2 The present tense of verbs

with stem changes

You have learned that regular verbs, when

conjugated, keep their stem (also called root
or radical), drop the -ar, -er, and -ir in-
finitive endings, and add the corresponding
endings for the respective subjects (yo, tú,
etc.). However, stem-changing verbs do not
follow the regular verb patterns of conjuga-
tion. As their name suggests, they change
a vowel in the stem. Remember that stem
changes affect all persons in the singular
and in the third-person plural. The excep-
tions are the nosotros and vosotros forms,
both plural forms.

Although they do not always use the

same system, vocabulary and verb lists in
textbooks and dictionaries usually indicate
stem changes: e > ie, o > ue, etc., following
the infinitive in the entry. For example: em-
pezar (e > ie) tells you the present tense is
empiezo, empiezas, etc.

Stem-changing verbs are grouped accord-

ing to the infinitive endings and the pat-
terns of change in the stem vowels. Several
lists of stem-changing verbs appear in this
unit for you to use as reference and vocab-
ulary building. You will see (-se) attached
to some of the infinitives, indicating they
are used as reflexive verbs with the reflexive

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pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se). You may
wish to review the unit on reflexive verbs
(Unit 8) as you study stem-changing verbs.

Verbs Ending in -ar and-er

-Ar and -er stem-changing verbs with the
stem vowel e change to ie. Remember that
the stem changes occur in all forms except
the plural forms nosotros and vosotros.

cerrar (to close) querer (lo lave; to wvant)

cierro cerramos
quiero querem0s
cierras cerráis quieres queréis
cierra cierran quiere quieren

The following is a list of commonly used

verbs that follow the pattern of cerrar and
querer:

er
acertar to guess defender to defend
atravesar to cross (over) descender to descend, go down
comenzar to start, begin encender to light up
confesar to confes entender to understand
despertar(se) to wake up perder to lose; to miss
empezar to start, begin
encerrar to lock in, contain
to wash dishes; to scrub
fregar
gobernar to govern, rule
helar to freeze
negar to deny
nevar to snow
pensar (en) to think (of, about)
recomendar to recommend, advise
remendar to mend. patch
sentar(se) to sit down, seat (oneself)
tropezar (con) to stumble (into, acroxs)

Keep in mind that helar and nevar are

impersonal verbs used in the third-person
singular only.

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Podemos esquiar si nieva. We can ski if it snows.
La carretera es peligrosa cuando hiela. The road is dangerous when itfreezs.

ejercicio 2-1
Práctica. Completa la oración con la forma
apropiada del verbo entre paréntesis.
1. En invierno, yo
(preferir) esquiar
2. El camarero no
recomendar) el pescado.

3. Quién (encen
der) el fuego en la hoguera (fireplace)?

4. Ustedes sí. (entender)

las instrucciones del profesor.

5. El presidente de Brasil
(gobernar) con la aprobación del congreso.
6. Kelly siempre (pen-
sar) antes de responder.

7. El guardia. (cerrar) las

puertas del palacio.

ejercicio 2-2
:Qué hacen estas personas? Escoge (choose)
el verbo adecuado para comunicar el mensaje
de cada oración. Después, escribe la forma
apropiada del presente para cada respuesta.

comenzar entender helar

defender gobernar sentarse

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1. El presidente desde la
Casa Blanca.
2. El abogado. al acusado
ante el jurado (jury).

3. A qué hora. el partido

de béisbol?
4. Cuando las temperat-
uras descienden.

5. Quién no la pre
gunta?
6. Nosotros en el salón
para ver la televisión.

-Ar and -er stem-changing verbs with the

stem vowel o change to ue.

contar (lo count; to tell, rell) volver (to durm)

cuento contamos vuelvo volvemos

cuentas contáis vuelves volvéis
cuenta Cuentan vuelve vuelven

The following is a list of commonly

used -ar and -er verbs that follow the pat-
tern of contar and volver:

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 er

acordar(se) de to remember conmoverT to move (emotionalh)

acostar(se) to go to bed devolver to return (something)
almorzar to eat lunch doler to hurt
aprobar to approve Wover to rain
colgar to hang (up) morder to bite
costar to cost mover to move (an object)
demostrar to demonstrate; to prove oler to smell
encontrar to find poder to be able to
jugar (a) to play (a gume or sport) resolver to solve
mostrar to show revolver to shake
probar(se) to try; to taste; to try on soler to be accustomed to
recordar to remember
rogar to beg
sonar to ring, sound
soñar (con) to dream
tronar to thunder
volar tof

Keep in mind the following:

Jugar (to play la game or sport]) is a u stem
verb conjugated like contar. (It is the only
u ue stem-changing verb in Spanish.)
Spanish spelling rules require h to pre-
cede all present tense forms of oler, except
nosotros and vosotros: huelo, hueles, etc.
. Llover and tronar are usually used in
the third-person singular only, llueve (it's
raining) and truena (it's thundering) except
when used in figurative speech.

