IMPERFECT TENSE REGULAR VERBS

WHAT IS THE IMPERFECT TENSE? Repeated action in the past Habitual action in the past

IMPERFECT TENSE IN ENGLISH Which is not Imperfect? I used to go to my grandma’s every Sunday. I went to the beach everyday last summer. I was sick for 3 months last year. I ran 5 miles yesterday.

KEY WORDS TO LOOK FOR Mientras: while a menudo: often con frecuencia: with frequency Frecuentemente: frequently muchas veces: many times por un rato: for a while todo el tiempo: all the time

KEY WORDS TO LOOK FOR siempre/nunca:always/never todos los: all Cada: every a veces: sometimes de vez en cuando: from time 2 time varias veces: various times tantas veces: so many times

-aba -abas -ábamos -aban -AR ENDINGS -aba -abas -ábamos -aban

estaba estabas estábamos estaban LET’S TRY ESTAR estaba estabas estábamos estaban

-ER/-IR ENDINGS -ía -ías -íamos -ían

comía comías comíamos comían LET’S TRY COMER comía comías comíamos comían

ANDAR (to roam) VIVIR (to live) VENDER (to sell) Comenzar (to begin) LET’S TRY…. ANDAR (to roam) VIVIR (to live) VENDER (to sell) Comenzar (to begin)

Practica! Yo (estudiar) todos los dias en la universidad. Nosotros (comer) pollo firto cada domingo. Ellos (vivir) en Argentina cuando eran joven. Tú (caminar) a veces. Usted siempre (limpiar) su cuarto por la mañana. ¿Cómo se dice “often”?

IMPERFECT TENSE IRREGULAR VERBS & STEM CHANGERS

IRREGULAR VERBS IN IMPERFECT Only have 3!!  SIV SER – IR – VER

SER era eras Éramos eran

IR iba ibas Íbamos iban

veía veías Veíamos veían VER veía veías Veíamos veían

STEM CHANGERS IN THE IMPERFECT TENSE. THERE ARE NONE!

Practica! Change the verbs from the present to the Imperfect Yo voy Tú eres Él va Nosotros somos Ellos ven

USES OF THE IMPERFECT TAKE TWO! …more tips!

The use of the imperfect The imperfect is always used to express age and time of day in the past: Yo tenía quince años cuando aprendí a manejar. I was fifteen years old when I learned to drive. Eran las diez cuando el tren llegó a la estación. It was ten o’clock when the train arrived at the station.

The use of the imperfect While the preterit tense is used to describe actions viewed as completed, the imperfect is used to . . . Express actions that happened habitually Express ongoing actions and states in the past, without reference to their beginning or ending Express mental, physical, and emotional states in the past- “I was sick, I was tired, I was sad” Describe scenarios and situations in the past (set the scene!)

The use of the imperfect Expressing the habitual (used to, would) One of the classic uses of the imperfect is to describe our childhood habits and activities: Cuando yo era niño, yo . . . When I was a child, I . . . . . . siempre estudiaba solo en mi cuarto. . . . always studied (used to study) alone in my room. . . . jugaba con mis amiguitos todos los días. . . . would play with my friends every day.

The use of the imperfect Expressing the ongoing (was . . . ing) The imperfect expresses something that was happening at a given time, without reference to its beginning or ending: Roberto estudiaba en su cuarto. Roberto was studying in his room. Elena lavaba los platos en la cocina. Elena was washing the dishes in the kitchen.

The use of the imperfect Expressing the ongoing (was . . . ing) Frequently the ongoing action is interrupted by another abrupt or completed action that is expressed, of course, in the preterit: Roberto estudiaba en su cuarto cuando el teléfono sonó. Roberto was studying in his room when the phone rang. Elena lavaba los platos en la cocina cuando alguien tocó a la puerta. Elena was washing the dishes in the kitchen when someone knocked at the door.

The use of the imperfect Expressing mental, physical and emotional states Alicia estaba contenta durante el concierto. Alicia was happy during the concert. Nos sentíamos mal después de comer allí. We felt sick after eating there. De niño yo siempre creía en Santa Claus. As a child I always believed in Santa Claus. Los estudiantes no querían estudiar aunque sabían que era necesario. The students didn’t want to study even though they knew that it was necessary.

OTHER USES OF THE IMPERFECT LAD – PEN – WHAT

USES OF THE IMPERFECT TENSE L LOCATION A AGE and APPEARANCE D DATE

P PHYSICAL CONDITION E EMOTIONS N NAMES

USES OF THE IMPERFECT TENSE W WEATHER H HABITUAL ACTIONS A ATTITUDES/DESIRES T TIME

Part 1: What usage of “LAD- PEN- WHAT” IS EACH SENTENCE? Yo siempre iba a la escuela a tiempo. Estaban en el hospital ayer. Nevaba durante las vacaciones de navidad. Mi profesora se llamaba Sra. Ruiz en el primer grado. Yo era flaca cuando era niña. Ella estaba cansada ayer.

Part II: Conjugate the form of ir ser or ver in the imperfect depending on the theme of the sentence. Yo ________a la escuela ayer. Ella _______alta cuando _____chica. Nosotros ________la televisión. ______las tres de la tarde. Ellos nunca __________al hospital. Nosotros ________estúpidas.