Grammar Pronouns Flashcards
What is a pronoun?
The word pronoun means “in place of a noun”. Pronouns are used instead of nouns as a way of avoiding clumsy repetitions. In Spanish pronouns take their gender and number from the noun they refer to and their form from their function in the sentence. There are different types of pronouns
What are personal pronouns?
Personal pronouns are the most neutral pronouns – they simply replace nouns without adding further information. They may refer to the person speaking, the person spoken to, or the person spoken about. Personal pronouns include subject pronouns, direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and disjunctive pronouns.
What are interrogative pronouns?
These are question words.
What are demonstrative pronouns?
Demonstrative pronouns refer to something very specific, usually indicating whether it is near to or far from the speaker in time or place.
What are possessive pronouns?
These refer to ownership.
List the subject pronouns
yo tú él ella ello usted nosotros nosotras vosotros vosotras ellos ellas ustedes
Explain subject pronouns
Because the subject of the action is contained in the verb ending in Spanish, the subject pronouns are only used for emphasis, contrast, or to avoid confusion. Usted / ustedes are perhaps used more frequently (due to possible ambiguity).
Explain the subject pronoun Ello
Ello, the neuter subject pronoun, is used to refer to an idea and means it, this, that, or the fact, though its use tends to be literary and esto is preferred in speech.
Explain prepositional pronouns.
After a preposition, Spanish uses the subject pronouns except for yo and tú.
List the prepositional pronouns (using para)
para mí para tí Para él Para ella para usted Para nosotros Para nosotras Para vosotros Para vosotras Para ellos Para ellas Para ustedes
List irregular prepositional pronouns.
Three irregular forms exist with the preposition con
- conmigo
- contigo
- consigo
When used after prepositions, él and ella can refer to X
things as well as people
After what prepositions are subject pronouns used instead of prepositional pronouns?
como según salvo excepto menos entre
What’s the difference between consigo and con él / con ella / con usted / con ellos / con ellas / con ustedes?
consigo is reflexive.
con él etc is when there’s different people
What is a direct object?
A direct object is a noun which directly receives the action of the verb. It answers the question “what receives the action from the verb?”
Subject Verb Object Yo contesto el teléfono. Ella come el taco. Nosotros miramos las películas. Ellos leen los libros.
What is the personal a?
A direct object can also be a person / people. However, if it refers to a specific person then in Spanish it requires a.
Subject Verb Object
Yo llamé a Juan.
What is a direct object pronoun?
A direct object pronoun is a shorter form that substites for the longer forms of the actual noun.
¿Quien contesta el teléfono? Yo lo contest.
¿Quien mira las películas? Nosotros las miramos.
¿Quien lee los libros? Ellos los leen.
¿Quien conoce a Maria? Yo la conozco.
List the direct object pronouns
me te le lo la nos os les los las
What is the position of the direct object in relation to the verb?
All object pronouns precede the verb, except in the imperative positive, the infinitive, and the gerund, where they are attached to the end of the verb.
¡No! ¡No voy prestárselo! (¡No se lo voy a prestar!)
When do you use the personal a?
when
(1) the direct object refers to a specific person
(2) personifying objects
(3) before indefinite expressions like alguien or nadie.
Give one exception to the personal a rule.
Personal a is not used after the verb TENER.
What is an indirect object?
Indirect objects answer the question “to whom” or “for whom”. Yo compro las flores para ti. Tú mandas la carta a Ana. José lee el cuento a los niños. Ellos traen los libros a nosotros.
What are indirect object pronouns?
They stand in for indirect objects Yo te compro las flores. Tú le mandas la carta. José les lee el cuento. Ellos nos traen los libros.
List the indirect object pronouns?
me Te le nos os les
Explain the placement when there is both a direct and indirect object pronoun
When there is both an indirect object pronoun and a direct object pronoun, the indirect always precedes the direct.
Yo compro las flores para ti.
Yo te las compro.
Ellos traen los libros a nosotros.
Ellos nos los traen.
What happens when the indirect and direct object pronouns are both third person and would therefore both begin with L,
the indirect changes to se.
