Spanish nouns, agreement and pronouns
Use articles, nouns, adjectives and pronouns to make Spanish descriptions clear and coherent.
Exam scope and assessment notes
All Spanish passages, prompts, model answers, listening scripts and tasks are original StudyForA materials, not Cambridge assessment content. Vocabulary is taught in context, but Cambridge's 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet has not been mapped word by word. Grammar groups have not had an item-by-item Spanish-specialist audit, and a Spanish-language specialist should review the original Spanish before publication is described as complete. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a regional accent, natural pace or pronunciation. Speaking is rehearsal and self-review, not the supervised centre assessment or examiner interaction; writing is not Cambridge-marked. No complete timed specimen paper or 130-hour course is included. Check your exam year, entry option and centre arrangements with Cambridge and your school. A 2025–2027 Version 2 lesson is intended for that syllabus cycle; use the separately labelled format from 2028.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Choose the correct noun phrase.
What you will learn
- Choose articles and form common singular and plural nouns.
- Match adjective gender and number and recognise common adjective positions.
- Use demonstratives and possessives to identify people and objects.
- Choose personal, object, reflexive, relative, indefinite and interrogative pronouns in context.
Build agreement into the noun phrase
Nouns have grammatical gender and number. Articles and many adjectives agree: «el libro nuevo», «la casa nueva», «los libros nuevos», «las casas nuevas». Learn a noun together with its article when useful; patterns have exceptions.
Use definite articles («el, la, los, las»), indefinite articles («un, una, unos, unas»), and «lo» with an adjective for an abstract idea («lo importante»). Demonstratives «este/ese/aquel» locate something relative to speaker and context; possessives «mi, tu, su, nuestro» show whose it is.
Let pronouns carry only the information they need
Spanish may omit a subject pronoun when the verb ending makes the person clear. Object pronouns («lo, la, los, las», «le, les»), reflexives («me, te, se») and relatives («que, quien») serve different roles.
Indefinite forms include «algo», «alguien», «alguno» and «nada». Question words include «qué», «cuál», «quién», «cuánto», «dónde», «cuándo», «cómo», «por qué» and «para qué». Accents distinguish many question words in direct and indirect questions.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
In «Veo a Marta y la saludo», what does «la» refer to?
Worked example
Improve this description: «Mi hermana tiene una vestido rojo. Ella compra el vestido para su amiga; la amiga lo usa.»
Show the worked solution
- Match article and noun: «vestido» is masculine.
- Match the adjective to the noun.
- Check that «lo» refers to the dress.
Answer «Mi hermana tiene un vestido rojo. Compra el vestido para su amiga; ella lo usa.» «Un» and «rojo» agree with «vestido». The subject pronoun can be omitted before «compra»; «lo» refers to the dress.
From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Describe two objects in a classroom with articles, colour adjectives, one demonstrative and one possessive.
Give me a hint
Check gender and number before choosing each ending.
Compare my reasoning
- Choose two nouns and their articles.
- Add agreeing adjectives.
- Use «este/esa» and «mi/su» to identify them.
Example: «Esta mesa es pequeña y mi cuaderno azul está encima. Esos libros nuevos son de la profesora.»
Look for these in your work
- Uses suitable articles
- Matches adjective agreement
- Uses demonstrative and possessive meaningfully
Rewrite «Veo una chico y sus hermanas; hablo con ella» so the articles and pronoun referents are clear if you mean one boy and his sisters.
Give me a hint
Match «chico» and decide whether the last phrase refers to the boy or the sisters.
Compare my reasoning
- Correct the article for «chico».
- Keep «sus hermanas» plural.
- Replace «ella» with a clear phrase for the intended group.
One clear version is «Veo a un chico y a sus hermanas; hablo con ellas». «Un» matches masculine singular «chico», and «ellas» refers to the sisters. If you mean the boy, use «hablo con él».
Look for these in your work
- Corrects article agreement
- Preserves the plural group
- Makes the pronoun referent explicit
Write a short Spanish description of a lost object using a demonstrative, two adjectives and a relative clause with «que».
Give me a hint
Identify the item, appearance and a distinguishing detail.
Compare my reasoning
- Name the object and use a demonstrative.
- Add two agreeing adjectives.
- Add a «que» clause with information that helps identify it.
Example: «Esta mochila negra y pequeña es mía; tiene una etiqueta que dice “Luna”.» The relative clause identifies the label, and «mía» agrees with the omitted feminine noun «mochila».
Look for these in your work
- Uses a demonstrative
- Matches both adjectives
- Adds a clear relative clause
Common mistakes
- Guessing noun gender from English
- Leaving adjectives uninflected after plural nouns
- Using «lo» when the referent is feminine or plural
- Confusing «qué» and «cuál» without considering the question
What can you explain now?
What agreement is needed in «las casas ...»?
Compare with the explanation
A feminine plural article, noun and adjective
«Las» and a regular adjective such as «blancas» match plural feminine «casas».
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