Ane Ortega et al. - ¡Exacto!: A Practical Guide to Spanish Grammar

EXACTO!

A Practical Guide to

Spanish Grammar

Second Edition

EXACTO!

A Practical Guide to

Spanish Grammar

Second Edition

Ortega, Beaven,

Garrido & Scrivener

First edition published in Great Britain in 2002 by Arnold.

Second edition published 2009

By Hodder Education

Published 2013 by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

711 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

Copyright 2009 Ane Ortega, Tita Beaven, Cecilia Garrido, Sean Scrivener

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

The advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of going to press, but neither the authors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

ISBN 13: 9780-340984499 (pbk)

Cover Jennifer Stone/iStockphoto.com

Contents

Bienvenidos a Exacto! This section will give you useful information on how to make the most of the grammar book. Read it carefully before you start to use it.

Exacto! is a user-friendly Spanish grammar book which concentrates on the essentials but also covers more complex areas of the Spanish language. It uses an appealing visual layout in tabular form and explains grammar in a clear and concise way.

Features ofExacto!

A glossary of grammatical terms, explained in a user-friendly way and with examples.

Visually-appealing grammar explanations with easy-to-read tables and plenty of examples.

Exercises to practise and consolidate the grammar content of each unit, and a key with answers.

Real-life examples, including extracts from journalistic and literary sources to help you see grammar in action.

Coverage of points of special difficulty for the English-speaking learner, indicated by the icon .

Cross-referencing to related points of grammar, sign-posted by the icon .

Coverage of Spanish as a world language, with examples from different varieties of Peninsular Spanish and American Spanish. Information about relevant regional varieties is indicated by the icon .

Indications of levels of difficulty, both in the grammar explanations and in the exercises, to help you choose what is relevant for you.

Verb tables, with regular and irregular forms, in a separate appendix for quick reference.

A grammatical index to help you locate all your queries on Spanish grammar.

Who isExacto!for?

Exacto! assumes little formal knowledge of Spanish grammar. It covers the basics comprehensively but takes you further to the most challenging areas of Spanish grammar, with extensive coverage of Spanish verb and sentence structure. Whether you need to brush up the basics or need a tool to help you with the challenges of intermediate/upper-intermediate levels, Exacto! is for you.

This book does not take any knowledge for granted, either of the Spanish language or of grammatical terminology. To assist you with the grammatical labels, each term is introduced where it is used, and is explained in depth in the glossary at the beginning of the book.

Levels

To help you find what is most relevant for your level of Spanish, the content and exercises in Exacto! have been graded according to three levels. Watch out for the icons both in the unit or sub-headings and on each ejercicio. Here is a description of each level:

Level 1 covers the basics of Spanish grammar, from beginners to lower-intermediate level, GCSE, up to level B1 of the Council of Europe and the Open University level one Spanish courses. You will find the basic concepts under this icon, the main rules of the workings of Spanish with only minimum exceptions, simple and frequent vocabulary, standard register, and everything you need for the basic communicative functions. Practice includes simple drills and exercises to help you consolidate the basics.

Level 2 consolidates the basic grammar and starts expanding your knowledge of the Spanish language to include exceptions to the main rules, nuances of meanings and usage in all word categories, especially in the verb, and more complex structures such as appropriate uses of subordination. It bridges the gap towards intermediate levels, including AS/A levels, up to level B2 of the Council of Europe and the Open University level two Spanish courses. Examples and exercises include more extended use of vocabulary, although they are still related to common topics, and the functions and communicative situations found in the lower-intermediate to intermediate levels.

Level 3 covers less common vocabulary, often of the semi-specialised type, and areas of complex language use, including work on subordination, manipulation of tenses and handling of language at text level. You will need to look carefully at the sections indicated with this icon if you are at an upper-intermediate level, doing an A level or undergraduate course, courses equivalent to the C1 and C2 levels of the Council of Europe, or up to the Open University level three Spanish courses. Exercises include use of authentic texts of increased difficulty, such as literary extracts, and the register is expanded to include formal and informal/colloquial language, with more emphasis on idiomatic use.

We hope you find Exacto! clear and easy to use. Buena suerte!

The authors