Practical Spanish Grammar E-Book

Nelly Zamora-Breckenridge

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 657

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Learn Spanish, as easy as uno, dos, tres!

Practical Spanish Grammar, Third Edition, combines the quick-reference virtues of a phrase book with the learning tools of a full-fledged language course. This popular resource has been completely updated and revised for today's Spanish usage so you can be confident that you're not just learning “textbook Spanish.” Students, jobseekers, and travelers can boost their practical language skills with this self-paced guide.

Why this book? There are many resources online and off that you can use to practice Spanish. All practice is valuable, but when you have a question, you need an authoritative reference that you can turn to for trusted answers. And, when it comes to building your foundational knowledge of Spanish grammar and phrases, there's still no substitute for working through a proven textbook like Practical Spanish Grammar. Written by a professor who taught the Spanish language for more than 30 years, this concise, practical, and easy to follow book helps you easily find the content you need to improve your Spanish skills.

• Follow a proven, interactive approach for teaching yourself at your own pace
• Complete exercises to reinforce what you learn and get answers in the book
• Get clear explanations of Spanish grammar
• Learn more than 1,000 of the most frequently used Spanish words
• Practice sample dialogues with cultural notes and lists of terms

Beginner and intermediate students of the Spanish language will make great progress with Practical Spanish Grammar. Excellent as a textbook and as a self-study guide, this book is a must for Spanish learners.

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Practical Spanish Grammar

A Self-Teaching Guide

Third Edition

Nelly Zamora-Breckenridge

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Zamora-Breckenridge, Nelly, author.

Title: Practical Spanish grammar : a self-teaching guide / Nelly Zamora-Breckenridge.

Description: Third edition. | Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, 2025. | Text in English and Spanish.

Identifiers: LCCN 2025021932 (print) | LCCN 2025021933 (ebook) | ISBN 9781394280315 (paperback) | ISBN 9781394280339 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781394280322 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Spanish language—Self-instruction. | Spanish language—Textbooks for foreign speakers—English. | Spanish language—Grammar. | Spanish language—Grammar—Problems, exercises, etc. | LCGFT: Textbooks.

Classification: LCC PC4112.5 .Z36 2025 (print) | LCC PC4112.5 (ebook) | DDC 468.2/421—dc23/eng/20250614

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025021932

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025021933

Cover design: Paul McCarthy

Preface

It's been almost three decades since the second edition of Practical Spanish Grammar: A Self-Teaching Guide was published, the first two editions of which were written by the late Dr. Marcial Prado, Professor Emeritus at California State University, Fullerton. When the Wiley publishing group approached me to write the third edition of this grammar text, I was grateful to take on the task. In this third edition, significant changes and revisions have been made, incorporating entirely new dialogues with current topics and adding practical vocabulary to each chapter to provide a more relevant and effective learning experience for today's students. New examples have also been included, in line with the topics of each unit. It is important to mention that the original structure of the book, as developed by Professor Prado in the first two editions, has been respected and followed.

As this book is geared toward learning Spanish grammar, the goal of this third edition is to provide readers and students with a basic understanding of the most prevalent grammatical structures in Spanish through ongoing review and practice with supplementary exercises and activities in each lesson.

Practical Spanish Grammar: A Self-Teaching Guide, third edition aims to teach the essentials of the Spanish language at beginner level in a practical and structured way. This text is designed for your use as a self-teaching guide, and it allows you to progress at your own pace as you practice and master the points covered in each lesson. This new edition also includes new examples that reflect the advances and changes in technology and new forms of communication in a global society to ensure students are prepared for the demands of an ever-changing job market. We hope this third edition will help you explore the fascinating world of Spanish grammar as a multicultural language with greater enthusiasm and confidence.

This book uses a linguistic approach in treating grammatical structures. Concise and down-to-earth explanations are followed by completion exercises for testing and reinforcing comprehension of the grammar. As always, new words have to be learned in each lesson. To help you in this, a variety of exercises reinforces your learning and expands your vocabulary. Furthermore, the new words are used in the grammar sections, both in the examples and in the exercises.

Features Contained in the 15 Lessons

A list of

palabras nuevas

(

new words

) with supplementary exercises for their gradual incorporation into learning Spanish. Also included in the list are terms that present some difficulty because they are considered false cognates or because they are English terms used incorrectly as Spanish words. In addition to the vocabulary, some frequently used expressions in Spanish have also been included.

