When "Puntos de partida" first published in 1981 it introduced a new era in language materials and language instruction in this country through its hallmark focus on communicative language proficiency and the development of the four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening). "Puntos" has established itself as one of the market leaders among introductory Spanish textbooks. In this 20th Anniversary Edition, "Puntos" will continue to offer the most teacher- and student-friendly textbook on the market as well as a host of exciting new features, most notably a state-of-the-art Instructor's Edition.

Preface

CAPTULO Preliminar: Ante Todo

Vocabulario y gramtica / Puntos Interactivo  Primera parte: Saludos y expresiones de cortesa / El alfabeto espaol / Los cognados / Cmo es usted? / Spanish in the United States and in the World  Segunda parte: Ms cognados / Pronunciacin / Los nmeros 0-30; hay / Gustos y preferencias / Lectura El mundo hispnico (Parte 1) / Estrategia: Recognizing Interrogative Words and estar / Las naciones del mundo hispnico  Tercera parte: Qu hora es? / Palabras interrogativas /

CAPTULO 1: En la universidad

Vocabulario: Preparacin En la clase / Las materias / Pronunciacin: Diphthongs and Linking / Minidilogos y gramtica 1. Identifying People, Places and Things  Singular Nouns: Gender and Articles / Gender / Articles / 2. Identifying People, Places, and Things  Nouns and Articles: Plural Forms / 3. Expressing Actions  Subject Pronouns; Present Tense of ar Verbs; Negation / Verbs: Infinitives and Personal Endings / Negation / 4. Getting Information  Asking Yes/No Questions / Rising Intonation / Inversion /

CAPTULO 2: La familia

Vocabulario: Preparacin La familia y los parientes / Adjetivos / Los nmeros 3l-100 / Pronunciacin: Stress and Written Accent Marks (Part 1) / Minidilogos y gramtica 5. Expressing to be  Present Tense of ser; Summary of Uses / 6. Expressing Possession  Possessive Adjectives (Unstressed) 7. Describing  Adjectives: Gender, Number, and Position / Forms of Adjectives / Placement of Adjectives / Forms of this/these / 8. Expressing Actions  Present Tense of er and ir Verbs; More About Subject Pronouns / Verbs That End in er and ir / Use and Omission of Subject Pronouns / Panorama cultural: Mexico /

CAPTULO 3: De compras

Vocabulario: Preparacin De compras: La ropa / De qu color es? / Ms all del nmero 100 / Pronunciacin: Stress and Written Accent Marks (Part 2) / Minidilogos y gramtica 9. Pointing Out People and Things  Demonstrative Pronouns / 10. Expressing Actions and States  tener, venir, preferir, querer, and poder; Some Idioms with tener / Some Idioms with tener / Expressing Destination and Future Actions  ir; ir + a + Infinitive; The Contraction al /

CAPTULO 4: En casa

Vocabulario: Preparacin Qu da es hoy? / Los muebles, los cuartos y otras partes de la casa / Cundo?  Preposiciones / Minidilogos y gramtica 12. Expressing Actions  hacer, or, poner, salir, traer, and ver / Pronunciacin: b and v / 13. Expressing Actions  Present Tense of Stem-Changing Verbs / 14. Expresing self/selves  Reflexive Pronouns / Uses of Reflexive Pronouns / Placement of Reflexive Pronouns /

CAPTULO 5: Las estaciones, el tiempo y un poco de geografa

Vocabulario: Preparacin Qu tiempo hace hoy? / Los meses y las estaciones del ao / Dnde est? Las preposiciones / Pronunciacin: r and rr / Minidilogos y gramtica 15. Qu estn haciendo?  Present Progressive: estar + -ndo / Uses of the progressive / Formation of the Present Progressive / Using Pronouns with the Present Progressive / 16. Ser o estar?  Summary of the Uses of ser and estar / Ser and estar with Adjectives / 17. Describing  Comparisons / Comparison of Adjectives / Comparison of Nouns / Comparison of Verbs / Comparison of Adverbs /

CAPTULO 6 Qu le gusta comer?

