Tienen "a" vs tienen solo?

Question

Por que' es la "a" en "Tienen a varios sospechosos en la comisaría."? Por que' no es "Tienen varios sospechosos en la comisaría."?

Gracias! (Lo siento, mi... - como se dice "keyboard" - no tiene los accentos o ? "upside-down".)

Accepted Answer

Hola Ellen
No problem with accents; I understood your question! In Spanish, the use of the preposition "a" before a noun or personal pronoun is known as the "personal 'a'." In this case, "a" is used before "varios sospechosos" because the suspects are being treated as direct objects of the verb "tener". It is primarily used when referring to people directly.
In the sentence "Tienen a varios sospechosos en la comisaría", the presence of the preposition "a" indicates that the suspects are not just possessions or generic elements but individuals with specific identities. "Tienen varios sospechosos en la comisaría" would also be grammatically correct, but the inclusion of "a" is often preferred when dealing with specific people.
I hope this clarifies your question. You're welcome, and don't worry about the accents!
Feliz finde
Silvia