Each chapter includes new dialogues with current topics and relevant vocabulary for today's students. Each dialogue is followed by exercises in comprehension and vocabulary.

Each chapter also has three grammar sections with respective supplementary exercises. Students will find answers to the exercises for self-correction at the end of

Chapters 4

,

8

,

12

, and

15

.

There is a comprehensive vocabulary list for easy reference at the end of the book.

What's New in This Third Edition?

Although Spanish grammar itself has not undergone major changes over the years, vocabulary and expressions constantly evolve to adapt to the needs of each generation and the constant changes of the society in which we live. Therefore, in this third edition the vocabulary for each lesson has been carefully revised and updated. It is worth clarifying that Spanish, like many other languages, presents countless regional and dialectal variations. The purpose of this third edition is to present a more standardized approach to the Spanish language and not to include all the lexical possibilities regarding regional usage. In some cases, lexical entries have been included regarding widely known word usages. Here are some of the changes that have been made to this edition.

Unlike the two previous editions, which opted not to include verb forms related to Peninsular Spanish, this edition includes both Peninsular Spanish verb forms and structures related to the conjugation of

vosotros

, and Latin American Spanish verb forms and structures related to its corresponding

ustedes

. At the same time, examples have been created that include both regional varieties.

Dialogues

. The dialogues in each lesson are completely new and designed for students immersed in a global world where culture, technology, social media, and mobility are part of their understanding and identity.

Grammar

. Three sections have been added to the grammar sections in this edition: one related to

diminutivos

(

diminutives

), another related to the

se accidental

(

se for unplanned occurrences

), and a section explaining the differences in use of

por and para

.

Vocabulary

. This edition includes explanations of commonly used terms and expressions that may present some difficulty to students new to Spanish. Emphasis has been placed on English/Spanish cognates, whose use has influenced the understanding and correct use of some commonly used expressions and vocabulary. Supplementary activities and exercises have reinforced practice in the use of gender and number forms, which present constant challenges for Spanish learners.

An easy-to-reference vocabulary list is included at the end of the book. It includes just over 1,500 entries in the

Spanish–English

section and a similar number in the

English–Spanish

section. The vocabulary has been carefully selected based on the lessons studied in the book, while also incorporating commonly used terms in contemporary Spanish. The vocabulary includes words related to banking, finance, technology, real estate, and global communication, among other topics.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the Wiley editorial team for their support and guidance throughout the process of revising and updating this third edition of the book, especially Ashante Thomas for her time and dedication and for the regular meetings monitoring the progress of the project. I also thank Rosemary Morlin for her valuable comments and suggestions, which have been essential and have contributed to improving the quality of the book. I want to thank Valparaiso University, where I worked as a Spanish professor for almost 30 years, allowing me to delve into the richness of Spanish as a language through teaching and research. I am greatly thankful to my husband John and to my daughter Sarita for their continuous love, support and encouragement in this process. And thank you also to Toby, our dog, for teaching me the importance of some short breaks too while working.

Nelly Zamora-Breckenridge

Spanish Sounds

There are a few sounds in Spanish that do not exist in English, and vice versa. Some sounds are the same in both languages. An important fact to keep in mind is that in Spanish we run several words together to form what is called a “breath group”; in other words, we link together all the words between pauses. As a result, we omit one of two identical vowels or consonants, and we soften certain consonants (such as b, d, g) within the breath group.

EX: Ella va a ver a mi hijo. (Pronounced as éyabábéramíjo.)

Guidelines on how to pronounce letters of the Spanish alphabet are given below using English words with corresponding sounds.

Vowels.

There are five vowels in Spanish: a, e, i, o, u. Whether stressed or unstressed, the sounds of these vowels are clear, tense, and short. The stress doesn't change a vowel in Spanish the way it does in English. For example, the three

a's

of

Panamá

have the same sound.

In Spanish the letter

A

is pronounced with the mouth open as in the

a

of English

far

.

EXS: mañana, banana, Canadá, habilidad, área

E

is pronounced with the lips stretched and the tongue higher than when pronouncing

a,

as in the vowel sound of English

pet

.

EXS:Europa, departamento, vez, perro, excelente

I

and

Y

are pronounced with the lips very stretched and the tongue nearly touching the roof of the mouth, as in English see, but shorter. When

y

is by itself, it means

and.

