How to Teach Regular Present Tense -AR, -ER, and -IR Verbs: A Comprehensive Guide
Teaching regular present tense verb conjugation can feel daunting for both new teachers and students. This guide combines two powerful approaches—traditional grammar instruction and Comprehensible Input (CI)—to make learning engaging and effective. Whether you’re a teacher looking to inspire your classroom or a self-learner diving into Spanish, these methods will help build confidence and fluency.
Part 1: The Traditional Approach
The traditional way of teaching regular verbs focuses on memorizing patterns and practicing through drills.
Step-by-Step Process for the Traditional Method
Introduce the Verb Endings:
Start by showing students the regular present tense endings for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs:Subject Pronoun-AR Ending-ER Ending-IR EndingYo-o-o-oTú-as-es-esÉl/Ella/Usted-a-e-eNosotros-amos-emos-imosVosotros-áis-éis-ísEllos/Ellas/Ustedes-an-en-en
Conjugate Sample Verbs Together:
Choose one verb from each group and conjugate as a class. For example:Hablar (to speak): Yo hablo, tú hablas, él/ella habla...
Comer (to eat): Yo como, tú comes, él/ella come...
Escribir (to write): Yo escribo, tú escribes, él/ella escribe...
Practice with Repetition:
Provide drills for students to conjugate verbs in isolation and in sentences. For example:Fill in the blank: Yo ______ (hablar) español en clase.
Apply the Verbs in Context:
Encourage students to write short sentences or paragraphs using these verbs.
Activities for the Traditional Method
Conjugation Charts:
Have students complete blank charts for practice.Sentence Completion:
Give students sentences with missing verbs to conjugate.Partner Practice:
Pair students to ask and answer simple questions like: ¿Qué comes en el almuerzo?Games:
Use games like Bingo with conjugated verbs or a matching activity where students pair infinitives with their conjugations.
Part 2: Using Comprehensible Input (CI)
While the traditional method emphasizes drills and repetition, CI focuses on learning through meaningful input. Students acquire the language by hearing and using it in context.
Steps to Teach Present Tense Verbs Using CI
Introduce Verbs in Context:
Instead of starting with charts, begin with stories, actions, or visuals. For example:Teacher: Yo hablo español. Tú hablas inglés. ¿Qué hablas tú?
Use Repetition:
Repeat key verbs frequently in different contexts:Teacher: Yo como una manzana. ¿Quién más come?
Encourage Output:
After hearing verbs multiple times, encourage students to answer simple questions:Teacher: ¿Qué haces después de la escuela?
Student: Yo estudio.
Build a Story Together:
Create a class story using target verbs, adding humor and student participation to keep engagement high.
Script for Teaching Conjugation the Traditional Way
Objective: Teach students the basics of regular verb conjugation in the present tense, focusing on identifying the verb stem and endings.
Step 1: Introduce Verbs
Teacher:
"Today, we’re going to learn how to use regular verbs in Spanish. First, let’s look at what a verb is. A verb is an action word—it tells us what someone is doing, like talking, eating, or writing. In Spanish, all verbs in their basic form end in either -AR, -ER, or -IR. These are called the infinitive forms of the verb."
(Write examples on the board: hablar, comer, escribir.)
Step 2: Explain the Structure of Verbs
Teacher:
"Spanish verbs are like puzzles. They have two parts:
The stem – this tells us the main idea of the verb.
The ending – this changes to match who is doing the action.
For example, let’s take the verb hablar, which means 'to talk.' The stem is habl- and the ending is -ar."
(Write this on the board: hablar → habl- + -ar.)
Step 3: Conjugating Verbs
Teacher:
"In Spanish, we change the verb ending depending on who is doing the action. This is called conjugation. Let’s look at the endings for regular verbs in the present tense."
(Write the chart on the board for -AR verbs and explain each row.)
Subject Pronoun-AR EndingExample: HablarYo (I)-ohabloTú (You, informal)-ashablasÉl/Ella/Usted (He/She/You, formal)-ahablaNosotros (We)-amoshablamosVosotros (You all, informal, Spain)-áishabláisEllos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all)-anhablan
Teacher:
"To conjugate the verb hablar, you keep the stem (habl-) and replace the -ar ending with the correct ending from the chart."
