A Student Grammar of
Spanish
RONALD E. BATCHELOR
camʙʀɪdɢe uɴɪveʀsɪtʏ pʀess
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cʙ2 2ʀu, UK
First published in print format
ɪsʙɴ-13 978-0-521-67077-7
ɪsʙɴ-13 978-0-511-13964-2
© Ronald E. Batchelor 2006
2006
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relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
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Contents (
´
Indice de materias)
Preface page vii
Acknowledgments x
Glossary of grammatical terms xi
Note on the text xix
Short bibliography xx
1 Alphabet, spelling and pronunciation
(Alfabeto, ortograf
´
ıa y pronunciaci
´
on) 1
2 Definite and indefinite articles and gender
of nouns (Art
´
ıculos definidos e indefinidos y g
´
enero de
sustantivos) 10
3 Number (El plural) 32
4Verbs (Los verbos) 40
5 Perfect tense and pluperfect tense (El [pret
´
erito]
perfecto y el pluscuamperfecto / antecopret
´
erito [M]) 46
6 Future tense and future perfect tense (El tiempo futuro y el
futuro perfecto) 53
7 Imperfect tense (El tiempo imperfecto/copret
´
erito [M]) 58
8 Preterit tense or past definite (El pret
´
erito
indefinido / pret
´
erito perfecto simple) 63
9 Conditional tense (El tiempo condicional) 71
10 Progressive tense or gerund (El tiempo progresivo
oelgerundio) 75
11 The imperative mood (El modo imperativo) 81
12 Irregular verbs (Los verbos irregulares) 89
13 Ser and estar (Ser y estar) 97
v
Contents
14 Transitive and intransitive verbs, and
reflexive verbs (Los verbos transitivos e intransitivos, y los verbos
reflexivos) 107
15 Impersonal verbs (Los verbos impersonales) 119
16 Subjunctive (El subjuntivo) 129
17 Personal pronouns (Los pronombres personales) 154
18 Possessive adjectives and pronouns, relative
and interrogative pronouns (Los adjetivos y pronombres
posesivos, los pronombres relativos e interrogativos) 166
19 Indefinite pronouns (Los pronombres indefinidos) 176
20 Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns (Los
adjetivos y pronombres demostrativos) 183
21 Adjectives (Los adjetivos) 189
22 Personal or distinctive a (La preposici
´
on a con
el complemento directo) 198
23 Prepositions (Las preposiciones) 205
24 Prepositions por and para (Las preposiciones por y
para) 220
25 Adverbs (Los adverbios) 227
26 Interrogative and negative sentences (Las frases
interrogativas y negativas) 238
27 Numbers and measurements. Time and
dimensions (Los n
´
umeros y las medidas. El tiempo [duraci
´
on = la
hora] y las dimensiones) 246
28 Comparatives and superlatives (Los comparativos y
superlativos) 261
29 Word order (El orden de las palabras) 269
30 Augmentatives and diminutives (Los aumentativos
y diminutivos) 278
Model answers / Soluciones y modelos 285
Index of grammar and vocabulary 319
Subjunctive index 329
vi
Preface
According to the very latest estimates (2004), Spanish is the native tongue of well over
350 million people, 100 million of whom live in Mexico and 24 million in the USA. It
is therefore a major world language, the fourth largest in terms of speakers. Its study
thus offers all students a meaningful and attractive prospect of establishing contact with
avery wide range of Spanish speakers coming from numerous countries. Any student
of Spanish will benefit, both personally and culturally, from communication with such a
vast array of people bound together by a common language. Spanish as a mother tongue
unites countries as far apart as New York or London are from Pekin, but distance does not
necessarily entail intractable difference. Surprising as it may seem, it is often as easy for
an English-speaking student of Spanish to understand the Spanish of Mexico, Argentina,
Colombia, Peru or Ecuador as it is for an English or American person to understand the
language of some parts of Scotland, for instance, or for a Spanish speaker to understand
the language of some regions of Andaluc´ıa.
Any learner of Spanish will need, certainly in the early stages of contact with the lan-
guage, a grammar book which assists her/him through the initial maze. Such a volume
needs to appeal both to the beginner and to the student who has acquired some basic
knowledge. The present book is designed precisely to cater for these differing needs,
while bearing in mind the North American reader and his/her British counterpart. Fur-
thermore, it must aim to include both Iberian Spanish and the Spanish of the Americas.
This balancing act is not as delicate as it may first appear. Long experience has taught
the present author that there is much more in the field of Spanish grammar that brings
Spanish speakers together than separates them, while the differences between the English
of the United Kingdom and of the United States need not be exaggerated.