Le llueven proposiciones de negocios.

The business propositions are pouring in.

Some stem-changing verbs have spelling

as well. Torcer(se), to twist, and
changes
the stem o to uue
cocer, to cook, change
and the yo form follows the pattern of-cer
verbs with spelling changes.

Me tuerzo el pie si no tengo cuidado. Il twist my foot if I am not careful.

Si cuezo los vegetales, podemos comer IfI cook the vgelables, we can eat soon.
pronto.

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ejercicio 2-3
De vacaciones en la playa. Escribe la forma
apropiada del verbo entre paréntesis.
1. Burt y yo (poder) des-
cansar durante las vacaciones de verano.

2. Lejos de la playa, una habitación en el

Hotel Novoa no (costar)
mucho.

3. Mi agente de viajes siempre (encontrar)

tarifas (rates) especiales.
4. Yo (soler) almorzar al
mediodía.

5. Cuando estoy de vacaciones

(almorzar) más tarde.

6. Yo (jugar) al tenis por

las mañanas.

7. Si (llover), voy al gim-

nasio.

8. Burt y yo (recordar)
nuestras vacaciones en Puerto Rico.

ejercicio 2-4
En españiol.
1. It is thundering.

2. I remember (recordar).

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3. It COsts ten dollars.

4. She wraps the gift.

5. Silvia counts the bills.

6. We play now.

7. You (tú show the photo.

8. They smell the flowers.

Verbs Ending in -ir

In the present tense, stem-changing verbs
ending in -ir are grouped in one of three
patterns according to the change in the
stem vowel: e to ie, o to ue, and e to i. As
with all stem-changing verbs, the changes
occur in all forms except the plural forms
nosotros and vosotros.
-Ir verbs with the stem vowel e change to
ie.

preferir (to prefer)

prefiero preferimos
prefieres preferis
prefiere prefieren

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Verbs like preferir
advertir to notify, warn presentir to forebode. predict
convertir to convert referir(se) a to refer to
divertir(se) to have a good time sentir to regret
hervir to boil sentir(se) feel
mentir to lie

ejercicio 2-5
Práctica. Usa la forma apropiada del verbo
entre paréntesis.
1. Elsa (preferir) café.
2. Ese hombre. (mentir).
3. Los jugadores (presen-
tir) ya la victoria.

4. Los funcionarios del gobierno

(advertir) el peligro a la
población.
5. Tú (mentir)!
6. Yo (sentir) mucho su
ausencia.

7. Por qué Uds. no. (con

vertir) los dólares a pesos?

8. La nota en el libro
(referir) a la página 225.

ejercicio 2-6
En español.
1. The water boils (is boiling).

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2. Martha doesn't lie.

3. He feels fine.

4. They have a good time.

5. You (Ud.) are

lying.

6. We prefer to play chess (ajedrez).

I r verbs with the stem vowel o change to

ue.

dormir (to sleep)

duermo dormimos
duermes dormís
duerme duermen

Morir(se) (to die) is conjugated like

dormir.
-Ir verbs with the stem vowel e change to i.

pedir (to ask for, request)

pido pedimos
pides pedis
pide piden

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Verbs that follow the conjugation pattern of
pedir are:

despedir to fire (fwm a job)

despedir(se) to say good-bye
impedir to avoid, prevent
medir to measure
perseguir to pursue; to follow
reírse (de) to laugh; to make fun (of)
repetir to repeat
seguir to follow; to continue
servir to serve
sonreir(se) to smile
vestir(se) to dress; to get dressed

Note the spelling changes of seguir and its

compounds where the soft g sound is fol-
lowed by e: sigues, sigue, siguen. All forms
of reir and sonreir have an accent mark on
the stem vowel i.

ejercicio 2-7

Práctica. Los modales en el trabajo. En es-

pañol. Usa el presente y la persona tú.
1. Do you smile when you see your col-
leagues?

2. Do you follow the rules at work?

3. Do you measure your words when you

speak with your supervisor?

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