A direct object tells who or what receivesthe action of the verb.

Devolví el libro. I returned the book. (book is the direct object)

Direct object pronouns

To avoid repeating a direct object noun, youcan replace it with a direct object pronoun.In English, him, her, and it are examples ofdirect object pronouns. You have alreadyused the following direct object pronouns inSpanish:

Direct object pronouns

Direct object pronouns

Direct object pronouns have the same gender(masculine or feminine) and number (singularor plural) as the nouns they replace. Theycome right before the conjugated verb.

¿Devolviste los libros a la biblioteca? No, no losdevolví.¿Ayudaste a tu mamá en casa? Sí, la ayudé.

Direct object pronouns

When an infinitive follows a verb, the directobject pronoun can be placed before theconjugated verb or attached to the infinitive.

¿Sacaste el libro sobre Simón Bolívar? No, no lopude sacar. o: No, no pude sacarlo.

Direct object pronouns

In the preterite, the forms of ser are the same asthe forms of ir. The context makes the meaning clear.

El cantante Jon Secada fue a vivir a Miami, Florida,en 1970.The singer Jon Secada went to live in Miami, Florida,in 1970.

Después fue estudiante en la Universidad de Miami.Later he was a student at the University of Miami.

Irregular preterite verbs: ir, ser

Irregular preterite verbs: ir, ser

Notice that these irregular preterite forms do not have any accents.

Irregular preterite verbs: ir, ser

Irregular preterite verbs: ir, ser

The preterite forms of tener, estar, andpoder follow a pattern similar to thatof the verb hacer. Like hacer, theseverbs do not have any accent marksin the preterite.

Irregular preterite verbs:hacer, tener, estar, poder

Irregular preterite verbs:hacer, tener, estar, poder

Irregular preterite verbs:hacer, tener, estar, poder

The written accent

You already know the standard rules for stress and accent in Spanish.

• When words end in a vowel, n, or s, the stress is on the next-to-last syllable.• When words end in a consonant (exceptn or s), the stress is on the last syllable.• Words that do not follow these patternsmust have a written accent (called acentoortográfico or tilde). The accent indicatesthat you should place the stress on thissyllable as you pronounce the word.

The written accent

Listen to and say these examples:

champú olvidó cómodo médicopelícula patín jabón adiósdemás césped fútbol lápiz

The written accent

¡Compruébalo! Here are some new wordsthat all require accent marks. Copy thewords and, as you hear them pronounced,write the accent mark over the correctvowel.

antropologo cajon carcel ejercito fosforolucho nilon util tipico lider

The written accent

Listen to and say the following refrán: