Use of ser + noun in an A2 test

Sarah E.B2Kwiziq community member

Use of ser + noun in an A2 test

I don't understand this sentence. What is 'a' doing here?

Yo a muchas cosas,

This question relates to:Spanish dictation exercise "What games did you play as a child?"

Dictation exercise A2

Asked 1 week ago

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SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Sarah E.

In this sentence, a is not related to ser + noun. It comes from the expression jugar a + juego/actividad ("to play"). The answer is simply omitting the verb because it is understood from the question:

¿A qué jugabas de pequeño?
- Yo, a muchas cosas. (= Yo jugaba a muchas cosas.)

This is a common type of ellipsis in Spanish, where speakers leave out information that has already been established in the conversation.

I hope that helps clarify it!

Silvia

Like04 days ago

Sarah E. asked: