Preterite tense - the personal "a"  

Spanish Preterite Tense The Personal "a"
Step 1

Overview

Step 1

We use the personal a with people and pets.

María visitó a su abuela.
      Maria visited her grandmother.
Conocí a Miguel en mil novecientos ochenta y
       cinco.

      I met Miguel in 1985.
Yo invité a María a ir a la fiesta.
      I invited Maria to go to the party.
¿Quién llamó a la policía?
      Who called the police?
Ellos fueron a visitar a su tía.
      They went to visit their aunt.

Exceptions:
We don't use the personal a with tener, necesitar, and haber.

Tuve dos hijos.
      I had two children.
Necesité un médico.
      I needed a doctor.
En mi familia hubo seis personas.
      In my family there were six people.


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Popular Phrase: prefiero conjugation | Conversational Spanish | Conjugated Verb: acendrar - to refine [ click for full conjugation ]