Boot Verbs: Stem-Changing Present Tense
Drill the e→ie, o→ue, and e→i stem-change families and the boot-shaped pattern that governs them.
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Questions Covered in This Set
10 cards to master
Which forms do NOT take the stem change?
nosotros and vosotros — the stress falls on the ending, so the stem stays unchanged (they sit outside the boot).
What is the one-sentence rule behind boot verbs?
When the stress falls on the stem vowel, it diphthongizes or raises; when the stress falls on the ending, the stem stays put.
Conjugate pensar (e→ie) in all six forms.
pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensáis, piensan
Conjugate poder (o→ue) in all six forms.
puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden
Conjugate pedir (e→i) in all six forms.
pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden
Which verb is the lone u→ue stem-changer?
jugar: juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, jugáis, juegan
What is special about the e→i family?
It is exclusively -ir verbs, with no exceptions (pedir, servir, repetir, seguir, vestirse, medir).
Why is 'seguir' spelled 'sigo' in the yo form?
The u is dropped because 'gui' already spells the hard g; without the e, the u is unnecessary.
Do prefixed verbs inherit the stem change?
Yes — devolver, perseguir, contener, mantener and obtener all change just like their base verbs.
Why do boot verbs matter for later tenses?
The present subjunctive is built from the yo form (pienso→piense, pido→pida), tú commands come from the tú form minus -s (piensa, duerme, pide), and -ir stem-changers carry a second change into the gerund and third-person preterite (durmiendo, durmió).
