Preterite Tense of ar Verbs The preterite tense

Preterite Tense of –ar Verbs

The preterite tense (or simple past) of –ar verbs uses a different set of endings than the present tense of –ar verbs. Study the preterite endings below: yo -é tú -aste Ud. /él/ella -ó nosotros -amos Uds. /ellos/ellas -aron

Note the accent marks on the “yo” and the “Ud. /él/ella” forms. It is important that you remember these accent marks, because the verb will change meaning if you forget them. Observe: Habló español. He spoke Spanish. Hablo español. I speak Spanish. Note that failure to include the accent mark changes both the subject of the sentence and the tense. So yes, ladies and gentlemen – accents ARE important!

Let’s do some examples. What is the correct preterite form of the given verb in these sentences? The answer will appear after 10 seconds. Ellos hablaron Tú en la clase. (hablar) cantaste muy bien. (cantar) Yo terminé la tarea temprano. (terminar) Nosotros caminamos al parque. (caminar)

Let’s do some practice. Complete these sentences with the correct form of the given verb. Tú _______ a San Diego. (viajar) That’s right… it’s viajaste! Eva _____ mucho ayer. (estudiar) That’s right… it’s estudió!

Here’s some more practice. Nosotros no _______ a la fiesta. (bailar) That’s right… it’s bailamos! Uds. ____ muy mal. (cantar) That’s right… it’s cantaron!