FAMILIAR COMMANDS
The Familiar form of the Command is used when talking to family, friends and to other people of your own age whom you may meet socially. The form is the same as the third person singular (he/she) of the Present Tense of regular verbs:
HABLAR - habla; BEBER - bebe; ESCRIBIR - escribe
Some irregular forms are
VENIR - ven
SALIR - sal
TENER - ten
HACER - haz
PONER - pon
IR - ve
The Familiar form of the Command is used when talking to family, friends and to other people of your own age whom you may meet socially. The form is the same as the third person singular (he/she) of the Present Tense of regular verbs:
HABLAR - habla; BEBER - bebe; ESCRIBIR - escribe
Some irregular forms are
VENIR - ven
SALIR - sal
TENER - ten
HACER - haz
PONER - pon
IR - ve
POLITE COMMANDS
The polite command (a.k.a usted or formal command) is used to give an instruction (e.g. directions) to someone in authority, much older, or a stranger. Unlike the familiar command, where the ending does not change from the Present Tense ending (e.g. –ar verbs CANTAR becomes canta; BEBER becomes bebe; ESCRIBIR becomes escribe), there is a switch in the ending for the polite command. Steps:
1. Go to the first person singular of the Present Tense (or the yo form);
2. Drop off the o;
3. Switch the endings – ar verbs to ‘e’; er and ir verbs to ‘a’
(E.g. CANTAR – Step 1 – canto; Step 2 – cant; Step 3 – cante)
The polite command (a.k.a usted or formal command) is used to give an instruction (e.g. directions) to someone in authority, much older, or a stranger. Unlike the familiar command, where the ending does not change from the Present Tense ending (e.g. –ar verbs CANTAR becomes canta; BEBER becomes bebe; ESCRIBIR becomes escribe), there is a switch in the ending for the polite command. Steps:
1. Go to the first person singular of the Present Tense (or the yo form);
2. Drop off the o;
3. Switch the endings – ar verbs to ‘e’; er and ir verbs to ‘a’
(E.g. CANTAR – Step 1 – canto; Step 2 – cant; Step 3 – cante)
Grammar:
Plural commands are given to more than one person and are formed by adding an ‘n; to the polite commands.
E.G. - HABLAR - hablen; ESCRIBIR - escriban; BEBER - beban
Plural commands are given to more than one person and are formed by adding an ‘n; to the polite commands.
E.G. - HABLAR - hablen; ESCRIBIR - escriban; BEBER - beban