Conjugate the verb preferir in all forms in the Present Tense.
I prefer
You prefer
He/She prefers
We prefer
You all prefer
They prefer
how does the stem change?
The verb preferir is an irregular verb in the present tense. The stem change occurs in the second and third person singular forms (you and he/she). Instead of the regular -e to -ie stem change, preferir undergoes an -e to -ie or -i stem change.
Here are the conjugations:
Yo prefiero (I prefer)
Tú prefieres (You prefer)
Él/Ella/Usted prefiere (He/She/You(formal) prefers)
Nosotros/Nosotras preferimos (We prefer)
Vosotros/Vosotras preferís (You all prefer)
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes prefieren (They/You all(formal) prefer)
Notice that the only stem change occurs in the second and third person singular forms: prefieres, prefiere.
what takes place to change it?
To change the stem in the verb "preferir" from -e to -ie or -i, the letter "e" in the stem is replaced by "ie" when stressed or followed by the letter "i" in the second and third person singular forms. Here's a breakdown of the stem changes:
Yo prefiero (I prefer) - no stem change, remains as "prefier-"
Tú prefieres (You prefer) - stem changes from "prefier-" to "prefier-"
Él/Ella/Usted prefiere (He/She/You(formal) prefer) - stem changes from "prefier-" to "prefier-"
Nosotros/Nosotras preferimos (We prefer) - no stem change, remains as "prefier-"
Vosotros/Vosotras preferís (You all prefer) - stem changes from "prefier-" to "prefier-"
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes prefieren (They/You all(formal) prefer) - no stem change, remains as "prefier-"
So, the stem change occurs in the second and third person singular forms (tú, él/ella/usted), changing the -e- in the stem to -ie- or -i- before adding the regular present tense endings.