Planning and rehearsing a short presentation | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Tengo que hacer una presentación breve la próxima semana.

   I have to give a short presentation next week.

   Tengo que

   I have to

   hacer

   give (a presentation)

   una presentación

   a presentation

   breve

   short

   próxima

   next

   semana

   week

   More detail

   Tengo que is the reusable Spanish pattern tener que + infinitive, meaning that someone is required or needs to do something. Here tengo is the first-person singular present form of tener, so the subject is “I”; que connects it to the action. For example: Tengo que estudiar. — “I have to study.” hacer means “to do” or “to make,” and in hacer una presentación it is the natural verb for preparing or giving a presentation. It is an infinitive because it follows tengo que. Its first-person present form is hago, as in Hago una presentación. — “I give/make a presentation.” una presentación is “a presentation.” Presentación is a feminine singular noun, which is why the indefinite article is feminine singular una. The article marks an unspecified presentation; it does not by itself state a numerical count. Example: Preparo una presentación. — “I prepare a presentation.” breve describes presentación and means “short” or “brief” here. It is the adjective breve; its singular form is the same for masculine and feminine nouns, while the plural form is breves: un informe breve, una presentación breve, dos presentaciones breves. próxima means “next” here. It is the feminine singular form of próximo, agreeing with the feminine singular noun semana. The masculine counterpart is próximo, as in el próximo mes — “next month.” semana means “week.” In la próxima semana, the article la and adjective próxima agree with this feminine singular noun. The phrase means “next week,” referring to the week after the current one in the sentence’s time frame. Together, Tengo que hacer una presentación breve says “I have to give a short presentation”: the obligation pattern tener que is followed by the infinitive hacer, and the noun phrase identifies the presentation as brief. La próxima semana adds when this obligation is scheduled, yielding the complete meaning: “I have to give a short presentation next week.”

2. Empieza con un esquema claro antes de escribir oraciones completas.

   Start with a clear outline before writing full sentences.

   Empieza

   Start

   esquema

   outline

   claro

   clear

   antes de

   before

   escribir

   to write

   oraciones

   sentences

   completas

   full

   More detail

   Empieza is the affirmative tú command of empezar (“to start”): it addresses one person informally. The verb’s present-tense tú form is also empiezas, but the command uses empieza. For a formal singular command, Spanish uses empiece; this sentence specifically uses the tú form. esquema means an outline or organized plan. It is a masculine singular noun here, shown by un and by the adjective claro. The phrase un esquema introduces an outline without treating un as a stated numerical count. claro means clear or easy to understand here. It is the masculine singular form of the adjective; compare clara with a feminine singular noun and claros/claras with plural nouns. Adjectives in Spanish agree with the noun they describe. antes de means “before” and introduces an action that happens earlier. When the following action has the same understood subject, Spanish commonly uses antes de plus an infinitive, as in antes de escribir. escribir is the infinitive “to write.” Its infinitive ending identifies it as an action rather than a form marked for a particular person or time. Example: Quiero escribir means “I want to write.” oraciones means sentences. It is the plural of the feminine noun oración; the plural ending -es appears because the singular ends in a consonant. In this utterance, it refers to complete sentences as the writing task. completas means full or complete here. It is the feminine plural form of completo, agreeing with oraciones. The masculine plural counterpart is completos, while the feminine singular form is completa. Together, Empieza con un esquema claro means “Start with a clear outline.” antes de escribir oraciones completas adds the earlier step: do that before writing full sentences. The complete utterance therefore gives one person an informal instruction to begin with a clear outline and only afterward write full sentences.

