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      Who does what? Direct object pronouns 'lo' and 'la'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use direct object pronouns to show who is doing the action and who is receiving it.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. In English, we can use words like 'him', 'her' or 'it' (direct object pronouns) to avoid repeating nouns.
      2. In Spanish, we use 'lo' to mean 'him' or 'it' (for masculine objects).
      3. We use 'la' to mean 'her' or 'it' (for feminine objects).
      4. Spanish object pronouns go before the verb.
      5. 'La' before a noun is an article and means 'the', but before a verb it is a DOP and means 'her' or 'it'.

      Keywords

      • Direct object pronoun - replaces the noun receiving the action of the verb, e.g. 'me', 'you', 'it', 'them'

      Common misconception

      'La' always means 'her' or 'it'.

      'La' means 'the' in front of a noun but 'her' or 'it' when it comes before a verb.

      Teacher tip

      For A1, the teacher might choose to ask students to finish the sentence using their own words.

      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

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which word means 'next'?

      para
      pasado
      por
      pronto
      Correct answer: próximo

      Q2.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:enseñar,to teach, teaching

      to teach, teaching

      Correct Answer:lavar,to wash, washing

      to wash, washing

      Correct Answer:llevar,to take, carry

      to take, carry

      Correct Answer:mirar,to look at, looking at

      to look at, looking at

      Correct Answer:presentar,to present, presenting

      to present, presenting

      Correct Answer:tomar,to take, to drink

      to take, to drink

      Q3.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:café (m),coffee

      coffee

      Correct Answer:compra (f),shopping

      shopping

      Correct Answer:copa (f),cup

      cup

      Correct Answer:paseo (m),walk

      walk

      Correct Answer:tapas (fpl),small bar snacks

      small bar snacks

      Correct Answer:tema (m),theme, topic

      theme, topic

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'she goes to school and they go to the park'.

      1 - va
      2 - a la
      3 - escuela
      4 - y
      5 - van
      6 - al
      7 - parque

      Q5.
      Write in English: 'el país es grande'.

      Correct Answer: the country is big

      Q6.
      Write in Spanish: 'I live on the coast'.

      Correct Answer: vivo en la costa

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      'Tengo un perro. __________ beso cada día'. Choose the correct missing word.

      el
      la
      Correct answer: lo

      Q2.
      'La policía llega rápido.' What does 'la' mean in this sentence?

      Correct answer: the
      her
      it

      Q3.
      Order the words to say: 'I greet him in the street'.

      1 - lo
      2 - saludo
      3 - en
      4 - la
      5 - calle

      Q4.
      Write in Spanish: 'I follow her'.

      Correct Answer: la sigo

      To help you plan your 8 Spanish lesson on: Who does what? Direct object pronouns 'lo' and 'la', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...