El Pretérito

los apuntes de claselos apuntes de clase

In Spanish, there are two past tenses – the In Spanish, there are two past tenses – the PRETERITEPRETERITE and the and the IMPERFECTIMPERFECT..

The The PRETERITEPRETERITE tense is used to show tense is used to show completed past actioncompleted past action..

The The IMPERFECTIMPERFECT tense is used to show tense is used to show habitual or descriptive past actionhabitual or descriptive past action..

I. AR VERBS

A. The endings for REGULAR –AR verbs are:A. The endings for REGULAR –AR verbs are:

nosotros (as) nosotros (as) amosamos

yo yo éé

ellos, ellas, Uds. ellos, ellas, Uds. aronaronél, ella, Ud. él, ella, Ud. óó

vosotros (as) vosotros (as) asteisasteistú tú asteaste

Conjugate the verb BAILARin the preterite tense

ellos, ellas, Uds.ellos, ellas, Uds.

bailbailaronaronél, ella, Ud.él, ella, Ud.

bailbailóó

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

bailbailasteisasteistútú

bailbailasteaste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

bailbailamosamosyoyo

bailbailéé

Translations of the preterite tense Bailé con María anoche.Bailé con María anoche.

I danced with Maria last night.I danced with Maria last night.

OROR I did dance with Maria last night.I did dance with Maria last night.

B. Spelling changes in –AR verbs

• CertainCertain –AR verbs will have a –AR verbs will have a SPELLING changeSPELLING change

in the in the YOYO form form ONLYONLY. . • The rest of the conjugation follows the pattern for the The rest of the conjugation follows the pattern for the

preterite tense. preterite tense.

• The following -AR verbs will change in The following -AR verbs will change in YOYO.. -CAR (buscar, sacar,….)-CAR (buscar, sacar,….) -GAR-GAR (llegar, jugar,…) (llegar, jugar,…) -ZAR (empezar, almorzar, …) -ZAR (empezar, almorzar, …)

-CAR verbs change to –qué.Conjugate the verb BUSCAR.

ellos, ellas, Uds.ellos, ellas, Uds.

buscbuscaronaronél, ella, Ud.él, ella, Ud.

buscbuscóó

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

buscbuscasteisasteistútú

buscbuscasteaste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

buscbuscamosamosyoyo

busbusquéqué

-GAR verbs change to –gué.Conjugate the verb JUGAR.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

jugjugaronaronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

jugjugóó

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

jugjugasteisasteistútú

jugjugasteaste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

jugjugamosamosyoyo

jugjuguuéé

ZAR verbs change to –cé.Conjugate the verb EMPEZAR.

ellos, ellas, Uds.ellos, ellas, Uds.

empezempezaronaronél, ella, Ud.él, ella, Ud.

empezempezóó

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

empezempezasteisasteistútú

empezempezasteaste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

empezempezamosamosyoyo

empeempecécé

C. Stem changes in –AR verbs

There are There are NONO stem changes for –AR verbs stem changes for –AR verbs in the preterite tense.in the preterite tense.

II. -ER & -IR VERBS

A. The endings for REGULAR –ER & -IR verbs are:A. The endings for REGULAR –ER & -IR verbs are:

nosotros (as) nosotros (as) imosimos

yo yo íí

ellos, ellas, Uds. ellos, ellas, Uds.

ieronieronél, ella, Ud. él, ella, Ud. ióió

vosotros (as) vosotros (as) isteisisteistú tú isteiste

Conjugate the verb COMER.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

comcomieronieronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

comcomióió

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

comcomisteisisteistútú

comcomisteiste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

comcomimosimosyoyo

comcomíí

Conjugate the verb SALIR.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

salsalieronieronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

salsalióió

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

salsalisteisisteistútú

salsalisteiste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

salsalimosimosyoyo

salsalíí

B. Spelling changes in –ER & -IR verbs

• CertainCertain –ER & -IR verbs will have a –ER & -IR verbs will have a SPELLING changeSPELLING change

in the in the 33rdrd person singular & plural person singular & plural forms forms ONLYONLY. . The spelling change is I to Y The spelling change is I to Y (generally when the I is (generally when the I is between two vowels)between two vowels)

• The rest of the conjugation follows the pattern for the The rest of the conjugation follows the pattern for the preterite tense. preterite tense.

• The following -ER & -IR verbs will change:The following -ER & -IR verbs will change:• leer, creer, caer, oír.leer, creer, caer, oír.

Conjugate the verb LEER.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

leleyyeroneronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

leleyyóó

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

leleísteisísteistútú

leleísteíste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

leleímosímosyoyo

leleíí

Conjugate the verb oír.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

ooyyeroneronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

ooyyóó

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

ooísteisísteistútú

ooísteíste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

ooímosímosyoyo

ooíí

Note the additional accent marks placed on Note the additional accent marks placed on the the tú, nosotros, tú, nosotros, andand vosotros vosotros forms over forms over the vowel the vowel II. The accent mark is needed in . The accent mark is needed in order to divide the diphthong. order to divide the diphthong.

C. Stem changes in –ER & -IR verbs

There are There are NONO stem changes in –ER verbs but, stem changes in –ER verbs but,certain -IR verbs certain -IR verbs DODO have stem changes if the have stem changes if theverb stem changes in the present indicative.verb stem changes in the present indicative.

The stem change The stem change ONLYONLY occurs in the 3 occurs in the 3rdrd person singular and person singular and plural forms.plural forms.

The stem changes are:The stem changes are:EE to to IIOO to to UU

Conjugate the verb PEDIR.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

ppiiddieronieronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

ppiiddióió

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

pedpedisteisisteistútú

pedpedisteiste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

pedpedimosimosyoyo

pedpedíí

Conjugate the verb DORMIR.

ellos,ellas,Uds.ellos,ellas,Uds.

dduurmrmieronieronél,ella,Ud.él,ella,Ud.

dduurmrmióió

vosotros (as)vosotros (as)

dormdormisteisisteistútú

dormdormisteiste

nosotros (as)nosotros (as)

dormdormimosimosyoyo

dormdormíí

The requirements to have a stem change in The requirements to have a stem change in the preterite tense are:the preterite tense are:

1. Must be an –IR infinitive.1. Must be an –IR infinitive. 2. Must have a stem change in the present 2. Must have a stem change in the present

indicative.indicative.