El%20imperfecto%20The%20imperfect%20tense

1
El imperfectoThe imperfect tense

• There is more than one past tense in Spanish.
• The preterite tense is for completed, simple
  actions in the past (I ate).
• The imperfect tense is for continuous actions in
  the past (I was eating).

2
Meanings

• A) Was/were..ing (While I was/we were working in
  the factory)
• B) Used to ( Every day I used to )
• C) Would- when would means used to (Every morning
  I would visit my grandpa)

3
Disguised

• I worked/I visited seems like the simple past
• Apply this test If A/B/C from the previous slide
  can be inserted then use the imperfect tense.
• While I worked in the factory really means
  while I was working in the factory
• Every day I visited my grandpa - really means
  every day I used to visit my grandpa

4
Examples of the Imperfect

• 1. Description or state
• Llevaba un vestido azul.
• I was wearing a blue dress.
• 2. Repetition or habit
• Todos los días me levantaba a las 7.
• I used to get up at 7 every day.

5

• 3. Interrupted action
• We were eating when they arrived
• While he was acting he fell down
• While we were waiting he spoke

6

• 4. Simultaneous, incomplete actions
• While I was speaking he was reading a book.
• Durante que hablaba, leía

7
Formation - Regular

• Knock ar/er/ir off the infinitive.
• Add the imperfect ending
• ar verbs
• aba, abas, aba, ábamos, abais, aban
• er/ir verbs
• ía, ías,ía, íamos, íais, ían

8
ar verbs.

• hablar
• habl
• hablaba hablábamos
• hablabas hablabais
• hablaba hablaban

9
er/ir verbs.

• comer
• com
• comía comíamos
• comías comíais
• comía comían

10
There are only 3 Irregulars!

• ser ir ver
• era iba veía
• eras ibas veías
• era iba veía
• éramos íbamos veíamos
• erais ibais veíais
• eran iban veían

11
Es el preterito o el imperfecto? Agrupa las
frases en dos columnas.
I jumped
She left
You used to listen
We were talking
He went
She was singing
They used to study
I watched TV.
12
Escribe las frases en inglés

• 1. Tenía un estilo masculino - llevaba
  pantalones militares y botas.
• 2. Le encantaba ir al teatro.
• 3. Jennifer Aniston estaba casada con Brad Pitt,
  sin embargo ahora es soltera.
• 4. Mientras era embarazada con su primer hijo,
  comía helado con vinagre.

13
Un poco de práctica

1. Copy the English sentences.
2. Underline the preterite verbs in one colour and
   the imperfect verbs in another colour.
3. Translate the sentences into Spanish.

a. I was talking when she arrived. b. They were
listening to music and singing. c. I went to the
bank last week. d. While she was watching TV she
was eating a sandwich. e. She used to be a
singer, but now she is an actor.