a ellos les doy el libro, I give them (m.) the book. This is sometimes called the redundant pronoun construction. 261.

13.  The redundant construction is used not only for clarification, as in the case of the third person, but also for the sake of emphasis or contrast in all persons: a mi me gusta el libro, I (emphatic) like the book. 262.

14.  Both le and les take the form se when used with a verb that has also a direct object pronoun beginning with 1, necessarily of the third person — lo, le, la, los or las. Thus se, in such a case, is even more ambiguous than either le or les, as may be seen from the following outline:

r = a el

= le = a ella = a Vd. = a ellos

= les = a ellas

I. = a Vds.

Hence clarification of se by means of the proper prepositional pronoun is frequently necessary: se lo doy a el (a ella, a Vd., a ellos, a ellas, a Vds.), I give it to him (to her, to you (sing.), to them (m.), to them (f.), to you (pl .). Note the dropping of the terminal s of verbs in exhortations before this se : demoselo, let us give it to him. 263.

15. This indirect object se must be carefully distinguished from the third person, singular and plural, reflexive pronoun se as in el se levanta, he rises, gets up. See 285, 380. 264.

16. Le, les, and se are used to anticipate an indirect noun object or to repeat it if already used: le dije muchas cosas a mi amigo, I said many things to my friend; a Juan se lo dije, I told it to john. 265.

17. La and las are sometimes used as indirect objects, feminine, but such usage is not considered the best: la dije la verdad, I told her the truth. However, these forms are obligatory as feminine indirect objects of impersonal reflexive verbs (see 383): se la admira, she is admired. 266.

18. Indirect object pronouns are used with verbs of deprivation (see 96): me rolDO el dinero, he stole the money from me; yo les gasto el tiempo, I am taking up their time. 267.

19. Indirect object pronouns are used to indicate the person particularly concerned in the action of the verb. This is called the " dative of interest ": se nos morian, they died (on our hands, or, to our sorrow). See 97. 268.

20. These pronouns are often used instead of the corresponding possessives, especially

e