The trouble with verbs is that the ones we use the most, in English and in Spanish, tend to be regularly irregular. For example, how do we get “I am” from “to be” or the extra “i” in «tienes» but not in «tenemos» or «tenéis»? The answer is probably irrelevant for most learners, but for any person who needs to read or write in a target language, spelling, accents, and figuring out just what boots have to do with Spanish verbs are all important. These downloadable Find the Spanish Present Tense Conjugations sheets will test your learners’ knowledge under the guise of being a game or puzzle.

Learning Focus

• Holding subject/personal pronouns in short-term/temporary memory, paving the way for the “understood but unsaid” aspect of Spanish pronouns
• Recognizing and differentiating between the subtle nuances of the Super-Six Verbs’ conjugations, including accents, stem changes, irregular spellings, etc.
• Making memory pathways to connect subject/personal pronouns with their correct spellings
• Visualizing correct conjugations in preparation for writing

Spanish Vocabulary

• Infinitives and their conjugations: estar, ir, poder, querer, ser, tener
• Subject/personal pronouns: yo, tú, él, ella, usted (Ud.), nosotros, nosotras, vosotros, vosotras, ellos, ellas, ustedes (Uds.)

What’s Included

You’ll find five black-and-white pages. Focus is on what we call the “Super Six” verbs. Answers are included (fourth and fifth pages), and directions are in English. Vosotros and vosotras are included but can be omitted if desired.

Ideas for Use

We recommend this download for students who have mastered reading well enough to discern between Spanish letters and the sounds and subtleties of correct versus incorrect conjugations, such as «tengo» versus «teno».

Before teaching the correct conjugation for present tense Spanish verbs, you might find this download a fun way to challenge students, allowing them to make guesses at conjugations or even to work in pairs to try to figure them out. Or, alternately, ask students to find and circle only the infinitives before a lesson and the conjugated versions after. Students will likely enjoy comparing and contrasting what they thought with what is correct or comparing their ideas against their friends’. These sheets might also serve as an introduction, demo, or review for students learning stem-change / “shoe” / “boot” verbs.

You might also consider including these sheets for quiet-learning centers, independent study, or substitute lesson plans. This download makes for excellent review practice, especially since it feels a bit like a fun, time-able challenge. You might even have students race in teams or pairs, turning this into a quick review game.

Need additional present tense Spanish verb practice? Try our free Spanish verb dice or our free Binder Battle / Verb Volley game.

Download Your Free Printable