Personal A

Mini Lesson

1. I can determine whether a sentence has a direct object in it, and if it does, identify it (English and Spanish)

2. I can determine when and how to use the Personal A in a Spanish sentence.

In order to understand the purpose and use of the Spanish "Personal A" you first need to have a clear understanding of what a direct object is.

Self Assessment:

  1. I can put into words what a direct object is.

  2. I can identify a direct object (or lack of) in a given sentence.

          1. Paula took her test yesterday. Paula tomó su examen ayer.

          2. Did you throw that ball? ¿Tiraste esa pelota tú?

          3. The people gathered in the living room. La gente se juntó en la sala.

          4. Your dad already told us. Tu papá ya nos dijo.

If needed, use the videos or the written lesson to help refresh (in English) what a direct object is.

English review: What is a direct object? How can I find it?

Example sentences: I need to buy milk. My grandmother bakes cookies. I eat all of them. I love my grandma.

1. First, identify who is doing something and what they're doing. (This is your subject and verb). This would be

I need.... My grandmother bakes.... I eat... I love...

2. Then repeat the subject/verb with whom? or what? after it. The answer to your own question is your direct object.

Whom or what do i need? MILK

Whom or what does grandmother bake? COOKIES

Whom are what do I eat? ALL OF THEM

Whom or what do I love? MY GRANDMA

A direct object is the thing or person that the action is directly affecting, or happening to.

3. Direct objects are usually nouns (things like milk, cookies), or people (like my grandma). They can also be phrases (like "all of them"). In sentences with verbs that infer a message was conveyed (like TOLD, WROTE, ASKED), the direct object is the message. And, sometimes it's left out of the sentence because the speaker assumes you are already aware of it.

  • My father told us.

    • Who/what happened? --> My father told... What did he tell? ---> (probably some important news)

  • Her husband wrote her.

    • Who/what happened? --> Her husband wrote...What did he write?--> (probably a letter)

  • Elodie asked her dad, but he said, "no."

    • Who/what happened? --> Elodie asked...What did she ask? --> (a question)

You have used the word "a" before.

  1. A las cuatro... At four o'clock

  2. Voy a la tienda. I'm going to the store.

  3. A mí me gusta. I like it. (To me, it's pleasing).

  4. Presento mi pasaporte al agente.

In all of the sentences above, the word "A" translates into English. #1 is "at" (with time), #2, 3 and 4 are all "to" (to a location, to a person)

The Personal A is a completely different use of the word a. Read the lesson below, then visit the examples and non examples and discuss them in class.

Personal A

Work in a group or with a partner to discuss the examples below in the grey section. Grammatically, what's the difference in the uses of the two sets of sentences? Does the word "A" change meaning when used in different ways?

Read *maybe print* the handout lesson to the left. Be sure to take notes.


Personal A

  • Yo veo a un hombre raro.

  • Conozco a tu hermana.

  • Quiero mucho a mis abuelos.

  • Voy a llamar a la agencia.

Not the Personal A

  • Le doy mi pasaporte a la agente.

  • A Amy le gusta viajar.

  • Quiero comprarle el boleto a Marco.

  • Le pido información al señor en la oficina de turismo.

Graded:

Do activity 5 on page 40. Use chapter vocab to write at least 8 sentences about what you see in the drawing. Make sure at least 3 of them are about people so you can show when to use the personal A and when not to.