The "personal a"  



Gramática
When the direct object of a verb is a specific person
or specific group of persons, it is preceded by the personal a;
if the noun is personal but indefinite, the a is not used.

Examples:

Yo veo a Teresa. - I see Teresa.
Yo veo el árbol. - I see the tree.

Él levanta las pesas. - He lifts the weights.
Él levanta a la muchacha. - He lifts the girl.

Oigo la orquesta. - I hear the orchestra.
Oigo a los músicos. - I hear the musicians.

Recuerdo el lugar. - I remember the place.
Recuerdo a mi abuelita. - I remember my grandmother.

Ojo!

In the example below, the lawyer is a definite person
so the "personal a" is used.

Busco a un abogado; se llama José Jiménez.
I'm looking for a lawyer; his name is José Jiménez.

However
The "personal a" is not used when a definite person
is not involved.

Busco un abogado; tengo una multa.
I'm looking for a lawyer; I have a traffic ticket.

Sentences with the "personal a"

Conozco a María. - I know María.
María no conoce a Juan. - Mary doesn't know John.
Yo amo a María. - I love María.
¿Usted conoce a María? - Do you know María?
Busco a María Lopez. - I look (am looking) for Maria Lopez.
¿Quién vió a Gustavo en Panamá? - Who saw Gustavo in Panama?
No recuerdo a mi abuela. - I don't remember my grandmother.
Yo conozco al muchacho. - I know the boy.
Yo no conozco al muchacho. - I don't know the boy.
Yo no conozco a la muchacha. - I don't know the girl.
Veo a Pablo todos los días. - I see Paul every day.
Yo no conozco al profesor. - I don't know the teacher. (male)
Yo no conozco a la profesora. - I don't know the teacher. (female).
Yo conozco a la hermana de María. - I know Mary's sister.
Conozco a Juan y a María. - I know John and Mary.
Veo a Juan y a María. - I see John and Mary.
Conozco a pocas personas aquí. - I only know a few people here.

Notas para el Tutor

  • The student should practice saying and forming sentences with the personal "a." Also, in their practice, they should use the verbs buscar, ver, and conocer.

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