Speak and Write Language Series
Pre-A1 Volume I Chapter 3 Unit I
Unidad I — Primeros encuentros | Unit I — First Encounters
3

Personas y cosas a nuestro alrededor

People and Things Around Us · Speak and Write Spanish: Foundations of Practical Communication

Chapter Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. Name common classroom objects and people using the correct definite or indefinite article.
  2. Identify the grammatical gender of a noun and form its plural correctly.
  3. Make adjectives agree with the gender and number of the nouns they describe.
  4. Use hay to say what there is or is not in a place.
  5. Point out nearby people and objects using este, esta, estos, and estas.
  6. Ask and answer simple questions about quantity using numbers 1–10.

Communication Scenario

Marisol has arrived early to class and is unpacking her backpack at a shared table. Marcos sits down next to her and starts asking about what she has brought, and about who else is in the room. Their exchange is simple: pointing at objects, naming them, and counting how many there are. This chapter follows their conversation as a way of practicing the words and small grammar patterns learners need to talk about the people and things immediately around them.

  1. You will practice naming objects and people with the article that matches their gender and number, since a Spanish noun is almost never used correctly without one.
  2. You will use hay to describe what is present in a place, and the near demonstratives este/esta/estos/estas to point directly at something close to you.

Core Vocabulary

The words below are your productive vocabulary for this chapter. Every noun is listed with its definite article so that you learn the noun and its gender together.

Cosas en la clase — Things in the classroom
SpanishPluralEnglish
el librolos librosthe book
el cuadernolos cuadernosthe notebook
la mesalas mesasthe table
la sillalas sillasthe chair
la mochilalas mochilasthe backpack
el lápizlos lápicesthe pencil
la computadoralas computadorasthe computer
la ventanalas ventanasthe window
la puertalas puertasthe door
el relojlos relojesthe clock / watch
Personas — People
SpanishPluralEnglish
el/la estudiantelos/las estudiantesthe student
el profesor / la profesoralos profesores / las profesorasthe teacher
el amigo / la amigalos amigos / las amigasthe friend
el compañero / la compañeralos compañeros / las compañerasthe classmate
Números 1–10 — Numbers 1–10
SpanishEnglish
uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cincoone, two, three, four, five
seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diezsix, seven, eight, nine, ten

All vocabulary in this chapter is productive. Learn each noun together with its article, since the article carries gender information that agreement patterns depend on.

Pronunciation: Linking Articles and Nouns

Chapter 2 focused on the written accent marks of question words. This chapter turns to how article-plus-noun combinations are pronounced smoothly, as a single connected unit rather than as two separate words.

Pronunciation Focus — Linking vowels across word boundaries

In natural speech, Spanish links the final sound of one word to the initial sound of the next, especially when a vowel meets another vowel. La amiga is pronounced as if it were almost one word, la-a-mi-ga, with no pause or glottal stop between la and amiga.

  • Practice saying el estudiante and los estudiantes without pausing between the article and the noun.
  • Listen for the same linking pattern in una amiga and unas amigas.
  • This linking is a feature of natural connected speech, not a special rule to memorize consciously; it will become automatic with practice.

Language Focus: Articles, Gender, Plurals, and Hay

Purpose: name people and objects accurately, say how many of something there are, and point out what is nearby.

3.1 Definite and indefinite articles

Language Focus

Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine, and every noun normally appears with an article that matches its gender and number. The definite article (the) points to a specific, known item. The indefinite article (a/an or some) points to an unspecified item.

Artículos — Articles
Masculine singularFeminine singularMasculine pluralFeminine plural
Definiteellaloslas
Indefiniteununaunosunas
  • El libro está en la mesa. The book is on the table.
  • Hay una computadora en la mochila. There is a computer in the backpack.

3.2 Gender and plural formation

Building Block — Recognizing gender and forming the plural
vowel + -s · consonant + -es · -z → -ces
Many nouns ending in -o are masculine and many ending in -a are feminine, but this is a tendency, not an absolute rule, so each noun must still be learned with its article. A noun ending in a vowel usually adds -s for the plural, as in mesa → mesas. A noun ending in a consonant usually adds -es, as in profesor → profesores. A noun ending in -z changes the z to c before adding -es, as in lápiz → lápices.
el estudiante → los estudiantes · la mochila → las mochilas · el reloj → los relojes
the student(s) · the backpack(s) · the clock(s)

A noun's grammatical gender is a property of the word, not a statement about the physical properties of the item it names.

