Accents

Accents count back from the end of the word, never more than three syllables (The accent mark is always placed over the vowel in that syllable)

1. If a word ends in a VOWEL or N or S, and the accent sounds on the first syllable, place the accent on the first vowel (syllable)  -- papá  pa-pa
    
2. If a word ends in a vowel or N or S and the accent is on the second syllable, there is NO WRITTEN accent. - algunas   al-gun-as.  On the shortened, male form, there is an accent on the  u   al-gun (algún)
    
3. If the strong accent is the THIRD syllable, place an accent on the 3rd vowel  regardless of the ending.  Cómate  co-ma-te (you eat)

When a pronoun is added at the end of the verb, count back three syllables and place the accent there.  Estás acostándote.     acos-tán-do-te     (You  go to bed.)
                                                  3   2   1

The written accent is also used to distinguish between two words spelled alike but different in meaning --
 si (if) -  sí (yes),   el (the) -  él (he),   té (tea) - te (you)  tú (you)   tu (your)  sólo (only) - solo (alone)   Mí (me) - mi (my)

An accent is always used on the stressed syllable of all interrogative words –
            ¿Qué? (what), 
            ¿quién? (who) 
            ¿dónde? (where)  
            ¿cúando?(when) 
            ¿cuál?(which)    
            ¿cómo?(how)

A.  Most words which end in a VOWEL,  a, e, i, o, u, and in N or S, are stressed on the next to last (2nd) syllable   Es-te-ban     es-cu-chen     ro-ja    es-tu-dia

B.   Most words which end in any other letter, the natural stress falls on the last syllable
 Pa-pel     ciu-dad     es-cri-bir    re-loj    es-toy  (no accent mark is used)
                 
C.   Words not pronounced according to these two rules have a written accent on the stressed   syllable -- café,  Inglés,  lección,  tambíen.   

            NOTE:  Words ending in -ion, always have an accent mark on the  -o
             acción   lección    condición    aplicación        

Word endings

         IN ENGLISH                                                   IN SPANISH

Words ending in  -ly (equally)   All verbs change the –ly  to –mente (egualmente)

Words ending in (gerunds/gerundios) –ing:           
 In AR verbs, the -ing becomes -ando   (dar)  (dando)  giving
 In ER and IR verbs, the -ing becomes -iendo  (escribir) escribiendo; (comer) comiendo

Some verbs in the “ing” form,  like oír and leer, become oyendo (hearing) and leyendo (reading) (the “i and e” become “y”)

PAST PARTICIPLES – have or has done, been, etc. Use the verb haber
HABER as an auxiliary verb, forms compound tense meaning to have or has...
            AR verbs take on -ado  and
            ER and IR verbs take on -ido

Comer:

PLURAL ENDINGS
     Words ending in vowels, a, e, i, o, u form plurals by adding  -s   lámpara - lamparas
     Words ending in consonants form plurals by adding -es  suéter  - sueteres
     Words ending in -z form plurals by changing the -z to -c and adding –es,.luz - luces
           
GUSTAR -  to be pleasing to....
Gustar + infinitive  (an unconjugated verb)           Me gusta cocinar. (I like to cook.)
Gustar is usually used with a pronoun to tell to WHOM something is pleasing.
It is alwlays preceded by : me,  te,  le,  nos, les

Me gusta          te gusta         le gusta         nos gusta          les gusta

If what you like is plural, use gustan.  Me gustan los camarones.

Hester Chamberlain
Learning Assistance Center
Eastfield College