3. Mi tema es cómo cambié mis hábitos de estudio.

   My topic is how I changed my study habits.

   tema

   topic

   es

   is

   cómo

   how

   cambié

   changed

   hábitos

   habits

   estudio

   study

   More detail

   tema means “topic” here. It is a masculine singular noun: el tema, los temas. The adjective or article accompanying it normally agrees with its masculine singular form, although tema ends in -a. es is the third-person singular present form of ser, used here to identify or define the topic: “is.” The subject is mi tema, not the speaker; Spanish often leaves the subject pronoun unstated when the verb form makes the structure clear. Compare es “is” with son “are.” cómo introduces an indirect question or embedded question meaning “how.” Its accent mark distinguishes it from como, which can have other functions. In this sentence, cómo cambié mis hábitos de estudio names the content of the topic; it is not a direct question and therefore has no separate question marks. cambié is the first-person singular preterite of cambiar: cambiar → cambié. The ending shows that the speaker is the person who made the change, and the preterite presents that change as completed in the past. Example: Cambié mi horario. — “I changed my schedule.” hábitos is the plural of the masculine noun hábito, “habit.” The plural ending -s shows that there is more than one habit. In mis hábitos, mis agrees in number with the plural noun; mi hábito is the singular version. Here, the habits are specifically study habits because of the following de estudio. estudio is the noun “study” in de estudio, a compact noun phrase that specifies the type or area of the habits. The preposition de links the habits to study: hábitos de estudio means “study habits.” This use is different from the verb form estudio, “I study,” which can have the same spelling but a different grammatical role. Together, Mi tema identifies the subject, es links it to its content, and cómo cambié mis hábitos de estudio gives that content: “how I changed my study habits.” The complete utterance is therefore “My topic is how I changed my study habits.”

4. Es un tema cercano, así que piensa en qué aprenderá el público.

   That is relatable, so think about what the audience will learn.

   tema

   topic

   cercano

   relatable; close

   así que

   so; therefore

   piensa

   think

   en qué

   about what

   aprenderá

   will learn

   público

   audience; public

   More detail

   tema is a masculine noun meaning “topic” here. Although it ends in -a, the standard article is masculine: el tema, un tema. Example: Mi tema es la música. — “My topic is music.” cercano is a masculine singular adjective agreeing with tema. Here it means relatable or close in relevance, not necessarily physically near. Its base form is cercano; it changes to cercana with a feminine singular noun and to cercanos/cercanas in the plural. Example: Es una historia cercana. — “It is a relatable story.” así que is a connector meaning “so” or “therefore.” It introduces the consequence or next action: the topic is relatable, so the listener should think about the audience’s learning. piensa is the affirmative command of pensar for tú singular. The command addresses one person informally: Piensa en el futuro. — “Think about the future.” The form for usted is different: piense. en qué means “about what.” The preposition en belongs with pensar en (“to think about”), while qué is the accented interrogative word in the indirect question. Example: Piensa en qué necesitas. — “Think about what you need.” aprenderá is the third-person singular future form of aprender: aprender → aprenderá, “will learn.” The subject of this verb is el público, so the sentence says that the audience will learn. Example: El público aprenderá una palabra nueva. — “The audience will learn a new word.” público is a masculine singular noun meaning “audience” in this sentence: el público. It can also mean “public” in other uses, but that is not its meaning here. Example: El público escucha. — “The audience listens.” Together, Es un tema cercano means “It is a relatable topic.” Así que links that statement to the request piensa en qué aprenderá el público — “so think about what the audience will learn.” The complete utterance is therefore: “That is relatable, so think about what the audience will learn.”

5. Quiero explicar el problema, el cambio y el resultado.

   I want to explain the problem, the change, and the result.

   Quiero

   I want

   explicar

   to explain

   problema

   problem

   cambio

   change

   resultado

   result

   More detail

   Quiero is the first-person singular present form of querer: “I want.” It expresses the speaker’s desire or intention. A useful pattern is quiero + infinitive: Quiero descansar means “I want to rest.” Explicar is an infinitive meaning “to explain.” After quiero, the infinitive names the action the speaker wants to carry out; it does not change to agree separately with the speaker. Example: Quiero aprender means “I want to learn.” problema means “problem.” In the sentence it appears as el problema, with the masculine singular article el. The article is part of the noun phrase, while the quoted lexical word is problema. cambio means “change.” Here it appears as el cambio, another masculine singular noun phrase. The word can refer to a change or alteration; the surrounding list makes that intended meaning clear. resultado means “result” or “outcome.” Here it appears as el resultado, a masculine singular noun phrase. Example: El resultado es claro means “The result is clear.” Together, Quiero explicar means “I want to explain,” and the three coordinated noun phrases—el problema, el cambio and el resultado—identify what the speaker wants to explain. The commas separate the listed items, and y (“and”) links the final item. The complete utterance therefore means: “I want to explain the problem, the change, and the result.”

