1. “To be or not to be?” SER VS ESTAR

2. SER (permament) D ate O ccupation C haracteristic T ime O rigin R elation(ship)

3. ESTAR (temporary) P osition L ocation A ction C ondition E motion

4. Nice acronyms, but … *Although this is a quick and simple way to remember the differences between SER and ESTAR, you should carefully study the more detailed explanation below.

5. Use SER … 1.To express a quality or characteristic of the subject. La casa es elegante. Felipe es alto.

6. Use SER … 2. To identify the subject. Mi hermano es Juan. Es un pájaro.

7. Use SER … 3. To express time and dates, and with impersonal expressions. Son las dos de la tarde. Hoy es el 2 de septiembre. Es importante estudiar.

8. Use SER … 4. To express origin. Soy de Argentina. 5. To express when and where something will take place. La fiesta es en mi casa. La boda es a las dos.

9. Use ESTAR… 1.To express location, position, or situation of the subject. La Habana está en Cuba. El perro está acostado. Estoy ocupada.

10. Use ESTAR… 2. To indicate a state or condition of the subject. Mamá está cansada. La casa está sucia. Las ventanas están cerradas.

11. Use ESTAR… 3. To form the progressive tenses. Todos están estudiando. Mi madrina estaba lavando los platos.

12. Some adjectives may be used with either SER or ESTAR. However, the meanings will be different: Es bueno. He is kind. Está bueno. It’s tasty. Es listo. He is clever/smart. Está listo. He/It is ready. Es seguro. It’s safe/reliable. Está seguro. He is sure.

13. Some adjectives may be used with either SER or ESTAR. However, the meanings will be different: Es vivo. (color) It’s bright. Está vivo. He/It is alive. Es viejo/joven. He is old/young. Está viejo/joven. He looks old/young. Es aburrido. He/It is boring. Está aburrido. He is bored.

14. DON’T FORGET: Cornell Notes are meant to give you REPETITION so that the information makes a home in your brain. Questions/Main Ideas – Help you study for a test. Summary – You must write sentences using the grammar concepts. This summarizes the information.