The Spanish preterite tense (el pretérito) is used to describe actions completed at a point in the past.
1) There are only two sets of endings for regular preterite verbs, one for -ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs.
To conjugate a regular verb in the preterite tense, simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the preterite ending that matches the subject.
Check out the table of regular preterite endings below.
Note : Please check the accents on the Yo and El, ella, usted forms. They play a major role.
Ex :
With a Accent:
1) Mandó una carta.
He/She sent a letter.
Same sentence without accent:
1) Mando una carta.
I send a letter.
________________________________________________
The first person plural (nosotros) endings for regular -ar and -ir verbs are the same for both the preterite and present tenses.
Context clues, such as adverbs like siempre (always) and ayer (yesterday), can help you figure out if a nosotros form refers to the past or the present.
Example :
Siempre cocinamos paella los domingos.
We always cook paella on Sundays.
Ayer cocinamos paella para mi familia.
Yesterday we cooked paella for my family.
_____________________________________________________________
Irregular Spanish Preterite Forms
Four of the most common verbs with irregular preterite forms are ser, ir, dar, and ver. For more on tricky preterite forms, check out our article here.
__________________________________
1) There are only two sets of endings for regular preterite verbs, one for -ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs.
To conjugate a regular verb in the preterite tense, simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the preterite ending that matches the subject.
Check out the table of regular preterite endings below.
| Subject | -ar Verbs | -er and -ir Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | -í |
| tú | -aste | -iste |
| él, ella, usted | -ó | -ió |
| nosotros | -amos | -imos |
| vosotros | -asteis | -isteis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | -aron | -ieron |
Note : Please check the accents on the Yo and El, ella, usted forms. They play a major role.
Ex :
With a Accent:
1) Mandó una carta.
He/She sent a letter.
Same sentence without accent:
1) Mando una carta.
I send a letter.
________________________________________________
The first person plural (nosotros) endings for regular -ar and -ir verbs are the same for both the preterite and present tenses.
Context clues, such as adverbs like siempre (always) and ayer (yesterday), can help you figure out if a nosotros form refers to the past or the present.
Example :
Siempre cocinamos paella los domingos.
We always cook paella on Sundays.
Ayer cocinamos paella para mi familia.
Yesterday we cooked paella for my family.
_____________________________________________________________
Irregular Spanish Preterite Forms
Four of the most common verbs with irregular preterite forms are ser, ir, dar, and ver. For more on tricky preterite forms, check out our article here.
Irregular Preterite Verb Conjugations
__________________________________
Uses of the Preterite
The preterite is used to talk about completed actions in the past.
More specifically, it is used to talk about beginnings and ends, things that took place on specific days or dates, at specific times or during specific time periods, and events in a sequence.
1. Completed Events
The preterite is used to talk about completed events, especially those with very clear beginnings and ends.
2. Beginnings and Ends
Beginnings and ends themselves are also talked about using the preterite. Key verbs you'll see used to talk about beginnings and ends in the past are empezar (to begin), comenzar (to begin), terminar (to finish), and acabar (to end).
3. Specific Times and Dates
The preterite is used to talk about past events or actions that occurred on specific days or dates, at specific times, and during specific time periods.
4. Events in a Sequence
The preterite is used for listing past events that took place in a sequence.
No comments:
Post a Comment