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DIRECT PRONOUN: The object that directly receives the action of the verb. is called the direct object.
- Bill hit the ball.
- "Ball" receives the action of the verb "hit."
- Sherry reads the book.
- "Book" receives the action of the verb "reads."
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Direct Objects can also be a person.
- Sherry hits Bill.
- "Bill recieves the action of the verb "hit."
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The direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?" with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.
- Bill hit the ball.
- Bill hit what?
- Bill hit the ball.
- Sherry hit Bill.
- Sherry hit whom?
- Sherry hit Bill.
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Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.
Example 1
Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.
Example 2
Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.
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THE SPANISH DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
- (me): me
- (you-familiar): te
- (him, her, it, you-formal): lo, la
- (us): nos
- (you-all-familiar): os
- (them, you-all-formal): los, las
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In an affirmative statement with one verb, the direct object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb.
- Tengo = I have
- Tengo la pluma. = I have the pen.
- La tengo. = I have it.
The pronoun (la) comes immediately before the verb (tengo).
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Notice that if the subject of the sentence changes, this does not affect the direct object pronoun. SUBJECT CHANGE = NO DOP CHANGE.
- Juan tiene = John has
- Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
- Juan la tiene. = John has it.
and
- María tiene = Mary has
- María tiene la pluma. = Mary has the pen.
- María la tiene. = Mary has it.
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However, if the direct object of the sentence changes to a masculine noun, the masculine pronoun must be used. MASCULINE NOUN = MASCULINE PRONOUN. FEMININE NOUN = FEMININE PRONOUN.
- Juan tiene = John has
- Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
- Juan lo tiene. = John has it.
- Juan tiene = John has
- Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
- Juan la tiene. = John has it.
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Likewise, if the direct object of the sentence changes from singular to plural, the plural pronoun must be used. SINGULAR NOUN = SINGULAR PRONOUN. PLURAL NOUN= PLURAL PRONOUN.
- Juan tiene = John has
- Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
- Juan lo tiene. = John has it.
- María tiene = Mary has
- María tiene los libros. = Mary has the books.
- María los tiene. = Mary has them.
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In a negative sentence with one verb, the direct object pronoun is placed between the negative word and the conjugated verb.
- Los compras.
- No los compras.
- Guadalupe siempre lo estudia.
- Guadalupe nunca lo estudia.
- Ellos nos conocen.
- Ellos no nos conocen.
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When a sentence has two verbs, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive form.
- Puedo pagar diez pesos.
- I am able to pay 10 pesos.
- Elena prefiere hablar español.
- Elena prefers to speak Spanish.
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In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the direct object pronoun.
1. Place it immediately before the conjugated verb.
2. Attach it directly to the infinitive.
- Lo quiero ver.
- I want to see it.
- Lo debemos comprar.
- We should buy it.
- María nos debe visitar.
- Mary should visit us.
- Juan lo necesita lavar.
- John needs to wash it.
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Here are examples of the direct object pronoun attached directly to the infinitive:
- Quiero verlo.
- I want to see it.
- Debemos comprarlo.
- We should buy it.
- María debe visitarnos.
- Mary should visit us.
- Juan necesita lavarlo.
- John needs to wash it.
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Here are the two methods side by side. Neither method is "better" than the other.
- Lo quiero ver.
- Quiero verlo.
- I want to see it.
- Lo debemos comprar.
- Debemos comprarlo.
- We should buy it.
- María nos debe visitar.
- María debe visitarnos.
- Mary should visit us.
- Juan lo necesita lavar.
- Juan necesita lavarlo.
- John needs to wash it.
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These same rules apply for questions and negative statements.
- ¿Lo debemos comprar?
- ¿Debemos comprarlo?
- Should we buy it?
- Juan no lo necesita lavar.
- Juan no necesita lavarlo.
- John doesn't need to wash it.
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