ABSTRACT
However, the situation in the written language is fairly stable, and can be summarized (and over-simplified) thus: the pronoun used for third-person direct objects, human and non-human, in more than 90% of the Spanish-speaking world is lofla for the singular and los/las for the plural. Le and les are used for indirect objects as defined at 11.7.2 and 12.3. This scheme is recommended for beginners learning Latin-American Spanish, and it usually produces acceptable sentences in Peninsular Spanish. However, le and les are also used for direct objects in the following cases: (a) In the standard language of Spain when the direct object is singular, human and male: compare yo le vi 'I saw him' and yo lo vi 'I saw it (masc.)'. See 12.5.1. (b) Somctimcs as the object pronoun for ustedes in order to denote rcspect. See 12.6.1. (c) Frequently when the subject of the verb is inanimate and the direct object is human and is reacting emotionally to the action described. See 12.6.2.
