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Get Set for Rápido Lower Intermediate 5
The focus of the Lower Intermediate levels has been on developing the past tenses. We've seen both the pretérito perfecto (he estado, he vuelto, he ido) and pretérito indefinido (estuve, volví, fui) in some detail now, and have had a good opportunity to get some solid practice using those tenses.
In Lower Intermediate 5 we introduce a third past tense: the pretérito imperfecto.
This tense is quite different to the other two in terms of its use, and the distinction between the pretérito indefinido and pretérito imperfecto is one of the great milestones of learning Spanish.
In this level you take your first steps with this tense. There'll be plenty more opportunities for practice in the Upper Intermediate levels but for now it's an opportunity to get familiar with it.
Where am I up to?
Lower Intermediate 5 is the last of 5 Lower Intermediate levels.
Together, the Lower Intermediate levels form the A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Click here for more information about the CEFR.
And click here for an overview and detailed explanation of all our levels.
Before starting Lower Intermediate 5, study up on:
The present tense
By now, you should be feeling fairly confident with the present tense.
If not, take a detour and spend some extra time on it, the basics are always good to get right.
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The Spanish Verb System – an El Patio resource |
ESTAR + gerundio
Worth a little extra revision is the useful structure ESTAR + gerundio.
We saw this in Lower Intermediate 2, when we learnt it in the present tense. At that time, we used it to talk about activities happening 'right now':
– ¿Qué estás haciendo?
– Estoy cenando con Raúl ¿y tú?
– Estoy viendo la tele – ¿me llamas después?
– Vale
In Lower Intermediate 5 you'll get to use this with the pretérito imperfecto to talk about interrupted actions in the past.
Take a moment now to revise the forms of the gerundio (–ando, –iendo) particularly the irregular ones like durmiendo and leyendo.
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StudySpanish.com – ESTAR + gerundio |
Get dexterous with the pretérito perfecto & indefinido
It's very normal for students at this stage to feel a bit confused. What's confusing is which tense to use when. Picking the right tense is the challenge.
Some time soon, you'll be able to 'flip' between tenses for any one verb. If he estado isn't right you can quickly try estuve. And, by the end of Lower Intermediate 5, you'll be able to flip to estaba.
This kind of dexterity takes a lot of hard work, especially if you're not learning in a country where the language is spoken and don't often get to observe native speakers making these subtle choices in their own speech.
So be kind to yourself (it can be tough-going), and also put in the time to do the hard work.
Musicians practise scales and rock climbers do finger-strengthening exercises. If you're learning a language, nothing will help you more than learning your verbs!
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StudySpanish.com – the pretérito perfecto |
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StudySpanish.com – the pretérito indefinido (part 1) |
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Perfecto, indefinido, imperfecto - an El Patio resource |
Direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, reflexive pronouns
Learning to distinguish the direct object pronouns (me / te / lo / la / nos / os / los / las) from the indirect object pronouns (me / te / le /nos / os / les) and the reflexive pronouns (me / te / se / nos / os / se) is a long-term project.
Another approach to this is to think about which verbs use the different sets of pronouns.
For example, what is it about the verb DECIR that means it can take both a direct and indirect object?
And what is it about the verb GUSTAR that means it never uses the direct object pronouns?
Set yourself some riddles! If you can identify why certain verbs 'fit better' with the different pronouns, that will help distinguish them.
And it's good to keep in mind that native speakers of Spanish get these little words confused too.
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Trent University – The direct object pronoun (exercises) |
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StudySpanish.com – Reflexive verbs |
Happy studying!
We hope you enjoy your course.
If we can help with anything please get in touch.
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