New
New
Year 4

How are you? What are you like? 'estar' and 'ser'

Learning outcomes

I can ask and answer questions about how someone is and what someone is like using 'estar' and 'ser'.

I can contrast [gue], [gui] with [ge], [gi].

New
New
Year 4

How are you? What are you like? 'estar' and 'ser'

Learning outcomes

I can ask and answer questions about how someone is and what someone is like using 'estar' and 'ser'.

I can contrast [gue], [gui] with [ge], [gi].

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The sound-symbol correspondences [gue] gui] can be contrasted with [ge] and [gi].
  2. There are two ways to say 'you are' in Spanish: eres and estás.
  3. There are two ways to say 'I am' in Spanish: soy and estoy.
  4. The subject pronouns for 'I' and 'you' are 'yo' and 'tú'.
  5. Subject pronouns can be used for clarity and emphasis.

Keywords

  • Yo - subject pronoun meaning 'I'

  • - subject pronoun menaing 'you'

  • Eres - part of the verb 'ser' meaning 'you are', used for general traits

  • Estás - part of the verb 'estar' meaning 'you are', used for location and temporary state

Common misconception

There is one way to say 'you are' in Spanish, as in English.

There are two ways to say 'you are' in Spanish. 'Eres' is part of the verb 'ser' and used for general traits. 'Estás' is part of the verb 'estar' and used for location and temporary states.


To help you plan your year 4 Spanish lesson on: How are you? What are you like? 'estar' and 'ser', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Allow plenty of time to practice using yo and tú. Develop the use of hand gestures to help pupils differentiate between the subject pronouns.
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Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the Spanish and English.
Correct Answer:el cielo,the sky

the sky

Correct Answer:el sol,the sun

the sun

Correct Answer:abajo,below

below

Correct Answer:arriba,above

above

Correct Answer:el medio,the middle

the middle

Correct Answer:de,of, from

of, from

Q2.
Write the missing words: 'In Spanish, the verb __________ means 'to be, being' for general traits and the verb __________ means 'to be, being' for temporary states and location.'
Correct Answer: ser, estar, ser estar
Q3.
Which set of verbs both mean 'is' in Spanish?
'está' and 'estás'
Correct answer: 'es' and 'está'
'estoy' and 'soy'
'es' and 'ser'
Q4.
Write the word 'but' in Spanish.
Correct Answer: pero
Q5.
Order the words to say: 'She is (a) kind (person) but he is (feeling) sad.'
1 - ella
2 - es
3 - amable
4 - pero
5 - él
6 - está
7 - triste
Q6.
Order the words to say: 'He is (an) intelligent (person) but she is (feeling) funny.'
1 - él
2 - es
3 - inteligente
4 - pero
5 - ella
6 - está
7 - divertida

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What sound-spelling correspondence is missing from these words? _tarra, se_r, al_en
gue
Correct answer: gui
ge
gi
Q2.
What sound-spelling correspondence is missing from these words? pá_na, ima_nar, cole_o
gue
gui
ge
Correct answer: gi
Q3.
Match the Spanish and the English.
Correct Answer:¿Cómo eres?,What are you like?

What are you like?

Correct Answer:¿Cómo estás?,How are you?

How are you?

Correct Answer:Soy,I am (from the verb 'ser' for general traits)

I am (from the verb 'ser' for general traits)

Correct Answer:Estoy,I am (from the verb 'estar' for location and temporary states)

I am (from the verb 'estar' for location and temporary states)

Q4.
'¿Cómo estás?' Select the correct response.
Correct answer: Estoy divertida.
Soy divertida.
Estás divertida.
Eres divertida.
Está divertida.
Q5.
'¿Cómo eres?' Select the correct response.
Estoy inteligente.
Correct answer: Soy inteligente.
Estás inteligente.
Eres inteligente.
Es inteligente.
Q6.
Order the words to say: 'I am (a) nervous (person) but you are curious (today).'
1 - yo
2 - soy
3 - nervioso
4 - pero
5 -
6 - estás
7 - curioso

Additional material

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