Question

Explain in three sentences how stem-changing –ir verbs are different from stem-changing –ar and –er verbs in the present subjunctive.

Answer 1

In the present subjunctive, stem-changing –ir verbs experience a change in their stem vowels in all forms, including the nosotros and vosotros forms, unlike –ar and –er verbs, which only undergo changes in the first, second, and third person singular and plural. For example, the verb "sentir" (to feel) changes from "e" to "ie" in most forms, while in the nosotros form, it changes to "i" (sintamos). In contrast, –ar verbs like "hablar" and –er verbs like "comer" do not exhibit a similar alteration in the nosotros and vosotros forms, maintaining the same stem throughout.