Using Spanish

This is a guide to Spanish usage for those who have already acquired the basics of the language and wish to extend their knowledge. Unlike conventional grammars, it focuses on those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English speakers. It fully illustrates the differences between the Spanish of Spain and Latin America, and looks in detail at register variation. Complete with a full word index, this clear and easy-to-consult text guides students through the richness and diversity of this major world language. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated to take a fuller account of Latin-American (particularly Mexican) usage. The vocabulary sections have been significantly expanded, and now include examples which contextualize each word or expression. The presentation of many sections has been improved to make reference even easier than before, and some completely new material has been added on semi-technical vocabulary and Anglicisms.

• Gives special attention to vocabulary and idiom, and register and style • Clear, readable and easy to consult • Looks at those aspects of Spanish that cause particular difficulties to English-speaking learners

1. Introduction; 2. Passages illustrating register and local variety; 3. Misleading similarities between Spanish and English; 4. Similarities between Spanish words; 5. Fields of meaning - vocabulary expansion; 6. Complex verb expressions; 7. Affective suffixes; 8. Idioms, similies and proverbs; 9. Proper names; 10. Adjectives pertaining to countries and towns; 11. Abbreviations; 12. Latin expressions; 13. Anglicisms; 14. Grammatical terms; 15. Interjections; 16. Fillers; 17. Transition words; 18. Numerals; 19. Measurements; 20. Semi-technical vocabulary; 21. Gender; 22. Number; 23. Word order; 24. Prepositions; 25. Prepositional constructions with verbs, nouns and adjectives; 26. Constructions with verbs of movement; 27. Negation; 28. Use of tenses; 29. Periphrastic verb-forms; 30. Modal auxiliaries; 31. The subjunctive; 32. ‘ser’ and ‘estar’; 33. Pronouns; 34. The reflexive; 35. Comparison; 36. Usage with names of countries.