Spanish Grammar and Sentence Structure Syllabus

Grammar and Sentence Structure syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Grammar and Sentence Structure in Spanish, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Noun-Adjective Agreement

   2 topics

   • Gender and Number
   • Position of Adjectives
2. 2

   Verb Tenses

   3 topics

   • Present Tense
   • Past Tense (Preterite and Imperfect)
   • Future and Conditional Tenses
3. 3

   Sentence Construction

   3 topics

   • Simple Sentences
   • Compound Sentences
   • Complex Sentences

Grammar and Sentence Structure flashcards for Spanish

18 of 50 cards from the Grammar and Sentence Structure deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In Spanish, what two grammatical properties must every noun have, and what must agree with them?

   Every Spanish noun has gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Articles and adjectives must agree with the noun in both gender and number.

2. What is the general rule for guessing a Spanish noun's gender based on its ending?

   Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine (el libro); nouns ending in -a are usually feminine (la casa). This is a guideline with many exceptions.

3. Give three common exceptions to the '-o = masculine, -a = feminine' gender rule.

   el día (day, masculine, ends in -a), la mano (hand, feminine, ends in -o), and words of Greek origin ending in -ma like el problema, el tema, el mapa (masculine).

4. What gender do Spanish nouns ending in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, and -tud typically take?

   They are typically feminine: la canción, la decisión, la ciudad, la libertad, la actitud.

5. State the basic rules for forming the plural of Spanish nouns.

   Add -s to nouns ending in a vowel (casa → casas); add -es to nouns ending in a consonant (papel → papeles); nouns ending in -z change z to c and add -es (lápiz → lápices).

6. How do the four forms of the Spanish definite article ('the') break down by gender and number?

   el (masculine singular), la (feminine singular), los (masculine plural), las (feminine plural).

7. How do the four forms of the Spanish indefinite article ('a/an', 'some') break down?

   un (masculine singular), una (feminine singular), unos (masculine plural), unas (feminine plural).

8. When a feminine singular noun begins with a stressed 'a' or 'ha' sound, which article is used and why?

   The masculine article el/un is used (el agua, el águila, un hacha) to avoid two 'a' sounds clashing, but the noun stays feminine and its adjectives are feminine (el agua fría). The plural returns to feminine: las aguas.

9. Where are most descriptive (qualifying) adjectives placed relative to the noun in Spanish?

   Most descriptive adjectives follow the noun: la casa blanca (the white house), un coche rápido (a fast car).

10. Which types of adjectives normally come BEFORE the noun in Spanish?

    Quantity/limiting adjectives (numbers, mucho, poco, otro), demonstratives (este, ese), possessives (mi, tu), and articles precede the noun: muchos libros, este día, mi amigo.

11. How does the meaning of 'grande' change depending on whether it comes before or after the noun?

    Before the noun it means 'great/impressive' (un gran hombre = a great man); after the noun it means 'big/large' (un hombre grande = a big man). Grande shortens to 'gran' before any singular noun.

12. How does the placement of 'viejo' change its meaning?

    Before the noun 'un viejo amigo' means a long-standing/old friend (friend for a long time); after the noun 'un amigo viejo' means a friend who is elderly in age.

13. Which adjectives shorten (apocopate) before a masculine singular noun? Give examples.

    bueno → buen, malo → mal, primero → primer, tercero → tercer, uno → un, alguno → algún, ninguno → ningún. Example: un buen día, el primer piso, algún libro.

14. How must an adjective agree with the nouns it describes for gender and number?

    An adjective agrees in gender and number: la casa roja, los coches rojos. Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant have no separate feminine form (un libro verde, una mesa verde) but still add -s/-es in the plural.

15. When one adjective describes two nouns of different genders, which form does it take?

    It takes the masculine plural form: la casa y el coche rojos (the red house and car).

16. State the present-tense endings for regular -ar verbs (e.g., hablar).

    -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan.

17. State the present-tense endings for regular -er verbs (e.g., comer).

    -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en: como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen.

18. State the present-tense endings for regular -ir verbs (e.g., vivir).

    -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven. They differ from -er verbs only in the nosotros (-imos) and vosotros (-ís) forms.

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