Step 4: Guided Practice
Teacher:
"Let’s practice together. I’ll give you the subject, and you tell me how to conjugate hablar."
Teacher: "Yo…"
Students: "Hablo."
Teacher: "Nosotros…"
Students: "Hablamos."
Step 5: Introduce -ER and -IR Verbs
Teacher:
"Now, let’s look at -ER and -IR verbs. They follow the same pattern, but their endings are slightly different. Here’s the chart for both types of verbs."
(Write the charts for -ER and -IR verbs on the board.)
Subject Pronoun-ER EndingExample: Comer (to eat)-IR EndingExample: Escribir (to write)Yo (I)-ocomo-oescriboTú (You, informal)-escomes-esescribesÉl/Ella/Usted (He/She/You, formal)-ecome-eescribeNosotros (We)-emoscomemos-imosescribimosVosotros (You all, informal, Spain)-éiscoméis-ísescribísEllos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all)-encomen-enescriben
Teacher:
"Let’s practice conjugating comer and escribir. Remember, keep the stem and replace the ending."
Step 6: Practice Together
Teacher:
"Let’s try some examples:
Yo ______ (comer) pizza.
Tú ______ (escribir) una carta.
Nosotros ______ (hablar) español."
(Guide students through the answers: como, escribes, hablamos.)
Step 7: Independent Practice
Teacher:
"Now it’s your turn! Complete these sentences on your own using the correct conjugation of the verbs. Afterward, we’ll check your answers as a class."
(Provide fill-in-the-blank exercises or sentences from the worksheet you’ve created.)
Tips for the Teacher
Use visuals and gestures to reinforce meaning.
Repeat the process with different verbs to build confidence.
Praise effort, even if there are mistakes, to encourage participation.
With this script, you’ll have a clear and structured way to introduce verb conjugations to your Spanish 1 students!
CI Classroom Script for Regular Verbs
First Lesson Example
Input:
(The teacher shows a picture of someone studying.)Teacher: ¡Miren! Ella estudia. Yo estudio también. ¿Quién más estudia?
(Point to a student and ask: "¿Tú estudias?" Encourage them to reply with “Sí, yo estudio.”)
Add Variety:
(Hold up another picture, this time of someone eating.)Teacher: Ahora, miren. Él come pizza. Yo como pizza también. ¿Qué comes tú?
(Guide the student to reply: "Yo como.")
Include an -IR Verb:
(Act out writing.)Teacher: Yo escribo en mi cuaderno. ¿Quién más escribe?
Tie It Together:
Teacher: ¡Clase! Yo estudio, yo como, y yo escribo. ¿Qué hacen ustedes?
(Encourage students to form their own sentences.)
Creating an Environment of Unintentional Learning
The key to successful CI is making learning feel natural.
Visuals and Gestures: Use props, photos, and acting to clarify meaning.
Daily Exposure: Speak Spanish as much as possible in class.
Fun and Engaging Activities: Incorporate games, songs, and stories to keep the class lively.
Suggested Activities for CI
Storytelling:
Build a class story using regular verbs. Example: Un día, un gato estudia español, come tacos, y escribe una carta a su amigo perro.Picture Talk:
Use a picture to describe actions and ask students to add details.Charades:
Act out verbs like comer, estudiar, and escribir. Students guess the verb and use it in a sentence.
Part 3: Blending the Two Approaches
For the best results, combine traditional drills with CI strategies. Start with charts and drills for clarity, then transition to conversational practice and meaningful input.
Teacher’s Resource:
Looking for ready-made resources to teach regular verb conjugations? Check out our "Intro to Spanish: Present Tense Conjugation Drills and Activities" on TpT. This 16-page product includes:
Verb charts for practice
Fill-in-the-blank exercises
Dialogues and short writing prompts
Fun, colorful activities your students will love
It’s the perfect tool to complement your CI lessons and traditional drills.
