Rules
e-->ie stem changers
e-->i stem changers
o-->ue stem changers
Translation of stem changing verbs
100

True/False: Preterite tense stem changers are also called "boot verbs"

False

Boot verbs refers to the present tense stem changers since all verbs except nosotros and vosotros get the stem change.


In the preterite, only 3rd person él/ella/ud and ellos/ellas/uds get stem changes.

100

Pedro ________ (mentir) sobre sus notas de ciencias.

mintió

e-->ie present tense stem changer 

conjugated for third person "Pedro" which is a specific "él"

Ends in -ir 

ment --> mint with él ending ió (mintió)

100

Tu hermana ____________ (repetir) la película.

repitió

e->i present tense stem changer

ends in -ir

3rd person singular: even though it says tu which is commonly mistaken as "you", it is actually the possessive "YOUR sister" which is a specific ella.

repet-->repit with ió ending (repitió)

100

Ellos __________ (morir) de risas.

murieron

stem changes o->ue in the present

ends in -ir

being conjugated for 3rd person

mor->mur and you add the ellos ending -ieron (murieron)

100

to serve

servir

200

Of the following -ir verbs, which one will stem change in the preterite?

vivir

descubrir

sentir

abrir

sentir

Sentir has an e->ie stem change in the present tense (siento, sientes, siente...)

All of the other verbs are regular in the present tense.

200

Ud. __________ (encender) la luz en la clase.

encendió

e-->ie present tense stem changer 

conjugated for third person "ud."

NOT an -ir verb

encend stays encend and ud. ending ió (encendió)

200

Yo te __________ (seguir) por las montañas.

seguí

e-->i stem changer in the present tense

ends in -ir

NOT conjugated for 3rd person as it's "yo"

The stem stays segu with í ending (seguí)

200

Ellos ___________ (encontrar) gangas en el mercado.

encontraron

o->ue stem changer and while it is being conjugated for 3rd person it does not end in -ir.

encontr- stays encontr- and you add the ellos ending for the -AR verb which is -aron (encontraron)

200

to turn on/light

encender

300

What conjugation endings will preterite tense stem changers use?

Regular preterite -ir endings

Stem changers will only have a change in the stem meaning that the endings will come from the regular endings (-í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron)

300

Mi familia ____________ (preferir) viajar por avión.

prefirió

e-->ie stem changer

ends in -ir

being conjugated for 3rd person. While many confuse family to either be plural 3rd person or nosotros, in Spanish family is a collective singular noun.

prefer-->prefir and the él ending -ió (prefirió)

300

Ellos me ___________ (pedir) el dinero.

pidieron

e-->i present tense stem changer

ends in -ir

being conjugated for 3rd person "ellos": the "me" which is commonly mistaken to mean that I did the action is actually an indirect object pronoun... I received a request from them, I didn't make the request.

ped-->pid with ieron ending (pidieron)

300

Aurora ___________ (dormir) en el torre.

durmió

o-->ue stem changer that ends in -ir being conjugated for 3rd person

dorm->durm with the ella ending -ió (durmió)

300

to lie/fib

mentir

400

What stem change options do we have in the preterite tense?


e-->i and o-->u

While the present tense has e->ie, e->i, o->ue, and u->ue we simplify that down for the preterite.

400

Tú te ____________ (divertir) en el concierto.

divertiste

Despite the verb being a present tense e-->ie stem changer that ends in -ir, we are NOT conjugating for 3rd person

despert stays despert and you add the tú ending -iste (divertiste)

400

El camarero (waiter) me __________ (servir) una hamburguesa.

sirvió

e-->i present tense stem changer

ends in -ir

being conjugated for 3rd person "el camarero" which is just a specific "él": the "me" which is commonly mistaken to mean that I did the action is actually an indirect object pronoun... I received the hamburger from the waiter, I wasn't the one who served it.

serv-->sirv with ió ending (sirvió)

400

Yo me ____________ (acostar) temprano.

acosté

o->ue present tense stem changer but does NOT end in -ir and not being conjugated for 3rd person

acost- stays acost- and you add the regular yo -AR ending -é (acosté)

400
to follow

seguir

500

Of the following, which verb(s) have the potential of stem changing in the preterite tense?

entender, acostar, vestir, salir, tener, preferir

(2) vestir and preferir

entender and acostar, despite being present tense stem changers, do not end in -ir

salir and tener are not present tense stem changers. Tener is irregular and salir has an irregular yo conjugation. 

500

Las noches ____________ (convertirse) a noches calientes.

Se convirtieron

e->ie stem changer

ends in -ir

being conjugated for 3rd person plural. When non-human nouns are the subject they will always be 3rd person singular or plural. Since its plural nights that converted, you use the 3rd person plural

convert->convirt with the ellos ending -ieron (convirtieron)

Since it's reflexive, you put the reflexive pronoun se in front of the conjugated verb.

500

La chica _____________ (vestire) para la fiesta.

se vistió

e-->i present tense stem changer

ends in -ir

being conjugated for 3rd person "la chica"

vest-->vist with ió ending (vistió). Also because the action is reflexive, you need the reflexive "se" before the conjugated verb

500
Nosotros ___________ (poder) ir a la playa.

pudimos

While it has an o->ue stem changer, we are not conjugating 3rd person and the verb does not end in -ir.

However, it is not a regular verb as it is one of the irregular verbs that we've learned.

500

To get oneself dressed

vestirse

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