LOS VERBOS EN EL PASADO (ESPAÑOL 5

LOS VERBOS EN EL PASADO (ESPAÑOL 5 - REPASO)
PARTE 1: EL PRETÉRITO VS. EL IMPERFECTO
In Spanish, we use both the preterite and imperfect tenses to describe actions that took place in the past. The
question is, how do we choose which tense to use?
USES OF THE PRETERITE: (TAKING A POLEROID PICTURE):
The preterite tense is used to indicate a completed action in the past.
IN PARTICULAR, WE USE THE PRETERITE FOR:
1. Completed actions stated as a simple fact.
2. A list of events in the past without much detail (not setting the stage for a story, just listing the facts).
3. Actions which occurred at a specific moment in time/isolated actions.
Rosa escribió un texto a su novio. à Rosa wrote a text to her boyfriend.
This is preterite because Rosa has completed the specific action (writing a text).
Este fin de semana, vi a mis amigos el viernes. El sábado hice mucha tarea, y el domingo, ayudé a mi
mamá con la cena. à Last weekend I saw my friends on Friday. On Saturday I did a lot of homework, and
on Sunday I helped my mom cook dinner.
This is preterite because it shows completed actions as simple facts/list of past events without much detail.
Ana llegó tarde a la escuela. à Ana arrived late to school.
This is preterite because it is an action that happened in a specific moment in time/isolated action.
USES OF THE IMPERFECT: (SETTING THE STAGE/SCENERY. THE CAMERA IS RECORDING…)
The imperfect tense is used to indicate habitual actions in the past (“I always used to…”), an action that happened in
the past but still is true or happening now, or an action that has no beginning or end time. It is also used to “set the
stage” or “describe the situation” when you are telling a story.
IN PARTICULAR, WE USE THE IMPERFECT FOR:
1. To express what “used to” happen, or happened repeatedly in the past. Words like “nunca,” “siempre,” are
used to show habits in the past (imperfect).
Siempre hacía mi tarea cuando era pequeño. à I always did my homework when I was little.
This is imperfect because it describes something that used to happen repeatedly in the past
Cuando era niño, yo iba a la casa de mis abuelos cada verano. à When I was a kid, I used to go to my
grandparents’ house every summer.
This is imperfect because it describes something that I “used to” do every summer. It also has no beginning or
end time.
2. To describe characteristics of persons or things in the past.
Tom era rubio y tenía los ojos azules. à Tom was blonde and had blue eyes.
3. To describe a state of mind, feeling, emotion, physical condition or attitude in the past (specifically for past
actions that do not have a beginning/end time and/or might still reach into the present moment).
María siempre quería ser doctor. à María always wanted to be a doctor
This is imperfect because it describes a state of mind in the past that might still be true today. using the verb
“querer.”
Ana estaba enferma ayer. à Ana was sick yesterday. (physical condition that might
still be true)
Mi papá estaba muy enojado anocheà My dad was really mad last night. (emotion
that might still be true)
4. To express time in the past .
Eran las cinco cuando Paco llegó a su casa. à It was five o’clock when Paco arrived home. (time)
5. To express a person’s age when an event took place.
Cuando Elena tenía 5 años, fue a Disneyland.à When Elena was 5 years old, she went to Disneyland.
This is imperfect because it expresses the time of day in the past. ** notice that “she went” (fue) is preterit
because it happened once/was an isolated event.
6. Setting the stage/scenery for a story.
Era un día muy bonita y los pájaros estaban cantando en el parque. Estaba andando por la calle cuando… à It
was a pretty day and the birds were singing in the park. I was walking down the street when…
This is imperfect because it is setting the stage/scenery for my story. I am not just listing simple facts but instead
giving details about an event.
7. To replace the past progressive (i.e. what was happening - was/were + “-ing”).
Los pájaros cantaban à The birds were singing.
This is imperfect because it describes what was happening, using was/were + an “-ing” word (“singing”).
USING THE PRETERITE AND IMPERFECT TOGETHER
Sometimes, as seen in the last example above, the preterite and imperfect can be used together. This most often
happens when something WAS HAPPENING when another action interrupts it.
Mónica estaba estudiando cuando su novio le llamó por teléfono.
Monica was studying when her boyfriend called her on the phone.
EXCEPTIONS TO IMPERFECT RULES:
- WEATHER
- EMOTIONS, PHYSICAL CONDITIONS, STATE OF MIND, ATTITUDES
If you are ONLY stating a fact (no details, such as reading the weather report in the paper) OR if you think of the
situation as A COMPLETED ACTION (FINISHED, no new discussion about it), you may use the PRETÉRITO.
yo
tú
él,ella, usted
nosotros
ellos/ustedes
WEATHER
ESTAR (pretérito)
estuve
estuviste
estuvo
estuvimos
estuvieron
ESTAR (imperfecto)
estaba
estabas
estaba
estábamos
estaban
Examples of PRETÉRITO
Juan: ¿Por qué no fuiste al baile?
(Why didn’t you go to the dance?)
María: Porque estuve cansada.
(Because I was tired.)
(pretérito)
hizo calor
hizo frío
(imperfecto)
hacía calor
hacía frío
Newspaper: Ayer, hizo 65 grados.
(Yesterday it reached 65 degrees.)
¡A PRACTICAR!
