1 Ser and Estar and the Present Tense

Estar (to be) 3

Ser (to be) 8

Reading Comprehension Machu Picchu 19

2 Ser and Estar in the Preterit and Imperfect Tenses

Preterit Tense 21

Imperfect Tense 25

Regular Verbs in the Preterit 29

Irregular Verbs in the Preterit 31

Regular Verbs in the Imperfect 33

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect 35

Comparison of Preterit and Imperfect 35

Reading Comprehension Marianela 38

3. The Present Progressive Tense

Gerund Formation 41

Formation of the Present Progressive Tense 45

Use of the Present Progressive Tense 45

Placement of Object Pronouns 48

Uses of the Gerund with Verbs Other Than estar 52

Reading Comprehension La parada del bus 56

4 The Past Progressive Tenses

The Imperfect Progressive Tense 58

The Preterit Progressive Tense 61

Reading Comprehension El hospital 67

5 The Present Subjunctive

Formation of the Present Subjunctive 70

Uses of the Present Subjunctive 77

Other Tenses That Cause the Present Subjunctive 91

Reading Comprehension El juicio 94

6 Commands

Affirmative tú Commands 98

Negative tú Commands 102

Ud. and Uds. Commands 107

Other Ways of Asking People to Do Things 110

Reading Comprehension Perdida en Nicaragua 113

The nosotros Command: "Let us . . ." 115

Affirmative vosotros Commands 118

Negative vosotros Commands 118

Reading Comprehension La Noche de Brujas 121

II. Nouns, Articles, Adjectives, Pronouns; Present and Past Perfect Tenses

7 Nouns, Articles, Adjectives, and Pronouns

Nouns and Articles 125

Possessive Adjectives 130

Possessive Pronouns 135

Relative Pronouns 139

Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns 144

Reading Comprehension Mi viaje 146

The Neuter lo + Adjective Used as a Noun 147

Adjectives Used as Nouns 149

Pronouns Used as Nouns 150

Pronunciation Practice Los maderos de San Juan 151

Reading Comprehension Lo fatal 152

8 The Present Perfect Tense

Formation of the Past Participle 154

Formation of the Present Perfect Tense 157

Uses of the Present Perfect Tense 159

Placement of Object Pronouns with the Present Perfect Tense 160

Use of the Infinitive haber and the Past Participle 161

Reading Comprehension El apartamento 165

9 The Past Perfect Tense

Formation of the Past Perfect Tense 167

Uses of the Past Perfect Tense 167

Reading Comprehension El sueño 170

Reading Comprehension Recordando Nicaragua 171

The Past Participle as an Adjective 172

The Past Participle with ser and the Passive Voice 176

Reading Comprehension El conde Lucanor 178

III. Future and Conditional Tenses; Past Subjunctive; Idioms

10 The Future Tense

Formation of the Future Tense 181

Uses of the Future Tense 188

The Future Progressive Tense 195

The Future Perfect Tense 196

Reading Comprehension El porvenir 197

11 The Conditional Tense

Formation of the Conditional Tense 199

Uses of the Conditional Tense 205

The Conditional Progressive Tense 209

The Conditional Perfect Tense 210

Reading Comprehension ¿Qué haría Ud. en las siguientes situaciones? 212

12 The Present Perfect Subjunctive

Formation of the Present Perfect Subjunctive 214

Uses of the Present Perfect Subjunctive 214

Reading Comprehension La isla en el Caribe 218

13 The Imperfect Subjunctive

Formation of the Imperfect Subjunctive 221

Uses of the Imperfect Subjunctive 227

Reading Comprehension El barco económico 234

Reading Comprehension Xochicalco 243

14 The Past Perfect Subjunctive

Formation of the Past Perfect Subjunctive 245

Uses of the Past Perfect Subjunctive 245

Reading Comprehension Su punto de vista 257

15 Idioms

Idioms with Prepositions 260

Idioms with Verbs 263

Time Expressions 267

Reading Comprehension La defensa de Sócrates 270

Appendix: List of Verbs 273

Answer Key 280

Index 292