Spanish Exercises for Intermediate Students: ‘Por y Para’ Practice

Frequent por y para practice is helpful for intermediate Spanish students. 

Have you gotten confused between por and para? Do they seem too similar to you? What’s the difference, if in English we (almost) always translate them to “for”?

Trust me, and together we’ll solve this dilemma before you get to the last line of this article.

Today, my main goal is to quickly remind you how to use por and para, and later focus on ‘por y para’ practice. You’ll see that this topic is easier than you thought. ¡Es el tiempo para aprender!

A Quick Guide to ‘Por y Para’ Practice

Before you try out some ‘por y para’ practice, let’s take a brief look at how you use these two similar prepositions.

Translation doesn’t work since in many cases, you’ll see “for” in English both for por and para. However, consider yourself lucky. Simple rules govern these prepositions and I’ll help you understand them. 

How to Use Por

What you need to remember to prepare for ‘por y para’ practice is that por is used for movement, transportation, communication, exchanges, duration, reasons, and emotions. Plus, a couple of expressions with por that you’ll need to remember.

1. Travel/Movement

You’ll use por to talk about the way people travel. For example, to refer to the transportation mode or the route you take. 

Caminé por la ciudad sin rumbo.
I walked through the city aimlessly.

Sólo puedes llegar a la isla por barco. 
You can only get to the island by boat.

Viajamos por México y Guatemala.
We traveled through Mexico and Guatemala.

2. Communication

 You’ll also use por to talk about the way people communicate.

Le escribí por correo.
I wrote to him by email.

Nos hablamos por WhatsApp, vale?
We’ll talk on WhatsApp, ok?

3. Exchange and Substitution

If you want to discuss exchanges and trades or chat about how to substitute sugar in your new diet, use por.

Te cambio mi pluma por la tuya.
I’ll exchange my pen for yours.

Cambia azúcar por endulzantes y verás el cambio en tu peso.
Swap sugar for sweeteners and you’ll see a change in your weight.

Le tocaba a Juan pero lo hice por él.
It was Juan’s turn but I did it in his place.

4. Duration

Por helps us to express the length of an activity.

Viajaré a España por dos semanas.
I’ll travel to Spain for two weeks.

Tengo un contrato de renta por un año.
I have a rental contract for one year.

5. Motivation

Por can also help us determine a cause, reason, or motivation.

No tuvo recreo por estar viendo el iPad en clase.
He had no recess because he was checking his iPad in class.

Por mi amor hacia los animales, dejaré de comer carne.
For my love of animals, I will stop eating meat.

Por ti haré cualquier cosa.
For you, I will do anything.

6. Emotions

We also use por to show the recipient of our emotions and feelings.

Tengo celos por la maravillosa vida de mi prima.
I’m jealous of my cousin’s wonderful life.

Su amor por su hijo, la volvió sobreprotectora.
Her love for her son made her overprotective.

7. Expressions with Por

Take a look at some common expressions that use por:

How to use Para

To succeed in ‘por y para’ practice, you need to know when to use para. We use para mainly to talk about opinion, destination, deadlines, recipients, goals, and standards. 

1. Opinion

If you want to say “according to” in Spanish, use para. You can also translate it with “for” or “in my opinion.”

Para mí, México es el país más hermoso del mundo.
According to me, Mexico is the most beautiful country in the world.

Para mis papás, soy la niña más inteligente del planeta.
For my parents, I am the smartest girl on the planet.

2. Destination

You can use para to indicate a final point of your journey for example or the final destination of an object.

Este paquete es para la oficina del presidente.
This parcel is for the office of the president.

Salgo para Guatemala hoy por la noche.
I’m leaving for Guatemala tonight.

3. Recipient

Same as above, use para to indicate the recipient of a gift—or of action.

Este libro es para mi hija.
This book is for my daughter.

Trabajo para mi cuñado.
I work for my brother-in-law.

4. Deadline

Worried about deadlines? In Spanish, you’ll express them with para, too.

¡Este artículo es para hoy!
This article is for today!

La cita con el dentista es para el jueves, que no se me olvide.
The appointment with the dentist is on Thursday; I hope I won’t forget.

5. Goal

We all have purposes and goals in life, and you may talk about them with your Spanish-speaking friends using para.

Estudio español para leer a García Márquez en original.
I study Spanish to read García Márquez in his original language.

Trabajo para tener dinero.
I work to have money.

Te llamo para platicar sobre nuestro futuro.
I’m calling you to talk about our future.

6. Standard/Expectation

Use para to express how something (or someone) compares to an expectation or standard.

Para ser tan barato, es bastante bueno.
For being so cheap, it’s pretty good.

Para ser un niño de 10 años, es muy responsable.
For a 10-year-old, he is very responsible.

