About the Author

Barbara Bregstein, (B.A. University of Pennsylvania; M.A. University of Madrid) has been teaching Spanish in New York City for the past 20 years. She is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of Educational Theater of New York and has adapted and directed Socrates on Trial, an adaptation of Plato's dialogues. Barbara has also created and directed three plays for students of English as a Second Language.

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For self-learners, a clear and accessible Spanish grammar book for beginners and intermediates. For teachers: a flexible and interesting text for classroom use. Pronounciation tips plus oral and written exercises are included throughout the book to guide progFundamental Spanish can be used for independent study or as a flexible textbook for classroom use.

* Easy to use. A step-by-step introduction to Spanish for beginner and intermediate learners. * Logical and orderly progression of language learning. * Clear, concise explanations and examples. * Pronunciation chart and tips. * Challenging written and oral exercises to guide progress. * Short stories for reading comprehension. * Complete answer key included.

Estar - to be

Spanish has two verbs that are the equivalent to the English to be. Begin with the conjugations of estar.

* yo estoy = I am * nosotros estamos = we are * tu estas = you are * vosotros estais = you are * el esta = he is * eos estan = they are * ella esta = she is * eas estan = they are * Ud. esta = you are * Uds. estan = you are

Practice the conjugations of the verb aloud. Notice that el, ella, Ud. (called the third person singular), have the same form of the verb. Notice also that ellos, ellas, Uds. (called the third person plural), have the same form of the verb.

Estar is used to express four basic ideas: location, health, changing mood or condition, and personal opinion in terms of taste or appearance.

Location: where something or someone is physically located.

* Yo estoy en la clase. = I am in the class. * Nosotros estamos en el carro. = We are in the car. * El restaurante esta en la ciudad. = The restaurant is in the city. * Ellas estan en el ba–o. = They are in the bathroom. * Estas tu en el hospital? = Are you in the hospital?

The verb, which carries the actions of the phrase, is the essential element of the Spanish sentence or question because of the amount of information it carries.

Verb definitions: the infinitive is the unconjugated form of the verb. For example, to be is an infinitive in English. The conjugations are the forms of the verb that belong to a particular pronoun or noun subject. I am, he is, are examples of conjugations of the infinitive to be.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ser - to be

Ser is also the equivalent to the English to be.

In English, there is only one verb that means to be. We say, for example: The dog is here. The dog is brown.

The verb is the same in both cases. But in Spanish, there is a difference, and you have to choose which verb to use. So, in Spanish, it truly matters what the meaning of 'is' is.

* yo soy = I am * nosotros somos = we are * tu eres = you are * vosotros sois = you are * el es = he is * ellos son = they are * ella es = she is * ellas son = they are * Ud. es = you are * Uds. son = you are

Ser is used to express seven basic ideas: description, profession, point of origin, identification, possession, material, and where an event takes place.

Description:

* La casa es roja. = The house is red. * El libro es azul. = The book is blue. * Los carros son viejos. = The cars are old. * Somos simpaticos. = We are nice. * Es la flor amarilla? = Is the flower yellow?

Profession:

* Yo soy estudiante. = I am a student. * el es arquitecto. = He is an architect. * Ellas son maestras excelentes. = They are excellent teachers. * Somos doctores. = We are doctors.ress and encourage talking and understanding.