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How can you tell the difference between Spanish demonstrative adjectives and pronouns?

Here's how to tell the difference between Spanish demonstrative adjectives and pronouns:

Demonstrative Adjectives

* Modify nouns: They describe the noun they're attached to.

* Always come before the noun: They act like an adjective, directly preceding the noun.

* Agree with the noun in gender and number: They change their form based on the noun's gender and whether it's singular or plural.

Examples:

* Este libro (This book) - *Este* modifies *libro*

* Esa mesa (That table) - *Esa* modifies *mesa*

* Aquellos estudiantes (Those students) - *Aquellos* modifies *estudiantes*

Demonstrative Pronouns

* Replace nouns: They stand in for nouns, acting as a substitute.

* Can be the subject or object of a sentence: They can function as the thing doing the action (subject) or the thing the action is done to (object).

* Agree in gender and number with the noun they replace: Like adjectives, they adjust based on the noun's gender and number.

Examples:

* Este es mi coche. (This is my car.) - *Este* replaces the noun *coche*

* ¿Quieres comprar esa? (Do you want to buy that?) - *Esa* replaces the noun (perhaps a specific item in a store)

* Aquellos son mis amigos. (Those are my friends.) - *Aquellos* replaces the noun *amigos*

Key Differences:

* Location: Adjectives come *before* the noun; pronouns can come *anywhere* a noun can.

* Function: Adjectives *describe*; pronouns *replace*.

* Agreement: Both must agree with the noun's gender and number.

Helpful Tip: If you can insert a noun after the demonstrative word, it's an adjective. If you can't, it's a pronoun.

Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions!

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