icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

I am happy: the verb 'ser', 'soy' and 'es'

Learning outcomes

I can understand ‘soy’ and ‘es’ with adjectives describing what I and someone else are like in general.

I can read and pronounce [e] and [i] with confidence.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

I am happy: the verb 'ser', 'soy' and 'es'

Learning outcomes

I can understand ‘soy’ and ‘es’ with adjectives describing what I and someone else are like in general.

I can read and pronounce [e] and [i] with confidence.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The sound-symbol correspondences [e] and [i] can be practised with a range of adjectives like ‘feliz’ and ‘interesante’.
  2. The verb ‘ser’ means 'to be, being' when describing general traits.
  3. ‘Soy’ means ‘I am’, ‘es’ means ‘she, he, it is’ when describing general traits.

Keywords

  • [e] and [i] - pronounced as in 'elefante' and 'idea'

  • Ser - the verb 'to be, being'

  • Soy - part of the verb 'to be', meaning 'I am'

  • Es - part of the verb 'to be', meaning 'she, he, it is'

  • General traits - characteristics that are not likely to change

Common misconception

The word 'serious' follows the same pattern as the word 'nervous', resulting in 'nervioso' and 'serioso'.

In Spanish, the word 'serious' is 'serio'. It does not follow the same pattern as the word 'nervioso' that translates as 'nervous'.

Next lesson, after taking the register in Spanish ('Estoy presente', 'Está ausente'), pupils can describe themselves using a single sentence: 'Soy curioso.'
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each of these Spanish words to the correct English translations.
Correct Answer:feliz,happy
tick

happy

Correct Answer:elegante,elegant
tick

elegant

Correct Answer:triste,sad
tick

sad

Correct Answer:tranquilo,calm
tick

calm

Q2.
Which of these is an adjective?
clase
Correct answer: tranquilo
ahora
Q3.
Which adjectives describe something masculine?
lenta
Correct answer: contento
Correct answer: tranquilo
curiosa
Correct answer: preparado
Q4.
Which of the following adjectives do not change their ending when referring to a male or female person?
nervioso
Correct answer: feliz
Correct answer: elegante
contenta
Q5.
How do you say 'she, he, it is' in Spanish to describe temporary traits?
Correct Answer: está
Q6.
How do you say 'I am' in Spanish to describe temporary traits?
Correct Answer: estoy

5 Questions

Q1.
What does the verb 'ser' mean?
Correct answer: to be, being
to have, having
to be serious
Q2.
Which of these words are used to describe a general trait?
estoy
Correct answer: soy
está
Correct answer: es
Q3.
Match each of these Spanish words to the correct English translations.
Correct Answer:lento ,slow
tick

slow

Correct Answer:elegante,elegant
tick

elegant

Correct Answer:rápido,quick
tick

quick

Correct Answer:tranquilo,calm
tick

calm

Correct Answer:feliz,happy
tick

happy

Correct Answer:nervioso,nervous
tick

nervous

Q4.
How would you say 'serious' (masculine or feminine) in Spanish?
Correct Answer: serio, Serio, seria, Seria
Q5.
How would you say 'She is calm.' (in general) in Spanish?
Está tranquilo.
Es tranquilo.
Está tranquila.
Correct answer: Es tranquila.

Additional material

Download additional material