How do you attach two object pronouns to an infinitive

Question

I am struggling to understand how one goes about attaching two object pronouns to an infinitive, command, or present participle.

Example (usando la forma de mandatos) *This is from Realidades 3, practice workbook pg. 87

Mis amigos quieren saber la historia. ¿Qué sugieres? respond with infinitive (contar)

• Contáselo?

Is this correct? El profesor quiere el informe hoy. ¿Qué debo hacer? (entregar)

• Entrégarselo

Answer 1

In the first example, you want to say "tell them it", or "tell it to them" in the command form.

Cuenta (informal tú command) + les (indirect object "to them") + la (direct object "la historia").

Cuentalesla.

Two problems with that. You can't have les and la together, so you change les to se, and you have to maintain the proper pronunciation of "cuenta" with an accent:

Cuéntasela.

In the second example you are telling somebody to deliver it, el informe (lo) to el profesor (le). Don't forget to change le to se:

Entrégaselo.

These are both the informal commands. If you were looking for the formal commands, they would be:

Cuéntesela.

Entrégueselo.

I think in the instructions it said to respond with the infinitive of the verb. - Azabache, Sep 13, 2012

Answer 2

I think in the instructions it said to respond with the infinitive of the verb.

Actually, they say to use "la forma de mandatos".

Answer 3

In those examples, it would be: contrárselo and entregárselo.

The tilde is used to preserve the stress of the infinitive of the verb.