Posted by Por and Para is Big!
When we made the video on the rules of POR and PARA we never for a moment expected it to being so popular. Out of all the videos that we have made, this one is the most watched.
The reason for this, we suppose, is that POR and PARA are two of the most confusing prepositions that exist in the Spanish language.
I recall, when I was first learning Spanish, that my mother who was then doing her A levels, decided to explain to me the rules and regulations of these two words. She had just recently learned them in her Spanish class and she rattled them off to me at the speed of light.
As I listened to her, two things went through my mind:
1) I must somehow concentrate on what she is saying.
2) I will never in a million years remember all of those rules.
I’m sure that you, too, have had a similar experience.
Grammar Book Writers (What’s all that about?)
It seemed to me at the time that to have the job of writing the rules and regulations in grammar books, you needed to have such a elevated vocabulary that nobody could understand a word that you were saying. Fortunately, these days the people that write Spanish grammar books seem to be a little more relaxed and groovy.
And so, it was only through years of teaching POR and PARA that I realised that the rules were not so difficult. In fact, 90% of the rules could be condensed into three symbols.
Where to find the symbols
To see what those symbols are and to understand just how easy it is to effectively use POR and PARA, then you should watch the first video in this series.
Since making this video, we have had a tremendous amount of positive feedback about how the video has helped students to gain more clarity on this subject.
So, to take this understanding to a new level, we have made a follow up video in which you can test your skills and check to see that you have understood the three basic rules presented in the first video.
The POR and PARA Test
As promised, here are the sentences that I use to test you with:
1, ¿…………….. cuando tendrás eso hecho?
2, Tengo que tener esto hecho …………… septiembre.
3, Antonio está lejos de casa. Su hermana tiene que regar sus plantas …………. él.
4, ¿A qué hora vienes a recogerme? Voy a …………. ti a a las cinco.
5, ….tercera vez, no quiero ir contigo a la fiesta.
6, Canta muy mal ……. ser un cantante profesional.
7, Esto se usa, … ejemplo, para hacer agujeros.
8, Esta leche es …… hacer cuajada.
9, ¿Es ese bolso … tu madre?
10, Está triste, … eso, llora.
So, there we have those sentences. Before you watch the video you can prepare yourself so that you get 10 out of 10.
Good luck. We will see you in the next Podcast.
Gordon and Cynthia.
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