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P<M^ A SPANISH COESTER Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 http://www.archive.org/details/spanishgrammarwiOOcoes A SPANISH GRAMMAR WITH PRACTICAL INTRODUCTORY LESSONS BY ALFRED COESTER, Ph.D. GINN AND COMPANY POSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO LONDON • • • ATLANTA • DALLAS • CüI.UMliUS • SAN FRANCISCO rOPVKlCIIT, 1912, 1917, ÜY ALFRKI) COESTER ALL RIC.HTS KESERVED A418.10 GINN AND CUMPANY PRO PRIETOKS• BOSTON••U.S.A. PREFACE This book is the outcome of teaching Spanish for several years to different types of pupils. The author's purpose has been to supply a useful book to English-speaking students of Spanish. Usefulness has therefore been the standard in determining the arrangement of the material. The introductory lessons are easy and progressive, assuming little or no general knowledge of gram- marandlanguage. They attempt to take advantage ofthe strength of first impressions; for example, the use of usted is given prom- inence at the outset so that the pupil will be less likely at a later period to employ tú and the second singular in business corre- spondence. Other features of the book are, (i) exercises specially designed for drill on peculiarities of grammar that require habit to fix ; (2) ampie material for oral work; (3) a progressive vocabulary that attempts to include the commonest and henee most important words and phrases with many colloquial expressions that are necessary in social intercourse (4) an order of development ; that has been provedof practical valué. In the first fewlessons, sentences illustrative of the grammatical topic of the lesson have been given before the explanation, as it is intended that these sentences should be committed to memory before proceeding to the explanation. Special vocabularies to each lessonhavebeenomitted because the preparation of such a special vocabulary is a useful exercise which is too often sacrificed in ele- mentary books. Part I furnishes an introduction to the chief characteristics of Spanish and is sufficient for a good working knowledge of the language. Part II takes up in systematic order those details of SPANISH GRAMMAR iv grammar which were neglected or hastily passed over in the first part. As the second part will not be studied until the pupil finds his reading in a continued text, no Spanish exercises are given. On the other hand, abundant material is provided for the translation of English to Spanish. The sentences in these exercises are short, according to the author's principie of presenting to the pupil only a few difficulties at one timewith ampie practice on the point underdiscussion. As the English sentences are mainly translations of colloquial or literary Spanish, their rendering by the student should result in characteristically idiomatic expression. The purposeof the illustrations is to teach pictorially some ideas about Spanish civilization and histoiy in Spain and America. The text accompanying the pictures may be used as translation exercises on which the teacher may base questions in Spanish similar to those suggested. In order that early use may be made of the illustrations, the first questions are framed in simple language. The laterpictures are inserted in a historical order so as to give a brief survey of the most important events in Spanish history. The teacher who desires to use only Spanish in the classroom will find at the end of the book a brief summaryin Spanish of the rules discussed in Part I. This will supply not only the proper grammatical terms but also idiomatic languageto usewhen talking about grammar with the pupils. The author wishes to thank Mr. E. S. Harrison for his sugges- tions and kindness in reading the manuscript and proof. ALFRED COESTER