Ch 28 · Lesson 18Spanish · Chapter 28 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
Verbs with prepositions: con, a and por
, , a, a, a (again), : the verbs that take con, a and .
The short version
.
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Verbs of starting, learning and helping take a before an infinitive: a , a , a . a means again: a is I called again, not I went back to call.
Verbs that take con
Con follows a small, very common set, several of them about other people:
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | I dream of a house on the beach. |
| . | He/she married a Frenchman. |
| . | You can count on me. |
| Ana. | I ran into Ana. |
| . | I did my duty. |
English marries someone with no preposition at all; Spanish needs the con: María. (he married María).
Verbs that take a
A follows verbs of starting, learning, helping and daring, mostly before an infinitive:
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | It started to rain. |
| . | I learnt to swim as a child. |
| . | He/she helped me move the sofa. |
| . | I don't dare tell him/her. |
| . | I got used to the city. |
| . | We attended the meeting. |
| . | I called again. |
Verbs that take por
follows verbs of worrying, fighting and asking after:
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | Don't worry about me. |
| . | They fought for freedom. |
| . | He/she asked after you. |
| . | He/she is interested in music. |
also takes : . means the same. asks after someone. To ask for a thing is , with no preposition: . (I asked for the bill).
Going further: Verbs and their prepositions at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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