Just a comment in the hopes I am not alone

Question

I have to say the use of pronouns (and to a lesser degree prepositions) is one of the most challenging parts of learning Spanish I have experienced thus far.  I am REALLY struggling on this!! If you look at my small (two question) quizzes I do fine, but when I take a ten point quiz I do very poorly on this topic.  I AM trying!  I need to go very slowly, using tools like "to whom, for whom" is the action taken to find the indirect pronoun answer but NOTHING is coming naturally at this point. Please don't take this as whining before giving up.... I am not giving up!  Anything worth having requires work so I am forging on. I just wonder... am I being unusually dumb on this?! Do any (most?) other students at my level struggle this hard on the pronoun (preposition) usage topic? As always I need to say how much I love Kwiziq and am so grateful to have found it! I'll get this sooner or later (but any other tricks to help me would sure be welcome!!).

Silvia Piriz · Accepted Answer

Hola Terry O.
First of all, you are absolutely not alone! Spanish pronouns (especially indirect ones) can be one of the trickiest parts of the language, even for advanced learners. It’s completely normal to feel like they aren’t coming naturally—think of it as training your brain to recognize a new pattern, and that just takes time and practice.
You’re already on the right track by using tools like 'to whom' and 'for whom'—that’s a great approach! Some learners find it helpful to think in "sentence building blocks" instead of translating word for word.
For example:
Le di el libro. → (I gave the book to him/her.)
Les escribí una carta. → (I wrote them a letter.)
One trick you might try is saying the sentence out loud in both English and Spanish, emphasizing the pronoun (e.g., "To whom did I give the book? To him! → ¡Le di el libro!").
Most importantly, keep at it! It sounds like you have the right mindset—determined and ready to improve, which is half the battle won. We’re cheering you on! 🎉😊
Would love to hear how you’re progressing, so keep us updated!
Saludos
Silvia