IR SER VER You already know two tenses

IR SER VER

You already know two tenses that refer to the past, the preterite and the imperfect. How is each tense used? � • Use the preterite tense to describe an action or series of actions completed in the past. � Aquel día, Pedro fue a la playa y jugó al voleibol playero. = � That day, Pedro went to the beach and played beach volleyball. (both completed actions that day)

The imperfect tells about past actions without saying when they begin or end. The action isn’t “perfectly done, ” therefore it is imperfect. � Todo el mundo dormía = Everybody was sleeping / slept (continuously in the past). � Había � gente por todas partes = There were people everywhere.

� Nos enamoramos cuando éramos jóvenes. � (we fell in love [you see it happen once] � when � we were young [long period of time being young] )

� Mientras yo estudiaba, sonó el teléfono. � While I was studying, the phone rang. When I was little, I broke my favorite toy. Cuando era__ niña, _rompí___ mi juguete favorito.

**The Word “mientras” will be useful to remember as a trigger for the imperfect tense. While they danced, the servers brought cake. Mientras bailaban, los meseros trajeron pastel.

� • Use the imperfect tense for ongoing actions or states of being in the past without focusing on their beginning or end. Always use the imperfect to say what time it was or what the weather was like in the past. � Elena siempre iba a la playa cuando hacía buen tiempo. = � Elena always used to go to the beach when the weather was nice.

� • Sometimes you need the imperfect and the preterite in the same sentence. � Use the imperfect to tell what was going on in the background. � Use the preterite for the interrupting action or main event. � Yo nadaba cuando Pedro llegó a la playa. =I was swimming when Pedro arrived to the beach

� You learned to use the preterite tense to talk about actions completed in the past. The imperfect tense describes events that occurred in the past: � The imperfect is used: � To speak about background events in a story � To talk about something you used to do as a habit � To speak about how old someone was � To say what time it was

� http: //www. quia. com/pop/62615. html? AP_r and=602620746

� http: //www. colby. edu/~bknelson/SLC/super hombre. php

Words like yesterday, last week, last night etc. set up use of preterite! 1. La semana pasada yo ______________ a mis padres. (visitar) 2. A veces mi esposo y yo ________________ al cine. (ir) 3. Ayer Miguel no ____________ su tarea. (hacer)

4. Diego y Marta ______________ el quince de abril. (casarse) 5. El equipo de béisbol __________ en un partido anoche. (competir) 6. Yo _________________ a la escuela a las ocho. (llegar)

7. Mónica _____________ con su amiga todos los días. (almorzar) 8. Yo ________________ al parque con mi hijo el sábado. (ir) 9. Teresa y Esteban ____________ el tenis los lunes. (practicar)

10. ¿___________ tú un accidente de coche hace tres días? (tener) 11. ___________ ( hubo / había) una vez una clase de historia que no _______ bien. ( comportarse ) 12. ___________ las once de la mañana cuando empezó a nevar.

13. A las nueve, yo ______(despertarse) 14. Yo______ (llegar) a las nueve de la mañana. 15. ______ las cinco de la tarde cuando los niños _______(venir) a la casa.

� Conocer : MET! Conocí a Juan hace cinco años. I met Juan five years ago. (completed action) � En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad. At that time we knew the city very well. (no definite beginning or end) � Querer: TRIED! María quiso comprar la casa. Maria tried to buy the house. (completed action) � Juan quería comprar la casa. Juan wanted to buy the house. (no definite beginning or end) � No querer: REFUSED! María no quiso comprar la casa. Maria refused to buy the house. (completed action) � Juan no quería comprar la casa. Juan did not want to buy the house. (no definite beginning or end)

� Saber: FOUND OUT! María lo supo ayer. Maria found out yesterday. (completed action) � Juan sabía que María estudiaba. Juan knew that Maria was studying. (no definite beginning or end) � Poder: SUCCEEDED IN! María pudo levantar la mesa. Maria succeeded in lifting the table. (completed action) � No pudo = tried and failed � Juan podía participar en el concierto. Juan was able to participate in the concert. (no definite beginning or end) � Tener: RECEIVED! María tuvo una carta de su mamá. Maria received a letter from her mom. (completed action) � Juan tenía un coche nuevo. Juan used to have a new car. (no definite beginning or end)

1. When I was little, I didn’t like the stifling heat at the beach. _____________________________________________ 2. My great-grandmother used to cook delicious food for my dad. _____________________________________________ 3. The bride and groom (couple) sat on the sand watched the sunset. _____________________________________________

4. Your godparents bought you excellent gifts for your baptism! ____________________________________________________ 5. My grandparents had more than 5 great-grandchildren! ____________________________________________________ 6. When my great-grandmother was little, her family was poor, but they were happy. ____________________________________________________ 7. Last week all my relatives came to the party to celebrate my birthday. ____________________________________________________

8. The girl fell in love with a boy while she was on a cruise. ________________________________________________ 9. Every summer my family and I gathered berries at the lake house. ________________________________________________ 10. The children always used the life vest when they were in the water. ________________________________________________

11. The boys were playing beach volleyball when it started to rain! __________________________________________ 12. The sisters looked a lot alike! _____________________ 13. I returned from the beach, left my sandals by the door, and got into the shower! __________________________________________