Questions and Answers
What are the six main reasons the Imperfect tense is used for in Spanish?
The Imperfect tense is used for continuous actions in the past, repeated/habitual actions in the past, descriptions, time, expressions about periods of time in the past, and when one action is interrupted by another action.
How is the Imperfect tense used to describe time in the past?
The Imperfect tense is used to describe time in the past by stating the time of day or year, e.g. 'Eran las diez' (It was ten o'clock).
What type of actions does the Imperfect tense describe in sentences like 'Nos levantábamos a las siete de la mañana cada día'?
The Imperfect tense describes repeated or habitual actions in the past.
How does the Imperfect tense help to set the scene for other actions in a sentence like 'Veía la tele cuando el teléfono sonó'?
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What type of information does the Imperfect tense provide in a sentence like 'Era alto'?
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Conjugue el verbo regular -ar 'hablar' en la forma de tú en el pretérito imperfecto.
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¿Cuál es la conjugación del verbo 'ser' en la forma de ellos/as en el pretérito imperfecto?
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Conjugue el verbo regular -er 'vender' en la forma de nosotros/as en el pretérito imperfecto.
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¿Cuál es la conjugación del verbo 'ir' en la forma de vosotros/as en el pretérito imperfecto?
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Conjugue el verbo regular -ir 'decir' en la forma de él/ella/ud. en el pretérito imperfecto.
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What is the conjugation of the regular -ar verb 'hablar' in the yo form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the verb 'ver' in the nosotros/as form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the regular -er verb 'vender' in the él/ella/ud. form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the verb 'ser' in the ellos/as form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the regular -ir verb 'decir' in the vosotros/as form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the regular -ar verb in the él/ella/ud. form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the regular -er verb in the yo form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the verb 'ser' in the yo form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the regular -ir verb in the ellos/as form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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What is the conjugation of the verb 'ir' in the nosotros/as form in the preterite imperfect tense?
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Study Notes
El Imperfecto (The Imperfect Tense)
- Used to describe the past in Spanish, especially for:
- Repeated actions in the past
- Background details
- What people used to do and what things used to be like
Uses of the Imperfect Tense
- Describes a continuous action in the past
- Example: Jugaba al fútbol ayer (I was playing football yesterday)
- Expresses repeated or habitual actions in the past
- Example: Nos levantábamos a las siete de la mañana cada día (We used to get up at seven in the morning every day)
- Provides descriptions in the past
- Example: Era alto (He was tall)
- Indicates time in the past
- Example: Eran las diez (It was ten o'clock)
- Expresses periods of time in the past using phrases like:
- Cuando era joven… (When I was young…)
- Describes one action interrupted by another action in the past
- Example: Veía la tele cuando el teléfono sonó (I was watching the TV when the phone rang)
Conjugating Regular Verbs
- Regular verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir follow specific conjugation patterns:
- -ar verbs: drop the -ar and add specific endings to form each conjugation (e.g., hablar -> hablo, hablas, habla, etc.)
- -er and -ir verbs: drop the -er or -ir and add specific endings to form each conjugation (e.g., comer -> como, comes, come, etc.)
Conjugation of Regular Verbs -ar
- Yo: aba (e.g., hablo -> aba)
- Nosotros/as: ábamos
- Tú: abas
- Vosotros/as: abais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: aba
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: aban
Conjugation of Regular Verbs -er & -ir
- Yo: ía
- Nosotros/as: íamos
- Tú: ías
- Vosotros/as: íais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: ía
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: ían
Conjugation of Irregular Verbs
- Ser (to be):
- Yo: era
- Nosotros/as: éramos
- Tú: eras
- Vosotros/as: erais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: era
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: eran
- Ir (to go):
- Yo: iba
- Nosotros/as: íbamos
- Tú: ibas
- Vosotros/as: ibais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: iba
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: iban
- Ver (to see):
- Yo: veía
- Nosotros/as: veíamos
- Tú: veías
- Vosotros/as: veíais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: veía
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: veían
Conjugating Regular Verbs
- Regular verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir follow specific conjugation patterns:
- -ar verbs: drop the -ar and add specific endings to form each conjugation (e.g., hablar -> hablo, hablas, habla, etc.)
- -er and -ir verbs: drop the -er or -ir and add specific endings to form each conjugation (e.g., comer -> como, comes, come, etc.)
Conjugation of Regular Verbs -ar
- Yo: aba (e.g., hablo -> aba)
- Nosotros/as: ábamos
- Tú: abas
- Vosotros/as: abais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: aba
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: aban
Conjugation of Regular Verbs -er & -ir
- Yo: ía
- Nosotros/as: íamos
- Tú: ías
- Vosotros/as: íais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: ía
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: ían
Conjugation of Irregular Verbs
- Ser (to be):
- Yo: era
- Nosotros/as: éramos
- Tú: eras
- Vosotros/as: erais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: era
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: eran
- Ir (to go):
- Yo: iba
- Nosotros/as: íbamos
- Tú: ibas
- Vosotros/as: ibais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: iba
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: iban
- Ver (to see):
- Yo: veía
- Nosotros/as: veíamos
- Tú: veías
- Vosotros/as: veíais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: veía
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: veían
Conjugating Regular Verbs
- Regular verbs ending in -ar, -er, and -ir follow specific conjugation patterns:
- -ar verbs: drop the -ar and add specific endings to form each conjugation (e.g., hablar -> hablo, hablas, habla, etc.)
- -er and -ir verbs: drop the -er or -ir and add specific endings to form each conjugation (e.g., comer -> como, comes, come, etc.)
Conjugation of Regular Verbs -ar
- Yo: aba (e.g., hablo -> aba)
- Nosotros/as: ábamos
- Tú: abas
- Vosotros/as: abais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: aba
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: aban
Conjugation of Regular Verbs -er & -ir
- Yo: ía
- Nosotros/as: íamos
- Tú: ías
- Vosotros/as: íais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: ía
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: ían
Conjugation of Irregular Verbs
- Ser (to be):
- Yo: era
- Nosotros/as: éramos
- Tú: eras
- Vosotros/as: erais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: era
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: eran
- Ir (to go):
- Yo: iba
- Nosotros/as: íbamos
- Tú: ibas
- Vosotros/as: ibais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: iba
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: iban
- Ver (to see):
- Yo: veía
- Nosotros/as: veíamos
- Tú: veías
- Vosotros/as: veíais
- Él/Ella/Ud.: veía
- Ellos/Ellas/Uds.: veían
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Description
Learn about the Spanish Imperfect tense, its uses and examples for describing repeated actions, background details and habitual actions in the past.
