Grammar Reference

Spanish alphabet, ñ, ll, rr, vowel system, stress rules

Can spell words and recognize Spanish pronunciation patterns including ñ, ll, rr

Subject pronouns: yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas, usted/ustedes

Can use subject pronouns to refer to people and understand tú/usted formality

Direct object pronouns: me, te, lo/la, nos, os, los/las

Can replace nouns with direct object pronouns and place them correctly

Indirect object pronouns: me, te, le, nos, os, les

Can use indirect object pronouns and understand pronoun doubling

Gustar (to like) and similar inverted-structure verbs

Can express likes and dislikes with gustar and similar verbs

Interrogative pronouns: qué, quién, cuál used as pronouns

Can distinguish qué, quién, and cuál as interrogative pronouns

Indefinite pronouns: algo, nada, alguien, nadie, alguno, ninguno

Can use indefinite pronouns for people and things, including double negation

Present tense conjugation of ser, uses: identity, origin, profession

Can use ser to express identity, origin, profession, and tell the time

Present tense conjugation of estar, uses: location, temporary states

Can use estar to express location, temporary states, emotions, and health

The key distinction between ser and estar, adjective meaning changes

Can distinguish between ser and estar and understand how some adjectives change meaning

Present tense conjugation of regular -ar verbs: hablar, trabajar, estudiar

Can conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense for all persons

Present tense conjugation of regular -er verbs: comer, beber, leer

Can conjugate regular -er verbs in the present tense and distinguish -er from -ar endings

Present tense conjugation of regular -ir verbs: vivir, escribir, abrir

Can conjugate regular -ir verbs and identify where they differ from -er verbs

Irregular stem-change verbs tener (to have) and venir (to come): e→ie

Can conjugate tener and venir, use tener for age, sensations, and obligations

Completely irregular verbs ir (to go) and dar (to give)

Can conjugate ir and dar, use ir + a for destinations

First person -go irregular verbs: hacer (to do/make), poner (to put), salir (to go out)

Can conjugate hacer, poner, salir and other -go verbs in the yo form

Reflexive verbs: levantarse, llamarse, ducharse with reflexive pronouns

Can use reflexive verbs for daily routines and introductions

Present continuous: estar + gerund (-ando/-iendo) for actions happening right now

Can form the present continuous to describe actions happening right now

Simple past tense of regular verbs: hablé, comí, viví

Can conjugate regular verbs in the simple past tense to describe completed actions

Past tense of ser and ir: fui, fuiste, fue — identical forms for both verbs!

Can use the past tense of ser and ir and distinguish them by context

Common irregular past tense forms: tuve, hice, pude, estuve

Can use common irregular past tense forms to narrate past events

Affirmative commands for tú: habla, come, vive + common irregulars

Can give basic commands and instructions using the tú imperative

Masculine and feminine nouns: -o/-a pattern, exceptions

Can identify the gender of common Spanish nouns and know key exceptions

Definite articles: el, la, los, las

Can use definite articles correctly with nouns and understand special uses with gustar, time, and body parts

Indefinite articles: un, una, unos, unas

Can use indefinite articles for first mentions and know when to omit them (professions, nationalities)

Plural formation: -s, -es, -ces rules

Can form plurals of nouns and articles correctly, including z→ces changes

Contractions: a + el = al, de + el = del

Can use the mandatory contractions al and del correctly and know when NOT to contract

Adjective agreement in gender and number with nouns

Can make adjectives agree with nouns in gender and number and place them correctly

Possessive adjectives: mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro

Can express possession using possessive adjectives and clarify ambiguous 'su'

Demonstrative adjectives: este/ese/aquel and their feminine/plural forms

Can use demonstrative adjectives for three distance levels and make them agree with nouns

Comparatives: más...que, menos...que, tan...como

Can compare things using más/menos...que and tan...como, including irregular comparatives

Cardinal numbers from 0 to 100

Can use cardinal numbers 0-100 for prices, ages, quantities

Ordinal numbers: primero through décimo

Can use ordinal numbers 1st-10th with correct gender agreement and shortening

Telling time: es la una, son las dos, quarter, half

Can ask and tell the time using ser, y/menos, cuarto/media

Days of the week, months, seasons — all lowercase in Spanish

Can name days, months, seasons, express dates, and discuss weekly routines

Question words: qué, quién, dónde, cuándo, cómo, cuánto, por qué

Can form questions using all question words with correct accents

Impersonal existential hay: there is / there are

Can express existence with hay and distinguish hay from estar

Negation: no before verb, double negation with nada, nunca, nadie

Can negate sentences and use double negation correctly

Basic conjunctions: y, o, pero, porque, que

Can connect sentences using basic conjunctions including y→e and o→u changes

Word order: SVO basic structure, question formation, flexibility

Can construct basic sentences and questions with correct word order

Infinitive phrases: querer/poder/necesitar + infinitivo

Can express wants, abilities, and needs using verb + infinitive

Near future: ir a + infinitivo for planned actions

Can talk about future plans using ir a + infinitive

Prepositions of place: en, sobre, debajo de, delante de, detrás de

Can describe where things are using prepositions of place

Basic prepositions: a, de, en, con, para, por — core uses at A1 level

Can use basic prepositions correctly including the personal 'a' and para/por distinction

Frequency adverbs: siempre, a veces, nunca, normalmente

Can express how often actions happen using frequency adverbs

Place adverbs: aquí, allí, cerca, lejos, arriba, abajo

Can describe locations using place adverbs

Affirmative and negative agreement: también (also) and tampoco (neither)

Can agree and disagree using también and tampoco

Time expressions for past: ayer, la semana pasada, hace...

Can use time expressions to situate events in the past

Temporal connectors: primero, después, luego, por último, al final

Can sequence events using temporal connectors

Useful exam phrases, classroom language, instruction vocabulary for DELE A1

Can use essential classroom language, exam instructions, and polite social expressions