The Preterite Tense

What are the uses of the Preterite Tense? 1) To talk about specific actions, completed at a specific time in the past. 1) To talk about specific actions, completed at a specific time in the past. Example: Ayer yo fui al centro comercial. Example: Ayer yo fui al centro comercial. Yesterday I went to the mall. Yesterday I went to the mall.

What are the uses of the Preterite Tense? 2) To talk about successive completed events. 2) To talk about successive completed events. Example: Esta mañana yo me desperté a las cinco, me levanté a las cinco y diez, me duché, me vestí, me cepillé los dientes y salí para la escuela. Example: Esta mañana yo me desperté a las cinco, me levanté a las cinco y diez, me duché, me vestí, me cepillé los dientes y salí para la escuela. This morning I woke up, got up, showerd, got dressed…etc. This morning I woke up, got up, showerd, got dressed…etc.

Expressions Used to Help Identify the Preterite Tense ayer – yesterday ayer – yesterday anteayer- the day before yest anteayer- the day before yest anoche – last night anoche – last night la semana pasada – last week la semana pasada – last week el año pasado- last year el año pasado- last year el fin de semana pasado – last el fin de semana pasado – last weekend weekend

Expressions Used to Help Identify the Imperfect Tense el verano pasado – last summer el verano pasado – last summer una vez – one time una vez – one time un día – one day un día – one day de repente – suddenly de repente – suddenly de pronto - suddenly de pronto - suddenly finalmente – finally finalmente – finally

Uses of the Preterite Tense 3) To talk about actions that interrupt other activities. 3) To talk about actions that interrupt other activities. Example: Mientras yo miraba la tele, mi amigo llegó. Example: Mientras yo miraba la tele, mi amigo llegó. While I was watching TV, my friend arrived. While I was watching TV, my friend arrived.

Uses of the Preterite Tense 4) The beginning and end of certain states or situations. 4) The beginning and end of certain states or situations. Example: La clase empezó a las siete. Example: La clase empezó a las siete. The class began at seven. The class began at seven. Example: Después de la cena, ella se durmió. Example: Después de la cena, ella se durmió. After dinner she fell asleep. After dinner she fell asleep.

How do I conjugate in the Preterite Tense? You drop the ENDING and add a given set of endings to the STEM. You drop the ENDING and add a given set of endings to the STEM. Are there stem changes? Are there stem changes? Yes! In the sandal of “-ir” verbs only. Yes! In the sandal of “-ir” verbs only. (e  i, o  u) (e  i, o  u)

How do I conjugate in the Preterite Tense? Are there spelling changes? Are there spelling changes? Yes! In the “yo” form of “-ar” verbs (-gar, -car, -zar)… Yes! In the “yo” form of “-ar” verbs (-gar, -car, -zar)… c  qu g  guz  c …and in the sandal of “-er/-ir” verbs whose stem ends in a vowel. …and in the sandal of “-er/-ir” verbs whose stem ends in a vowel. (i  y) (i  y) Are there irregulars? Are there irregulars?  Yes! There are lots of irregulars including “special” stems which have “special” endings. GUSTAR: Two forms-gustó / gustaronGUSTAR: Two forms-gustó / gustaron

Uses of the Preterite Tense haber – hubo haber – hubo there was/there were there was/there were This implies that an event “took place, ocurred” This implies that an event “took place, ocurred” Example: Hubo un accidente. Example: Hubo un accidente. There was an accident. There was an accident.

