Spanish Past Tense AB INITIO OCT 25
Spanish Past Tense AB INITIO OCT 25
Spanish Past Tense AB INITIO OCT 25
ESPAÑOL AB INITIO
Estudiantes: Mila y Cindy (2020-10-25)
Many students have trouble knowing when to use the preterite tense or the
imperfect tense, as they both refer to actions in the past. There are several general
rules you can follow to know when to use one tense or another.
Additionally, many Spanish phrases tend to be used only with the preterite or
only with the imperfect, so memorizing them is very helpful! In this article, we’ll take a
look at the general uses of both tenses, as well as helpful “trigger” phrases.
1. PAIR WORK
One way this pair of tenses is often used is to talk about an ongoing action
or event that was interrupted in the past.
For example:
(IMPERFECTO) (PRETÉRITO)
Caminaba por el centro cuando me encontré con el hermano de mi
mejor amiga.
I was walking downtown when I ran into my best friend's brother.
(IMPERFECTO) (PRETÉRITO)
Lourdes y Marco hablaban del examen cuando llegué a clase.
Lourdes and Marco were talking about the test when I got to class.
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2. THE PRETERITE
Generally, the preterite is used for completed actions (actions that have
definite beginning and end points.)
These can be actions that can be viewed as single events, actions that
were part of a chain of events, actions that were repeated a very specific
number of times, or actions that specifically state the beginning and end
of an action.
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the day
the night
anteayer before anteanoche before last
yesterday
yesterday yesterday at
ayer por la mañana morning ayer al mediodía noon
yesterday
ayer por la tarde afternoon hoy por la mañana this morning
(two) years
hace (dos) años ago hace (dos) días (two) days ago
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3. THE IMPERFECT
The imperfect tense is generally used for actions in the past that do
not have a definite end.
These can be actions that are not yet completed or refer to a time in
general in the past. It can also be used to talk about:
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todas las semanas every week todo el tiempo all the time
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10. Don Quijote siempre (hacer) locuras por una dama, que
(llamarse) Dulcinea.
A. hacía / se llamaba
B. hizo / se llamó
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16. FUI. "Ayer" signifies a specific point in time in the past indicating this
action is completed, so you will use the preterit.
17. LAVÉ. "Esta mañana" signifies a specified time in the past and indicates
this action is completed, so you will use the preterit.
18. VISITABA. "Con frecuencia" indicates a repetitive past action, thus
signaling the use of the imperfect.
19. GUSTABA. "De niño" signifies an unspecified length of time in the past and
does not indicate a starting or ending point in the action, so you will use
the imperfect.
20. ÍBAMOS. "Cuando éramos niños" signifies an unspecified length of time in
the past and does not indicate a starting or ending point in the action, so
you will use the imperfect.
21. ME GRADUÉ. "Graduarse" is preterit by nature.
22. SE QUEJABAN. "De vez en cuando" signifies repetitive occurrences of that
action, so you will use the imperfect.
23. RESIDÍA. "En aquella época" is a non-specific time frame in the past, so the
imperfect is used.
24. SE ACOSTÓ. "Anoche" signifies a specified time and indicates a starting or
ending point so you will use preterit.
25. VISITÓ. "Una vez" signifies a specified time in the past and indicates this
action is completed, so you will use the preterit.
26. LEVANTABAIS. "Todas las mañanas" indicates a repetitive action in the
past, without a definite beggining and end, so the imperfect is used.
27. ME LLAMABA. "Nunca" signifies repetitive occurrences of a past action, so
you will use the imperfect.
28. NADABA. "Todo el tiempo", when used to describe a past action, implies
countless occurrences of that action, so you will use the imperfect.
29. ESTUDIABA. "Siempre" signifies repetitive occurrences of that action, so
you will use the imperfect.
30. COMPRÉ. "Esta tarde" signifies a specified time in the past and indicated
this action is completed, so you will use the preterit.
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31. ME PINTÉ. "Ayer" limits the time period to a specific time in the past, so
the preterit is used.
32. EMPEZÓ. "Entonces" indicates a specific time frame in the past and signals
the use of the preterit.
33. ME VIO. This refers to a single action that took place in the past, so
preterit is used.
34. ABRISTE. "En ese momento" indicates a specific time frame in the past and
signals the use of the preterit.
35. LEVANTASTEIS. "Esta mañana" indicates a specific time frame in the past
and a finished action, so the preterit is used.
36. HACÍAS. "Generalmente" signifies repetitive occurrences of a past action
so you will use the imperfect.
37. TENÍAN. Telling a person's age in the past indicates the use of the
imperfect.
38. ÍBAMOS. In this sentence we have an action in progress that was
interrupted by a single action. In cases such as this, the action in progress
is in the imperfect.
39. HABLASTE. "Ayer por la tarde" signifies a specific time in the past and
indicates a starting or end point in the action, so you will use the preterit.
40. VIVÍA. An action without a definite beginning and end requires the
imperfect.
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