La a personal When should you use the personal a? Decide whether or not you need to use the construction in the following sentences. Don’t forget that a + el = al! If the personal a is not required, leave the field blank.

1.Yo no conozco Bogotá. 2.Mis amigos conocen mi hermano Pablo. 3.Joaquín conoce (el) novio de Anne. 4.Julieta y Penélope conocen bien la música de Carlos Vives. 5.¿Conoces tú (el) profesor de francés? ¡Es muy guapo! 6.¿Tienes muchos amigos en tu clase de español?

I need a little help on this I think for # 3 I leave it blank.

actually I think 3 and 5 are al

Let's begin with "la a personal" and the reasons for it. In Spanish the "personal a" is rquired in front of a direct object of a verb that is:

a) a definite person
b) an intelligent animal
c) a geographical name (un less preceded by the definite article)
d) a pronoun referring to a person (n adie, alguien, etc.)
NOTE: It does not translate into English.
Examples: (a)Ana visita a Pedro. but not in "Ana visita la escuela." (b) Admira al perro. (c) Quiero visitar a México. (d) No veo a nadie.

It is NEVER used after the verb "tener" (to have)

You are correct in that #3 and #5 use "al" so would you like to try the rest and I'll check them for you?

Sra

To determine whether or not to use the personal "a" in Spanish, you need to consider whether the direct object is a person (or a pet, in some cases). If it is, then you need to use the personal "a" before the direct object. Here's how you can determine whether to use the personal "a" in each sentence:

1. Yo no conozco Bogotá.
- Bogotá is a place and not a person, so you do not need to use the personal "a." Leave it blank.

2. Mis amigos conocen a mi hermano Pablo.
- In this sentence, the direct object is "mi hermano Pablo," which is a person. Therefore, you need to use the personal "a" before the direct object: Mis amigos conocen a mi hermano Pablo.

3. Joaquín conoce (el) novio de Anne.
- In this sentence, the direct object is "el novio de Anne," which is a person. Therefore, you need to use the personal "a" before the direct object: Joaquín conoce al novio de Anne.

4. Julieta y Penélope conocen bien la música de Carlos Vives.
- The direct object in this sentence is "la música de Carlos Vives," which is not a person. Hence, you do not need to use the personal "a." Leave it blank.

5. ¿Conoces tú (al) profesor de francés? ¡Es muy guapo!
- The direct object here is "el profesor de francés," which is a person. Thus, you need to use the personal "a" before the direct object: ¿Conoces tú al profesor de francés? ¡Es muy guapo!

6. ¿Tienes muchos amigos en tu clase de español?
- There is no direct object in this sentence, so you do not need to use the personal "a." Leave it blank.

I hope this helps you understand when to use the personal "a" in Spanish!