Major Grammar Topics By: Jeremy Methven

Superlatives (more and less) Más que and menos que are used to say who is more and who is less of something Using más que and menos que compares one person to another EXAMPLE: Ricky es más alto que Esteban. Ricky is taller than Esteban. Sr. Robinson es menos atlético que Mateo. Sr. Robinson is less athletic than Mateo.

Superlatives Cont. An adjective (alto, bajo, atlético, etc.) must be surrounded by más and que or menos and que

Superlatives (The Most and least) To say who is the most and least of something of a certain group The key words are el, la, los, or las, más or menos, and de. El, la, los, or las depends on gender and number, más is most and menos is least, and de doesnt change. EXAMPLE: Ricky es el más alto de todos en el grupo. Ricky is the tallest of everyone in the group. Ricky es el menos rubio de todos en el grupo. Ricky is the least blonde of everyone in the group.

Superlatives Cont. El, la, los, or las must be followed directly by más or menos, then an adjective, followed by de and the group being compared You can also say that someone is the most or least without comparing them to a group EXAMPLE: Luis es el más alto. Carmen es la más pequeña. Mercedes es la menos cansada. Luis is the tallest. Carmen is the smallest. Mercedes is the least tired.

Superlatives Cont. You can also use nouns with superlatives by putting it between el, la, los, or las and más or menos EXAMPLE: Luis es el chico más alto. Mercedes prepara las comidas más sabrosas. Luis is the tallest boy. Mercedes makes the tastiest meals. Use lo when you want to say that something is the most or least, using the EXAMPLE: Lo más increíble es que son las dos… The most incredible (thing) is that its two oclock…

Superlatives cont. Some words used to compare: –El/la mejor- better –El/la peor- worse –El/la mayor- older –El/la menor- younger Remember to match el, la, los, and las with gender and number and the same with adjectives

Preterits are verbs that occurred in the past Verb endings change from present to past tense -ar (past tense) é amos aste asteis ó aron EXAMPLE: hablé hablamos hablaste hablasteis habló hablaron

Preterits Cont. -er e –ir (past tense) í imos iste isteis ió ieron EXAMPLE: abrí abrimos abriste abristeis abrió abrieron

Preterits cont. Regular verbs that end in –car, -gar, or - zar have a spelling change in the yo form This is done to keep the original sound of the verb stem EXAMPLE: Sacar c qu yo saqué Pagar g gu yo pagué Empezar z c yo empecé The c changes to qu, the g changes to gu, and the z changes to a c, all in the yo form.