¡Chévere! Introductory Spanish II (Brown, Escudero, Montoya, and Small)

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Introductory Spanish II is the second half of a comprehensive introductory Spanish sequence, providing guidance and practice in reading, writing, listening to, and speaking Spanish. Each module includes thematic vocabulary, sequenced grammar instruction, numerous self-check drills and exercises, open-form communicative activities, scaffolded writing assignments, and reading passages exploring various aspects of life and culture in the Spanish-speaking world.

A reflexive verb is a verb used with a reflexive pronoun to link the action of the verb to the subject of the verb. We use reflexive pronouns, words that end in -self or -selves, to show that the action of the verb is done to the subject. The word reflexive gives us a clue that the action of the verb is “reflected” back to the subject. In other words, the subject is both the doer and the receiver of the action. Here are some examples that illustrate this concept:

• I burned myself on the stove.
• We congratulated ourselves on a job well done.
• Helooked at himself in the mirror.

In Spanish, as we’ll see, there are number of verbs that are usually used reflexively, and need to be memorized along with their reflexive pronoun. We’ll discuss this in more detail shortly. In the meantime, let’s listen to a song by the classic Puerto Rican salsa orchestra El Gran Combo (as animated by El señor Lafontant).