Ch 13 · Lesson 10Spanish · Chapter 13 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Tengo dos hermanos: when the a disappears
Plain , a person who could be anyone, and a against .
The short version
.
Why?Hide
The personal a marks a specific human direct object: a María, but . The exception that catches over-correctors is , which drops the a for plain possession. , never a . The a comes back only when means keeping someone rather than having them: a .
The scale: from a to no a
The more the object is a known person, the surer the a:
- Veo a María.a specific person
- Busco a mi perro.a pet you know
- Necesito un médico.any doctor will do
- Veo la casa.a thing
When the a disappears
Plain having with takes no a, even for people. It comes back when the sentence says where or how the person is:
| Meaning | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| having | . | I have two brothers. |
| having | . | He/she has a daughter. |
| where she is | . | I' got my mother at home with me. |
A person who could be anyone takes no a. With someone you know, it comes back:
| Anyone | Someone you know |
|---|---|
. | . |
| I need a doctor. | I need my doctor. |
shows the rule changing a meaning. With a person and the a, it means to love; with a thing, to want:
.- I love my mother..- I want a coffee.
The personal a and object pronouns
The a does not change the job of the object. María. still has María as the direct object, so the pronoun is :
.- I see her.
The full charts are on Spanish object pronouns.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| María. | María. | a specific person |
| No . | . | stands for a person |
| a . | . | plain having: no a |
| a . | . | a thing: no a |
| a . | . | a + is |
Do not mix it up with the a of movement: Madrid. (I'm going to Madrid) has nothing to do with people.
Going further: The personal a on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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7-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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