HOMEWORK: CAFÉ

CAFÉ HOMEWORK 1 (due at class 2)

Lesson: The Imperative Mood

The imperative mood means COMMANDS. It is not considered a conjugation. With the exception of a handful of irregular verbs, the basic form of the imperative is formed like this:

1. Take the first person singular (yo) form of a verb in the present indicative.

Examples: hablo, vivo, como, hago, tengo, comienzo

2a. For AR verbs, replace the O with E

Examples: hable, comience (and Z to C, in this case)

2b. For ER and IR verbs, replace the O with A

Examples: viva, coma, haga, tenga

This gives you the form used to address USTED. (Tú is a whole different story. Forget it for the moment.)

Exceptions to the above pattern are:

SER: sea

ESTAR: esté

DAR: dé

IR: vaya

SABER: sepa

Assignment 1

Write 20 original sentences in which you use 20 different verbs in the imperative. Use 10 regular verbs and 10 irregular verbs. You need to set up a context for the verb in the imperative, because otherwise it doesn't make sense.

Example: ¡Me caí! ¡Llame al 911! (I fell! Call 911!)

You see, you have to show WHY the person is saying LLAME.

Assignment 2

This applies to every other week during the course. Read a book (or an article, or part of a longer book) in Spanish at whatever level you feel comfortable (I encourage you the explore the Spanish materials at the library!) and bring it to class to share what you’ve read with one or two other students.

CAFÉ HOMEWORK 2 (due at class 3)

Lesson 1: The Imperative Mood: Ustedes

Without exception, the USTEDES form is formed by adding a N to the end of the USTED form.

Examples: hablen, comiencen, vivan, coman, hagan, tengan, sean, estén, den

Lesson 2: The Imperative Mood: Nosotros

This is the equivalent of saying, "Let's…" (As in, "Let's eat.")

With the exception of a handful of irregular verbs, the NOSOTROS form is formed by adding -MOS to the end of the USTED form.

• Examples: hablemos, vivamos, comamos, hagamos, tengamos, seamos, estemos, demos

• Exceptions: perdamos, pensemos, durmamos, comencemos, etc.

Assignment

Write 20 original sentences in which you use 20 different verbs in the imperative. In 10 sentences, use the USTEDES form. In the other 10, use the NOSOTROS form. Again, you should set up a context for the verb in the imperative, because otherwise it doesn't make sense.

CAFÉ HOMEWORK 3 (due at class 4)

Lesson 1: Direct Object Pronouns

Direct objects receive the action in a sentence.

Example: Yo leo el libro. (What is being read? The book. BOOK is the direct object.)

In Spanish, the following pronouns are used to represent direct objects:

Lesson 2: The Use of Direct Object Pronouns with the Affirmative Imperative

When direct object pronouns are used with the imperative (affirmative) they come after the verb and are joined to it, forming a new word.

Examples:

• Hace frío y la puerta está abierta. Ciérrela. (It's cold and the door's open. Close it.)

• Cuando usted llegue a su casa, llámeme. (When you get home, call me.)

Note that with the addition of another syllable, an accent us placed on the stressed syllable. When the command is negative, the pronoun comes before.

Assignment 1

Write 20 original sentences in which you use 20 different verbs in the AFFIRMATIVE imperative and in which there is an object pronoun (see the examples in Lesson 2, above.

• In 10 sentences, use the USTED form.

• In 5 sentences, use the NOSOTROS form.

• In the other 5 sentences, use the USTEDES form.

Again, you should set up a context for the verb in the imperative and establish what the direct object is (as in my examples), because otherwise it doesn't make sense.

Assignment 2

Do reading of your choice in Spanish (a children’s book, a chapter book, an article) and bring it to class, prepared to tell a partner about it.

CAFÉ HOMEWORK 4 (Due at class 5)

Lesson 1: Negative tú commands

Negative tú commands take exactly the same form as usted commands… you just as an S.

Lesson 2A: Affirmative tú commands (regular verbs and stem-changing verbs)

Affirmative tú commands take exactly the same form as usted in the present indicative tense.

