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 Preterite Tense hace + time expression hace + time expression “ago” “ago” Yo viajé a España hace 2 años. Yo viajé a España hace 2 años. I traveled to Spain two years ago. I traveled to Spain two years ago.

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? It’s easy! You follow the same rules as the present tense. It’s easy! You follow the same rules as the present tense. Take the infinitive: hablar Take the infinitive: hablar Drop the ending Drop the ending You are left with the stem You are left with the stem Add the preterite endings to the stem and you are done! Add the preterite endings to the stem and you are done!

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

Conjugating in the Preterite Tense Same rules for reflexives: Same rules for reflexives: l evantarse l evantarse Remove the “se” Remove the “se” Drop the ending Drop the ending Add the endings to the stem Add the endings to the stem Me levanté / te levantaste Me levanté / te levantaste

Conjugating in the Preterite Tense Same rules for “gustar” Same rules for “gustar” The verb “gustar” is used the same way it is used in the present tense. The verb “gustar” is used the same way it is used in the present tense. You use the third person singular and plural forms. You use the third person singular and plural forms. gustó / gustaron gustó / gustaron

Conjugating in the Preterite Tense Me gustó la película ayer. Me gustó la película ayer. ¿Te gustaron los pantalones? ¿Te gustaron los pantalones?

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.

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

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

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

ir - to go fui fueron fuisteis fuimos fuiste fue

ser - to be fui fueron fuisteis fuimos fuiste fue

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

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

caer – to fall (notice accents) -cayó -caíste -caí -caímos -caísteis -cayeron

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- trear  traj- trear  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