Ser o estar

Elegir entre ser y estar según la oración. Distinción sin equivalente en inglés.

Use with a student — free
Fill-in
ser

Drop here

estar

Drop here

Yo ___ estudiante.
Ella ___ mi hermana.
Nosotros ___ de México.
El libro ___ interesante.
Tú ___ muy alto.
Hoy ___ lunes.
Yo ___ cansado hoy.
Ella ___ en la escuela.
Nosotros ___ contentos.
El libro ___ sobre la mesa.
Tú ___ enfermo.
La sopa ___ caliente.

0/12 sorted

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How to run it

Sort by what the sentence is describing rather than by rule wording. Identity, origin and permanent characteristics take ser; location, temporary states and conditions take estar. Group the twelve into those two piles and let the pattern emerge before naming it. El libro is the interesting pair — interesante takes ser and sobre la mesa takes estar, which shows the same subject taking both.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
  2. Step 2HintStress the part of the sentence that changes, or point to the word ending.Log as cued
  3. Step 3Sentence starterSay the first half of the sentence and let the student finish it.Log as cued
  4. Step 4ModelSay the correct form in the whole sentence; the student repeats it.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Give a sentence starter every time, and do fewer cards.

Harder

Ask for a new sentence of the student's own with the same form, with no card to lean on.

Matching IEP goal

Given sentence cards, Student will produce ser and estar correctly in sentences in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Twelve Spanish sentences requiring a choice between ser and estar: Yo ___ estudiante, Ella ___ mi hermana, Nosotros ___ de México and El libro ___ interesante take ser; Yo ___ cansado hoy, Ella ___ en la escuela, El libro ___ sobre la mesa and La sopa ___ caliente take estar. English has one verb where Spanish has two, which makes this a distinction with no English equivalent to lean on.

What to listen for

Listen for estar being used for characteristics or ser for location, which are the two directions of error. A student who says el libro es sobre la mesa has applied the identity verb to a location. Watch cansado and enfermo, which are states rather than traits and take estar even though English would use the same verb as for a permanent quality.

Carrying it home

Both verbs are constant in Spanish at home. Recasting rather than correcting — sí, estás cansado — supplies the right form in a real sentence without stopping the conversation.

What's in this activity

  • ser
  • estar

Questions

Is this board in Spanish?
Yes, all twelve sentences are Spanish. This page is in English so an English-speaking clinician can find and evaluate it.
Do I need an account?
No, it plays free in the browser.
Why is this hard for bilingual students?
Because English uses one verb for both. There is nothing in English to map the distinction onto, so it has to be learned as a Spanish-specific rule rather than translated.

Use this board with your caseload

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.

Track progress free

Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.