icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Aprender un idioma: stem-change verbs like 'encontrar', 'pensar', 'poder'

I can use stem-changing verbs to describe effective ways to learn a language.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Aprender un idioma: stem-change verbs like 'encontrar', 'pensar', 'poder'

I can use stem-changing verbs to describe effective ways to learn a language.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. It is important to revisit previously learnt words regularly to store them in your long-term memory.
  2. Stem-changing verbs have a change in the stem for some grammatical persons.
  3. Some verbs with 'e' in the stem (e.g. pensar) change to 'ie' for persons 1, 2, 3 and 6 in the simple present.
  4. Some verbs with 'o' in the stem (e.g. encontrar, poder) change to 'ue' for persons 1, 2, 3 and 6 in the simple present.

Keywords

  • Stem - part of the verb that is present in all forms

  • Stem-changing verb - verb that has a spelling change in the stem for some grammatical persons

Common misconception

Stem-changing verbs like 'encontrar' and 'pensar' have a stem change in all conjugations of the simple present.

Stem-changing verbs 'encontrar' and 'pensar' have a stem change in persons 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the simple present. The stem reverts back to the original for persons 4 and 5.


To help you plan your year 10 spanish lesson on: Aprender un idioma: stem-change verbs like 'encontrar', 'pensar', 'poder', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The second Learning Cycle contains Higher Tier vocabulary and grammar.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word means 'no-one' or 'none'?
alguno(s)
menos
Correct answer: ninguno(s)
todo(s)
último
Q2.
Match the Spanish and English.
Correct Answer:cuenta (f),account
tick

account

Correct Answer:distancia (f),distance
tick

distance

Correct Answer:imagen (f),image
tick

image

Correct Answer:nivel (m),level
tick

level

Correct Answer:palabra (f),word
tick

word

Correct Answer:cerebro (m),brain
tick

brain

Q3.
Match the Spanish and English.
Correct Answer:aprender,to learn, learning
tick

to learn, learning

Correct Answer:encontrar,to find, finding
tick

to find, finding

Correct Answer:pensar,to think, thinking
tick

to think, thinking

Correct Answer:poder,to be able to, can
tick

to be able to, can

Correct Answer:decir,to say, saying
tick

to say, saying

Correct Answer:practicar,to practise, practising
tick

to practise, practising

Q4.
Order the words to say: 'obviously you have to practise every day'.
1 - evidentemente
2 - hay
3 - que
4 - practicar
5 - todos
6 - los
7 - días
Q5.
Write in English: 'aprendo palabras nuevas'.
Correct Answer: I learn new words., I am learning new words.
Q6.
Write in Spanish: 'outside the city'.
Correct Answer: fuera de la ciudad

6 Questions

Q1.
Stem-changing verbs like 'encontrar' and 'pensar' do not have a stem change in the forms of the simple present.
first person singular (I)
second person singular (you)
third person singular (she, he, it)
Correct answer: first person plural (we)
Correct answer: second person plural (you all)
Q2.
Which verb is not a stem-changing verb in the simple present?
empezar
practicar
Correct answer: probar
recomendar
volver
Q3.
'La escuela a las nueve'. Write the correct form of 'comenzar'.
Correct Answer: comienza
Q4.
Order the words to say: 'you can swim and you all can dance'.
1 -
2 - puedes
3 - nadar
4 - y
5 - vosotros
6 - podéis
7 - bailar
Q5.
Write in Spanish: 'we think that it is interesting'.
Correct Answer: Pensamos que es interesante.
Q6.
Write in Spanish: 'they resolve the problem'.
Correct Answer: Resuelven el problema., Ellos resuelven el problema., Ellas resuelven el problema.

Additional material

Download additional material