por Spanish Teacher »Noviembre 1, 2017, 10:54 pm
Here is a silly but very effective way to remember when to put an accent on demonstrative words--this, that, these, those (ésta, ése, aquél, and all their forms).
Demonstrative adjective example:
Juan tiene esta pluma.
Juan has this pen.
(No accent, because esta is an adjective sitting peacefully beside its noun "pluma".)
Demonstrative pronoun example:
Juan tiene ésta.
Juan has this.
(Accent, because ésta is a pronoun and has kicked "pluma" out of the sentence!)
Denonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) get accents. Why? Because when the pronoun takes the place of the noun, the pronoun kicks the noun right out of the sentence. (Picture the mean little pronoun with tiny feet and big boots kicking the noun (pluma) out of the sentence.) A little piece of the noun breaks off when it is kicked and that little piece stays behind as an accent. So, demonstrative pronouns have accents!
It is very silly, but you will always remember to accent the pronouns!
Here is a silly but very effective way to remember when to put an accent on demonstrative words--this, that, these, those (ésta, ése, aquél, and all their forms).
Demonstrative adjective example:
Juan tiene esta pluma.
Juan has this pen.
(No accent, because esta is an adjective sitting peacefully beside its noun "pluma".)
Demonstrative pronoun example:
Juan tiene ésta.
Juan has this.
(Accent, because ésta is a pronoun and has kicked "pluma" out of the sentence!)
Denonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) get accents. Why? Because when the pronoun takes the place of the noun, the pronoun kicks the noun right out of the sentence. (Picture the mean little pronoun with tiny feet and big boots kicking the noun (pluma) out of the sentence.) A little piece of the noun breaks off when it is kicked and that little piece stays behind as an accent. So, demonstrative pronouns have accents!
It is very silly, but you will always remember to accent the pronouns!