Direct objects and direct object pronouns can be difficult to grasp in English, never mind Spanish! Our storyboard activities can be used as models for students to create their own.
Direct objects receive the action of the verb, or answer the question "what" or "whom" after the verb.
Question: Do you have "what"?Answer: the flowers
EJEMPLO 1
las flores
d.o.
Question: Are you washing "what"?Answer: the dirty dishes
EJEMPLO 2
d.o.
los platos sucios
REPLACE THE DIRECT OBJECT WITH A DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN
¿Juan, tienes las flores? ----------------------------------Juan, do you have the flowers?
lo
te
me
la
los
nos
os
las
¿Juan, lavas los platos sucios?--------------------------------------------Juan, are you washing the dirty dishes?
lo
me
te
la
los
nos
os
las
Direct object pronouns can be used to replace direct object nouns to reduce repetition. It would be like saying "it", "him", "her", "them" in English. In Spanish they must agree with the noun they are replacing.
Las flores
Yes, I have the FLOWERS.
las
Yes, I have THEM.
Los platos sucios
No, I am not washing THE DIRTY DISHES.
los
No, I am not washing THEM.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
After replacing the direct object noun with a pronoun, be sure to place it before the conjugated verb. Here is the conversation all together.
¿Juan, tienes las flores? ----------------------------------Juan, do you have the flowers?
Place d.o. pronoun BEFORE the verb
las
Sí, yo las tengo.
tengo
las
¿Juan, lavas los platos sucios?--------------------------------------------Juan, are you washing the dirty dishes?