Caer Urfa South Shields U3A
Spanish
Handout 41– The imperfect tense and revision of grammar
Another tense used to describe the past – the imperfect tense. The imperfect tense describes:
- an action or state in the past without definite limits in time
- a habitual action or actions in the past (often expressed in English by means of “used to” or “would”
For example
This morning, I did (preterite) my homework
This morning, when I was eating (imperfect), I remembered (preterite)that I had to do my homework
When I was young (imperfect), I broke (preterite)my leg
When I lived (imperfect) in London, I would go (imperfect) to the theatre every month
I discovered (preterite)Coffee Break Spanish a year ago and I am learning (present) lots
Conjugation of imperfect tense
-ar verbs
cantar – to sing
cantabaI was singing/ I used to sing/ I would sing
cantabasyou were singing/ you used to sing/ you would sing
cantabahe/she/it/you(formal) was/were singing/ he/she/it/you(formal) used to sing/ he/she/it/you(formal) would sing
cantábamoswe were singing/ we used to sing/ we would sing
cantabaisyou were singing/ you used to sing/ you would sing
cantabanThey/you(formal) were singing/ They/you(formal) used to sing/ They/you(formal) would sing
bailar – to dance
bailabaI was dancing/ I used to dance/ I would dance
bailabasyou were dancing/ you used to dance/ you would dance
bailabahe/she/it/you(formal) was/were dancing/ he/she/it/you(formal) used to dance/ he/she/it/you(formal) would dance
bailábamoswe were dancing/ we used to dance/ we would dance
bailabaisyou were dancing/ you used to dance/ you would dance
bailabanThey/you(formal) were dancing/ They/you(formal) used to dance/ They/you(formal) would dance
hablar – to speak
hablabaI was speaking/ I used to speak/ I would speak
hablabasyou were speaking/ you used to speak/ you would speak
hablabahe/she/it/you(formal) was/were speaking/ he/she/it/you(formal) used to speak/ he/she/it/you(formal) would speak
hablábamoswe were speaking/ we used to speak/ we would speak
hablabaisyou were speaking/ you used to speak/ you would speak
hablabanThey/you(formal) were speaking/ They/you(formal) used to speak/ They/you(formal) would dance
-er and –ir verbs
vender – to sell
vendíaI was selling/ I used to sell/ I would sell
vendíasyou were selling/ you used to sell/ you would sell
vendíahe/she/it/you(formal) was/were selling/ he/she/it/you(formal) used to sell/ he/she/it/you(formal) would sell
vendíamoswe were selling/ we used to sell/ we would sell
vendíaisyou were selling/ you used to sell/ you would sell
vendíanThey/you(formal) were selling/ They/you(formal) used to sell/ They/you(formal)would sell
comer – to eat
comíaI was eating/ I used to eat/ I would eat
comíasyou were eating/ you used to eat/ you would eat
comíahe/she/it/you(formal) was/were eating/ he/she/it/you(formal) used to eat/ he/she/it/you(formal) would eat
comíamoswe were eating/ we used to eat/ we would eat
comíaisyou were eating/ you used to eat/ you would eat
comíanThey/you(formal) were eating/ They/you(formal) used to eat/ They/you(formal)would eat
vivir – to live
vivíaI was living/ I used to live/ I would live
vivíasyou were living/ you used to live/ you would live
vivíahe/she/it/you(formal) was/were living/ he/she/it/you(formal) used to live/ he/she/it/you(formal) would live
vivíamoswe were living/ we used to live/ we would live
vivíaisyou were living/ you used to live/ you would live
vivíanThey/you(formal) were living/ They/you(formal) used to live/ They/you(formal)would live
There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense:
ir – to goto be – serto see - ver
ibaeraveía
ibaserasveías
ibaeraveía
ibamoseramosveíamos
ibaiseraisveíais
ibaneranveían
Grammar exercises
I am going to learn Spanish
We are going to travel to Mexico
They are going to read a book
You are going to dance all night long
To eat
To drink
To sell
I am selling the house
We are eating paella every day
Are you opening the windows?
They write a letter to their mother
I spoke
You danced
He sang a song
He sold the house
They ate a sandwich
We opened the window
Conjugate the preterite tense of hacer
Conjugate the preterite tense of ir
We went to Burgos in 1983
They went to Vera Cruz in 1976
I was born in 1841
They died in 2003
I was dancing
We were dancing with our friends when Jorge arrived. He said to us “Hello” but he wasn’t very happy so (asique) he left