- No te lo dije porque sé que odias a la señora Pérez, y no sabía si querías prestárselo.
- ¡Claro que se lo presto a él, pero ¡nunca se lo presto a ella!
What is used as the equivalent of the English possessive with parts of the body and articles of clothing.
the indirect object pronoun
- ¿Te quito el abrigo?
- No, gracias. Siempre me hace daño en el brazo cuando me lo quitas.
- Ven, Carlitos. Te lavo los manos.
- No, no. Yo mismo me las lavo.
What tells for whose benefit or disadvantage something was done.
indirect object pronoun
- ¿Me haces el almuerzo, mamá?
- Sí, si me llevas las bolsas de comida a la cocina.
what can be added to certain impersonal expressions
indirect object pronoun
Es difícil caminar cuando nieva. (It’s difficult to drive when it snows)
Me es difícil caminar cuando nieva. (It’s difficult for me to drive when it snows)
Es necesario estudiar más.
Nos es necesario estudiar más.
what can be added to a se construction with certain verbs to express unplanned occurrences. These constructions focus on the object affected rather than on the person involved.
indirect object pronoun
- Veo que se te rompieron los anteojos. (I see that you broke your glasses)
- Sí, se me cayeron en la calle. (Yes, I dropped them in the street)
- ¿Cómo se les ocurrió venir ayer? (How did you get the idea to come yesterday?)
- Se les había olvidado que la reunion era mañana. (They had forgotten that the meeting was this morning)
List the reflexive pronouns
me te se nos os se
What is a reflexive pronoun?
Reflexive pronouns are person pronouns that refer back to the subject of the sentence as when you do something to yourself.
What does it mean to use the ordinary third person object pronouns (lo, le, la, los, les, las) instead of se
the action is being done to someone else instead of the subject.
Se compó una botella de vino.
Le compró una botella de vino
List 3uses of the reflexive pronoun
1) Body and clothes
2) reciprocation
3) indefinite pronoun “one” (se + 3rd person singular)
Where is the reflexive pronoun placed when there’s an imperative?
- precede negative commands
no se acueste todavía - attached to positive commands
acuéstese
Where is the reflexive pronoun placed when there’s a progressive tense?
- either precede the forms of estar
me estoy visitiendo - or follow the gerund
Ana está arreglándose
What are hte neuter pronouns?
Lo
esto / eso / aquel
ello
what neuter pronoun is used as a neuter object or complement
lo
what neuter pronoun is used to introduce a noun clause menaing that which or a relative clause meaning which
lo que
what neuter pronoun is used to mean “the matter of”
LO DE
LO DEL DINERO NOS PREOCUPA BASTANTE
What neuter pronoun is used to mean how in noun clauses and exclamations
lo + adj + que + verb
Uds. no saben lo difícil es encontrar este dinero
What are the demonstrative adjectives
este (this)
ese (that by you)
aquel (that over there)
which demonstrative adjective can also be placed after the noun to convey a note of contemptuousness
ese
no sé por qué una muchacha tan inteligente como Margarita saldría con el chico ese
explain demonstrative pronouns
demonstrative pronouns in Spanish have the same form as demonstrative adjectives.
The noun is deleted and an accent mark is added over the stressed vowel.
Demonstrative pronouns refer to something very specific, usually indicating whether it is near to or far from the speaker in time or place (can be mental rather than physical distance).
Explain neuter demonstrative pronouns
Spanish has 3 neuter demonstrative pronouns ending in -o.
They never have a written accent.
They refer to situations or ideas.
-No hay nada más peligroso que eso.
Explain the neuter demonstrative + de
esto de trabajar demasiado no te hace ningún bien
expresses this / that situation / regarding this / this matter of / about
how do you say the former and the latter
aquél
éste
list the possessive adjectives
mi / mis tu / tus su / sus nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras su / sus
how do you clarify which person(s) “su/sus” refers to?
de + pronoun
-El libro de él or de ella?
