Indirect Object Pronouns

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Indirect Object Pronouns

• Grammar Essential 48

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Indirect Object Pronouns

• You cannot have an indirect object without a
  direct object.
• To find an indirect object, ask to/for whom? or
  for/to what? after the action verb.
• Example She gave Mom the flowers.
• Mom is the indirect object.

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Indirect Object Pronouns
The steps to making an indirect object pronoun
are similar to making a direct object
pronoun. There are parts of it which seem
redundant to an English speaker, but necessary to
a Spanish speaker.
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Steps to making an indirect object pronoun

• Using the sentence
• Ellos quieren dar a sus hijos el coche.
• Find the indirect object.
• To/for whom? To/for what? after the verb.
• Hijos is the indirect object.

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Steps to making an indirect object pronoun
Using the sentence Ellos quieren dar a sus
hijos el coche. 2. Underline the indirect
object. Ellos quieren dar a sus hijos el coche.
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Steps to making an indirect object pronoun
Using the sentence Ellos quieren dar a sus
hijos el coche. 3. Replace the indirect
object. me (a mí) nos (a nosotros) te (a
ti) le m/f singular les m/f plural Ellos
quieren dar a sus hijos el coche. A sus hijos
m.pl. replace with les
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Steps to making an indirect object pronoun
Using the sentence Ellos quieren dar a sus
hijos el coche. 4. Move the indirect object a.
Cut from original position b. for clarity, paste
to extreme end. Ellos quieren dar el coche a
sus hijos.
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Steps to making an indirect object pronoun

• Using the sentence
• Ellos quieren dar a sus hijos el coche.
• Move the indirect object pronoun directly in
  front of the conjugated verb.
• b. if there is a conjugated verb and an
  infinitive in the same verb phrase, either rule
  5, or attach it to the infinitive. remember you
  can attach it to the present participle
• (5)Ellos les quieren dar el coche a sus hijos.
• (b)Ellos quieren darles el coche a sus hijos.

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Steps to making an indirect object pronoun
Using the sentence Ellos quieren dar a sus
hijos el coche. 6. Rewrite Ellos les quieren dar
el coche a sus hijos. Ellos quieren darles el
coche a sus hijos.
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Making clarity with indirect object pronouns

• Indirect object pronouns are vague.
• It also happens in English i.e.
• If the teachers help the students then they can
  feel better about themselves.
• Who is they?
• In Spanish, the clarity statement is added which
  is the tag of the indirect object at the end of
  the sentence to avoid the vagueness and promote
  understanding.

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Making clarity with indirect object pronouns

• Yes, it seems redundant in English, but in
  Spanish, it is needed to aid clarity.
• You can have both a direct and indirect object
  pronoun, but that is another lesson. For now, do
  one or the other.
• There are some indirect objects that will not
  need clarity.
• Me as an indirect object pronoun can only go with
  (a mí).
• Te as an indirect object pronoun can only go with
  (a ti).
• Nos as an indirect object pronoun can go with (a
  nosotros) however, if you need to make clear who
  we are, then use a clarity statement.