6. Esa estructura funciona. Añade transiciones sencillas entre esas partes.

   That structure works. Add simple transitions between those parts.

   Esa

   that

   estructura

   structure

   funciona

   works

   Añade

   add

   transiciones

   transitions

   sencillas

   simple

   entre

   between

   esas

   those

   partes

   parts

   More detail

   Esa is a feminine singular demonstrative meaning “that.” It agrees with the singular feminine noun estructura: esa estructura. Its plural form is esas, as in esas partes later in the sentence. estructura means “structure.” It is a feminine noun; its plural is estructuras. In this utterance it refers to the structure discussed in the fixed translation. funciona comes from funcionar, “to work” or “to function.” It is the present indicative form for a third-person singular subject: la estructura funciona. The ending reflects the singular subject, not the speaker. Example: El plan funciona. — “The plan works.” Añade comes from añadir, “to add.” Here it is an affirmative command addressed to one person using tú: añade. This exact form is not the formal usted command (añada) or the plural ustedes command (añadan). Example: Añade un ejemplo. — “Add an example.” transiciones means “transitions.” It is the plural of the feminine noun transición. The plural noun is the direct object of añade: the instruction is to add transitions. sencillas means “simple” or “straightforward.” It is the feminine plural form of sencillo, agreeing with transiciones: transiciones sencillas. The adjective describes the transitions, not the parts. entre is a preposition meaning “between” in this construction. The pattern entre A y B can express “between A and B”; with a plural group, entre esas partes means “between those parts.” esas means “those” in the feminine plural. It agrees with partes, but the demonstrative’s grammatical agreement does not by itself identify which parts they are. partes means “parts.” It is the plural of the feminine noun parte. In entre esas partes, it is the noun governed by entre. Together, Esa estructura funciona says “That structure works.” Then Añade transiciones sencillas entre esas partes gives a direct command to one tú add simple transitions between those parts. The complete utterance is therefore: “That structure works. Add simple transitions between those parts.”

7. ¿Debería memorizar toda la presentación?

   Should I memorize the whole presentation?

   Debería

   should I

   memorizar

   memorize

   toda

   the whole

   presentación

   presentation

   More detail

   Debería is the conditional form of deber, “should/ought to.” In this question, the fixed translation identifies the subject as yo (“I”); debería can also be the third-person singular conditional in other contexts, so the form alone does not always identify the subject. Debería + infinitive is a reusable way to ask whether an action would be advisable: ¿Debería llamar? = “Should I call?” memorizar is an infinitive meaning “to memorize.” After a conjugated form of deber, Spanish uses the infinitive: debería memorizar, not a second conjugated verb. The infinitive can be reused with other subjects and forms, such as debo memorizar (“I must memorize”) or quiero memorizar (“I want to memorize”). toda means “the whole/entire” here. It is the feminine singular form of todo, agreeing with presentación: toda la presentación. Compare todo el informe (“the whole report”) and todas las páginas (“all the pages”). presentación is a feminine singular noun meaning “presentation” in this sentence. Its plural is presentaciones. The written accent on the final ó belongs to the observed singular form and must be preserved. Together, ¿Debería memorizar toda la presentación? uses the pattern ¿Debería + infinitive + object? to ask whether the speaker ought to memorize the entire presentation. The complete meaning is: “Should I memorize the whole presentation?”

8. Ensaya con notas para sonar más natural.

   Rehearse with notes so you sound more natural.

