Spanish Present Tense of Irregular Verbs (I)
¡Hola, estudiantes! Welcome to our interactive Spanish lesson designed specifically for A1 learners. Today, we’re diving into the present tense for irregular verbs, a fundamental aspect of Spanish grammar. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to use the present tense to talk about habits, give general information, and even discuss future events. Let’s get started!
Understanding the Present Tense
First, let’s read some examples to understand how the present tense is used in Spanish:
Yo, normalmente, me despierto muy temprano.
(I usually wake up very early.)Function: Talking about habits.
Mañana juegan el Real Madrid y el Valencia.
(Tomorrow, Real Madrid and Valencia play.)Function: Talking about future events.
En el norte de España llueve mucho.
(In the north of Spain, it rains a lot.)Function: Giving general information.
Ángela empieza a trabajar a las 8.
(Ángela starts work at 8.)Function: Talking about habits.
📝Vocabulary to Know:
Despertarse: to wake up
Jugar: to play
Llover: to rain
Empezar: to start
Grammar Explanation: Stem-Changing Verbs
In Spanish, some verbs change their stem vowel in the present tense when the stem is stressed. These are called stem-changing verbs, and they are grouped into four categories based on the type of vowel change that occurs. Let’s break it down:
Group I: e → ie
Example Verb: Cerrar (to close)
Change: The e in the stem changes to ie when the stem is stressed.
Conjugation:
Other Verbs in This Group:
Empezar (to start), preferir (to prefer), querer (to want), entender (to understand), perder (to lose), pensar (to think).
Group II: o → ue
Example Verb: Dormir (to sleep)
Change: The o in the stem changes to ue when the stem is stressed.
Conjugation:
Other Verbs in This Group:
Poder (to be able to), encontrar (to find), volver (to return), costar (to cost), recordar (to remember).
Group III: e → i
Example Verb: Pedir (to ask for)
Change: The e in the stem changes to i when the stem is stressed.
Conjugation:
Other Verbs in This Group:
Vestir (to dress), servir (to serve), seguir (to follow).
Group IV: u → ue
Example Verb: Jugar (to play)
Change: The u in the stem changes to ue when the stem is stressed.
Conjugation:
⚠️Key Notes:
Stem Changes Only Happen in Stressed Syllables:
In forms like nosotros and vosotros, the stem is not stressed, so the vowel doesn’t change. For example:
Nosotros cerramos (We close) – no change.
Nosotros dormimos (We sleep) – no change.
Irregularities Are Common:
Stem-changing verbs are irregular, so you’ll need to memorize their patterns. However, once you learn the groups, it becomes easier to predict how other verbs in the same group will behave.
Practice Makes Perfect:
Try conjugating a few verbs from each group to get comfortable with the patterns. For example:
Empezar (Group I): Yo empiezo, tú empiezas, él empieza.
Poder (Group II): Yo puedo, tú puedes, él puede.
Servir (Group III): Yo sirvo, tú sirves, él sirve.
Jugar (Group IV): Yo juego, tú juegas, él juega.
Total Physical Response (TPR) Activity
Let’s get moving! Perform the actions as you say the sentences:
Cierro la puerta. (Pretend to close a door.)
Duermo ocho horas. (Pretend to sleep.)
Pido un café. (Pretend to order a coffee.)
Juego fútbol. (Pretend to kick a ball.)
This helps reinforce the vocabulary and verb conjugations through physical movement.
Conjugate the verbs in Presente Tense
🔗Click here to do the practice conjugating the verbs: “pensar, sentir, poder, and volver”.
Fill the blanks with the Conjugated verb
🔗 Click here to do the practice.
Organize the questions
🔗Click here to practice.
Reading Comprehension: Habits and Frequency (A1 Level)
Read the following text and answer the questions below. Pay attention to the verbs used, as they are stem-changing verbs. These verbs change their stem (the middle part of the verb) in certain forms. For example:
dormir (to sleep) → duerme (he/she sleeps)
sentir (to feel) → siente (he/she feels)
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