Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (6 page)

Turn over the reminder card that you filled out in Lesson I. Copy the material that is shown on the sample below onto your first card.

Each time you look at your card try to make up several words in each of the eight categories.

la casa

rdinarily, the present tense is taught first because it comes first in the order of the language. But I feel that the past tense will be more useful to you at this point. So, at the risk of exposing myself to that dreadful epithet, unorthodox, I am jumping feet first with you into the past tense. Once you have mastered it you will have the narrative language that you use every day with your friends. You will be able to tell what you did and saw and how it impressed you. “I did” this or that is the beginning of a story, whereas “I do” thus and such is apt to stop you cold. “I eat a lot” can only be followed by a few unpleasant remarks, but “Last night I had dinner with Joe” opens up endless possibilities.

There are over two hundred nouns that end in “ación” that can be converted into verbs if you simply remove the “ación” and add verb endings.

EXAMPLES
:

“Yo” is the word for “I” in Spanish, but it is frequently dropped.

“Usted” means “you,” but it is frequently dropped.

Notice that the word order is inverted in questions.

“Usted” (
you
) is frequently dropped, but we’ll use it in this lesson so that you will get used to the inverted order of words in questions.

PAST TENSE ENDINGS

PREPARÉ
,
I prepared
 
NO PREPARÉ
,
I didn’t prepare
 
¿PREPARÓ USTED?
Did you prepare?

¿Preparó usted la lección?

Sí, preparé la lección.

¿Preparó usted la lección esta mañana?

Sí, preparé la lección esta mañana.

¿Preparó usted la lección para la clase?

Sí, preparé la lección para la clase.

¿Preparó usted la cena?

Sí, preparé la cena.

¿Preparó usted la cena esta mañana?

No, no preparé la cena esta mañana.

¿Preparó usted la cena esta tarde?

Sí, preparé la cena esta tarde.

¿Preparó usted la cena en el club?

No, no preparé la cena en el club.

¿Preparó usted la cena en el hotel?

No, no preparé la cena en el hotel.

¿Preparé usted la cena en su casa?

Sí, preparé la cena en mi casa.

For practice, combine the words below in different ways to form as many sentences as you can. Just be sure to use words from each of the three columns in every sentence you form.

Translate the following sentences into Spanish. Write out each sentence in Spanish, using the columns above as a guide. After you have written out all the sentences check with the correct translations below this exercise.

1. I prepared the lesson this morning.
   
2. I prepared (the) dinner.
   
3. I prepared the lesson for the class.
   
4. I didn’t prepare (the) dinner this afternoon.
   
5. I didn’t prepare the lesson this morning.
   
6. Did you prepare the lesson?
   
7. Did you prepare (the) dinner?
   
8. Did you prepare the lesson this morning?
   
9. Did you prepare (the) dinner this afternoon?
   
10. Did you prepare the lesson for the class?
    
11. Did you prepare the lesson this afternoon?
    

Check your sentences with the correct translations below.

1. Preparé la lección esta mañana.
   
2. Preparé la cena.
   
3. Preparé la lección para la clase.
   
4. No preparé la cena esta tarde.
   
5. No preparé la lección esta mañana.
   
6. ¿Preparó usted la lección?
   
7. ¿Preparó usted la cena?
   
8. ¿Preparó usted la lección esta mañana?
   
9. ¿Preparó usted la cena esta tarde?
   
10. ¿Preparó usted la lección para la clase?
    
11. ¿Preparó usted la lección esta tarde?
    

el avión

ou can convert many English words that end in “ty” into Spanish words by changing the “ty” to “dad.”

TY = DAD

the capacity
= la capacidad

TOMÉ
,
I took
NO TOMÉ
,
I didn’t take
¿TOMÓ USTED?
Did you take?

In Spanish the verb “to take” is used to express eating and drinking. We say, “I took dinner,” instead of, “I had dinner,” “I took coffee” instead of “I had coffee.”