everybody
A note about regionalisms: Do not be surprised when traveling in certain
regions or countries that the final -s of a plural word is not pronounced.
You can still tell that the noun is plural by paying careful attention to the
marker that accompanies it. This marker will also tell you whether the
noun is masculine or feminine.
COGNATES
A cognate is a Spanish word that is spelled exactly the same, or almost
the same, as a word in English and that has the same meaning.
Sometimes the English word may have been appropriated from Spanish,
letter for letter, and have been incorporated into our own vocabulary.
The only real difference between the two words is in the pronunciation.
The meanings of the Spanish cognates should be quite obvious to anyone
who speaks English.
Perfect Cognates
Following is a list of some cognates that are the same in Spanish and
English. Take time to compare the different pronunciations.
Adjectives
ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION
artificial ahr-tee-fee-see-yahl sociable soh-see-yah-bleh
cruel kroo-ehl tropical troh-pee-kahl
popular poh-poo-lahr usual oo-soo-wahl
Masculine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
actor ahk-tohr chocolate choh-koh-lah-teh
animal ah-nee-mahl mosquito mohs-kee-toh
cereal seh-reh-yahl taxi tahk-see
Feminine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
alpaca ahl-pah-kah plaza plah-sah
banana bah-nah-nah radio rrah-dee-yoh
llama yah-mah soda soh-dah
Near Perfect Cognates
The following table lists the cognates that are nearly the same in both
Spanish and English.
Adjectives
ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION
americano ah-meh-ree-kah-noh imposible eem-poh-see-bleh
delicioso deh-lee-see-yoh-soh inteligente een-teh-lee-hehn-teh
diferente dee-feh-rehn-teh interesante een-teh-reh-sahn-teh
excelente eh-seh-lehn-teh moderno moh-der-noh
famoso fah-moh-soh necesario neh-seh-sah-ree-yoh
grande grahn-deh posible poh-see-bleh
importante eem-pohr-tahn-teh
Masculine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
apartamento ah-pahr-tah-mehn-toh diccionario deek-see-yoh-nahree-yoh
automóvil ow-toh-moh-beel garaje gah-rah-heh
café kah-feh grupo groo-poh
calendario kah-lehn-dah-ree-yoh insecto een-sehk-toh
plato plah-toh restaurante rrehs-tow-rahn-teh
profesor proh-feh-sohr tigre tee-greh
Feminine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
aspirina ahs-pee-ree-nah gasolina gah-soh-lee-nah
bicicleta bee-see-kleh-tah hamburguesa ahm-boor-geh-sah
blusa bloo-sah medicina meh-dee-see-nah
computadora kohm-poo-tah-doh-rah música moo-see-kah
dieta dee-yeh-tah persona pehr-soh-nah
familia fah-mee-lee-yah rosa rroh-sah
False Friends
False friends are words that are spelled exactly or almost the same in
both languages but have very different meanings in Spanish and English.
These words might even be different parts of speech. Do not allow yourself
to become overconfident and think that every Spanish word that
resembles an English one is automatically a cognate. The following table
will give you some common false friends.
SPANISH PRONUNCIATION MEANING
asistir ah-sees-teer to attend
caro kah-roh expensive, dear
comer koh-mehr to eat
fábrica fah-bree-kah factory
flor flohr flower
hay ah-yee there is, are
librería lee-breh-ree-yah bookstore
joya hoh-yah jewel
mano mah-noh hand
pan pahn bread
sopa soh-pah soup
vaso bah-soh glass
When in doubt about the meaning of a word, always verify by using
a bilingual dictionary. Make sure to look at the part of speech so that
you don’t confuse a noun with a verb, adjective, or adverb. Cross-check
by looking up the word on both the Spanish and English sides of the
dictionary.
You can easily guess the meaning of many Spanish words that begin
with -e by simply dropping the initial e:
SPANISH PRONUNCIATION MEANING
escena eh-seh-nah scene
España ehs-pah-nyah Spain
especial ehs-peh-see-yahl special
espectáculo ehs-pehk-tah-koo-loh spectacle, show
espía ehs-pee-yah spy
esquíehs-kee ski
estupendo ehs-too-pehn-doh stupendous
TIME’S UP!
Here is a two-part exercise to find out how you have assimilated what
you’ve learned about nouns during the last hour. Try your best not to look
back at the chapter to arrive at your answers.
Part I
Change the markers and plural nouns to their singular forms.
1. los bancos
2. esos platos
3. estas catedrales
4. las flores
5. aquellos hombres
Part II
Change the feminine markers and nouns to their masculine
counterparts.
6. una amiga
7. esa francesa
8. la actriz
9. esta policía
10. aquella profesora
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