When to use SER and ESTAR GCSE Spanish Revision

When to use SER and ESTAR GCSE Spanish Revision As we only have one verb that means ‘to be’ in English, being presented with two (that are both irregular) when we start learning Spanish is initially confusing, not least  because  they are applied in different ways with different meanings. So, knowing when to use SER and ESTAR, and the differences between them, is vital for your Spanish study no matter how advanced a level you are at. This is due to the fact that for non-native speakers, it is not always obvious which of the verbs is appropriate in everyday scenarios, despite the commonness with which they appear.Of course, solid knowledge of when to use SER and ESTAR is extremely important for GSCE Spanish students, as the reading, writing and speaking exams will frequently  require you to demonstrate  your ability in dealing with them correctly in an array of tenses. Therefore, a major key in Spanish study is to learn the general rules of thumb surrounding the uses of these verbs, and to practice regularly in order to become as comfortable as possible in this regard.Having these basic rules as second nature will provide an excellent core for your revision, and will give you an ideal point of reference when exploring these verbs more deeply. So, see below for a breakdown of the recognisable situations that will show you when to use SER and ESTAR, as demonstrated by simple sentences in the indicative present tense.SER and ESTAR:  the key to successVerb TablesSERYosoyI amTúeresyou are (sing.)El/Ellaeshe/she/it isNosotrossomoswe areVosotrossoisyou are (pl.)Ellos/Ellassonthey areESTARYoestoyI amTúestásyou are (sing.)El/Ellaestáhe/she/it isNosotrosestamoswe areVosotrosestáisyou are (pl.)Ellos/Ellasestánthey areWhen to use SER and ESTARSERThe most common use of ser is in basic sentences is simply to connect and equate nouns and pronouns.For example:He wants to be a Police OfficerQuiere ser un policíaorThe pizza is homemadeLa pizza es caseraYou will know to use ser instead of estar if you are descibing c haracteristics or qualities that can be identified as being inherent, permanent or essential, such as nationality, age, physpical descriptors, personality descriptors, colours and materials, and shape and size.For example:The block of flats is very tallEl bloque residencial es muy altoorWe are from ArgentinaSomos de ArgentinaSer is used when talking about possession.For example:It’s my computerEs mi ordenadororYou are his daughterEres su hijaIf you are discussing when or where an event takes place, you can use ser. Ser is also used when telling the time.For example:The award ceremony is in two hoursEl asignación de premios es en dos horasorIt’s eleven o’clockSon las onceIf you are talking about how much something costs using ‘to be’, you use ser.For example:It’s six pounds, sirSon seis libras, señorPractice makes perfectESTARThe most common use of estar is when describing states and conditions, including moods and feelings. In simplified terms, if ser can be said to de scribe permanent things, estar can be said to describe temporary things.For example:My colleague is ill todayMi compañero está enfermo hoyorExcuse me, but my food is coldDisculpe, pero mi comida está fríaAnother very common instance that requires estar is when talking about location. This can be confusing, because describing where events ‘are’, in the sense of taking place, can be done with ser â€" e.g. the meeting is in the office = el reunión es en la oficina. However, otherwise describing the locations of places, objects and people, always uses estar.For example:Where are the scissors? ¿Dónde están las tijeras?orI am in Lanzarote at the momentEstoy en Lanzarote por el momentoTo finish, estar is used when talking about being in agreement/disagreement.For example:We agree with youEstamos de acuerdo contigoFor a complete guide to GCSE Spanish, learning the easiest ways to score 100%, check out our brand new GCSE Spanish is Easy revision guide. For more GCSE Spanish reso urces, check out BBC Bitesize. This entry was posted in Education, Revision. Bookmark the permalink. Henry Hunter Training Contract for Solicitors â€" Application AdviceLNAT: Sample Questions And Answers