¿El pretérito o el imperfecto? – ¡Escógelo, escríbelo, y deféndelo!
Translate each sentence below. Then, indicate the tense you used and state the rule you used to decide whether the
verb(s) should be in the preterite or imperfect tense.
Modelo: It was 9 o’clock
Eran las nueve.
Regla: time
1.) She went home.
Regla:
2.) Marisa arrived at three o’clock.
Regla:
3.) We used to play soccer a lot.
Regla:
4.) He was 25 years old.
Regla:
5.) I saw an accident this morning.
Regla:
6.) We didn’t go to the beach yesterday.
Regla:
7.) We went to the beach every summer.
Regla:
8.) They were studying when Carlos called.
Reglas:
MÁS PRÁCTICA: ¿Pretérito o imperfecto?
Choose whether each of the following statements would require using the preterit or imperfect tense in Spanish by
circling “P” for preterit and “I” for imperfect:
1.)_______ I ran five miles yesterday.
2.) _______ It was four o’clock.
3.) _______ He was reading the newspaper.
4.) _______ She studied for two hours last night.
5.) _______ We went to Canada every year in the summer.
6.) _______ I used to ride my bike all day long.
7.) _______ Wow! Was she angry! (she still might be angry)
8.) _______You arrived at the hotel in the afternoon.
9.) _______The cat jumped out of the window.
10.) _______He was wearing a black leather jacket.
11.) _______ We lost the match.
12.) _______ We were so sad. (we might still be sad)
13.) _______ They vacationed in Hawaii last year.
14.) _______They always used to vacation in Florida.
15.) _______They never arrived last night.
16.) _______ Did you have to work last Saturday?
17.) _______ The dog ran after the mailman.
PARTE 2: EL PRETÉRITO
Here are all the preterite forms or regular –ar, -er, and –ir verbs:
comprar = to buy (-ar endings: é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron)
(Yo) compré
(Tú) compraste
(Él/Ella/Ud.) compró
(Nosotros) compramos
(Ellos/Ellas/Uds.) compraron
comer = to eat (-er endings: í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron)
(Yo) comí
(Tú) comiste
(Él/Ella/Ud.) comió
Nosotros) comimos
(Ellos/Ellas/Uds.) comieron
vivir = to live (-ir endings: í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron)
(Yo) viví
(Tú) viviste
(Él/Ella/Ud.) vivió (Ellos/Ellas/Uds.) vivieron
(Nosotros) vivimos
(Ellos/Ellas/Uds.) vivieron
Ø
–ar and –er verbs that have a stem change in the present tense do not have a stem change in the preterite.
encontrar – to find (ie):
Encuentro dinero en la calle.
Ayer, encontré dinero en la calle.
volver – to return (ue):
Ø
Siempre vuelvo a casa a las cinco de la tarde.
Ayer, volví a las seis de la tarde.
In the preterite, verbs whose infinitive ends in –gar or –car have a spelling change in the yo form. All of their
other preterite forms are regular.
pagar à yo pagué
llegar à yo llegué
jugar à yo jugué
sacar à yo saqué
buscar à yo busqué
tocar à yo toqué
Ø
Of course, there are always some exceptions to the rule. In the preterite, there are some verbs that undergo a
stem-change and also have some irregularities in their endings. Some of these verbs are:
estar, hacer, poder, poner, querer, tener, venir, decir
Fortunately, these verbs do share some similarities so they will not be that difficult to create and use in your
everyday Spanish.
All of these verbs have a unique stem change in the preterite tense:
estar à estuv
poner à pus
venir à vin
hacer àhic
querer à quis
decir à dij
poder àpud
tener à tuv
andar à anduv
This stem-change applies to all persons in the preterite tense. These verbs have a set of endings different
from “regular” verbs:
Yo à -e
Tú à -iste
Él/Ella/Ud. à -o
Nosotros à -imos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds. à -ieron
Ø
EJEMPLO: Estuve en clase.
EJEMPLO: Tuve un accidente en el carro.
Finally, three last verbs you should know in the preterite tense are:
IR
SER
Yo
fui
fui
Tú
fuiste
fuiste
Él/Ella Ud.
fue
fue
Nosotros
fuimos
fuimos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.
fueron
fueron
DAR
di
diste
dio
dimos
dieron
PARTE 3: EL IMPERFECTO
El imperfecto de los verbos que terminan en “-ar”
Verb Endings:
hablar – to talk
Yo -aba
Tú -abas
Él/Ella/Ud. -aba
Nosotros -ábamos
Ellos/Ellas/ Uds. -aban
(Yo) hablaba
(Tú) hablabas
(Él/Ella) hablaba
(Nosotros) hablábamos
(Ellos/Ellas) hablaban
El imperfecto de los verbos que terminan en “-er” e “-ir”
Verb Endings:
tener – to have
vivir – to live
Yo -ía
Tú -ías
Él/Ella/Ud. -ía
Nosotros -íamos
Ellos/Ellas/ -ían
tenía
tenías
tenía
teníamos
tenían
vivía
vivías
vivía
vivíamos
vivían
El imperfecto de ser, ir, y ver:
Yo
Tú
Él/Ella/Ud.
Nosotros
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.
SER – to be
IR– to go
VER – to see
era
eras
era
éramos
eran
iba
ibas
iba
íbamos
iban
veía
veías
veía
veíamos
veían