3.3 Hay — there is / there are

Language Focus

Hay is an invariable form: it does not change for singular or plural, and it is not conjugated like a regular verb at this stage. Use hay to say that something exists or is present in a place, usually with an indefinite article, a number, or no article at all.

  • Hay dos libros en la mesa. There are two books on the table.
  • ¿Hay una ventana en la clase? — Sí, hay una ventana. Is there a window in the classroom? — Yes, there is a window.
  • No hay sillas aquí. There aren't any chairs here.

3.4 Near demonstratives: este, esta, estos, estas

Language Focus

Use este, esta, estos, and estas to point at something close to you, matching gender and number just like an article. Later chapters will add demonstratives for things farther away.

  • Este libro es de Marcos. This book is Marcos's.
  • Esta silla está aquí. This chair is here.
  • Estos cuadernos son nuevos. These notebooks are new.

Model Dialogue: ¿Qué hay en la mochila?

Context: Marcos and Marisol are sitting at a table before class begins.

Marcos: ¿Qué hay en tu mochila? What's in your backpack?
Marisol: Hay dos cuadernos, un libro y una computadora. There are two notebooks, a book, and a computer.
Marcos: ¿Y este lápiz? ¿Es tuyo? And this pencil? Is it yours?
Marisol: Sí, es mi lápiz. ¿Hay estudiantes nuevos en la clase? Yes, it's my pencil. Are there new students in the class?

Marcos looks around the room.

Marcos: Sí, hay tres estudiantes nuevos. Y esta profesora también es nueva. Yes, there are three new students. And this teacher is new too.
Marisol: ¡Qué interesante! How interesting!

Notice how each noun keeps its article or demonstrative, and how hay stays the same whether it introduces one item or several.

Listening Practice

If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly, paying attention to linked article-noun pairs.

Listening script
En la mesa hay un libro, un cuaderno y dos lápices. También hay una silla y una mochila. No hay computadora en la mesa.
On the table there is a book, a notebook, and two pencils. There is also a chair and a backpack. There is no computer on the table.
  1. Listen to (or read aloud) the script, then list every item mentioned with its article.
  2. Listen for how many pencils are on the table.
  3. Listen for the one item the speaker says is not on the table.

Speaking Practice

Práctica controlada — Controlled practice: artículo y sustantivo

Practice saying each vocabulary noun aloud with its correct definite article, then again with its correct indefinite article, then in the plural.

Tarea comunicativa — Communicative task: ¿Qué hay en tu mochila?

With a partner, take turns asking ¿Qué hay en tu mochila? and answering with at least three items, using hay and the correct articles or numbers.

Práctica independiente — Solo alternative

Look around the room you are in and describe, out loud, three things you see using hay, and point to one nearby object using este or esta.

Reading Practice

La clase de la profesora Ruiz — Professor Ruiz's classroom

En la clase de la profesora Ruiz hay veinte estudiantes. Hay muchas mesas y sillas, y también hay una computadora grande. En la mesa de la profesora hay tres libros y un reloj. Esta clase es pequeña, pero hay muchos estudiantes nuevos este semestre.

Tarea de lectura — Reading task:

  1. How many students are in Professor Ruiz's class?
  2. What three things are on the teacher's table?
  3. Find the word in the passage that means "this," and identify the noun it describes.

Writing Workshop

Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.

Tarea 1 — Artículo y plural: Write each vocabulary noun with its singular definite article and its plural form, three times each.

Tarea 2 — Completar con hay: Fill in the blanks below describing your own backpack or bag.

Fill in the blank
En mi mochila hay ______, ______ y ______.
In my backpack there is/are ______, ______, and ______.

Tarea 3 — Descripción breve: Write three short sentences describing the room you are in: name two objects with hay, and point out one object with este or esta.

  1. Write out the noun-article-plural sets first. This reinforces gender and plural patterns from the start.
  2. Complete the hay sentence about your own backpack. Check that each article agrees with its noun.
  3. Draft your three-sentence room description. Keep every word within this chapter's vocabulary and prior chapters' vocabulary.
  4. Read your description aloud once. Listen for smooth linking between articles and nouns.
  5. Check your articles and demonstratives against the vocabulary and grammar tables. Correct any gender or number mismatch.

