The 2 WEEKS rule. Partes 1 & 2

July 24, 2014

By Os

Parte 1.

SER = TO be

I s oy	you, s/he, it es
we s omos	you all, they s on

The 2 WEEKS rule is a handy rule that we can use to clarify when to use “SER” and when not. It is not perfect, it is not always accurate but, as I said it’s pretty handy. This is how it works, if something might not change in less than two weeks, then we must use “SER”.

Apply the 2 WEEKS rule in these cases:

Always I am Os.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I still will be Os. Thus:
Siempre soy Os.

I am Tico.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I still will be tico. Thus:
Soy tico.

I am from Costa Rica.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I still will be from Costa Rica. Thus:
Soy de Costa Rica.

The turtle is slow.
And in more than 2 weeks from now it will be slow. Thus:
La tortuga es lenta.

My brother is a little bit fatty.
And in more than 2 weeks from now he probably will be a little bit fatty. Thus:
Mi hermano es un poquito gordito.

I am not very tall.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I will not be very tall. Thus:
No soy muy alto.

I am a Spanish Teacher.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I would like to be still a Spanish Teacher. Thus:
Soy un profesor de español.

I am not a doctor.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I certainly will not be a doctor. Thus:
No soy doctor.

I am not Republican.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I probably will not be Republican. Thus:
No soy republicano.

Eli is my girlfriend.
And I hope she will be my lady in more than 2 weeks from now. Thus:
Eli es mi novia.

We are friends.
And in more than 2 weeks from now we probably will be friends. Thus:
Somos amigos.

The apple is red.
And in more than 2 weeks from now it still will be red. Thus:
La manzana es roja.

I am Latin.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I still will be Latin. Thus:
Soy latino.

I am (a) nephew of Anita.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I still will be nephew of Ana. Thus:
Soy sobrino de Anita.

I am not Buddhist.
And in more than 2 weeks from now I probably will not be Buddhist. Thus:
No soy budista.

The planets are not square.
And in more than 2 weeks from now they still will not be square. Thus:
Los planetas no son cuadrados.

The chair is not (made of) crystal.
And in more than 2 weeks from now it still will not be (made of) crystal. Thus:
La silla no es de cristal.

It’s my dog.
And in more than 2 weeks from now it probably will be my dog. Thus:
Es mi perro.

They’re my dogs.
And in more than 2 weeks from now they probably will be my dogs. Thus:
Son mis perros.

The whales are big.
And in more than 2 weeks from now they still will be big. Thus:
Las ballenas son grandes.

My parents are nice persons.
And in more than 2 weeks from now they probably will be nice persons. Thus:
Mis padres son personas agradables.

Parte 2.

EstAR = TO be – ¡Learn the MANTRA!

I est oy	you, s/he, it est án
we est amos	you all, they es tán

The 2 WEEKS rule is a handy rule that we can use to clarify when to use “ESTAR” and when not. It is not perfect, it is not always accurate but, as I said it’s pretty handy. This is how it works; if something may change in less than two weeks, then we must use “ESTAR”.

Apply the 2 WEEKS rule in these cases:

I am wet. (It’s rainy season).
But in less than 2 weeks (probably), I will be dry. Thus:
Estoy mojado.

I am awake. (It’s 7:00 am).
But in less than 2 weeks (probably), I will be sleeping. Thus:
Estoy despierto.

The boxes are heavy. (I filled them with books).
But in less than 2 weeks (probably), they will be lighter. Thus:
Las cajas están pesadas.

Now I am full. (I just ate).
But in less than 2 weeks (certainly), I will be empty. Thus:
Ahora estoy lleno.

The car is clean. (I just washed it).
But in less than 2 weeks (probably), it will get dirty. Thus:
El carro está limpio.

The stores are closed. (It’s Sunday).
But in less than 2 weeks (probably), they will be open. Thus:
Las tiendas están cerradas.

I am stressed. (I have a deadline).
But in less than 2 weeks (hopefully), I won’t be stressed anymore. Thus:
Estoy estresado.

Now the soup is hot. (It’s ready to be served).
But in less than 2 weeks (certainly), it will get cold. Thus:
Ahora la sopa está caliente.

Good job guys. Next time we’ll talk about when NOT to apply the 2 WEEKS rule. In the meantime remember that…

These verbs are more than just basic or important. They are essentials; they are the core. Make them yours. Put them in your brain. Put them in your heart. Master them and they will make our lives easier.

Os is a certified and experienced teacher of español.

Call him and schedule a Spanish lesson in Manuel Antonio.

SPANISH PURAVIDA 88-222-936 www.OsCostaRica.com