You have met two tenses that you

can use:

The PreteriteThe Imperfect

Preterite Tense

I played

I did play

In English:

The Imperfect

I was playing

I used to play

In English: I played / I did play

The Preterite Tense is formed by adding endings onto the stem.

AR Verbscomprar

IYou (sg)He / she / itWeYou (pl)They

compr compr compr compr compr compr

comprécomprastecomprócompramoscomprasteiscompraron

Practise………Practise………caminar(to walk)

dibujar(to draw)

hablar(to speak)

mirar(to watch)

trabajar(to work)

1. I walked

2. She watched

3. They worked

4. We drew

5. You (sg) spoke

caminé

miró

trabajaron

dibujamos

hablaste

6. He spoke

7. You (pl) walked

8. I worked

9. We watched

10.I drew

habló

caminasteis

trabajé

miramos

dibujé

ER and IR Verbs vender vivir

IYou (sg)He / she / itWeYou (pl)They

vend viv vend viv vend viv vend viv vend viv vend viv

vendí vivívendiste vivistevendió vivióvendimos vivimosvendisteis vivisteisvendieron vivieron

Practise………Practise………romper

(to break)

correr(to run)

comer(to eat)

elegir(to choose)

discutir(to discuss)

1. We ran

2. He ate

3. I chose

4. You (sg) broke

5. They discussed

corrimos

comió

elegí

rompiste

discutieron

6. You (pl) broke

7. She discussed

8. We ate

9. I ran

10. You (sg) chose

rompisteis

discutió

comimos

corrí

elegiste

Irregular preterites:Irregular preterites:andar

caber

dar

decir

estar

haber

hacer

ir

poderponerproducirquerersabersertenertraervenirver

to walk

to fit

to give

to say

to be

to have

to do/make

to go

to be ableto putto produceto wantto knowto beto haveto bringto cometo see

All of these verbs are

irregular in the Preterite Tense.

Irregular preterites:Irregular preterites:andar

caber

dar

decir

estar

haber

hacer

ir

poderponerproducirquerersabersertenertraervenirver

to walk

to fit

to give

to say

to be

to have

to do/make

to go

to be ableto putto produceto wantto knowto beto haveto bringto cometo see

In other words, they don’t

follow any of the patterns that we have already seen.

Irregular preterites:Irregular preterites:andar

caber

dar

decir

estar

haber

hacer

ir

poderponerproducirquerersabersertenertraervenirver

to walk

to fit

to give

to say

to be

to have

to do/make

to go

to be ableto putto produceto wantto knowto beto haveto bringto cometo see

Check textbook/notes for the verb forms.

In English: I was playing / I used to play

Like the Preterite Tense, the Imperfect is formed by adding endings onto the stem.

AR Verbsdejar

ER and IR Verbs temer vivir

dej dej dej dej dej dej

tem viv tem viv tem viv tem viv tem viv tem viv

dejabadejabasdejaba

dejabandejabaisdejábamos

temía vivíatemías vivíastemía vivíatemíamos vivíamostemíais vivíaistemían vivían

One of the good things about the Imperfect Tense is that it only has 3 irregular verbs !

Ser (to be)Ser (to be) Ir (to go)Ir (to go) Ver (to see)Ver (to see)eraerasera

éramoseraiseran

ibaibasiba

íbamosibaisiban

veíaveíasveía

veíamosveíaisveían

Irregularstem and endings

Uses –ARendings

Stem hasan extra e

Practice……Practice……ganar

(to win)

cocinar(to cook)

creer(to believe)

esconder(to hide)

decidir(to decide)

1. I was winning

2. You (pl) were hiding

3. He was cooking

4. We were deciding

5. You (sg) were believing

ganaba

escondíais

cocinaba

decidíamos

creías

6. She used to believe

7. They used to hide

8. I used to win

9. We used to cook

10. You (sg) used to decide

creía

escondían

ganaba

cocinábamos

decidías

So thereyou are…

A tour A tour of the of the

past tenses met past tenses met so farso far

Now have a go Now have a go at some exercisesat some exercises

to check your to check your understandingunderstanding

FINFIN