Lista de revisión — Editing checklist:

  • Every noun has an article that matches its gender and number.
  • Plural nouns are formed correctly (-s, -es, or -z → -ces).
  • Hay is used without changing form for singular or plural.
  • Demonstratives (este/esta/estos/estas) agree with the noun they point to.
  • No new vocabulary from outside this chapter and prior chapters has been used.

Culture and Communication

Culture in Context — Classrooms across Spanish-speaking regions

Classroom size, furniture, and typical supplies vary widely across Spanish-speaking countries and even from school to school within the same country. A description that fits one classroom, such as the one in this chapter's reading passage, should not be treated as representative of every school in every Spanish-speaking community.

Regional Variation — Naming everyday objects

Some everyday objects have more than one common name depending on the country or region, such as regional alternatives for "pen" or "computer." This course uses one broadly understood term per item for consistency; you may encounter other regional terms later in the series, clearly labeled.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake — Dropping the article

Error: Saying Hay libro en mesa instead of including the required articles.

Correction: Spanish nouns almost always require an article. Say Hay un libro en la mesa.

Common Mistake — Assuming -o is always masculine and -a is always feminine

Error: Assuming every noun ending in -a is feminine and every noun ending in -o is masculine, without checking exceptions.

Correction: Treat the -o/-a pattern as a helpful tendency, not an absolute rule, and learn each noun together with its article, as this chapter's vocabulary tables do.

Common Mistake — Changing the form of hay

Error: Trying to make hay agree with a plural noun, such as inventing a form like hayn for "there are."

Correction: Hay never changes form. Use the same word hay whether you are talking about one item or many: Hay un libro and Hay tres libros.

Chapter Review

Parte A — Comprensión (Comprehension)

1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.

  1. What three items does Marisol say are in her backpack?
  2. How many new students does Marcos mention?

Parte B — Escritura (Writing)

1. Write the plural form of el lápiz, la mochila, and el profesor.

2. Write one sentence using hay and one sentence using este or esta.

Parte C — Lectura (Reading)

1. Return to "La clase de la profesora Ruiz," and list every noun in the passage together with its article.

Parte D — Habla (Speaking)

1. Tell a partner three things that are in the room, then ask your partner what is in their backpack.

Practical Performance Task

Chapter 3 Practical Check

Describing People and Things Around You

Complete the following connected tasks, in order, treating them as one short description round.

  1. Read the model dialogue and the short passage. Answer the comprehension questions above before continuing.
  2. Describe your own backpack or bag aloud. Use hay with at least three items and correct articles.
  3. Point out two nearby objects to a partner. Use este/esta/estos/estas correctly for each.
  4. Write your three-sentence room description. Apply the editing checklist from the Writing Workshop.
  5. Ask and answer one question with hay about the number of people or objects in the room.
CriterionWhat is assessed
Article accuracyThe learner selects the correct definite or indefinite article for each noun's gender and number.
Plural formationThe learner forms plural nouns correctly in speech and writing.
Hay accuracyThe learner uses hay correctly and without incorrect agreement.
Demonstrative agreementThe learner matches este/esta/estos/estas to the noun's gender and number.
OrthographyThe learner writes accent marks and punctuation accurately in review sentences.

This checkpoint uses only material introduced in this chapter and Chapters 1–2. No item on this rubric requires a system that has not yet been taught.

Answer Key

Model Dialogue — Comprehension

  1. Marisol's backpack has two notebooks, a book, and a computer (dos cuadernos, un libro y una computadora).
  2. Marcos mentions three new students (tres estudiantes nuevos).

Escritura

  1. los lápices, las mochilas, los profesores.
  2. Sample answers: Hay dos libros en la mesa. / Esta silla es nueva. (Other accurate sentences are acceptable.)

Lectura

  1. los estudiantes, las mesas, las sillas, la computadora, los libros, el reloj (plus esta clase, using the demonstrative).

Looking Ahead

Lo que ya sabes hacer — What you can do now

You can name people and objects with the correct article, form plurals, use hay to describe what is present in a place, and point out nearby items with este, esta, estos, and estas.

Continuamos: Capítulo 4 — Continuing on: Chapter 4

Chapter 4 turns to family and friends, introducing tener, possessive words, age, and adjective agreement in fuller sentences, while continuing to recycle the articles, gender, and hay patterns built in this chapter.