Pitmans Commercial Spanish Grammar | Page 5

on, without, behind, the father:
Por, Para, Con, En,
Sobre, Sin, Tras, el padre.
The following are the principal cases in which the definite article is
used in Spanish and not in English--
0. Before nouns taken in a general sense, as--
El oro y la plata: Gold and silver.
Los hombres o las mujeres: Men or
women.
2. Before titles denoting dignity and profession,[13] as--
El Senor Fulano: Mr. So-and-So.
El Rey Jorge V.: King George V.

El Profesor Rosales: Professor Rosales.
The only exception is "Don" (Mr.), only used before Christian names,
as Don Francisco (Mr. Francis).
3. Generally before each of several nouns following each other when
they are material possessions, as--
La casa y el jardin de mi hijo: My son's[14] house and garden. Las
puertas y las ventanas de mi casa: The doors and windows of my house.
But--
La diligencia, devocion, y virtud de mi primo: the diligence, devotion

and virtue of my cousin.
4. Before a proper noun qualified by an adjective, as--
El valiente Juan: Brave John.[15]
The following are the principal cases in which the indefinite article is
used in English and not in Spanish--
0. Before a noun following the verb "to be," or other similar verbs, as--
Es capitan[16]: He is a captain.
Soy frances: I am a Frenchman.
Se
hizo actor: He became an actor.
Le elegimos miembro de esta
sociedad: We elect him a member of this society.
Fue elegido
miembro: He was elected a member.
2. After "what" used in exclamations, as: Que hermosa vista: What a
fine view!
3. Before "hundred" and "thousand": 100--ciento, 1,000--mil.
[Footnote 13: Except when vocative, viz., calling a person or as an
exclamation.]
[Footnote 14: The 's = possessive does not exist in Spanish. "My son's
house" must always be translated as "the house of my son."]
[Footnote 15: Except when vocative, viz., calling a person or as an
exclamation.]
[Footnote 16: Except, of course, when we particularize, as--Es un
capitan que conoci en Paris: He is a captain I knew in Paris.]
_Imperfect Tense,[17] Indicative Mood_.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| =Hablar=. | =Temer=. | =Partir=. |

|Yo hablaba | Yo temia | Yo partia | | (I spoke), etc. | (I feared), etc. | (I
departed),etc. | |Tu hablabas | Tu temias | Tu partias | |El or Ella | El or
Ella | El or Ella | | hablaba | temia | partia | |Nosotros) hablabamos |
Nosotros) temiamos | Nosotros) partiamos | |Nosotras) | Nosotras) |
Nosotras) | |Vosotros) hablabais | Vosotros) temiais | Vosotros) partiais
| |Vosotras) | Vosotras) | Vosotras) | |Ellos) hablaban | Ellos) temian |
Ellos) partian | |Ellas) | Ellas) | Ellas) | |V. hablaba (you | V. temia (you |
V. partia (you | | (s.) spoke) | (s.) feared) | (s.) parted) | |Vs. hablaban
(you | Vs. temian (you | Vs. partian (you |

| (_pl._) spoke) | (_pl._) feared) | (_pl._)
parted) |
_Past Definite,[17] Indicative Mood_.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| =Hablar=. | =Temer=. | =Partir=. |
|Hable[18] | Temi[18] | Parti[18] | | (I spoke), etc. | (I feared), etc. | (I
departed), etc.|
|Hablaste | Temiste |
Partiste |
|Hablo | Temio |
Partio |
|Hablamos | Temimos |
Partimos |
|Hablasteis | Temisteis |
Partisteis |
|Hablaron | Temieron |
Partieron |

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