Introduction: How this course came about, what it does and does not include, how it works, and how it is both faithful to and expands upon the Michel Thomas Language Courses COURSE SEGMENT 1: WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW 1. Introduction; -ible to -ible > possible - posible (one stingy s); horrible - horrible; etc. 2. -able to able > probable - probable; acceptable - aceptable; etc. 3. -AR verbs to -able Remove the -AR and add -able > dudar (to doubt) to dudable (doubtful); soportar (to bear) to soportable (bearable); tolerar (to tolerate) to tolerable; etc. 4. Add in to make a negative word > evitable (avoidable) to inevitable (inevitable; unavoidable); tolerable to intolerable; etc. Diminutive -ito > hijo (son) to hijito (affectionate, little boy); > Juan to Juanito (nickname). > besar (to kiss) to besable (kissable) 5. -ER verbs to ible > creer (to believe) to creible (believable); vender (to sell) to vendible (sellable); etc. - IR verbs to -ible > definir (to define) to definible (definable) -ible to -ible > flexible to flexible; compatible to compatible; etc. 6. - ant to -ante > important to importante; restaurant to restaurante; etc. -AR verbs to -ante >participar (to participate) to participante (participant); alarmar (to alarm) to alarmante (alarming); etc. 7. -ent to -ente > different to diferente (one stingy f); evident to evidente; incompetent to incompetente; etc. 8. -tion to -cion > condition to condicion; attention to atencion; formation to formacion; etc. 9. -sion to -sion > impression to impresion (one stingy s); decision to decision; mission to mision (one stingy s); etc. 10. ence to encia > influence to influencia; difference to diferencia (one stingy f); preference to preferencia; etc. 11. Words that look feminine but are masculine > the problem to el problema; the map to el mapa; the climate to el clima; etc. -ance to -ancia > importance to importancia; elegance to elegancia; intolerance to intolerancia; etc. 12. -ly to -mente automatically to automaticamente; naturally to naturalmente; personally to personalmente; etc. Use realmente for actually. 13. -ary to -ario > vocabulary to vocabulario; necessary to necesario (one stingy s); contrary to contrario; etc. 14. -ive to -ivo > exclusive to exclusivo; positive to positivo; constructive to constructivo; etc. 15. -ute to -uto >absolute to absoluto; substitute to substituto; institute to instituto; etc. -ous to -oso > famous to famoso; etc. 16. -ical to -ico > practical to pratico; basic to basico; magic to magico; etc. Require an accent over stressed syllable. 17. -ent to -ento > talent to talento; moment to momento; -t or -it to -to > honest to honesto; Robert to Roberto; credit to credito; etc. -ic to -ico > dramatic to dramatico; automatic to automatico; ironic to ironico; etc. Require an accent over the stressed syllable. 18. -ure to -ura - temperature to temperatura; literature to literatura; culture to cultura; etc. 19. -tude to -tud > aptitude to aptitud; altitude to altitud; gratitude to gratitude; etc. 20. -ity to -dad > possibility to posibilidad (one stingy s); humanity to humanidad; infinity to infinidad; etc. 21. -ist to -ista > artist to artista; dentist to dentista; optimist to optimista; etc. 22. -y to ia > irony to ironia; astronomy to astronomia; philosophy to filosofia (phonetic ph - f); etc. Require an accent over the stressed syllable. 23. -in or -ine to -ina > aspirin to aspirina; discipline to disciplina; gasoline to gasolina; etc. -ice to ina > office to oficina (one stingy f) 24. -id to -ido > solid to solido; valid to valido; timid to timido; etc. Require an accent over the stressed syllable. 25. -ism to -ismo > organism to organismo; capitalism to capitalismo; heroism to heroismo; etc. -ure to -uro > future to futuro. COURSE SEGMENT 2: MORE STRUCTURE: MORE VERBS AND HOW TO USE THEM 1. -AR Good Guy Regular Verbs >evitar (to avoid); tentar (to tempt); usar (to use); inventar (to invent); mencionar (to mention); formar (to form); gastar (to spend) Using gustarse - It is pleasing... It pleases me, you, us, them... Using deberia to express should More -AR Good Guys > gritar (to shout); ganar (to earn; to win) Wing tense endings: -AR Track and The Other Track aba; abas, aba; abamos, aban ia, ias, ia, iamos, ian 2. Inventing -AR Verbs Using -tion Words in English. Just remove the tion and add an r. > invitation to invitar (to invite); justification to justificar (to justify); etc. More -AR Good Guys olvidarse (to forget); cenar (to dine); imaginar (to imagine); admirar (to admire); instalar (to install); adorar (to adore); considerar (to consider); acusar (to accuse); inspirar (to inspire); clasificar (to classify); estudiar (to study); consolar (to console); administrar (to administer); etc. 3. More -AR Good Guys > negociar (to negotiate) Using si fuera for If I were... plus the conditional tense (-ria; rias; riamos; rian) > Si fuera mas joven, compraria un apartamento en Mallorca. (If I were younger, I would buy an apartment in Mallorca.) When would refers to the past. > Cuando era un hombre rico, compraba un coche nuevo todos los anos. (When I was a rich man, I WOULD buy a new car every year.) 4. More -AR Good Guys > limpiar (to clean); llamar (to phone; to call); gastar (to spend); mirarse (to look at); prestar (to lend); besar (to kiss) In Spanish, you spell it like it sounds. > tocar (to touch) in command tense, toque, etc. > atacar (to attack) in command tense, ataque, etc. 5. Good Guys from the Other Track: -ER and -IR beber (to drink); aprender (to learn); comprender (to understand); entender (to understand); responder (to respond; to answer); escribir (to write) 6. Reflexive Verbs - When the Subject and Object are the Same: Think ...self > esconderse (to hide oneself); despertarse (to wake up; to wake oneself up); sentarse (to sit down; to sit oneself down); levantarse (to get up or stand up; to get oneself up) lavarse (to wash oneself); casarse (to get married); vestirse (to get dressed; to dress oneself); irse (to go away); dormirse (to fall asleep); hacerse (to become; make of oneself); quejarse (to complain); darse cuenta de (to realize); olvidarse (to forget); expresarse (to express oneself); alegrarse (to be glad) The Impersonal One > Se come bien aqui. (One eats well here.) The Passive Voice: When the Subject is Acted Upon > El museo se abre todos los dias. (The museum is opened every day.) 7. More practice with -ER verbs and reflexives. > prometer (to promise); poder (to be able to); responder (to respond; to answer); caber (to fit into); llover (to rain); ofrecer (to offer); > protegerse (to protect oneself); defenderse (to defend oneself) 8. More -ER Verbs > deber (should, ought to); vender (to sell) GO GO to GA GA Verb > valer (to be worth); valer la pena (to be worth it) Ex. valgo to valga in command tense. Using sino to express but rather No soy rico sino pobre. (I am not rich, but rather poor.) 9. More -ER Verbs > temer (to fear); toser to cough); creer (to believe); crecer (to grow); reconocer (to recognize); meter (to place or put) 10. Some -IR Verbs > admitir (to admit); insistir en (insist on); invadir (to invade); omitir (to omit); decidir (to decide); sufrir (to suffer); recibir (to receive); cubrir (to cover) describir (to describe); abrir (to open); huir
