S.C.A.P. V S T.R.O.D./H.O.T. W.A.D.D.

Pretérito vs Imperfecto

El pretérito

Single

Completed

Action in the

Past

Claves

una vezel/la ___ pasado/a (la semana pasada)ayeranocheanteayercuando (interrupting an action)

El imperfecto

Time, age, date & weather

Repeated (habitual) action

Ongoing action (no definite end)

Description – mental, physical or emotional

El imperfecto

Habitual

Ongoing

Time & age

Weather

Age

Date

Description – mental, physical or emotional

Claves

Todos/as los/las… (todos los días)Cada ____ (cada semana)Siempre/nuncaGeneralmente, normalmente, frecuentemente, por lo

generalDe vez en cuandoMuchas vecesA menudoMucho/pocoRara vezMientras (2 ongoing actions)

El pretérito

Regular endings

-ar verbs -er/-ir verbs

é amos í imosaste asteis iste

isteisó aron ió ieron

El pretérito

Car/gar/zar

only in “yo” form

-car -qué (tocar, empacar, …)

-gar -gué (pagar, llegar, entregar,…)

-zar -cé (almorzar, empezar,…)

El pretérito

Irregulares (5)*no accents used

Hacer (hic-*) = to do;make

Dar = to give

Ver = to see

Ir/ser = to go/to be

El pretérito

Irregular stems (16)“i” stems (3)

querer, hacer*, venir“u” stems (8)

poder, saber, caber, poner tener, estar, andar, haber*“j” stems (5)

decir, traducir, conducir, producir, traer drop “i” in ending of “ellos,ellas, Uds.” form

endings: e, iste, o, imos, isteis, ieron/jeronno accents used

El pretérito

iy verbsOnly changes in 3rd person formsVerbs that end in –eer, -aer, -uir and the verb

oírAccents in all forms but “ellos, ellas, Uds.”; -

uir verbs follow regular accent ruleleer, creer, caer(se), destruir, construir,

influir, etc.

El pretérito

Stem-changing –ir verbs(“boot” to “shoe”)Only in 3rd person formsOnly by one letter (ou; ei)dormir, morirmentir, preferir, pedir, repetir, competir, sonreír,

servir, seguir,…

El imperfecto

Regular

-ar verbs -er/-ir verbsaba ábamos ía íamosabas abais ías íaisaba aban ía ían

El imperfecto

Irregulares (3)Ser = to be Ir = to go

era éramos iba íbamoseras erais ibas ibaisera eran iba iban

Ver = to seeveía veíamosveías veíaisveía veían

¡Cuidado!

got; received Tener had; agemanaged to (+); failed (-) Poder was able to

Tried (+); refused (-) Querer wanted tofound out Saber knew (info.)

met someone (1st time) Conocer knew (someone)

Definite result / indefinite result