LCA Spanish cheat sheet

Distinguish /b/ and /v/: Spanish has one bilabial /b/ sound; "vaca" and "baca" are homophones, so spelling must come from context, not sound.

The written accent marks stress, not vowel quality: "hablo" (present) vs "habló" (preterite) differ only by the final stressed syllable.

Sinalefa: a final vowel and an initial vowel across word boundaries merge into one syllable ("mi amigo" → "mia-mi-go"), which changes perceived word boundaries.

Numbers trap: "sesenta" (60) vs "setenta" (70); "quince" (15) vs "cincuenta" (50); "doscientos" vs "dos mil" - listen for the stressed syllable and the final segment.

Task-type rule: for multiple-choice listening, read the options first and predict the vocabulary field; the audio usually paraphrases, not repeats, the option wording.

Negation and double negation: "No vino nadie" and "No dijo nada" are grammatical; the presence of "no" plus a negative word does not cancel meaning.

Register cues: "usted" forms, "por favor", and titles signal formal interaction; "tú", diminutives (-ito), and "oye" signal informal.

Distinguish the two past tenses by discourse function: imperfect sets scene/habit ("llovía"), preterite advances plot ("salió").

Cognate caution: "actual" = current (not actual), "realizar" = to carry out (not to realize), "embarazada" = pregnant, "largo" = long.

Scan for connectors that mark logical relations: "sin embargo" (contrast), "por lo tanto" (consequence), "ya que" (cause), "a pesar de" (concession).

Identify the referent of clitics: "lo", "la", "le", "se" often refer to a noun in the previous sentence; a pronoun question usually requires rereading the prior clause.

Inference items: the correct answer is supported by the text but not stated verbatim; an option that merely repeats a text phrase is often a distractor.

Register markers in written text: "usted", passive "se", and nominalizations indicate formal prose; "tú", exclamations, and diminutives indicate informal or advertising prose.

Author-purpose questions hinge on text type: news report (inform), opinion column (persuade), recipe/instructions (direct), literary sketch (evoke).

Relative clauses: "que" (restrictive) vs ", el cual/la cual," (often non-restrictive with comma); the comma changes the claim being made.

False-friend idiom check: "echar de menos" = to miss; "dar con" = to find; "tener ganas de" = to feel like; these are lexical units, not literal sums.

Preterite vs imperfect: preterite for completed bounded events, imperfect for background, habitual action, and ongoing states; time markers "ayer" and "de repente" favor preterite, "antes" and "siempre" favor imperfect.

Ser vs estar: ser for identity, origin, profession, and inherent traits; estar for location, temporary state, and result of change ("está cansado" vs "es cansado" = he is a bore).

Subjunctive triggers: Wishes, Emotion, Impersonal expressions, Doubt/denial, Ojalá, and "que" after these; also after "cuando" referring to future ("cuando llegues").

Por vs para: por = cause, exchange, duration, movement through; para = purpose, destination, deadline, recipient.

Accent rules: words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s stress the penultimate syllable; others stress the last; any exception carries a written accent.

Reflexive vs non-reflexive changes meaning: "ir" (go) vs "irse" (leave); "dormir" (sleep) vs "dormirse" (fall asleep); "poner" vs "ponerse" (to become/wear).

Agreement: adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun; "el agua" takes feminine agreement but masculine singular article for stress-initial feminine nouns ("el agua fría").

Formal commands: third-person subjunctive forms ("hable", "coma", "venga"); negative tú commands use the subjunctive ("no hables"), affirmative tú commands use the third-person present ("habla").

Turn-taking markers: "pues", "bueno", "entonces" open a turn; "¿verdad?", "¿no?", "¿sabes?" invite confirmation and keep the floor.

Repair phrases when a word is missing: "o sea", "es decir", "lo que quiero decir es...", "¿cómo se dice...?" - these buy time and preserve fluency.

Polite disagreement: "Entiendo tu punto, pero...", "No estoy del todo de acuerdo porque..."; direct "estás equivocado" raises the register conflict.

Formal address: use "usted" with strangers, elders, and officials; switch to "tú" only when the other person does or explicitly offers ("tutéame").

Fluency strategy: circumlocution beats silence - describe the unknown word ("el aparato que sirve para...") rather than switching languages.

Intonation marks questions in Spanish without inversion: "¿Vienes mañana?" relies on rising final contour; statements fall.

Task interaction pattern for paired tasks: propose ("¿Qué te parece si...?"), accept or counter ("Me parece bien, aunque..."), and confirm the decision before closing.