As a rough guide, the indicative is associated with statements and assertions, the
imperative with orders and commands, and the subjunctive with a wide range of
subordinateclause usages.Nouns
Nouns typically denote things, people or animals, or abstract concepts, e.g. mesa,
Ramón,niña,cocodrilo,belleza,razón.Number
Spanish, like English, distinguishes singular and plural number. For example el niño
‘the child’ (singular), los niños‘the children’ (plural).Object
It is usual to distinguish between direct objects and indirect objects. A direct object is
a noun, pronoun or noun phrase which undergoes the action of the verb. An indirect
object is a noun, pronoun or noun phrase which is more indirectly affected by the
action of the verb:
Antonio compróun coche.
Antonio bought a car. (un coche is the direct object of compró.)
Le escribí a María.
I wrote to María. (María is the indirect object of escribí.)Object pronouns (see 8.2)
These are words which take the place of a noun or noun phrase which is functioning as
anobject. Like objects, object pronouns can be direct or indirect and they can be
found together in the same sentence:
Leí el libro.
I read the book. (el libro, the thing read, is the direct object of leí)
Lo leí.
I read it. (direct object pronoun: lo)
Dejó todo el dinero a su hermana.
He/she left all the money to his/her sister. (su hermana, the person who
was given the money, is the indirect object, with el dinero acting as
direct object.)
Le dejó todo el dinero.
He/she left him/her all the money. (indirect object pronoun: le)
Se lo dejó todo a su hermana.
He/she left it all to him/her. (the indirect object pronoun le has become
se before a direct object pronoun, see 8.2.2.2.)Passive see VoicePast participles
A past participle is that part of the verb which is used to form compound tenses (see
16.1.1.7), for example:
Hemosterminado.
We have finished.xxii
GLOSSARY