This book on Spanish grammar has therefore a general appeal which deals with
most aspects of the grammar in a straightforward and uncomplicated way. It treats the
grammatical structures of Spanish as expressed in Spain and Mexico. Mexico is taken as
a model for the whole of Spanish America, since to attempt a comprehensive coverage
of all Spanish America would serve little purpose, especially since the grammar, as apart
from vocabulary, of Spanish differs little from one country to another. Mexican Spanish
is one of the standard variants, partly due to the exportation of movies and telenovelas (soap
operas), while it is unquestionably the most prevalent variety found in the South West of
the United States. M indicates that the word or structure is specifically Mexican while it
may be confidently assumed that, where M does not appear, usage is Iberian but will be
understood and even used in Mexico, as well as in most of the other Spanish-speaking
countries in the Americas. A simple illustration of a Mexican alternative may be seen in
vii
Preface
some of the headings to exercises where to fill in blank spaces is translated as rellenar los
blancos for Iberian Spanish and llenar los espacios forMexican Spanish.
This volume covers all major grammatical points of Spanish in a user-friendly and
direct way, and recognizes that humor is part of the learning process. You’ll learn much
more if you study with a smile, while Mexicans lead the way in the field of humor. The
present author learnt a lot from Cantinflas, the Mexican comedian.
All the points are presented in an easily accessible way, and are reinforced, at every
phase and after each level, by exercises, while suggested solutions to these exercises can
be found at the end of the book. Some exercises are short, some much longer, and some
involve the student in role play, a well-tried method for developing linguistic skills, and in
games such as puzzles. A fun element is central to the concept and genesis of the book.
There are paired or group exercises in both levels of nearly every unit. They encourage
youtouse and speak Spanish. You’ll be surprised how much progress you make by
insisting on speaking the language. It is difficult to suggest the amount of time needed for
these particular exercises since the author does not want to be prescriptive. Often, a time
of five minutes is suggested for preparing yourself for the exercise but teachers/instructors
have their constraints.
All the exercises in level 1 have instructions in English. To reflect the more advanced
work in level 2, the instructions are in Spanish.
Naturally enough, the exercises are more demanding and challenging in the second
level than in the first. But the key is there to help you out. Of course, use the key wisely.
Don’t take a peek at the answers until you have really tried to deal with the exercise in
question.
Examples are often presented in the feminine form. The text avoids sexist bias and
reaches out to females and males alike. The treatment of each grammatical area follows a
very clear pattern. Basic points are covered, logically, at the beginning, and are separated
off from the more advanced grammatical features. The book is thus divided into two levels
by an image where the climbing of stairs representing letters suggests more progressive
work.
It should be emphasized that the present work is a self-help book, and does not
require the constant presence of, or reference to, a teacher. Furthermore, constant cross-
referencing should help the student to gain a clear and more rounded picture of all the
grammatical points.
American English takes precedence over British English. American spelling is preferred
to its English counterpart but this should present no problem whatever to the non-
American learner. Where there could be lexical misinterpretation, both American and
British terms appear side by side.
The book contains a “Glossary of grammatical terms” which will help you understand
any semi-technical grammatical expressions you may have difficulty with. Use this glos-
sary regularly to familiarize yourself with the terms used in the text. It is so much easier
to come to grips with the grammar of a foreign language if you gain some insight into
the way that even the English language functions.
Thetext also has a comprehensive index designed to direct you to any particular point
of grammar or vocabulary you wish to consult.
The book is up-to-date. For instance, you will come across a section on the problems
of gender now that females are working in fields once inaccessible to them. Compound
nouns, once unusual in Spanish, except for just a few, are springing up like mushrooms,
and the text pays serious attention to them.
viii
Preface
Theword “grammar” often has a daunting resonance, but it is by making your way
through the intricate web of grammatical structures and conquering the foreign way
in which Spanish speakers express themselves, that you will not only derive intellectual
satisfaction from your achievements but also emotional enjoyment from what is, in the
final analysis, the desire to establish a permanent and worthwhile association with a
dominant world culture.
ix
Acknowledgments
Iamdeeply indebted to Dr. J. P´erez Larracilla, Mexican colleague and friend, for his
sure and indigenous knowledge of Mexican Spanish and his permanent willingness to
offer me advice and information whenever needed.
The book has also greatly benefited from the myriad comments and suggestions of my
colleague Dr. Tim McGovern.
Let us not forget all the Spanish speakers who have patiently and accurately responded
over the years to a continual bombardment of questions.
However hard I try, and I have tried numerous times, I cannot produce a perfect
text. But help is always at hand in the form of my copy-editor, Leigh Mueller, who has
performed her customary and exemplary trick of ironing out all my inconsistencies and
improving on the presentation of the work.
x
Glossary of grammatical terms
ACCENT
Sign written over a letter, often a
VOWEL
,atleast in
Spanish, e.g. caf
´
e, corri
´
o (ran), Espa
˜
na (here over a consonant,
see
TILDE
), averig
¨
ue (may check) (see
DIERESIS
).
