Grammar
Question words (All have accents when in a question): ¿Cómo? - How?
¿Cuál/Cuáles? – Which one/ones ¿Cuándo? – When? ¿Dónde? – Where?
¿Cuánto/a/os/as? – How much/many? ¿Dónde? – Where? ¿Qué? – What?
¿De dónde/Adónde? – From where/ Where to? ¿A qué? – (At) what?
¿Quién/Quiénes? - Who? ¿Por qué? – Why?
N.B. Agreement of ¿Cuánto?. It must match the noun it refers to in both number and
gender. o/a is in the singular form and os/as is in the plural form. When asking about prices,
however, ¿cuánto? never changes e.g. ¿cuánto cuesta?
Turning statements into questions
Change the order of the words in the statements. Juan tiene dos hermanos -> ¿Tiene
dos hermanos, Juan?
Change the intonation (your voice tone) and, when writing, add the question marks.
E.g. Vive en una casa -> ¿Vive en una casa? -> Does he/she live in a house?
Note: when only part of the statement is a question, place the question marks around the
section that is the question only e.g. Tengo 16 años, ¿y tú?
Adjectives
Adjectives agree with the noun they are describing, so they have masculine,
feminine and plural forms.
Most adjectives end in –o for masculine nouns and –a for feminine nouns. Add an –s
for the plural forms.
Un chico alto y una chica alta
A tall boy and a tall girl
Unos chicos altos y unas chicas altas
Some tall boys and some tall girls
Adjectives ending in –e are the same for masculine and feminine – just add –s to the
plural forms. For example:
La familia es grande y el piso es grande
The family is big and the flat is big
Los dormitorios son grandes y las habitaciones son grandes
The bedrooms are big and the romos are big.
Adjectives ending with a consonant are the same for masculine and feminine – just
add –es to the plural
M F M pl F pl
Azul azul azules azules
But, adjectives ending in -or e.g. hablador:
Hablador -> habladora -> habladores -> habladoras
And, adjectives ending in –án:
Án -> ana -> anes -> anas
Adjectives ending in -ista e.g. deportista
Deportista -> deportista -> deportistas -> deportistas.
, Connectives: Use connectives to make what you say and write more interesting
Use connectives to make what you say and write more interesting
y – and porque – because que – that, which, who si – if también – also
cuando – when además – besides ni…ni – neither…nor pero – but
sin embargo – however o – or siempre - always
Grammar: Use the verb ser when talking about the job someone does/did:
Mi padre es dentista – My dad is a dentist
Antes mi tío era ingeniero, ahora es profesor – Before my aunty was an engineer, now she is
a teacher
You can also describe what someone does by saying where they work or what kind of
people they work with:
Mi hermana trabaja en un colegio – trabaja con niños – My brother works in a school, he
works with children
Mi tío es médico – trabaja con enfermos – My uncle is a doctor – he works with sick people.
Mi madre trabaja desde casa – My mum works from home.
DO NOT USE THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE (UN/UNA) WHEN TALKING ABOUT JOBS
How Long?
Use desde hace to explain how long it has been since you started or changed e.g. Vivo en
Stanmore desde hace 6 años – I have lived in Stanmore for 6 years
Toco el piano desde hace 2 años – I have played the piano for 2 years.
Vivir + desde hace – I have been living there for
Aprender + desde hace – I have been learning for Estudiar + desde hace – I have been
studying for Tocar + desde hace – I have been playing for Trabajar + desde hace – I have
been working for
Prepositions
Entre between
Sobre on top of
Encima de on
Detrás de behind
Delante de in front of
A la derecha de to the right of
Al lado de beside/next to
Debajo de under
Enfrente de Opposite
Contra Against
Cerca de near
A la izquierda de to the left of
A to
Al final de at the end of
Alrededor de around
Question words (All have accents when in a question): ¿Cómo? - How?
¿Cuál/Cuáles? – Which one/ones ¿Cuándo? – When? ¿Dónde? – Where?
¿Cuánto/a/os/as? – How much/many? ¿Dónde? – Where? ¿Qué? – What?
¿De dónde/Adónde? – From where/ Where to? ¿A qué? – (At) what?
¿Quién/Quiénes? - Who? ¿Por qué? – Why?
N.B. Agreement of ¿Cuánto?. It must match the noun it refers to in both number and
gender. o/a is in the singular form and os/as is in the plural form. When asking about prices,
however, ¿cuánto? never changes e.g. ¿cuánto cuesta?
Turning statements into questions
Change the order of the words in the statements. Juan tiene dos hermanos -> ¿Tiene
dos hermanos, Juan?
Change the intonation (your voice tone) and, when writing, add the question marks.
E.g. Vive en una casa -> ¿Vive en una casa? -> Does he/she live in a house?
Note: when only part of the statement is a question, place the question marks around the
section that is the question only e.g. Tengo 16 años, ¿y tú?
Adjectives
Adjectives agree with the noun they are describing, so they have masculine,
feminine and plural forms.
Most adjectives end in –o for masculine nouns and –a for feminine nouns. Add an –s
for the plural forms.
Un chico alto y una chica alta
A tall boy and a tall girl
Unos chicos altos y unas chicas altas
Some tall boys and some tall girls
Adjectives ending in –e are the same for masculine and feminine – just add –s to the
plural forms. For example:
La familia es grande y el piso es grande
The family is big and the flat is big
Los dormitorios son grandes y las habitaciones son grandes
The bedrooms are big and the romos are big.
Adjectives ending with a consonant are the same for masculine and feminine – just
add –es to the plural
M F M pl F pl
Azul azul azules azules
But, adjectives ending in -or e.g. hablador:
Hablador -> habladora -> habladores -> habladoras
And, adjectives ending in –án:
Án -> ana -> anes -> anas
Adjectives ending in -ista e.g. deportista
Deportista -> deportista -> deportistas -> deportistas.
, Connectives: Use connectives to make what you say and write more interesting
Use connectives to make what you say and write more interesting
y – and porque – because que – that, which, who si – if también – also
cuando – when además – besides ni…ni – neither…nor pero – but
sin embargo – however o – or siempre - always
Grammar: Use the verb ser when talking about the job someone does/did:
Mi padre es dentista – My dad is a dentist
Antes mi tío era ingeniero, ahora es profesor – Before my aunty was an engineer, now she is
a teacher
You can also describe what someone does by saying where they work or what kind of
people they work with:
Mi hermana trabaja en un colegio – trabaja con niños – My brother works in a school, he
works with children
Mi tío es médico – trabaja con enfermos – My uncle is a doctor – he works with sick people.
Mi madre trabaja desde casa – My mum works from home.
DO NOT USE THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE (UN/UNA) WHEN TALKING ABOUT JOBS
How Long?
Use desde hace to explain how long it has been since you started or changed e.g. Vivo en
Stanmore desde hace 6 años – I have lived in Stanmore for 6 years
Toco el piano desde hace 2 años – I have played the piano for 2 years.
Vivir + desde hace – I have been living there for
Aprender + desde hace – I have been learning for Estudiar + desde hace – I have been
studying for Tocar + desde hace – I have been playing for Trabajar + desde hace – I have
been working for
Prepositions
Entre between
Sobre on top of
Encima de on
Detrás de behind
Delante de in front of
A la derecha de to the right of
Al lado de beside/next to
Debajo de under
Enfrente de Opposite
Contra Against
Cerca de near
A la izquierda de to the left of
A to
Al final de at the end of
Alrededor de around