   Ensaya

   rehearse

   notas

   notes

   sonar

   sound

   más natural

   more natural

   More detail

   Ensaya is the affirmative command form of ensayar for tú singular: “rehearse.” It addresses one person informally. The present indicative form for “you rehearse” is also ensayas, but the command is ensaya. Example: Ensaya la presentación. — “Rehearse the presentation.” notas is the plural of nota, here meaning written notes used while rehearsing. The preposition con means “with,” so con notas means “with notes.” Example: Practica con notas. — “Practice with notes.” sonar means “to sound” or “to come across.” It is an infinitive after para, forming a purpose expression: para + infinitive means “so as to …” or “in order to ….” Example: Habla despacio para sonar claro. — “Speak slowly so as to sound clear.” más natural means “more natural.” Natural is an adjective, and más makes its comparative form; the comparison is not marked on natural itself. The adjective describes how the person’s speech or delivery sounds. Example: Su voz suena más natural. — “Their voice sounds more natural.” Together, Ensaya con notas gives the instruction to rehearse while using notes. para sonar más natural states the purpose: doing so is intended to help the addressed person sound more natural. The complete utterance therefore means: “Rehearse with notes so you sound more natural.”

9. Practicaré dos veces y me grabaré.

   I will practice twice and record myself.

   Practicaré

   I will practice

   dos veces

   twice

   me grabaré

   I will record myself

   More detail

   Practicaré means “I will practice.” It is the first-person singular future of practicar: practicaré = “I will practice,” practicarás = “you will practice,” and practicará = “he, she, or usted will practice.” The ending -é identifies the speaker as the subject and places the practice in the future. Example: Practicaré mañana. — “I will practice tomorrow.” dos veces means “twice,” literally expressing that an action happens two times. Dos is the number “two,” and veces is the plural of vez, “time” in this counting expression. Example: Lo leí dos veces. — “I read it twice.” me grabaré means “I will record myself.” Grabaré is again a first-person singular future form, this time from grabar, “to record.” Me is a reflexive object pronoun referring back to the speaker; here, the speaker records the speaker’s own performance. With a different subject, the pronoun changes: Te grabarás means “You will record yourself.” Example: Me grabaré mañana. — “I will record myself tomorrow.” Together, Practicaré dos veces y me grabaré means “I will practice twice and record myself.” The first future action is practicing two times; y links it to the second future action, in which the speaker records themself. The two first-person future forms make the speaker the subject of both actions, while me marks the second action as directed back at that same speaker.

10. Eso te ayudará a mejorar tu ritmo y a sonar más seguro.

    That will help you improve your timing and sound more confident.

    Eso

    That

    te ayudará

    will help you

    mejorar

    improve

    ritmo

    timing; rhythm

    sonar

    sound

    más seguro

    more confident

    More detail

    Eso means “that” here. It is a singular, neuter demonstrative pronoun, useful for pointing to an idea, action, or situation rather than naming a masculine or feminine noun. In the supplied context, it points back to the previously mentioned practice and self-recording activity. Demonstratives can be contrasted as esto “this,” eso “that,” and aquello “that over there” or “that more distant idea.” te ayudará contains ayudar “to help” in the simple future: ayudará is third-person singular, “will help.” te is the unstressed object pronoun “you,” and it does not change for the addressee’s gender. A reusable pattern is algo ayudará a alguien a + infinitive: La práctica te ayudará a mejorar. — “Practice will help you improve.” mejorar is the infinitive “to improve.” After ayudar, Spanish commonly uses a + infinitive, so te ayudará a mejorar expresses “will help you improve.” The infinitive does not itself show person or tense; the future form ayudará carries the future meaning here. ritmo is a masculine singular noun meaning “rhythm” or, in this sentence, “timing.” With the possessive phrase tu ritmo, it means “your timing.” Its plural is ritmos, as in los ritmos — “the rhythms” or “the timings,” depending on context. sonar is the infinitive “to sound.” It is coordinated with mejorar in the parallel pattern a mejorar ... y a sonar ...: “to improve ... and to sound ...” In this sentence, the understood subject of sonar is the person addressed by te, so the meaning is “for you to sound.” más seguro means “more confident” here. más forms a comparison, and seguro is the adjective being compared; its base form is seguro, while más seguro means “more confident.” In this use, seguro describes how the person sounds, not the timing. Spanish adjectives agree with the person or thing they describe: for a feminine singular referent, the form would be más segura; for a masculine plural referent, más seguros. Together, Eso te ayudará a mejorar tu ritmo y a sonar más seguro means “That will help you improve your timing and sound more confident.” The structure is That will help you to improve your timing and to sound more confident, with two parallel a + infinitive phrases after ayudará.