🎯 Why This Matters
To avoid repetition and speak naturally.
Correct pronoun usage in all positions.
🇪🇸 The Challenge
Subject vs Object forms and gender. Spanish 'él' covers he/him, but English distinguishes cases. Also, 'it' for things confuses Spanish speakers who use gendered pronouns.
🇲🇽🇨🇴🇦🇷 Gender for things
Problem: Spanish assigns gender to all nouns
Watch out: Saying 'I love my car, he is fast' (el carro = masculine)
✅ Fix: ALL things = IT in English. Cars, tables, houses = IT
🧠 Mental Note: Is it a person/animal? No? Then use IT.
🇪🇸 Same IT challenge
Problem: Castilian Spanish has identical gender system
Watch out: Using he/she for objects based on Spanish gender
✅ Fix: Completely forget Spanish gender for English. Things = IT.
🧠 Visual Explanation (The Mental Fix)
The Pronoun Table
Before verb = subject form. After verb or preposition = object form.
🗣️ Pronunciation Guide
How Spanish speakers should pronounce this structure:
HIM/HER reduction
Spanish Habit: Pronouncing pronouns clearly
English Reality: Object pronouns are often reduced in fast speech
Examples:
- him → /ɪm/ (give'im)
- her → /ər/ (tell'er)
- them → /əm/ (see'em)
Practice: In casual speech, 'give him' sounds like 'give'im'
📖 How It Works
Teacher Recommendation: Self-study friendly
Time Investment: 4 hours
🔑 Signal Words (Memory Anchors)
These words/phrases appear with this structure:
| English | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / me | yo / mí | I see you / You see me |
| he / him | él / lo | He works / I see him |
| she / her | ella / la | She works / I see her |
| it | (para cosas) | It is big / I like it |
| they / them | ellos / los | They work / I see them |
💬 Real Examples
Let's see this structure in action with correct vs incorrect usage:
Example 1: Subject vs Object pronouns
✅ CORRECT: "She loves him. He loves her."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Ella lo ama. Él la ama."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "She loves he. Her loves him."
Why wrong? Subject = she/he. Object = him/her. Position matters!
Example 2: IT for things
✅ CORRECT: "I like this book. It is interesting."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Me gusta este libro. Es interesante."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "I like this book. He is interesting."
Why wrong? Things = IT in English, regardless of Spanish gender
Example 3: After prepositions
✅ CORRECT: "This is for me. Come with us."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Esto es para mí. Ven con nosotros."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "This is for I. Come with we."
Why wrong? After prepositions, use OBJECT form: me, him, her, us, them
✏️ Practice Exercises
Ready to test your understanding? Let's practice!
🚀 What to Study Next
More in "Nouns & Articles"
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