• Ser y estar
• El presente perfecto
• El pasado perfecto
• Los tiempos perfectos en construcciones hipotéticas

To Be (ser y estar) Review and Additional Uses

Review the forms of SER and ESTAR.

Form

Preterite

Imperfect

Past Participle

Uses of ser

1. To indicate nationality or origin:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --David es de Tejas.

   David is from Texas.

2. To describe intrinsic characteristics:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --Los árboles son altos.

   The trees are tall.

3. To indicate dates and time:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --Hoy es lunes, 16 de septiembre y son las 11:30 de la mañana.

   Today is Monday, the 16th of September, and it is 11:30 in the morning.

4. To form the passive voice with the past participle:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --El premio fue ortogado por el comité.

   The prize was awarded by the committee.

5. To indicate profession or affiliation with a group (religious, political, etc.):

   Ejemplo(s):

   --María Elena es abogada.

   María Elena is a lawyer.

   --La mayoría del mundo hispano es católica.

   The majority of the hispanic world is Catholic.

6. To form impersonal expressions:

   Ejemplo(s):

   Es bueno/malo que ...

   Es importante/necesario que ...

   Era increíble que ...

7. To indicate a relation between people:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --Juan es el hermano de María.

   Juan is María’s brother.

Uses of estar

1. To indicate where people, objects and places are located*:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --El coche está en el parking.

   The car is in the parking lot.

   * Use ser to describe where an event takes place.

   --La clase de español es en Wescoe.

   The Spanish class is in Wescoe..

2. To express mental states that result from an action or event:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --Estoy deprimida porque saqué una “F” en el examen.

   I’m depressed because I got an “F” on the exam.

3. To express physical states that result from an action or event:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --El chico está cansado después de correr 5 millas.

   The boy is tired after running 5 miles.

4. To express something unexpected:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --¿No está muy delgada Carolina?

   Doesn’t Carolina look really thin?

5. To form idiomatic expressions:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --estar de acuerdo

   to be in agreement

   --estar de pie

   to be standing

   --estar en camino

   to be on the way

   --estar en las nubes

   to daydream

6. To form the present progressive:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --Los niños están cantando con la música.

   The children are singing to the music.

   --Está lloviendo ahora mismo.

   It is raining right now.

   In general, the verb ser is used to express characteristics or inherent circumstances, while the verb estar is used to describe a resulting state. Equating ser with permanent states and estar with non-permanent states, can lead to erroneous verb use. Take a look at the following example:

   Ejemplo(s):

   --Mi abuela se murió el año pasado.

   My grandmother died last year.

   --Mi abuela está muerta.

   My grandmother is dead.

   Death is a permanent state but estar is used because death is the state or condition resulting from dying.

Summary of the Uses of Ser and Estar