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INTRODUCTION

What you will learn in this lesson:

  • to use the “key power verbs” with infinitives

  • to use key power verbs in sentences concerning treatment instructions and procedures

  • to give prescription and follow-up instructions

  • to give directions for how to get to the laboratory, restroom, etc.

  • vocabulary related to a pelvic exam and a pap smear

  • to conduct a culturally sensitive pap smear

  • to form, conjugate, and use the present progressive (continuous) tense

  • to perform and run lab tests

The goal of this lesson is to be able to use a shortcut for forming grammatically correct questions and answers in their simplest possible form; give follow-up and prescription instructions, and directions; conduct a culturally sensitive pelvic exam and pap smear; and perform and run lab tests in Spanish.

KEY POWER VERBS/POWER PUNCH VERBS

The following “key power verbs” or conjugated basic verbs can be used with any infinitive to form a statement, a question, or a command. If you use only necesito or necesita with any infinitive, you will be able to express the majority of what you need to convey—and the best aspect is that the structures will be easy to form and grammatically correct. Just remember to keep it simple!

The verbs in bold letters in the middle column are your power verbs. You may wish to interchange them for variety; for example, Necesito tomar su pulso, Voy a tomar su pulso, or Quiero tomar su pulso.

Also, remember that the él/ella/Ud. form (called the third-person singular) will help you cover a lot of ground:

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El técnico va a sacarle sangre.

The lab tech is going to draw your blood.

Su hijo necesita antibióticos.

Your son needs antibiotics.

Therefore, in the power-verb column, you’ll find the “power persons”: first-person singular (yo) and third-person singular (él, ella, Ud.), which are the most important forms in the health profession.

The left-hand column consists of “question words” that are placed before a verb to form a question: ¿Cuándo necesito (yo) tomar las pastillas, doctor?, or ¿Qué quiere (Ud.) tomar—pastillas o cápsulas?

In the right-hand column, the -le connected to the end of the infinitive means “(to) you, (to) her, (to) him.” For example:

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Necesito inyectarle.

I need to inject you./I need to give a shot to you.

To indicate “(to) me,” connect -me to the infinitive. For example:

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¿Va a inyectarme?

Are you going to give me a shot/to give a shot to me?

How to Use the Chart

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