9 Past Tenses Explanations Flashcards
COMPARE: PRETERITE TENSE The preterite tense generally is used to describe an event that happened at a specific point in time and was completed;.
I was there; I broke my arm
WITH: IMPERFECT TENSE: Preterito Imperfecto
Verbarrator: Imperfect
The imperfect is used in telling of events that happened continually, habitually or over an indefinite period of time.
I USED TO be there
“fui a tu casa a las ocho” I went to your house - (at a specific time).
“iba a tu casa” I “USED TO” go to your house — or I would go to your house (referring to past) — or I (USUALLY ) went to your house (regularly)
Mike’s “used to” or “was” tense
PRETERITE TENSE:
“la conocí” I met her (single event)
PRETERITO IMPERFECTO:
“la conocia” I knew her (over a period of time).
PRETERITE:
Past action that happened a fixed point in time, a specific number of times ? or during an enclosed amount of time.
FUI,—- ESTUBE, — HABLÉ, — COMÍ
PRETERITO IMPERFECTO:
TEACH ME 123: Imperfect
COLLINS: Imperfect
Non specific or continuous past action that took place repeatedly OR over an extended period of time. “used to” “ was + ing” “would always”
ERA, ESTABA, – HABLABA, COMÍA
Definition: The verb tense that expresses action taking place at a definite time in the past. The preterite is the tense that would normally be thought of as the simple past tense in English.
Also known as: simple past tense, PRETERITO INDEFINIDO or pretérito perfecto simple in Spanish
TEACH ME 123: Preterite
COLLINS: Preterite
PRETERITO INDEFINIDO se usa para relatar acciones ocurridas en un pasado concreto, no relacionada con el
FUI, ESTUVE, HABLÉ, COMÍ
The tense that expresses action in the past that has not been completed, that occurred habitually or frequently or that took place over an indefinite period of time.
Usamos el Préterito Imperfecto para describir las circumstancias que rodean a un (acontecimiento= an event) pasado RODEAR—(to surround)
TEACH ME 123: Imperfect
COLLINS: Imperfect
WAS TENSE
ERA, —- ESTABA, — HABLABA — COMÍA — HACÍA
Use of verb —to be obligated DEBER in Preterite: expresses the idea that something should have happened.
Mike should have left = Mike debió salir.
Strong likelihood that something has happened. Mike must have left
DEBER in the Imperfect: expresses the idea that something should occur.
Mike should leave = Mike debía salir
Use of verb
PODER
PODER in Preterite Usually means “managed to” or “was able to”
Pudo salvar el gato = He was able to save the cat.
PODER in the Imperfect Often used to mean “could”
Muchas veces no podía salir = He frequently couldn’t leave.
PRÉTERITO PERFECTO: Present Perfect in most grammars
COLLINS calls it: the Perfect tense
TEACH ME 123: Present Perfect
Mike calls it the “HAVE” Tense
Despite its name, the Present Perfect tense in Spanish (and English as well) is used to refer to events that happened in the past.
THE HAVE TENSE
“HAVE TENSE”
TEACH ME 123: Present Perfect
In Spanish, the PRESENT PERFECT OR “HAVE” tense is formed by the present tense of HABER ::: Followed by the past participle:
Followed by the past participle:
HE SIDO,
HE ESTADO –
HE HABLADO
HE COMIDO
“HAVE TENSE”
Verbarrator says “Implies completed action in a recent scope of time, including the present but not time specific - like the Preterite.
He, Has ,Ha, Hemos, Habeis, Han
+ Past Participle “–ado”, “–ido”
El preterito perfecto se forma con el presente del auxilar verbo HABER y el participio pasado
He hablado
He comido
He vivido
Usamos el preterito perfecto para referirnos a acciones o a acontecimientos occuridos (EVENTS) en un momento pasado no definido. No se dice cuándo ha occurido la acción porque no interesa o no se sabe . Se acompaña con marcadores como
YA/TODAVÍA NO;
NUNCA;
ALGUNA VEZ;
UNA VEZ;
DOS VECES;
MUCHAS VECES.
Past Perfect or Pluperfect
Collins uses both
Verbarrator uses Preterit Perfect
Mike calls it the “HAD” Tense
Habia Comido
Habia Hablado
Verbarrator says: Describes action or event that happened before another past action, always a stated or implied cutoff in the past. A verb tense to indicate that an action was completed at some specified or implied time in the past. (About.com)
HABÍA SIDO,
HABÍA ESTADO
HABÍA HABLADO,
HABÍA COMIDO
El pluscuamperfecto se forma con el Imperfecto del auxilar verbo HABER y el participio pasado
Usamos este tiempo para marcar que una acción pasada es anterior a otra acción ya mencionada.
When we arrived at the theatre the play/function had begun
Cuando llegamos al teatro ya HABÍA EMPEZADO la función.
