Breaking down the verb

-ar verb conjugations in the PRETERITE

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

I drew I answeredI passedI talkedI danced

dibujécontestépaséhablébailé

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -é, then it means “I … [verb]-ed”

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

you drew you answeredyou passedyou talkedyou danced

dibujastecontestastepasastehablastebailaste

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -aste, then it means “you … [verb]-ed”

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

Usted dibujóUsted contestóUsted pasóUsted hablóUsted bailó

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with –ó and is accompanied by usted, then it means “you… [verb]-ed” formally

you drew (formal)you answered (formal)you passed (formal)you talked (formal)you practiced (formal)

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

he/she drew he/she answeredhe/she passedhe/she talkedhe/she danced

dibujócontestópasóhablóbailó

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -ó, then it means “he/she/it … [verb]-ed”

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

we drew we answeredwe passedwe talkedwe danced

dibujamoscontestamospasamoshablamosbailamos

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -amos, then it means “we … [verb]-ed”

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

you all drew you all answeredyou all passedyou all talkedyou all danced

dibujasteiscontestasteispasasteishablasteisbailasteis

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -asteis, then it means “you all … [verb]-ed”, but it’s only used in SPAIN.

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

you all drewyou all answeredyou all passedyou all talkedyou all danced

Ustedes dibujaronUstedes contestaronUstedes pasaronUstedes hablaronUstedes bailaron

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -aron and is accompanied by ustedes, then it means “you all [verb]-ed”

¿Cómo se dice en inglés?

they drew they answeredthey passedthey talkedthey danced

dibujaroncontestaronpasaron hablaronbailaron

What do they all end with?- we can say that if a verb ends with -aron, then it means “they … [verb]-ed”

Pretérito de -ar verbs

-é -amos

-aste -asteis*

Ud. -ó Uds. -aron

-ó -aron

bailar: bailé, bailaste, bailó, bailamos, bailasteis*,bailaron

Two Aspects of Past Tense

Preterite• Occurred once or for a

limited time, with a beginning and an end

• Occurred at specific time or day

Imperfect• Happened often or ongoing• “used to”, “would”• Expressing age, weather,

physical or emotional characteristics

Quick check!get the stress right!

I talkedYou played

He sangShe walked

We lifted weightsYou all scuba dived

They finished the homework.

• Hablé• Jugaste• Él cantó• Ella caminó• Levantamos pesas• Ustedes bucearon• Ellos terminaron la tarea.

No stem-changes with -ar verbs!