PRONOUNS

In this hand-out you will find:

• Subject Pronouns
• Direct Object Pronouns
• Indirect Object Pronouns
• Two Pronouns Objects
• Possessive Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns

• A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

A)  Subject Pronouns
 
 

• Are only used for emphasis as the verb ending tells to whom the verb refers.

• Are also used after ser to express " It is I, It is is you, etc."

• The pronoun it is not expressed in phrases like "it is" (es), "it seems "(parece), and so forth.

• Are often ommited in Spanish, since the verb form also indicates person.

• The subject pronoun tú is used with family members, friends with whom you would address by their first names.

• Usted (Ud.) is used with casual acquaintances or to express respect.

• In Latin America ustedes (uds.) is used as the plural of either tú or ud., but in most Spain the subject pronoun vosotros (-as) is used as the plural of tú.

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 B) Direct Object Pronouns
 
 

                                                           *Note: In Spain, le (les)  often replaces lo (los)
 
 

• Direct Objects receive the action of the verb and usually answer the question what? or whom?

• In Spanish, Direct Object Pronouns correspond to the Direct Object nouns they replace in gender, person, and number.

• Direct Objects come before the verb in Spanish.

• Direct Objects also preceeds in the negative command.

But, in the positive command, it is attached to the verb and an accent mark is added to keep the stress, if needed:

• Direct Object Pronouns normally precede a conjugated verb. In a construction containing both a conjugated verb and an infinitive, direct object pronouns can either precede the conjugateed verb or follow and be attached to the infinitive

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C) Indirect Object Pronouns
 
 

• Indirect Object pronouns tell us to whom or for whom something is done, made, said, or whatever action the verb indicates

• In Spanish, indirect object pronouns differ in form from the direct object pronouns only in the third person le and les.

• Like Direct Object Pronouns, they must agree with the nouns they replace.

• Indirect Object Prononouns precede conjugated verbs or follow and are attached to infinitives.

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D)  Two Pronoun Objects
 

• When a Direct Object and an Indirect Object Pronoun are used together, the indirect pronounALWAYS comes first.

• Two pronoun objects are not used together if they both begin with the letter l. In these cases the I.O. pronoun changes to se.

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E)  Possessive Pronouns
 

• These are the counterparts to possessive adjectives and are identical to the long forms. They are:

                                                 Mine
 

                                                Yours (Familiar)
 

                                                His, Hers, Its, Yours, Theirs
 

                                                Ours
 

                                                Yours
 

• Remember, pronouns takes the place of a noun. Instead of saying

                                                                        *Possessive adjective pronoun

        You say,
 
 

                                                                        *Replaces the noun mentioned

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F) Demonstrative Pronouns
 

• Agree with nouns to which they refer

• The neuter forms are:

* These are used in the singular only
 
 

• They refer to an idea, a statement mentioned or something vague

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Created by Silvana Mendez
Foreign Language Lab / University of Houston