Placement indirect object pronouns.

Question

I am working through this quiz and in the instructions it says " Affirmative sentences with one verb, the indirect object pronoun is placed BEFORE the verb. However, in this example:

"Di la verdad al jefe" My answer was "Le di la verdad"

It was marked wrong with this comment:

Darn. Wrong answer. "Le" is the correct 3rd person indirect object pronoun; it is attached to an affirmative command. Correct answer: Dile la verdad.

Is there a perceived difference between an affirmative sentence and an affirmative command ? Advice wold be appreciated.

You are not unlike our Sir Ian here on SD he is a mod, and probably a rocker también. - ray76, Apr 3, 2015

Good question mate , thanks. - ray76, Apr 3, 2015

Sir Ian ? Sounds like a compliment. - Mozzie, Apr 3, 2015

Enjoy yourself amigo - I did something similar in Bolivia. - ian-hill, Apr 3, 2015

What did you do in Bolivia ? - Mozzie, Apr 3, 2015

Taught English and a few other things. I lived in Cochabamba. I would still be there but I got sick. - ian-hill, Apr 3, 2015

It looks beautiful there. I would like to go. - Mozzie, Apr 3, 2015

Answer 1

Yes, there's a difference.

An affirmative sentence is "You tell him the truth": "Le dices la verdad."

An affirmative command is "Tell him the truth": "Dile la verdad."

As http://www.spanishdict.com/topics/show/65 explains,

Pronoun placement: the pronoun is attached to the end of affirmative commands

Gracias amigo y compañero jubilado. - ray76, Apr 3, 2015

this is a very helpful forum on this web site. - Mozzie, Apr 3, 2015

Answer 2

When you use an affirmative command with tu, ud, uds, or nosotros you always attach the indirect command at the end. (Also this rule applies to the direct command and reflexive) Examples: Péinate, dame, dámelo, dime, hazlo, dile, díselo.

Thank you jemamu , very kind of you . :) - ray76, Apr 3, 2015

Thank you very much. Very helpful. I have learned more about the intricacies of spanish pronouns here in the last few days than in the last year here in Bogota - Mozzie, Apr 3, 2015

Answer 3

that clarifies it. Many thanks indeed.

Answer 4