7. Expressions with Para

This time, let’s check out expressions that use para:

‘Por y Para’ Practice

It’s almost time to jump into ‘por y para’ practice, but first let’s have one last look at the use of por and para in a shortened form. 

If you feel like reading more before ‘por y para’ practice, check out Prepositions in Spanish: Por Versus Para.

And now, por fin, let’s start the ‘por y para’ practice.

1. ¿Por o Para?

1. No habrá espectáculo _______ falta de público.

2. Estudio español _______ ser bilingüe.

3. No voy a poder ir _______ tu graduación.

4. Toma esta pastilla _______ si acaso.

5. No me gusta hablar en público _______ mi timidez.

6. ¡_______ fin me llamas!

7. Estaré fuera del país _______ una semana.

8. Mi regalo es _______ ti.

9. Te enviaré los libros _______ avión.

10. Hay que tirar _______ adelante apesar de todo.

11. He decidido cambiar mi teléfono _______ uno nuevo.

12. Compré dos sillones _______ el precio de uno.

13. Utilizaré esta aplicación _______ estudiar la gramática.

14. _______ mí, no hay nada mejor.

15. Obtuvo un premio _______ su esfuerzo.

16. ¿_______ esto me llamaste? Ahorra tu tiempo y el mío.

17._______ lo visto, la dejó porque no quería quedarse.

18. Esta nueva colección _______ hombre es muy bonita.

19. _______ variar, hoy comeremos pescado.

20. Hablamos _______ teléfono mañana.

21. Me alegro _______ Juan, merece este trabajo como nadie más.

22. Voy _______ Perú en un mes.

23. Tengo que terminar la tarea _______ el viernes.

24. _______ ser tan barata, es sorprendentemente buena y duradera.

25. _______ ser tan barata no sirve para mucho.

26. _______ el amor de Dios! ¿dónde te metiste? ¡Estás muy sucio!

2. What’s the Meaning?

1. Escribí el libro para mi hijo.

1. I wrote the book with my son.
2. I wrote the book for my son.

2. I study Spanish because of my work.

1. Estudio español para mi trabajo.
2. Estudio español por mi trabajo.

3. I work for Juan. 

1. Trabajo para Juan.
2. Trabajo por Juan.

4. Caminamos por el parque.

1. We walked through the park.
2. We walked towards the park.

5. Caminamos para el parque.

1. We walked through the park.
2. We walked towards the park.

6. Tengo que terminar mi trabajo para las 5.

1. I have to finish my work in five hours.
2. I have to finish my work by five.

7. Respira por la nariz.

1. Breathe for your nose.
2. Breath through your nose.

Click here for the translation of the questions and to see the answers for this exercise.

Keep Practicing!

Good job! I hope you enjoyed and benefited from this ‘por y para’ practice. Remember that context is crucial, and por and para don’t always mean “for.” If you want to take your skills to the next level, sign up for a free class to do ‘por y para’ practice with one of our friendly, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. Give it a try and improve your Spanish, ¡por favor!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!

• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish
• The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish
• A Guide to Double Negatives in Spanish
• Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF
• Common Irregular Informal Commands in Spanish
• Dialect vs Accent: Is It a Language, Dialect, or Accent?

Answer Key 1

1. por
2. para
3. para
4. por
5. por
6. por
7. por
8. para
9. por
10. para
11. por
12. por
13. para
14. para
15. por
16. para
17. por
18. para
19. para
20. por
21. por
22. para
23. para
24. para
25. por
26. por

Translation

1. There will be no show due to the lack of an audience.
2. I study Spanish to be bilingual.
3. I’m not going to be able to go to your graduation.
4. Take this pill just in case.
5. I don’t like public speaking because of my shyness.
6. Finally you’re calling me!
7. I will be out of the country for a week.
8. My gift is for you.
9. I’ll send you the books by plane.
10. You have to push forward despite everything.
11. I have decided to exchange my phone for a new one.
12. I bought two armchairs for the price of one.
13. I will use this application to study grammar.
14. For me, there is nothing better.
15. He got an award for his effort.
16. Is this what you called me for? Save your time and mine.
17. Apparently he left because he didn’t want to stay.
18. This new collection for men is very beautiful.
19. For a change, today we will eat fish.
20. We’ll talk on the phone tomorrow.
21. I’m happy for Juan, he deserves this job like no one else.
22. I’m going to Peru in a month.
23. I have homework to finish by Friday.
24. For being so cheap, it is surprisingly good and durable.
25. Because it is so cheap, it is not good for much.
26. For the love of God! Where did you go? You’re so dirty!

Answer Key 2

1. B
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. B

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Olga Put

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and freelance writer with a Master's degree in Humanities from Madrid. I speak Polish, Spanish, and English fluently, and want to get better in Portuguese and German. A lover of literature, and Mexican spicy cuisine, I've lived in Poland, Spain, and Mexico and I'm currently living and teaching in Madeira, Portugal.

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