5 Spanish Sentence Structure

You’ll need to write one sentence for each pattern on the test.

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1. SVA = Subject + Verb + Adjective

Rule: Use SER (soy, eres, es, somos, son) to describe what someone is like (personality, physical trait, nationality, etc.)

Not ESTAR. ESTAR is for condition or location.

✅ Ella es inteligente. (She is intelligent.)

✅ Nosotros somos altos. (We are tall.)

❌ Ella está inteligente. (Wrong — that means temporarily smart, which doesn’t make sense.)

Your turn: Describe your best friend.

👉 Mi mejor amigo/a es ______.

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2. SV + Location/Condition

Rule: Use ESTAR (estoy, estás, está, estamos, están) for:

· Location (where someone/something is)

· Condition (how someone feels or temporary state)

✅ Location: El profesor está en la clase.

✅ Condition: Yo estoy cansado.

Key difference from SVA:

· SER + adjective = permanent trait (Es cansado = He’s a boring/tiring person)

· ESTAR + adjective = temporary state (Está cansado = He’s tired right now)

Your turn: Say where your backpack is.

👉 Mi mochila está ______.

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3. SVO = Subject + Verb + Object

Rule: Any normal verb (not SER or ESTAR, not gustar). Action verb + what/who receives the action.

✅ Yo como una manzana. (I eat an apple.)

✅ Ella tiene dos hermanos. (She has two brothers.)

✅ Nosotros bebemos agua. (We drink water.)

Your turn: Say you have a book.

👉 Yo ______ un libro.

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4. OVS = Object + Verb + Subject (for gustar and similar verbs)

Rule: Gustar means “to be pleasing to.” The thing liked is the subject (comes after), the person liking is the object (comes first as me/te/le/nos/les).

Formula: Me/Te/Le/Nos/Les + gusta/gustan + thing(s)

✅ Me gusta la pizza. (Pizza is pleasing to me. = I like pizza.)

✅ Me gustan los libros. (Books are pleasing to me. = I like books.)

Singular vs. plural:

· gusta + one thing or infinitive verb (Me gusta leer)

· gustan + plural things (Me gustan las flores)

Your turn: Say you like music.

👉 Me ______ la música.

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5. SV + extra detail (where, when, how much, with whom)

Rule: Start with a simple subject + verb, then add information. Any verb works (SER, ESTAR, or action verb).

✅ Tú estudias en la biblioteca. (You study in the library.)

✅ Ella es profesora en la universidad. (She is a professor at the university.)

✅ Nosotros estamos cansados hoy. (We are tired today.)

Your turn: Say you study at home.

👉 Yo estudio ______.