SSpanish has a set of long form or stressed possessive adjectives that can be used to contrast one possessor with another (it’s my book, not your book). List them
el libro mío el libro tuyo el libro suyo el libro nuestro el libro vuestro el libro suyo
explain ser + long form possessives
after ser the definite article is frequently omitted after long-form possessives
este coche es mío
when the definite article does appear with a long form possessive after forms of ser there is a difference in meaning, with the focus on ownership / belonging.
Esta casa es la mía.
List the long form possessive pronouns
el mío el tuyo el suyo el nuestro el vuestro el suyo
which noun do possessive pronouns represent?
possessive pronouns are unique in that they represent 2 different nouns at once: the possessor and the thing possessed. They take their form from the possessor and their gender and number from the thing possessed.
What is a relative clause?
Relative clauses do not constitute sentences as and of themselves. They are subordinate clauses.
What is a relative pronoun?
A relative pronoun relates or links a noun to a clause that closely follows it and that defines or comments on it. The noun is known as the antecedent and the clause is a relative clause.
List the relative pronouns
que
quien / queines
el que / la que / lo que
los que / las que
el cual / la cual / lo cual
los cuales / las cuales
What is the simple rule for relative pronouns
Always use que unless a preposition is involved, then
- if the antecedent is a thing use a compound form from the el que or el cual groups
- if the antecedent is a person use quien / quienes
What is the longer rule for relative pronouns
Always use que unless
- the antecedent is athing + the relative pronoun is preceded by a preposition other than a, con, de, en - in such cases use the compound form
- the entecedent is a person and the relative pronoun is preceded by a preposition other than con or end - in such cases use quien / quienes.
what preposition relative pronoun is common after expressions of time and to express imprecise location
en que
el mes en que se fueron
un siglo en que la vida era muy difícil
When en expresses physical location inside an object, what relative pronoun is used
en el que
Abrió la gaveta en la que había metido las llaves
what can replace en + relative pronoun to express location?
donde
Abrió la gaveta donde había metido las llaves
What is cuyo?
who / whose
What does este mean in terms of time?
Este, etc. = presente or near past / future
Esta mañana tengo mucho trabajo.
Este invierno ha sido muy frío.
What does ese, etc. mean in terms of time?
Ese, etc. = already mentioned past or future
Estuve en Perú en 1999. Ese año hubo elecciones.
Edu se casa el 12 de enero, y ese mismo día se va a Perú.
What does aquel, etc. mean in terms of time?
Aquel, etc. = far away past
Mi abuelo nació en 1920. En aquella época reinaba Alfonso XIII.
What’s the difference between mi profesor and un profesor mío.
Mi, tu, etc. are used to refer to something or someone specific or unique.
Un, dos, tres, etc. + noun + mío, etc. is used when we speaking of something or someone as part of a group.
What does cualquier or cualquiera mean?
One
It doesn’t matter
it isn’t known
What’s the difference between cualquier and cualquiera?
Cualquier + singular noun
Cualquier día voy a verte.
Cualquiera = whatever person
Cualquiera puede cometer un error.
Rodrigo habla con cualquiera
What’s the difference between Un / una + singular noun + cualquiera
and
Uno / una + cualquiera
Déjame una raqueta cualquiera
It’s clear what is being spoken about.
-¿Qué libro prefieres? -Es igual, Déjame uno cualquiera.
What’s the story with cualquier + de
Cualquier de + nosotros / los /mis / estos + plural noun
Cualquiera de ustedes puede hacerlo.
Pásame cualquiera de los bolígrafos.
Ponte cualquiera de mis trajes.
Cualquiera de esos chicos es más amable que tú.
What do you do when there is a masculine subject pronoun and a feminine subject pronoun?
¿Veis mucho a Almudena y a Luis?
Use the masculine plural.
No, no los vemos mucho.
When are personal pronouns used?
Personal pronouns are used to refer to a person who is present or in place of a person, animal or thing which was previously mentioned.
Es un paquete para usted.
-Ya no tengo coche. -¿Qué has hecho con él?
Arregla la televisión, por favor. Me aburro sin ella.
What happens to the sentence structure when the relative clause has a subject?
