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	The Personal a
	The "personal a" is the name often given to the use in some cases of the particle a before direct object nouns. It is not to be confused with the preposition a, nor with the a used before prepositional pronouns in redundant constructions. It has no English equivalent.
	Its use is generally obligatory before direct object nouns referring to persons, and is repeated in cases of compound object phrases: Veo a tus padres y a tu hermanan todos los días en el parque. I see your parents and your sister every day in the park. Voy a llamar a Juana. I'm going to call Juana. It is also often used optionally before objects referring to animals when these are pets, or other things that the speaker wishes to personalize or express acquaintance with: Llevé a mi perro al veterinario. I took my dog to the veterinarian. Conozco muy bien a Nueva York. I know New York very well. It is generally omitted after tener: Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana. I have two brothers and one sister.
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