e to ie stem-changing verbs  



Gramática
For some verbs, the letter (e) changes to (ie) in the present
tense (with the exception of nosotros and vosotros).

These verbs are known as e to ie stem-changing verbs.

Forms of the verb querer (to want)

yo quiero (I want) nosotros (as) queremos (we want)
tú quieres (you want) vosotros (as) queréis (you all want)
Ud./él/ella quiere (you want, he wants, she wants) Uds./ellos/ellas quieren (you want, they want)
  • NB: This verb is a "shoe verb" and is irregular but
    in a predictable pattern. The forms in bold make the shape
    of a shoe and these are the only forms in which the stem changes.

    • Forms of the verb empezar (to begin, start)

    yo empiezo (I begin) nosotros (as) empezamos (we begin)
    tú empiezas (you begin) vosotros (as) empezáis (you all begin)
    Ud./él/ella empieza (you begin, he begins, she begins) Uds./ellos/ellas empiezan (you begin, they begin)
  • NB: This verb is a "shoe verb" and is irregular but
    in a predictable pattern. The forms in bold make the shape
    of a shoe and these are the only forms in which the stem changes.

    • Gramática
    Other verbs that follow the same pattern are:

    perder - to lose

    pensar - to think

    cerrar - to close

    comenzar - to begin

    despertar - to wake up

    empezar - to begin

    recomendar - to recommend

    defender - to defend

    entender - to understand

    Example Sentences with querer

    Quiero hablar con Martina. - I want to talk to Martina.
    ¿Quieres hablar con Martina? - Do you want to talk with Martina?
    ¿Quiere tomar algo? - Do you want to drink something?
    Queremos estudiar historia. - We want to study history.
    Ella quiere un gato. - She wants a cat.
    Él quiere un perro. - He wants a dog.
    Yo quiero un perro y un gato. - I want a dog and a cat.
    Ellos quieren comer hamburguesas. - They want to eat hamburgers.
    Ella quiere una guitarra. - She wants a guitar.

    - más -

    Sentences with cerrar
    Cierro la puerta. - I close the door. (I am closing the door.)
    ¿A qué hora cierra el banco? - What time does the bank close?
    El hombre cierra la puerta. - The man closes the door.
    Cierren ustedes el libro, por favor. - Close your books, please.
    No cierres la fábrica. - Don't close the factory.
    Él cierra la tienda. - He closes the store.
    Ella cierra la ventana. - She closes the window.
    Elena cierra la farmacia a las 6:00 P.M. - Elena closes the pharmacy at 6P.M.

    - más -

    Sentences with empezar
    ¿Cuándo empiezo? - When do I start?
    El curso empieza el lunes. - The course starts on Monday.
    La escuela empieza en agosto. - School begins in August.
    El otoño empieza en octubre. - Fall begins in October.
    Yo empiezo la universidad en agosto. - I begin college in August.
    Él empieza el juego a las 3:00 P.M. - He starts the game at 3:00 P.M.
    Nosotros empezamos a jugar tenis el martes. - We begin playing tennis on Tuesday.
    Ellos empiezan sus vacaciones en septiembre. - They begin their vacation in September.
    - más -

    Notes for the Tutor

    • The student should repeat the simple sentences to practice and improve his or her pronunciation.
    • Suggested Homework: The student should memorize the conjugations by writing out the conjugation several times. Also, the student should form sentences so the correct use of the verbs is learned.




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