Y

may also appear at the end of a word after another vowel.

EXS: ciudad, sí; Juan y María, soy, ideal

O

is pronounced with the lips rounded as in the

o

of English

for

.

EXS: profesor, tonto, solo, octavo, hotel, doctor

U

is pronounced in a very rounded way and its pronunciation formed in the back of the mouth, as in English

boot

, but shorter.

EXS: tú, Cuba, luna, universidad, Raúl

Semivowels.

Spanish semivowels

i, u,

are pronounced shorter than

i, u,

whenever they are unstressed and are directly preceded or followed by another vowel. They are the “weak” part of the two-vowel combination we call diphthong.

EXS: aire [ai], viaje [ia], causa [au], agua [ua], veinte [ei], bien [ie], euro [eu], bueno [ue], boina [oi], violín [io], estadounidense [ou], cuota [uo], ciudad [iu], muy [ui]

Consonants.

In general, Spanish consonants are pronounced with less strength and friction than English consonants, especially

b, d, g

. The following consonants are used in standard Latin American Spanish. There is an extra consonant sound in Spain, which we will mention at the end.

The letters

b

and

v

in Spanish are pronounced like the letter

b

in English when they occur at the beginning of a breath group, after a pause, or after a nasal sound. In other cases, they are pronounced softly, with a slight friction between the lower and upper lips. The sound of

v

in English does not exist in Spanish.

EXS: labio, voz, nuevo, bebida, vida

The letter

c + a, o, u, l,

or

r

and the letter combination

qu

(with silent

u

)

+ e

or

i

are pronounced like the English letter

k

, but they are never followed by the puff of air heard in the English initial

k

.

EXS: casa, cosa, cuando, clase, crema; que, Quito, Quijote

The spelling with k is used in a few foreign words such as kilómetro, kiosko, kimono; but even these words can be spelled with qu.

The combination ch in Spanish is pronounced in the same way as the ch letter combination in English words like church. The Real Academia de la Lengua Española stopped considering the combination “ch” as a letter since 1994. It is placed under the letter “c” in any dictionary.

EXS: muchacho, chico, mucho, chofer, Chile

The letter

d

is pronounced with the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth at the beginning of a breath group and after an

n

.

Within the breath group, it is pronounced in the same way as the

th

letter combination in English, as in

father

and

there

, but with even less friction.

EX: código, día, debate, doctora, Indiana

The letter

f

is pronounced in the same way as the letter

f

in English. Unlike English, however, this sound in Spanish is never written as

ph

or

ff

.

EXS: teléfono, oficina, fax, fósforo, infeliz

The letter

g + a, o, u, r,

or

l

and the letter combination

gu + e

or

i

are pronounced like the

g

in

get

at the beginning of a breath group or after an

n

.

Otherwise, they are pronounced in a similar way as the sound of

g

in

sugar

—softly, and with only a slight friction.

EX: gato, globo; agua, guerra, guitarra

The u of gu is silent. When it is pronounced, it is written with a diaeresis (two dots), as the gü in lingüística and vergüenza.

The letter

h

in Spanish is never pronounced.

EX: hablar [aßlár], prohibir [proißír], alcohol [alkól], hospital [ospitál]

In Spanish the letter

j + a, e, i, o,

or

u

and the letter

g + e

or

i

are pronounced like the

h

in

hat

, but with more friction in the back of the mouth.

EXS: Jalisco, lenguaje, garaje, videojuego; gente, gimnasio, biología

The x of México and Texas is pronounced in the same way as the j or g.

The letter

l

is pronounced like the

l

in English in words like

let

. The sound of the

l

at the end of a syllable or word in English is very soft, dark, and relaxed. The sound of the

l

in Spanish is always clear, high, and tense, with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth. This sound more than any other will readily betray an English accent.

EXS: los, libro, hotel, mil, luz

The double l (ll) and the y are pronounced in the same way as the y in English, but usually with more friction, depending on the country. The Real Academia de la Lengua Española stopped considering “ll” as a letter since 1994. It is always found under the letter “l” in any dictionary.

EXS: llamar, mayo, lluvia, calle, coyote, collar

In Argentina this sound has a lot of friction, similar to English s in words like pleasure and lesion.

The letter

m

is pronounced like the letter

m

in English. However, this sound in Spanish is never written as

mm

.

