# 3 Practising the verb ser

Personal pronouns are used to refer to a person when their name is not being used. In Spanish, the personal pronouns for the singular are shown in Table 2.

## Table 2 Personal pronouns

yo | I
tú/usted | you
él/ella | he/she

However, personal pronouns in Spanish are optional as the verb already has information about the person.

Soy Antonia. – I’m Antonia.

(Soy already signals that it is first person singular.)

When personal pronouns are used, it is generally for emphasis, contrast, or to avoid ambiguity.

Soy José María. – I’m José María.

Pues yo soy María Teresa. – Well, I’m María Teresa.

Y yo soy Juan Manuel. – And I’m Juan Manuel.

## Activity 3

You will now take part in short dialogues where you will say your name and ask for other people’s. Listen and take part in the introductions by following the prompts. In some cases you will have to decide whether to use tú or usted.

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OpenLearn - Getting started with Spanish 1
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