Spanish Grammar Test: Ser

The Verb Ser

Note: This quiz contains 28 questions of which 10 will be selected randomly each time the quiz is taken.

Instructions:Choose the correct response

Question: El vaso _____ blanco.

Answer: es

Useful Grammar

NOTE: The indefinite article is not used in Spanish before predicate nouns, especially those indicating nationality or profession.

Él es médico.

He is a doctor.

Ella es española.

She is a Spaniard.

estar (to be)

The English verb to be

In English, although we might not realize it when we speak, we express many different ideas with the verb to be. Are, for example, can mean:

— are located (Granada and Barcelona are in Spain),

— equal (Two and two are four),

— or have the characteristic of being (Apples are red).

Spanish, however, uses two different verbs (estar and ser) for the ideas we express with to be. Estar is used to express location and condition; condition includes adjectives that describe a state of emotion or health (triste, sad; contento, glad; enfermo, sick; cansado, tired, etc.). Ser is used in most other cases, especially to indicate a fixed quality or inherent characteristic. Both verbs are irregular in the present indicative and preterit tense. These verbs cannot be interchanged without altering the meaning of the sentence.

For a complete explanation of the verbs ser and estar, please the Grammar Section devoted to Ser and Estar.