ACCENT
is often confused with
STRESS
. See
STRESS
ADJECTIVE
Aword that describes a
NOUN
.Itagrees with the noun it
qualifies, e.g. una casa hermosa, nubes grises, un chico alto (a
lovely house, grey clouds, a tall boy)
ADJECTIVE
, An
ADJECTIVE
that points to something, e.g.
DEMONSTRATIVE
este hombre, esa mujer, aquella casa, aquellas calles (this
man, that woman, that house, those streets)
ADVERB
Aword or group of words that modify a
VERB
,
ADJECTIVE
or another
ADVERB
,e.g.Puedo hacerlo f
´
acilmente (I can do it
easily), Este pan es muy bueno (This bread is very good)
AGENT
The person or thing performing the action indicated by the
VERB
,e.g.El gato atac´oalperro(The cat attacked the dog).
Here the agent is the cat, as in the following example:
El perro fue atacado por el gato (The dog was attacked by
the cat)
AGREEMENT
There are three kinds of
AGREEMENT
in Spanish.
1.
AGREEMENT
in number.A
DJECTIVES
,
VERBS
and
ARTICLES
agree with the
NOUNS
and
PRONOUNS
they
relate to, e.g. La chica lista hace sus deberes.2.Gender
AGREEMENT
.
ADJECTIVES
agree with the
NOUN
they
qualify, e.g. un chico alto, una chica guapa 3.
AGREEMENT
of
TENSE
.Acorrespondence of
TENSES
is often, but not
always, required in Spanish, e.g. Yo quer
´
ıa que mi hermano me
ayudara (I wanted my brother to help me), Le he dicho
que ir
´
e (I have told him/her that I will go), Le dije que
ir
´
ıa (I told her/him I would go) (see “
GUIDANCE ON
VERBS
”)
ANTECEDENT
Awordor
PHRASE
to which a
PRONOUN
refers. The
word or
PHRASE
always precedes the
PRONOUN
,e.g.The
boy who lives down the road is a genius. Boy is the
ANTECEDENT
of who. When the
ANTECEDENT
is
unclear or indeterminate, the following
VERB
is very often
in the
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
xi
Glossary of grammatical terms
APOCOPATION
Shortening of some
ADJECTIVES
when they
immediately precede a
NOUN
,e.g.un buen (from
bueno) caf´e (good coffee), un mal (from malo) vino
(bad wine)
APPOSITION
Twowords placed side by side, so that the second
word modifies the first, e.g. Madrid, capital de
Espa˜na.Itmay be said that capital is in
APPOSITION
to Madrid
ARTICLE
,
DEFINITE
Word which, when placed in front of a
NOUN
,
determines it by giving it
GENDER
and
NUMBER
,
e.g. el padre, la madre, los padres, las madres. English
equivalent is the easier, all-purpose the
ARTICLE
,
INDEFINITE
Determines a
NOUN
when placed in front of it, but
less precise than the
DEFINITE ARTICLE
,e.g.un
coche, una mesa, unos coches, unas mesas. The
English equivalent is a and some
AUGMENTATIVE
Letters added to the end of a word to indicate an
increase in size, or an unpleasant or frightening
appearance, e.g. casona (large, stately house),
picacho (large, towering peak), casucha (ugly,
unpleasant house, hovel)
CLAUSE
Wordsforming part of a sentence, containing a
FINITE VERB
CLAUSE
,
MAIN
A
CLAUSE
that can stand alone as a sentence, e.g.
Baj´e las escaleras (I went down the stairs)
CLAUSE
,
SUBORDINATE
A
CLAUSE
in a sentence that depends on a
MAIN
CLAUSE
to make sense, e.g. Fui al mercado antes de que
llegara mi hermano (I went to the market before my
brother arrived). Fui al mercado is the
MAIN
CLAUSE
while antes de que llegara mi
hermano is the
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
COMPARISON
Applies to
ADJECTIVES
and
ADVERBS
that are
modified to convey greater or lesser intensity, e.g.
mejor, peor, menos/m
´
as listo (better, worse,
less/more intelligent)
COMPLEMENT
Word,
PHRASE
,or
CLAUSE
that completes the
meaning of a sentence: agenius is the complement
of She is agenius. He would be early is the
complement of I hoped he would be early
CONJUGATION
Model followed by
VERB
forms. There are three
regular
CONJUGATIONS
in Spanish: hablar,
comer, vivir. Unfortunately, for us foreigners, there
are numerous
IRREGULAR VERBS
which include
RADICAL
/
STEM CHANGING VERBS
.
IRREGULAR VERBS
can confuse Spanish
speakers, especially children, so we are not
alone
xii
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