A major undertaking in language acquisition is correct verb knowledge and usage. For a beginner Spanish students, it not enough for them to memorize the word and its definition; they must also know how it changes when used with a pronoun. This concept is strange to English speakers; most of our verbs change with tense, but not with person or number.
The best place to start in Spanish is with regular -ar, -er, and -ir ending verbs. It is essential prior knowledge for students to memorize the common endings for each subset of words. Once students learn the conjugation methods for pronouns, they can begin to describe and explain more accurately.
| Pronouns | Ar Verb Endings | Er Verb Endings | Ir Verb Endings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | -o | -o | -o |
| Tú/ Usted (You/ You Formal) | -as | -es | -es |
| Él /Ella (He/She) | -a | -e | -e |
| Nosotros/as (We) | -amos | -emos | -imos |
| Vosotros/as (You Pl. Spain) | -áis | -éis | -ís |
| Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas (Masculine/Feminine Plural) | -an | -en | -en |
Using Storyboard That, students can practice their conjugation by creating and writing scenarios using present tense verbs. Again, the teachers can start by creating a storyboard or template, and ask students to complete it by placing the appropriate dialogue in the text bubbles, or students can create their own from scratch.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that illustrates a scenario using present tense verbs.
Boost student engagement by incorporating fun, interactive games that reinforce regular -ar, -er, and -ir verb conjugations. These activities help students practice forms in a memorable way and encourage active participation.
Choose a classroom-friendly game such as Bingo, Conjugation Relay, or Memory Match using regular verbs. Personalize the game with verbs your students are learning for extra relevance and excitement.
Make sets of cards or slides that show Spanish pronouns and regular verbs in their infinitive form. Include blank spaces for students to fill in the correct conjugations during the game.
Clearly state the objectives and rules before beginning. Demonstrate how to play a sample round so students see how to match pronouns to correct verb endings.
Encourage every student to participate and praise correct conjugations. Use class discussion to highlight tricky forms and clarify common mistakes for everyone’s benefit.
-ar, -er, and -ir verbs in Spanish have different endings for each pronoun. For example, the 'yo' form ends in -o for all three, but other forms use -as/-es, -a/-e, etc. Learning these endings is key to correct conjugation.
Start by introducing pronouns and their matching verb endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Use visual aids or storyboards to show examples, and practice by creating sentences or dialogues with students.
The most effective way is through interactive activities like creating storyboards, role-playing dialogues, and filling in verb charts. These methods help students apply conjugations in real contexts.
Spanish verbs change endings to indicate who is performing the action. This helps clarify subject–verb agreement, which is different from English where verb forms are usually the same for most pronouns.
Yes! For example: hablar (-ar): yo hablo, tú hablas; comer (-er): yo como, tú comes; vivir (-ir): yo vivo, tú vives.