Spanish B2 starter notebook

for English speakers · 5 grammar rules · 15 words · 10 example sentences

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Grammar rules

The Subjunctive Mood (El Subjuntivo) in Noun Clauses

B2#subjunctive#mood#subordinate clauses

Use the present subjunctive in a subordinate clause introduced by que when the main clause expresses:

Wish / desire: querer que, desear que
Emotion: alegrarse de que, temer que
Doubt / denial: dudar que, no creer que
Impersonal expressions: es importante que, es necesario que

Formula: [Main clause trigger] + que + [subject 2] + [subjunctive verb]

Quiero que vengas a la reunión. — I want you to come to the meeting.

The Conditional Tense (El Condicional Simple)

B2#conditional#tense#hypothetical

Formed by adding these endings to the infinitive (for most verbs):

Pronoun	Ending
yo	-ía
tú	-ías
él/ella	-ía
nosotros	-íamos
vosotros	-íais
ellos	-ían

Key irregular stems (same as future irregulars): tener → tendr-, poder → podr-, hacer → har-, decir → dir-.

Use it for:

Hypothetical situations: Yo iría, pero estoy ocupado.
Polite requests: ¿Podría ayudarme?
The result clause of si + imperfect subjunctive conditionals.

Ser vs. Estar — Key Distinctions at B2

B2#ser#estar#adjectives

Both mean to be, but differ in usage:

Ser	Estar
Permanent/inherent traits	Temporary states or conditions
Identity, origin, material	Location of people/things
Time, dates, events	Progressive tenses
Passive voice with ser	Resultant states (estar + past participle)

Some adjectives change meaning depending on the verb:

Es aburrido (He is boring) vs. Está aburrido (He is bored)
Es listo (He is clever) vs. Está listo (He is ready)
Es malo (He is bad/evil) vs. Está malo (He is ill)

Por vs. Para — Core Uses

B2#prepositions#por#para

Both translate as for, but serve different purposes:

Para expresses:

Purpose / goal: Estudio para aprender.
Recipient: Este regalo es para ti.
Deadline: Lo necesito para el viernes.
Destination: Salgo para Madrid.

Por expresses:

Cause / reason: Lo hice por amor.
Duration: Estudié por dos horas.
Exchange: Te lo cambio por esto.
Movement through: Caminamos por el parque.
Agent in passive: Fue escrito por Cervantes.

The Imperfect vs. Preterite — Choosing the Right Past Tense

B2#preterite#imperfect#past tense

Spanish has two simple past tenses with distinct uses:

Pretérito indefinido (Preterite) — completed actions:

Specific, finished events: Ayer fui al banco.
Sequences of actions: Entró, saludó y se sentó.
Actions completed a set number of times.

Pretérito imperfecto (Imperfect) — ongoing/habitual past:

Background descriptions: El cielo estaba despejado.
Habitual actions: De niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.
Interrupted actions (imperfect + preterite): Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.

Tip: The imperfect sets the scene; the preterite moves the story forward.

Vocabulary

Spanish	English	Part of speech
sin embargo	however / nevertheless	adverb
el logrom	achievement / accomplishment	noun
la incertidumbref	uncertainty	noun
llevar a cabo	to carry out / to accomplish	phrase
el comportamientom	behaviour / conduct	noun
a pesar de	despite / in spite of	phrase
el plazom	deadline / time limit	noun
destacar	to stand out / to highlight	verb
la medidaf	measure / step (action)	noun
abordar	to address / to tackle	verb
el bienestarm	well-being / welfare	noun
a lo largo de	throughout / along	phrase
la escasezf	shortage / scarcity	noun
prever	to foresee / to anticipate	verb
el punto de vistam	point of view / perspective	noun

Example sentences

Aunque llevamos a cabo varias reuniones, no logramos llegar a un acuerdo definitivo.
Although we held several meetings, we did not manage to reach a definitive agreement.
Es necesario que el gobierno tome medidas urgentes para abordar la escasez de vivienda.
It is necessary for the government to take urgent measures to address the housing shortage.
A pesar de la incertidumbre económica, la empresa logró superar sus objetivos anuales.
Despite the economic uncertainty, the company managed to exceed its annual targets.
Desde mi punto de vista, el comportamiento de algunos políticos deja mucho que desear.
From my point of view, the behaviour of some politicians leaves a lot to be desired.
Si tuviera más tiempo libre, aprendería a tocar la guitarra y viajaría por Sudamérica.
If I had more free time, I would learn to play the guitar and travel around South America.
A lo largo de su carrera, este científico ha conseguido numerosos logros destacados.
Throughout his career, this scientist has achieved numerous outstanding accomplishments.
No creo que sea posible prever todos los riesgos asociados a este proyecto.
I don't think it's possible to foresee all the risks associated with this project.
El plazo para entregar la solicitud vence el próximo viernes, así que debes apresurarte.
The deadline for submitting the application expires next Friday, so you need to hurry.
Sin embargo, hay que reconocer que el bienestar de los empleados ha mejorado notablemente.
Nevertheless, one must acknowledge that the well-being of employees has improved notably.
Cuando era pequeña, vivía cerca del mar y nadaba todos los veranos con mis primos.
When I was little, I lived near the sea and swam every summer with my cousins.

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