ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the use in Spanish of the preposition a before certain types of direct object, as in vi a mi madre ‘I saw my mother’, aplaudieron al cantante ‘they applauded the singer’.
The main points discussed in this chapter are:
• Use of personal a before direct objects referring to living things (Section 22.2) • Me trató como a una reina, etc. (Section 22.3) • Personal a before pronouns (Section 22.4) • Personal a before personifi ed nouns (Section 22.5) • Personal a with tener and querer (Section 22.6) • Personal a before collective nouns (Section 22.9) • Personal a before non-living direct objects (Section 22.10) • Use of the preposition a with other verbs (Section 22.11)
22.1 Personal a: general The use of the preposition a before certain kinds of direct object is so important in Spanish that it deserves a special chapter.
