Why is "A" at the beginning of some sentences

Question

I am confused as to when to use 'A" when beginning a sentences with a person's name. I see some sentences do not preface a person's name, and others do. What is the rule that dictates the use of the letter 'a' when beginning a sentence?

Answer 1

In general the "A" is used with a person's name because the person is the direct object of the verb in the question. A good review of what is called "the personal a" would be helpful. Here is a link to a very good post on this site. I think it will answer this question very thoroughly and perhaps enhance your understanding of this phenomenon in Spanish.

Personal "a"

I just came across this sentence. "Mi amigo conoce el bar más animado de la ciudad." Why is there no personal "a" at the beginning of this sentence? - artistmama, Nov 30, 2013

I just came across another sentence in Fluencia that says "Mi hermano se levanta a las 6 am." Again, why is there no personal 'a' before "mi hermano?" - artistmama, Dec 2, 2013