Vocabulario: Preparacin La comida / Qu sabe Ud. y a quin conoce Saber and conocer; Personal a / Pronunciacin: d and t / 18. Expressing what or whom  Direct Object Pronouns / 19. Expressing Negation  Indefinite and Negative Words / 20. Influencing Others  Formal Commands / Formal Command Forms / Position of Pronouns with Formal Commands /

CAPTULO 7: De vacaciones

Vocabulario: Preparacin Buen viaje! / Pronunciacin: g, gu, and j / 21. Expressing what or whom  Indirect Object Pronouns; dar and decir / Indirect Object Pronouns / Dar and decir / 22. Expressing Likes and Dislikes  gustar / Expressions with gustar / Would Like / Wouldnt Like / 23. Talking About the Past  Preterite of Regular Verbs and of dar, hacer, ir, and ser / Preterite of Regular Verbs / Irregular Preterite Forms /

CAPTULO 8: Los das festivos

Vocabulario: Preparacin Los das festivos y las fiestas / Emociones y condiciones / 24.Talking About the Past (2)  Irregular Preterites / 25. Talking About the Past (3)  Preterite of Stem-Changing Verbs / 26. Expressing Direct and Indirect Objects Together  Double Object Pronouns / Order of Pronouns / Le(s)  se

CAPTULO 9: El tiempo libre

Vocabulario: Preparacin Pasatiempos, diversiones y aficiones Trabajando en casa / 27. Descriptions of Habitual Actions in the Past  Imperfect of Regular and Irregular Verbs / Forms of the Imperfect / Uses of the Imperfect / 28. Extremes  Superlatives / 29. Getting Information  Summary of Interrogative Words / Using qu? and cul? /

CAPTULO 10: La salud

Vocabulario: Preparacin La salud y el bienestar / En el consultorio / 30. Narrating in the Past  Using the Preterite and the Imperfect / 31. Recognizing que, quien(es), lo que  Relative Pronouns / 32. Expressing each other  Reciprocal Actions with Reflexive Pronouns /

CAPTULO 11: Presiones de la vida estudiantil

Vocabulario: Preparacin La vida estudiantil / 33. Telling How Long Something Has Been Happening or How Long Ago Something Happened  Hace que, Another Use of hacer / 34. Expressing Unplanned or Unexpected Events  Another Use of se / 35. Por o para?  A Summary of Their Uses / Por / Para

CAPTULO 12: La calidad de la vida

Vocabulario: Preparacin Tengo Necesito Quiero La vivienda / 36. Influencing Others  t Commands / Negative t Commands / Affirmative t Commands / 37. Expressing Subjunctive Actions or States  Present Subjunctive: An Introduction / Forms of the Present Subjunctive / 38. Expressing Desires and Requests  Use of the Subjunctive: Influence /

CAPTULO 13: El arte y la cultura

Vocabulario: Preparacin Las artes / Ranking Things: Ordinals / 39. Expressing Feelings  Use of the Subjunctive: Emotion / 40. Expressing Uncertainty  Use of the Subjunctive: Doubt and Denial / 41. Expressing Influence, Emotion, Doubt and Denial  The Subjunctive: A Summary

CAPTULO 14: El medio ambiente

Vocabulario: Preparacin El medio ambiente / Los coches / 42. Ms descripciones  Past Participle Used as an Adjective / Forms of the Past Participle / The Past Participle Used as an Adjective / 43. Qu has hecho?  Perfect Forms: Present Perfect Indicative and Present Perfect Subjunctive / Present Perfect Indicative / Present Perfect Subjunctive /

CAPTULO 15: La vida social y sentimental

Vocabulario: Preparacin Las relaciones sentimentales / Etapas de la vida / 44. Hay alguien que ? Hay un lugar donde?  Subjunctive after Nonexistent and Indefinite Antecedents / Present Perfect Indicative / Present Perfect Subjunctive / 45. Lo hago para que t  Subjunctive After Conjunctions of Contingency and Purpose /

CAPTULO 16: Trabajar para vivir o vivir para trabajar?

Vocabulario: Preparacin Profesiones y oficios / El mundo del trabajo / 46. Talking About the Future  Future Verb Forms / Present Perfect Indicative / Present Perfect Subjunctive / 47. Expressing Future of Pending Actions  Subjunctive and Indicative After Conjunctions of Time

CAPTULO 17: Las ltimas novedades

Vocabulario: Preparacin Las noticias / El gobierno y la responsabilidad cvica / 48. Ojal que pudiramos hacerlo!  Past Subjunctive / Forms of the Past Subjunctive / Use of the Past Subjunctive / 49. More About Expressing Possession  Stressed Possessives

CAPTULO 18: En el extranjero

Vocabulario: Preparacin Lugares y cosas en el extrajero En un viaje al extranjero / 50. Expressing What You Would Do  Conditional Verb Forms / 51. Hypothetical Situations  Si Clause Sentences

Appendices Vocabularies Index About the Authors