Using Subject Pronouns with SER

SER is a VERB that means TO BE

Singular

Yo: I

Tú: You

Usted: You (formal)

Él: He

Ella: She

Plural

Nosotros: We (at least one boy)

Nosotras: We (all girls)

Vosotros: You all (at least one boy)

Vosotras: You all (all girls)

Ustedes: You all (formal)

Ellos: They (at least one boy)

Ellas: They (all girls)

Remember

these?

In Spain

To form sentences in Spanish:Start with a subject PRONOUN (or Noun)

Add the VERB

Add adjectives, nouns, prepositional phrases, etc.

Subject + verb + (adjectives, nouns, etc.)

Yo + soy + de Durham.

SOY is a form of the verb SER

Slow down Sra. Anderson….

What does all of this mean?

First, copy these definitions:

Verb- a word that shows action OR links ideas together in a sentence

Conjugate – to make a VERB agree with the subject of the sentence (example: I am, you are, he is…)

Infinitive- the UNCONJUGATED form of the verb. In English, TO + verb (ex. to be, to run, to sing). In Spanish, all unconjugated verbs end with –AR, -ER, or –IR.

SER is a linking verb that means TO BETo use SER in a sentence, you must CONJUGATE it to

match the subject noun/pronoun.

Ex. You shouldn’t say: You should say: “I be from Durham.” “I am from Durham.”

“We be the students.” “We are the students.”

“The teacher be short.” “The teacher is short.”

That’s what conjugating is all about!

Ser = to be

Yo soy = I am

Tú eres = you are

Usted es = you are

Él es = he is

Ella es = she is

Nosotros(as) somos = we

are

Vosotros(as) sois = y’all are

Ustedes son = you all are

Ellos son = they are

Ellas son = they are

Note: SER is an –ER verb, but it has an irregular conjugation!

Also, in English we have 3 forms for this verb: am, is, are, but Spanish has 6 forms: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son

COPY THIS CHART!

So, how do I know which “form” of SER to use?

Look at the subject of your sentence.

If it is one of the pronouns from the chart, then use that “form” of SER.Nosotros _______ de España.

Since NOSOTROS is on the chart, use the form SOMOSNosotros SOMOS de España. (We are from Spain.)

If the subject is a noun (such as PACO), change the noun to a pronoun to find the correct “form” of SER.Paco = Él So look for Él on the chart and use that

form.Paco ES mi amigo. (Paco is my friend.)

SER is used in the following situations:

•Origin: Soy de Durham.

•Descriptions and Characteristics: Soy baja.

•Possession: Es mi libro.

•Time and Date: Son las ocho. Es el 7 de mayo.

•Identification: Rosa es mi amiga. Es una pluma.

•Professions: La Srta. Farlow es una maestra.

•Nationality: Paco es mexicano.

When should I use the verb SER?

1. Yo soy de Cuba.

2. Tú eres un muchacho.

3. Anita es muy bonita.

4. Nosotros somos estudiantes.

5. Vosotras sois maestras de español.

6. Luis y Juan son colombianos.

More Examples

1. Yo ___ de los Estados Unidos.

2. Miguel y Juan ____ hermanos.

3. Nosotros _______ estudiosos.

4. Vosotros ____ de Costa Rica.

5. Rafael ___ muy atlético.

*Number your paper 1-5 and

write the correct form of SER to complete each

sentence.

1. Yo ___ de los Estados Unidos.

2. Miguel y Juan ____ hermanos.

3. Nosotros _______ estudiosos.

4. Vosotros ____ de Costa Rica.

5. Rafael ___ muy atlético.

soy

son

somos

sois

es Check your answers.

Ask for help if you don’t understand.

6. Ana ___ una estudiante buena.

7. Ustedes____ de Colombia.

8. Tú y yo ________ amigos buenos.

9. Tus amigas ____ simpáticas.

10. Ella ___ de El Salvador.

*Number your paper 6-10 and write the correct form of SER to complete each

sentence.

1. Ana ___ una estudiante buena.

2. Ustedes____ de Colombia.

3. Tú y yo ________ amigos buenos.

4. Tus amigas ____ simpáticas.

5. Ella ___ de El Salvador.

es

son

somos

son

esCheck your answers.

Ask for help if you don’t understand.

Wait, what about NOT to be?

To make a sentence negative in Spanish, just put the word NO in front of the verb.

For example, I am not tall. = Yo no soy alta. NO soy = I am not

The girl is not from Perú. = La muchacha no es de Perú.

SOY is the verb, so we put NO before it!

ES is the verb, so we put NO before it!

¡Adiós!