Note that -ir verbs that are “boot” verbs (stem-changers ...



What’s the deal with –IR boot verbs?

These verbs have special stem changes (E(I or O(U) in certain conjugations of certain tenses/moods. Let’s look at these forms and see where these special stem changes occur.

First, a note on terminology: by “boot verb” we mean a stem-changing verb that shows the classic “boot” pattern in the standard chart of the PRESENT INDICATIVE conjugations. In other words, if you draw a line around the conjugations that DO have the stem changes, you get a shape that looks like the outline of a shoe or boot with the toe pointing to the right.

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

As you know, for all –AR and –ER boot verbs, the boot pattern we observe in the present indicative is maintained in the present subjunctive: “the boot stays a boot.” In this example, the conjugations highlighted in green HAVE the stem change, and those highlighted in red DON’T HAVE the stem change:

CERRAR: E(IE CERRAR: E(IE

in present indicative in present subjunctive

cierro cerramos cierre cerremos

cierras cerráis cierres cerréis

cierra cierran cierre cierren

For –IR boot verbs, the expected stem changes occur in the yo, tú, él/ella/usted, and ellos/ellas ustedes conjugations of the present subjunctive (those highlighted in green below), BUT there is ALSO a SPECIAL (and possibly different) stem change that occurs in the nosotros and vosotros forms (highlighted below in red but with additional blue highlights to show the special stem change). There are ONLY two possibilities for this special stem change, REGARDLESS of what type of stem change occurs in the other four conjugations: E(I or O(U. Examples:

PREFERIR: E(IE PREFERIR: E(IE (but E(I for red forms)

in present indicative in present subjunctive

prefiero preferimos prefiera prefiramos

prefieres preferís prefieras prefiráis

prefiere prefieren prefiera prefieran

MORIR: O(UE MORIR: O(UE (but O(U for red forms)

in present indicative in present subjunctive

muero morimos muera muramos

mueres morís mueras muráis

muere mueren muera mueran

PEDIR: E(I PEDIR: E(I (also E(I for red forms!)

in present indicative in present subjunctive

pido pedimos pida pidamos

pides pedís pidas pidáis

pide piden pida pidan

Note that for –IR boot verbs with the E(I stem change (such as pedir, servir, repetir, and seguir), the present subjunctive has the same stem change in all six forms, because the special stem change in the red forms is also E(I for such verbs. This means that they don’t show any kind of “boot” pattern in the present subjunctive.

The –IR boot verbs have the exact same special stem change (E(I or O(U) in CERTAIN instances of two other verb forms, and in ALL instances of yet another form.

PRETERITE INDICATIVE

As you know, –AR and –ER boot verbs do NOT have ANY stem changes in the preterite indicative. Example:

CERRAR: E(IE in CERRAR: NO stem change in

PRESENT indicative PRETERITE indicative

cierro cerramos cerré cerramos

cierras cerráis cerraste cerrasteis

cierra cierran cerró cerraron

However, –IR verbs that are boot verbs in the present indicative DO have the special stem changes in the preterite indicative, BUT ONLY in the 3rd person singular and plural conjugations. Note the blue highlights in these examples:

MORIR: O(U in 3rd person PREFERIR: E(I in 3rd person

of PRETERITE indicative of PRETERITE indicative

morí morimos preferí preferimos

moriste moristeis preferiste preferisteis

murió murieron prefirió prefirieron

IMPERFECT (PAST) SUBJUNCTIVE

Recall that “Step 1” of the three-step procedure to form the imperfect subjunctive is to take the ellos form (third person plural) of the preterite indicative. As we just saw, in the case of –IR boot verbs, this preterite form HAS the special stem change, which means that ALL forms of the imperfect subjunctive will have the special stem change, too. Example:

MORIR: O(U in 3rd pers. plural PREFERIR: E(I in 3rd pers. plural

of PRETERITE indicative (murieron) of PRETERITE indicative (prefirieron)

muriera muriéramos prefiriera prefiriéramos

murieras murierais prefirieras prefirierais

muriera murieran prefiriera prefirieran

EL GERUNDIO

The gerundio (gerund or present participle in English) is the –ando/–iendo/–yendo form that is mainly used to form the progressive tenses (I am eating, she was reading, etc.). It turns out that –IR boot verbs have the special stem change (once again, either E(I or O(U) in the gerundio. Note the highlighted vowels in these examples:

herir (E(IE boot in present indic.) ( hiriendo (“wounding”)

morir (O(UE boot in present indic.) ( muriendo (“dying”)

pedir (E(I boot in present indic.) ( pidiendo (“requesting, asking for”)

repetir (E(I boot in present indic.) ( repitiendo (“repeating”)

seguir (E(I boot in present indic.) ( siguiendo (“continuing, following”)

SUMMARY

-IR verbs that are boot verbs in the present indicative have special stem changes – either E(I or O(U – in the following forms:

• the nosotros and vosotros conjugations of the present subjunctive;

• the third person singular (él/ella/Ud.) and third person plural (ellos/ellas/Uds.) conjugations of the preterite indicative;

• ALL forms of the IMPERFECT (past) subjunctive (this fact flows from the preceding bullet point – recall that the three-step procedure to form the past subjunctive starts with the ellos form of the preterite indicative!);

• the gerundio or present participle (–ando/–iendo/–yendo forms)

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