Lesson 2B: Affirmative tú commands (other irregular verbs)

Certain irregular verbs have they own quirky little shortened affirmative tú commands.

• decir: di

• estar: está

• hacer: haz

• ir: ve

• poner: pon

• salir: sal

• ser: sé

• tener: ten

• venir: ven

Assignment

Write 10 pairs of affirmative/negative pairs TÚ commands.

• 5 pairs with regular verbs.

• 2 pairs with stem-changing verbs (pedir, perder, comenzar, pensar, contar, etc.).

• 3 pairs with other irregular verbs from Lesson 2B.

• Make sure to include context so the commands make sense.

CAFÉ HOMEWORK 5 (due at class 6)

Lesson 1: Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs use the following pronouns:

Here’s an example of the conjugation in the present indicative tense of a reflexive verb:

BAÑARSE (to bathe oneself)

The reflexive structure has several uses. This week, we'll focus on one only. In this first use, the subject of a transitive verb is the object of

the same verb that he or she executes. (A transitive verb takes an object, like WASH, SEE, CUT.)

Compare these examples:

• Simón baña el perro. (Simón bathes the dog.: not reflexive.)

• Simón se baña. (Simón bathes himself.: reflexive.)

• María lava los platos. (María washes the dishes.: not reflexive.)

• María se lava las manos. (María washes her hands.: reflexive.)

Just about any transitive verb can be reflexive, but sometimes only in a poetic sense. Some verbs have a different meaning when they are reflexive. Some intransitive verbs can be reflexive and they fall in this category. More on that next week.

Assignment

Write ten pairs of sentences like the pairs in the examples above. In the first, use a transitive verb that is not reflexive. In the second, use the same verb reflexively.

CAFÉ HOMEWORK 6 (due at class 7)

Lesson: Reflexive Verbs: Independent versus Mutual Action

The first use of the reflexive structure (on which we focused last week) can be called INDEPENDENT: the subject is the direct or indirect object of his, her, or its own action.

Example 1: Independientemente, Margarita y Ramón se miran en los espejos.

The second use (on which we're focusing this week) can be called MUTUAL: two or more entities perform the same action and are themselves the object of the other's action.

Example 2: Margarita y Ramón se miran con amor.

Note that the phrase "Margarita y Ramón se miran" can be an example of either use.

Another example: Los hombres se ponen los sombreros.

This could mean, "The men put on hats," or "The men put hats on each other."

Assignment

Write ten pairs of sentences like the pair made up of examples above. In the first, use the INDEPENDENT reflexive. In the second, use the MUTUAL reflexive. The context should make it clear which is which. Use plural subjects in all the sentences (nosotros, vosotros, ellos, ellas, ustedes, etc.).

1CAFÉ HOMEWORK 7 (due at class 8)

Lesson: Reflexive Verbs: Passive Voice

The third use of reflexive verbs is to express the PASSIVE VOICE. The passive voice treats the object of a verb as the subject of a sentence. The true action in question has no stated subject. It's an impersonal way to express an action.

Examples:

1. Aquí se habla español. (Spanish spoken here. Who's speaking it? It doesn't matter.)

2. En esta tienda, no se venden libros. (In this store, books are not sold. Who's not selling them? It doesn't matter.)

3. En Cuba se cultiva tabaco. (In Cuba tobacco is cultivated.)

The MEANING here is PASSIVE VOICE but the TECHNICAL STRUCTURE is REFLEXIVE. Note that in example 2, it's "No se VENDEN libros," (not VENDE). The form of the verb corresponds to the "subject" (libros) not to the unmentioned people who are supposed to be doing the action.

Assignment

1. Read a book (or an article, or part of a longer book) in Spanish at whatever level you feel comfortable (I encourage you the explore the Spanish materials at the library!) and bring it to class to share what you’ve read with one or two other students.

2. Write 10 examples of the use of the reflexive to express passive voice that have some sort of context as in the examples above.