EXS: madre, mesa, inmediato, permiso, comunicación

The letter

n

is pronounced the same way as the letter

n

in English.

EXS: nada, renta, negocio, corazón, nube

The letter

ñ

in Spanish is pronounced in the same way as the letters

ny

and

ni

in English in words like

canyon

and

onion

.

EXS: mañana, España, ñandú, año, cañón

The letter

p

in Spanish is pronounced like the English

p

in

spy

, and it is never followed by the puff of air heard in the English initial

p

of

pie

. You would have a strong English-language accent if you pronounced that puff of air in Spanish words with initial

p

.

EXS: papa, Pedro, papel, persona, puerta

The

r

is pronounced like the

t

in English in words like

water

and

matter

. When the

r

is at the beginning of a word or after s or n, the sound is like the

rolled r

(double r).

EXS: pero, para, árbol, comer, caro, Rosa, Israel, honra.

The double

r (rr)

has no comparable sound in many forms of English. The tip of the tongue moves quickly five to eight times against the gum ridge. It is a trilled sound.

EXS: perro, arroz, carro, torre, carretera

The single r at the beginning of a word and after n, l, or s is pronounced in the same way as the double r in Spanish.

EXS: rosa [rrosa], rojo [rrójo]; honra [ónrra], alrededor [alrre∂e∂ór], Israel [Isrraél]

Four different letters in Spanish have the same sound as the s in English. They are: 1) the

s

in front of any vowel or final syllable

(soy, ojos, estoy). 2)

in the Americas, the

z

in front of

a, o, u,

and at the end of a word

(zapato, feliz, vez)

.

3) in the Americas, the

c

and the letter combination

sc

in front of

e

or i (felices, felicidades, ascensor). 4) the second half of the sound of the letter

x (examen [eksámen], sexto

[

séksto

])

. Avoid the sound of the letter

z

in English in words like

zapato, visita, presidente

.

The letter

t

is pronounced with the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth, never followed by the puff of air heard in English initial

t

. There is no double

t (tt)

or

th

in Spanish orthography.

EXS: tú, Tomás, torta, tamal, teléfono

In Spain there is a sound not heard in Spanish America. It is the sound of the letter

z

and the letter

c

in front of

e

or

i

.

It is exactly like the sound for the

th

letter combination in English in words like

thought

and

thing

.

EXS: zapato, feliz, cielo, Cecilia, corazón

OTHER FACTS TO CONSIDER

There is no letter

w

in the Spanish alphabet except as it occurs in a few foreign words, such as

Washington, sandwich

, which is also spelled

sángüiche, sánduche.

Spanish has the same sound as the English

w

for the letter

u

preceded by

h

and followed by

e

or

i

.

EXS: huevo [wéßo], hueso [wéso], huir [wír]

Identical vowels between two words are pronounced as just one vowel. The same is true for two identical consonants within the breath group.

EXS: va a casa [bákása], le encanta [lenkánta], el lado [elá∂o]

Summary

The five vowels

a, e, i, o, u,

are short, tense, and clear, with or without stress.

Avoid the English sound of

a

as in

Ann

. There is no such sound in Spanish, which uses instead the sound of

a

as in

far

.

Avoid the lengthening of final vowels as is done in English; for example,

no

is much shorter in Spanish than it is in English where the glide is added to the

o

.

A diphthong occurs whenever

i

or

u

is directly preceded or followed by another vowel:

aire, piano, causa, puerta

.

Consonants

b, d, g,

within a breath group are very soft in Spanish:

lado [lá∂o]

.

Consonants

c, p, t,

at the beginning of words are never followed by the puff of air heard in English initial consonants

c, p, t

.

The

h

is always silent. The

u

is silent in

qu

and

gue, gui,

but not in

güe, güi

.

Strengthen the sound of

h

in English for the Spanish

j

and

g:

Juan, gente, Gibraltar, Jiménez

.

Keep your tongue high to pronounce final l, or you will betray a strong English accent:

tal

.

In words written with the letter

z

, pronounce the

z

as if it were the English letter s.

Avoid the sound of the English

z

for the single s between vowels in words like

visita

and

presente

.

Link the words together within a breath group as if they were one long word.

Don't make the stressed syllable too long to avoid the

uh

sound of English in the unstressed syllable that follows the stressed vowel.

2Nuevas generaciones: (New Generations)

PALABRAS NUEVAS (New Words)