Imperfect Tense Endings “-AR” VERBS -ó -aste -é -amos -asteis -aron

comprar – to buy compré compraron comprasteis compramos compraste compró

“-ar verbs” Verbs that end in “-gar, -car, -zar” have a spelling change before the -é ending of the “yo” form. Verbs that end in “-gar, -car, -zar” have a spelling change before the -é ending of the “yo” form. c  qu g  gu z  c c  qu g  gu z  c There are no stem changes in ”-ar” verbs of the preterite tense. There are no stem changes in ”-ar” verbs of the preterite tense.

buscar – to look for busqué buscaron buscasteis buscamos buscaste buscó

pagar – to pay pagué pagaron pagasteis pagamos pagaste pagó

empezar – to begin empecé empezaron empezasteis empezamos empezaste empezó

jugar – to play jugué jugaron jugasteis jugamos jugaste jugó

Imperfect Tense Endings “-ER/-IR” VERBS -ió -iste -í -imos -isteis -ieron

comer – to eat comí comieron comisteis comimos comiste comió

vivir – to live viví vivieron vivisteis vivimos viviste vivió

ir - to go fui fueron fuisteis fuimos fuiste fue

ser - to be fui fueron fuisteis fuimos fuiste fue

ver – to see -vio -viste -vi -vimos -visteis -vieron

dar – to give -dio -diste -di -dimos -disteis -dieron

“-aer, -eer, -uir verbs” Verbs that end in “-aer, -eer, -uir” have a spelling change in the sandal of i  y. Verbs that end in “-aer, -eer, -uir” have a spelling change in the sandal of i  y. ió  yó ieron  yeron ió  yó ieron  yeron “-aer” & “-eer” verbs have accents on every “I” outside of the sandal. “-aer” & “-eer” verbs have accents on every “I” outside of the sandal. “-uir” verbs have the same accents as usual (weak vowels) “-uir” verbs have the same accents as usual (weak vowels)

-aer, -eer verbs (add accents to these) (add accents to these) caerse – to fall caerse – to fall leer – to read leer – to read creer – to think, believe creer – to think, believe oír – to hear oír – to hear

oír – to hear (notice accents) -oyó -oíste -oí -oímos -oísteis -oyeron

leer – to read (notice accents) -leyó -leíste -leí -leímos -leísteis -leyeron

caerse – to fall (notice accents) - se cayó -te caíste -me caí -nos caímos -os caísteis -se cayeron

-uir verbs (regular accents) (regular accents) construir – to build, construct construir – to build, construct destruir – to destroy destruir – to destroy influir – to influence influir – to influence concluir – to conclude concluir – to conclude

influir – to influence (normal accents) -influyó - influiste -influí -influimos -influisteis -influyeron

pedir – to ask for (e  i) -pidió -pediste -pedí -pedimos -pedisteis -pidieron

preferir – to prefer (e  i) prefirió preferiste preferí preferimos preferisteis prefirieron

dormir – to sleep (o  u) durmió dormiste dormí dormimos dormisteis durmieron

reír to laugh (e  i) accent and spelling issues! rió reíste reí reímos reísteis rieron

Verbs with “Special Stems” There are a set of verbs that have an irregular stem. There are a set of verbs that have an irregular stem. This stem is used throughout the entire verb chart. This stem is used throughout the entire verb chart. They also use a different set of endings. They also use a different set of endings. They don’t have any accents! They don’t have any accents!

Endings for Verbs with “Special Stems” -o -iste -e -imos -isteis -ieron

Verbs with “Special Stems” hacer  hic- hacer  hic- hiz- in the él/ella form hiz- in the él/ella form querer  quis- querer  quis- venir  vin – venir  vin –

Verbs with “Special Stems” decir  dij- decir  dij- conducir  conduj- conducir  conduj- producir  produj- producir  produj- traducir  traduj- traducir  traduj- traer  traj- traer  traj- In all of these verbs the “i” is dropped from “-ieron” In all of these verbs the “i” is dropped from “-ieron” (dijeron, condujeron, trajeron etc.) (dijeron, condujeron, trajeron etc.)

Verbs with “Special Stems” andar  anduv- andar  anduv- tener  tuv- tener  tuv- estar  estuv- estar  estuv- poder  pud- poder  pud- poner  pus- poner  pus- saber  sup- saber  sup-

querer – to want quise quisieron quisisteis quisimos quisiste quiso

saber – to know supe supieron supisteis supimos supiste supo

conducir – to drive conduje condujeron condujisteis condujimos condujiste condujo

andar – to walk anduve anduvieron anduvisteis anduvimos anduviste anduvo