The Imperfect Tense: Regular Verbs Page 194 Realidades 2
Preterite You have already learned to talk about the past using the preterite tense for actions that began and ended at a definite time.
Preterite Ana cantó en la fiesta anoche. Ana sang at the party last night. (Completed past action.)
Imperfect The imperfect tense is another way to talk about the past. We use it to describe actions without any indication of their beginning or end.
Imperfect We use the imperfect to talk about actions that happened repeatedly in the past. In English we often say “used to” or “would” to express this idea.
Imperfect Generalmente caminaban mucho. Generally they would walk a lot.
Imperfect Expressions such as generalmente, a menudo, muchas veces, todos los días, siempre, and nunca can cue us to use the imperfect.
Regular Imperfect AR Endings -aba -abas -aba -ábamos -aban Juana ___________ mucho de niña. BAILAR Yo _______________ cada día. CANTAR Nosotros ___________ en la playa. JUGAR bailaba cantaba jugábamos
Regular Imperfect ER/IR Endings -ía -ías -ía -íamos -ían Elena ___________ mucho de niña. COMER Yo _______________ en Conroe. VIVIR Ellos siempre se ___________. PERDERSE comía vivía perdían
Irregular Imperfect SER – to be yo eranosotros éramos tú eras él eraellos eran IR – to go yo iba nosotros íbamos tú ibas él iba ellos iban VER – to see yo veíanosotros veíamos tú veías él veíaellos veían