THE IMPERFECT TENSE.

Presentación del tema: "THE IMPERFECT TENSE."— Transcripción de la presentación:

1 THE IMPERFECT TENSE

2 The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to
describe things that used to happen places,objects and people (in the past) give background description that is secondary to the main action.

3 It is formed by taking the stem of the infinitive and adding
the endings as follows: -AR verbs e.g. hablar Yo hablaba Nosotros hablábamos Tú hablabas Vosotros hablabais Él/ella/usted hablaba Ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaban

4 -ER verbs E.g. comer Yo comía Nosotros comíamos Tú comías
Vosotros comíais Él/ella/usted comía Ellos/ellas/ustedes comían

5 -IR verbs E.g. vivir Nosotros vivíamos Yo vivía Vosotros vivíais
Tú vivías Él/ella/usted vivía Ellos/ellas/ustedes vivían

6 Guess the good news?

7 There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect!

8 IR IBA IBAS ÍBAMOS IBAIS IBAN SER ERA ERAS ÉRAMOS ERAIS ERAN

9 VER VEÍA VEÍAS VEÍAMOS VEÍAIS VEÍAN

10 The imperfect The preterite The imperfect sets the scene in the past and the preterite ‘crashes’into it, with a single action.

11 Things that used to happen
Cuando era joven me gustaba ir al parque todos los días. When I was young I used to like going to the park every day.

12 La chica era alta, tenía el pelo largo y llevaba gafas.
Places, objects and people (in the past) La chica era alta, tenía el pelo largo y llevaba gafas. The girl was tall, had long hair and wore glasses.

13 Background description that is secondary to the
main action (in the past) Eran las doce de la noche. Hacía viento y llovía. El asesino entró en la casa con una pistola. It was midnight. It was windy and it was raining. The murderer entered the house with a pistol.

14 Special uses for the imperfect:
Ser, when it’s time telling: Era la una. Eran las ocho y media. • Those other uses of those special verbs: SABER, to know a fact/information Yo sabía la respuesta. (I knew the answer). PODER, to be able Ella podía viajar en Europa. (She was able to travel in Europe).

15 Special uses for the imperfect:
• …other uses of those special verbs: CONOCER, to be familiar with a person, place Ustedes conocían a Carmen. (You all knew Carmen). TENER, especially tener expressions Ellas tenían frío en Alaska. (They were cold in Alaska).

16 Special uses for the imperfect:
• …other uses of those special verbs: QUERER, to wish, to want, to love Yo quería a Antonio Banderas. (I used to love Antonio Banderas).