When the relative clause has a subject, it always goes after the verb.
…. que / donde + verb + subject
He encontrado la pluma que perdió María
Esa es la casa donde vive Laura.
What is the sentence structure for an interrogative?
¿
+ (a, con, de, …)
+quién
quiénes
qué
+verb
(+ subject)
(+ complement)
?
¿Qué pasa ?
¿Con quién fuiste al cine?
¿A quién dio Paco la llave?
Lo is used as the direct object of which verbs to refer to an idea or an event?
Lo is used as a direct object pronoun of a verb (ser, estar, parecer) to refer to an idea or an event.
- ¿Dónde vive Juan? No lo sé.
- Aurora se casa. -Se lo he dicho a Pili.
- Felipe no es argentino. -Claro que lo es.
- Pareces cansado. -Pues no lo estoy.
- Sara no está cansada. Sí, lo está.
Why might the noun be placed ahead of the direct object pronoun?
To give emphasis
Yo pago la comida.
La comida la pago yo.
Conozco a esas chicas
A esas chicas las conozco.
Show how the direct object pronoun can be used with todo, etc.
Víctor es un desastre. Lo rompe todo.
-Me quedan cinco entradas. -Las quiere todas.
Usually, when you know who the indirect object is going to you can omit the indirect object and leave the indirect object pronoun. When do you keep the personal a?
To clarify who is being spoken about
Ayer las vi en el parque. (¿A ustedes o a ellas? => Ayer las vi a ustedes en el parque.
Le dije no era verdad. (¿A usted, a él o a ella?) => Le dije a ella que no era verdad.
To indicate a contrast
Ramón ama a María, pero maría no lo ama a él.
T
o give emphasis (in which case personal a goes to the beginning)
A nosotros no nos conoce.
A mí no me mientas.
When is the sentence structure infinitive + object pronoun?
- with the infinitive as subject Hacerlo es complicado. Es inútil decírselo. Es imposible hablarle. Me gusta contárselo.
- with verbs like lamentar, sentir
Siento molestarle, don Jesús. - with parecer
Parece entenderlo, pero no estoy segura.
Pedro y Ana parecen odiarse.
When does the object pronoun HAVE TO go after the gerund?
When it’s just a gerund standing alone.
Toma este libro. Leyéndolo, aprenderás.
When is cuando used as a relative pronoun?
Cuando is used to refer to an expression of time or a specific time.
Es en verano cuando más viajo.
2007 fue el año cuando nos conocimos.
Lo haré cuando tú digas.
Ven cuando quieras.
When is como used as a relative pronoun?
Como indicates a way of doing something. It can be used instead of del modo que, de la manera que, de la forma que.
El partido terminó como yo pensaba.
Lo hizo como él quiso.
When asking about people what are the different questions that c an be asked?
General questions
¿Quién? ¿Quiénes?
Specific questions
¿Qué + noun?
¿Cuál? ¿Cuáles?
When asking about things what are the different questions that can be asked?
General questions
¿Qué?
Specific questions
¿Qué + noun?
¿Cuál? ¿Cuáles?
When asking questions with SER what are the different questions that can be asked
General questions
¿Qué?
Specific questions
¿Quién? ¿Quiénes?
¿Cuál? ¿Cuáles?
Explain the use of de/ por / a + dónde in a question.
Use de / por + dónde to ask information about a place. Use adónde when you want to know to where someone is going.
- ¿Por dónde pasa el Guadalquivir? -Por Sevilla.
- Adónde vais? -A casa de Arturo.
Explain the use of desde / hasta + cuándo in a question
Use desde / hasta + cuándo to ask information about the moment that an action is realised in.
- ¿Cuándo acaba la exposición? -El próximo domingo.
- ¿Hasta cuándo tenéis vacaciones? -Hasta el 2 de agosto.
- ¿Desde cuándo estudias español? -Desde hace un año.
Explain ¿para qué? as a question
To ask about objective or use
- ¿Para qué necesitas el coche? -Quiero ir a la sierra.
- ¿Para qué sirve ese aparato? -para encender y apagar la televisión?
