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      Who does what? SVO vs OVS word order, personal 'a'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can change the positions of the subject and object in a sentence and use them correctly to show who is performing the action and who is receiving it.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The sound-symbol correspondence [ñ] is pronounced as in 'español' and [n] as in 'mano'.
      2. MAP is a useful strategy to learn vocabulary in a meaningful way.
      3. In sentences, the subject does the action and the object receives it.
      4. There are two frequently used word orders in Spanish: subject + verb + object and object + verb + subject.
      5. We use the personal ‘a’ before the object if it’s a person or animal.

      Keywords

      • Subject - person, people or thing(s) doing the verb

      • Object - person, animal or thing that receives the action of the verb

      • Personal 'a' - preposition placed before a direct object when that object is a specific person or animal we have a name for

      Common misconception

      In Spanish, like in English, the object always goes after the verb.

      In Spanish, unlike in English, the object can go before or after the verb. In object-first sentences, we add the object pronouns lo (masculine) or la (feminine) before the verb.

      Teacher tip

      Students need access to paper for Task B1. In learning cycle 3, the teacher might want to ask students to come up with their own story using the two different word orders.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), 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.
      'Sus manos están __________'. Choose the correct adjective.

      sucio
      sucia
      sucios
      Correct answer: sucias

      Q2.
      'Tengo un regalo __________ mi madre'. Choose the correct missing word.

      con
      en
      Correct answer: para
      por
      sin

      Q3.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:chico (m),boy
      Correct Answer:chica (f),girl
      Correct Answer:coche (m),car
      Correct Answer:hombre (m),man
      Correct Answer:mujer (f),woman
      Correct Answer:perro (m),dog

      Q4.
      Match the Spanish and English.

      Correct Answer:abrazar,to hug, hugging
      Correct Answer:esconder,to hide, hiding
      Correct Answer:llamar,to call, calling
      Correct Answer:llevar,to take, carry
      Correct Answer:mirar,to look, looking
      Correct Answer:ver,to see, seeing

      Q5.
      Order the words to say: 'the cat is not in the street'.

      1 - el
      2 - gato
      3 - no
      4 - está
      5 - en
      6 - la
      7 - calle

      Q6.
      Write in English: 'había mucho tráfico'.

      Correct Answer: there was a lot of traffic, there was lots of traffic, there was much traffic

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      MAP is a strategy for ...

      checking written work
      tackling reading tasks
      developing listening skills
      improving pronunciation
      Correct answer: learning vocabulary

      Q2.
      Which words are missing the sound [ñ]?

      esce_a
      Correct answer: enga_ar
      ma_o
      Correct answer: ni_a
      Correct answer: oto_o

      Q3.
      Order the words to say: 'the girl greets the boy'.

      1 - al
      2 - chico
      3 - lo
      4 - saluda
      5 - la
      6 - chica

      Q4.
      Write in Spanish: 'I kiss the dog'.

      Correct Answer: beso al perro, yo beso al perro

      To help you plan your 8 Spanish lesson on: Who does what? SVO vs OVS word order, personal 'a', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...