The Preterite and Imperfect

Question 1

When is the preterite tense used?

Answer 1

Used generally for completed actions (with definite beginning and end points)

Question 2

I went to the dance last night

Answer 2

Fui al baile anoche

Question 3

I walked to the market, bought some bananas, and returned home

Answer 3

Caminé al mercado, compré unos plátanos, y regresé a casa

Question 4

He called you three times

Answer 4

Te llamó tres veces

Question 5

I spoke with my mother from two o’clock until three o’clock

Answer 5

Hablé con mi madre de las dos hasta las tres

Question 6

Which tense does anteayer trigger?

Answer 6

The day before yesterday

Triggers preterite

Question 7

Which tense does en ese momento trigger?

Answer 7

At that moment

Triggers preterite

Question 8

Which tense does desde el primer momento trigger?

Answer 8

From the first moment

Triggers preterite

Question 9

When is the imperfect used?

Answer 9

• actions in the past without a definite end
• actions that were repeated habitually
• time and dates
• a person’s age in the past
• characteristics
• mental or physical states

Question 10

When I was a child, I used to play with dolls.

Answer 10

Cuando era niña, jugaba con las muñecas

Question 11

The boys were speaking in Spanish

Answer 11

Los chicos hablaban en español

Question 12

I was sleeping when the telephone rang

Answer 12

Estaba durmiendo cuando el teléfono sonó

Question 13

Cuando tenía tres años, era muy pequeño

Answer 13

When he was three years old, he was very small

Question 14

What are the regular preterite endings for -ar verbs?

Answer 14

• é
• aste
• ó
• amos
• asteis
• aron

Question 15

What are the regular preterite endings for -er / -ir verbs?

Answer 15

• í
• iste
• ió
• imos
• isteis
• ieron

Question 16

Conjugate hablar in the preterite

Answer 16

• hablé
• hablaste
• habló
• hablamos
• hablasteis
• hablaron

Question 17

Conjugate escribir in the preterite

Answer 17

• escribí
• escribiste
• escribió
• escribimos
• escribisteis
• escribieron

Question 18

Conjugate comer in the preterite

Answer 18

• comí
• comiste
• comió
• comimos
• comisteis
• comieron

Question 19

The nosotros endings for regular verbs are the same in the present and preterite. How can you figure out if a nosotros form refers to the past or the present?

Answer 19

Context clues

e.g. siempre (always) and ayer (yesterday)

Question 20

We always cook paella on Sundays

Answer 20

Siempre cocinamos paella los domingos

Question 21

Yesterday we cooked paella for my family

Answer 21

Ayer cocinamos paella para mi familia

Question 22

Conjugate ser in the preterite

Answer 22

• Fui
• Fuiste
• Fue
• Fuimos
• Fuisteis
• Fueron

Question 23

Conjugate ir in the preterite

Answer 23

• Fui
• Fuiste
• Fue
• Fuimos
• Fuisteis
• Fueron

Question 24

Conjugate dar in the preterite

Answer 24

• Di
• Diste
• Dio
• Dimos
• Disteis
• Dieron

Question 25

Conjugate ver in the preterite

Answer 25

- Vi - Viste - Vio - Vimos - Visteis - Vieron

Question 26

Which two verbs have the exact same forms in the preterite?

Answer 26

Ir and Ser

Question 27

I bought a new car

Answer 27

Compré un coche nuevo

Question 28

Ben and Cristina got married

Answer 28

Ben y Cristina se casaron

Question 29

Roberto was born in Costa Rica

Answer 29

Roberto nació en Costa Rica

Question 30

It began to snow

Answer 30

Empezó a nevar

Question 31

The film ended with a surprise

Answer 31

La película terminó con una sorpresa

Question 32

I got back last night at ten

Answer 32

Regresé anoche a las diez

Question 33

He lived in Peru for three months

Answer 33

Vivió en Perú por tres meses

Question 34

Leíste este libro el mes pasado

Answer 34

You read this book last month

Question 35

Nacho nació el tres de agosto

Answer 35

Nacho was born on the third of August

Question 36

What are the regular imperfect endings for -ar verbs?

Answer 36

- aba - abas - aba - ábamos - abais - aban

Question 37

What are the regular imperfect endings for -er / -ir verbs?

Answer 37

- ía - ías - ía - íamos - íais - ían

Question 38

What are the three verbs with irregular conjugations in the imperfect?

Answer 38

Ir Ser Ver

Question 39

Conjugate ir in the imperfect

Answer 39

- Iba - Ibas - Iba - Íbamos - Ibais - Iban

Question 40

Conjugate ser in the imperfect

Answer 40

- Era - Eras - Era - Éramos - Erais - Eran

Question 41

Conjugate ver in the imperfect

Answer 41

- Veía - Veías - Veía - Veíamos - Veíais - Veían

Question 42

We used to eat lunch together everyday

Answer 42

Almorzábamos cada día

Question 43

Every Saturday the ladies would go shopping

Answer 43

Todos los sábados las mujeres iban de compras

Question 44

I was going to class when the telephone rang

Answer 44

Iba a clase cuando sonó el teléfono

Question 45

My dad was cooking when I came in the house

Answer 45

Mi padre cocinaba cuando entré a casa

Question 46

Sometimes her hands and feet ached

Answer 46

A veces le dolían las manos y las piernas

Question 47

It was three o'clock in the afternoon

Answer 47

Eran las tres de la tarde

Question 48

It was 9th of May

Answer 48

Era el 9 de mayo

Question 49

The girl was four years old

Answer 49

La niña tenía cuatro años

Question 50

The dogs were two years old when I adopted them

Answer 50

Los perros tenían dos años cuando los adopté

Question 51

My professor was tall and had wavy hair

Answer 51

Mi profesor era alto y tenía el pelo ondulado

Question 52

The countryside was beautiful

Answer 52

El campo era bello

Question 53

It was hot that night

Answer 53

Hacía calor esa noche

Question 54

I was happy with my new job

Answer 54

Me sentía feliz con mi trabajo nuevo

Question 55

I wanted to move to another country

Answer 55

Quería mudarme a otro país