TOP SECRET An introduction to: The IMPERFECT tense

The Imperfect Tense The I II Imperfect tense describes what something or somebody WAS like in the PAST. It is often best used to set the scene say what time it was; or Talking about what you USED to do or be like e.g. It was raining when I arrived It was midnight when I arrived The hotel was quite big and modern I used to play football every Saturday morning NOTE: It does not describe one specific action in the past e.g. Comí un helado (what tense is this?)

MFL ©KH 2009 In English:I was playing / I used to play Like the Preterite Tense, the Imperfect is formed by adding endings onto the stem. AR Verbs hablar ER and IR Verbs tener vivir dej tem viv hablaba hablabas hablaba hablaban hablabais hablábamos tenía vivía tenías vivías tenía vivía teníamos vivíamos teníais vivíais tenían vivían

MFL ©KH 2009 One of the good things about the Imperfect Tense is that it only has 3 irregular verbs ! Ser (to be) Ir (to go) Ver (to see) era eras era éramos erais eran iba ibas iba íbamos ibais iban veía veías veía veíamos veíais veían Irregular stem and endings Uses –AR endings Stem has an extra e

MFL ©KH 2009 Practice…… jugar (to play) ser (to be) tener (to have) ganar (to win) hablar (to speak) 1. I was playing 2. You (pl) were 3. He was wining 4. We were speaking 5. He was having jugaba erais ganaba hablábamos tenía 6. She used to play 7. It was 8. I used to have 9. We used to win 10. You (sg) used to speak jugaba era tenía ganábamos hablabas

Salir Ir Saber tener hacer Poder Persona Verbo Yo Tú Él/ Ella Nosotros Ellos/ ellas Vosotros

Estudiar Ver Practicar venir Ser leer Persona Verbo Yo Tú Él/ Ella Nosotros Ellos/ ellas Vosotros

Prueba del impefecto: 1.I used to play 2.We were dancing 3.I used to sing 4.He was leaving 5.I was/ used to be 6.She was/ used to be 7.They were/ used t be 8.We used to go 9.We were going 10.I used to watch 11.You used to wear 12.I used to have 13.We used to speak 14.They used to come 15.I used to do 1.Jugaba 2.Bailábamos 3.Cantaba 4.Salía 5.Era 6.Era 7.Eran 8.Íbamos 9.Íbamos 10.Veía 11.llevabas 12.Tenía 13.Hablábamos 14.venían 15.hacía

TOP SECRET Understanding when to use the Preterite and the Imperfect tenses together To be able to use time frames that indictae when to use either the imperfect and/or the preterite