Core Grammar of Spanish

A few systems unlock Spanish

Spanish can feel like a lot of rules, but a small number of core systems do most of the work. Learn these and you can understand and build your own sentences, which is exactly what the exam rewards. ⭐⭐ First, every noun has a GENDER, masculine or feminine, and the word for the changes to match: el for masculine, la for feminine, and los or las for plural. The words for a change too: un for masculine, una for feminine. ⭐ Second, ADJECTIVES AGREE with their noun and usually come AFTER it. A masculine noun takes the masculine form and a feminine noun the feminine form, as in un gato negro and una casa blanca. ⭐⭐ Third, VERBS change their ending to match who is doing the action. Regular verbs ending in -ar follow one pattern: yo hablo, nosotros hablamos, vosotros habláis. To make a sentence negative you simply put no before the verb: yo no hablo. This module is that core grammar. Pronunciation and topic vocabulary each have their own module. Yo hablo español porque me gusta mucho. ⚠️ Carry one question the whole way through: does this word have the right form to match its noun, or its subject?

Three systems side by side

The three systems that carry most of Spanish. Read across how each one works.

Tap the two correct phrases

Tap the TWO Spanish phrases where the form correctly matches the noun or subject.

• una casa blanca (a white house)
• nosotros hablamos (we speak)
• una gato negro (meant to be a black cat)
• yo hablamos (meant to be I speak)

Choose the matching form

The noun libro (book) is masculine. Which phrase correctly says the black book, with the right article and adjective agreement?

• el libro negro
• la libro negra
• el negro libro
• la libro negro

The words grammar uses

Six terms this topic turns on. Learn them and the rules read clearly.

Pair each subject with its verb ending

Two true things about Spanish grammar

Select the TWO statements that are true of Spanish.

• An adjective changes its form to agree with the gender of its noun
• A regular -ar verb changes its ending to match the subject
• Spanish nouns do not have a gender
• To make a sentence negative you must add several words after the verb

Getting the forms right for top marks

The strongest answers get the small forms right, because that is what shows real control of Spanish. ⭐⭐ CHECK GENDER FIRST. Before you write the or a, decide if the noun is masculine or feminine, then choose el or la, un or una. Learning each noun with its article saves you here. ⭐ MAKE THE ADJECTIVE AGREE, AND PLACE IT AFTER. Match the adjective to the noun (negro becomes negra for a feminine noun) and remember most adjectives follow the noun: un coche rojo, not un rojo coche. ⭐⭐ MATCH THE VERB ENDING TO THE SUBJECT. Ask who is doing the action and pick the ending: yo hablo, nosotros hablamos. A wrong ending is the commonest slip and the easiest to fix by checking the subject. DO NOT DRIFT INTO PRONUNCIATION OR TOPIC VOCABULARY. Sound-spelling and the topic word lists have their own modules; here, keep the focus on the grammar systems. ⚠️ A note for teachers. The exact Appendix A grammar list for this specification is still to be confirmed against the spec, and a Spanish speaker should review the examples; the core systems taught here are standard GCSE Spanish. Keep the one question to hand: does this word have the right form to match its noun, or its subject?

Build a present-tense verb

Put the steps for making the present tense of a regular -ar verb into order.

• Start with the infinitive, for example hablar
• Remove the -ar to find the stem, habl
• Decide the subject, such as nosotros
• Add the ending that matches, -amos
• The verb now agrees: nosotros hablamos

Build a Spanish sentence

Build the Spanish for I speak Spanish because I like it a lot. Remember the verb ending must match yo.

The grammar run

Five quick decisions about core Spanish grammar. Three lives.

Packing a bag to suit the trip

Leave Spanish aside for a moment. Think about how the same traveller packs quite a different bag depending on where they are going, even though it is the same person setting off. ⭐ For a beach holiday they pack sun cream and swimwear; for a hillwalk, boots and a waterproof; for a city break, smart shoes and a map. The traveller does not change, but WHAT they take is chosen to fit the trip. Turn up to the mountains in beach sandals and it simply does not work, even though nothing about the traveller is wrong. ⭐⭐ So there is a core that stays the same, and an outer choice that shifts to match the situation. Getting the choice to fit is what makes the trip go smoothly, and a small mismatch, the wrong shoes for the ground, is felt at once. Grammar works the very same way. A word has a core meaning that stays put, but it takes a different outward form to fit what is around it: to fit whether a thing is masculine or feminine, and to fit who is doing an action. Choose the form that matches, and the sentence works; mismatch it, and a reader notices immediately. ⚠️ Hold that picture. In the next task you will finish Spanish words by giving each the FORM that fits its noun or its subject.

Finish each Spanish form

With yo, the verb hablar becomes yo _____. With nosotros, the verb hablar becomes nosotros _____. The word for the with a feminine noun is _____. The word for a with a masculine noun is _____. To make a sentence negative, you put _____ before the verb.

Three sentences to fix

Three learners have written some Spanish. For each, choose the correct advice.

• A learner writes yo hablamos español, meaning I speak Spanish.
• A learner writes una gato negro, meaning a black cat, but gato is a masculine noun.
• A learner wants to say I do not speak and writes yo hablo, with nothing added.

Explain the core grammar

Explain, in English, the core grammar of Spanish: how gender decides the article, how adjectives agree and where they go, and how a regular -ar verb changes its ending to match the subject. Give a short Spanish example for each.

• Explain that nouns have a gender that decides el or la, un or una
• Explain that adjectives agree with the noun and usually follow it
• Explain how a regular -ar verb ending changes for yo and nosotros
• Explain how to make a sentence negative with no
• Give one short, correct Spanish example