Learning Spanish Grammar Online and the Preterite Tense

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Learning Spanish Grammar Online and the Preterite Tense

Author: Patrick Jackson | Total views: 63 | Word Count: 1516 | Category: Writing | Date: Jun 6th 2007

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The Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is another topic that seems to confuse English speakers of Spanish. English speakers learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the preterite with the imperfect and vice versa. Both tenses describe actions that took place in the past. But I think English speakers just learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the two because in English in certain instances we sometimes use the same form of a verb to describe an action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, in the same instance, you cannot use both the preterite or the imperfect. Only one would be correct.

For example, in English , we can use the past tense of the verb to go (i.e. went) to describe two different actions that took place in the past.

1. I went to the shopping mall three times.

2. When I was young, I went to the shopping mall.

(Note: In English, for number 2 you could also say When I was young, I used to go to the shopping mall.)

Both sentences use the same verb went to describe the action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, you cannot use the same verb tense. In the first sentence, you must use the preterite of ir (fui), and the imperfect verb tense (iba) in the latter.

Yo fui al almacn tres veces.

Cuando yo era joven, yo iba al almacn.

We will cover the imperfect verb tense in greater detail in a future lesson. But for now, think of the imperfect as a verb tense used to describe how things used to be or to describe an action that was continuous or habitual in the past.

The preterite verb tense is generally used to tell what happened (1) during a fixed period of time (either stated or implied), (2) a specific number of times, (3) or during an enclosed period of time. Here are some examples.

(1) During a fixed period of time:

Ayer compr un martillo.

Yesterday, I bought a hammer.

(2) A specific number of times (either state or implied)

Él perdió mi destornillador dos veces.

He lost my screwdriver two times.

I went to the hardware store.

Yo fui a la ferretería.

(It is implied that you went to the hardware store one time).

(3) During an enclosed period of time.

You hammered the nail for an hour.

Tú martillaste el clavo por una hora.

The following are some regular verbs in the preterite tense.

AR Verbs (hablar)

Yo habl

Tú hablaste

Él/ella/usted habló

Nosotros/nosotras hablamos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaron

ER Verbs (beber)

Yo bebí

Tú bebiste

Él/ella/usted bebió

Nosotros/nosotras bebimos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes bebieron

IR Verbs Vivir

Yo viví

Tú viviste

Él/ella/usted vivió

Nosotros/nosotras vivimos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes vivieron

Here are some examples.

1. Last week you bought a saw.

La semana pasada, tú compraste una sierra.

2. Yesterday, the man needed a hammer.

Ayer, el hombre necesitó un martillo.

3. They used the rake nine times.

Ellos usaron el rastrillo nueve veces.

4. The brother-in-law put the leaves in the bag.

El cuñado metió las hojas en la bolsa.

5. This morning the women sewed the clothes.

Esta mañana las mujeres cosieron la ropa.

6. Last night, I covered the dessert.

Anoche yo cubrí el postre.

Now lets try some on your own. The answers follow.

1. The son-in law ate shrimp two times.

2. Today they decided to tell the truth.

3. Did you use the hoe in the yard today (Familiar)

4. The daughter-in-law turned on the oven a two oclock.

5. Last summer, the soldiers marched in the parade.

6. He suffered a lot in the war this year.

Answers:

1. El yerno comió camarones dos veces.

2. Hoy ellos decidieron a decir la verdad.

3. Usaste tu el azadon en el jardin hoy

4. La nuera encendió el horno a las dos.

5. El verano pasado los soldados marcharon en el desfile.

6. El sufrió mucho en la guerra este ano.

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The Preterite Tense 
 
The preterite tense is another topic that seems to confuse English speakers of Spanish. English speakers learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the preterite with the imperfect and vice versa. Both tenses describe actions that took place in the past. But I think English speakers just learning Spanish have a tendency to confuse the two because in English in certain instances we sometimes use the same form of a verb to describe an action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, in the same instance, you cannot use both the preterite or the imperfect. Only one would be correct. 
 
 
 
For example, in English , we can use the past tense of the verb to go (i.e. went) to describe two different actions that took place in the past. 
 
 
 
1. I went to the shopping mall three times. 
 
 
 
2. When I was young, I went to the shopping mall. 
 
(Note: In English, for number 2 you could also say When I was young, I used to go to the shopping mall.) 
 
 
 
Both sentences use the same verb went to describe the action that took place in the past. But in Spanish, you cannot use the same verb tense. In the first sentence, you must use the preterite of ir (fui), and the imperfect verb tense (iba) in the latter. 
 
 
 
Yo fui al almacn tres veces. 
 
 
 
Cuando yo era joven, yo iba al almacn. 
 
 
 
We will cover the imperfect verb tense in greater detail in a future lesson. But for now, think of the imperfect as a verb tense used to describe how things used to be or to describe an action that was continuous or habitual in the past. 
 
 
 
The preterite verb tense is generally used to tell what happened (1) during a fixed period of time (either stated or implied), (2) a specific number of times, (3) or during an enclosed period of time. Here are some examples. 
 
 
 
 
 
 (1) During a fixed period of time: 
 
 
 
Ayer compr un martillo. 
 
 Yesterday, I bought a hammer. 
 
 
 
 (2) A specific number of times (either state or implied) 
 
 
 
 Él perdió mi destornillador dos veces. 
 
 He lost my screwdriver two times. 
 
 
 
 I went to the hardware store. 
 
 Yo fui a la ferretería. 
 
 (It is implied that you went to the hardware store one time). 
 
 
 
(3) During an enclosed period of time. 
 
 
 
 You hammered the nail for an hour. 
 
 Tú martillaste el clavo por una hora. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following are some regular verbs in the preterite tense. 
 
 
 
AR Verbs (hablar) 
 
Yo habl 
 
Tú hablaste 
 
Él/ella/usted habló 
 
Nosotros/nosotras hablamos 
 
Ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaron 
 
 
 
ER Verbs (beber) 
 
Yo bebí 
 
Tú bebiste 
 
Él/ella/usted bebió 
 
Nosotros/nosotras bebimos 
 
Ellos/ellas/ustedes bebieron 
 
 
 
IR Verbs Vivir 
 
Yo viví 
 
Tú viviste 
 
Él/ella/usted vivió 
 
Nosotros/nosotras vivimos 
 
Ellos/ellas/ustedes vivieron 
 
 
 
Here are some examples. 
 
 
 
1. Last week you bought a saw. 
 
 La semana pasada, tú compraste una sierra. 
 
 
 
2. Yesterday, the man needed a hammer. 
 
 Ayer, el hombre necesitó un martillo. 
 
 
 
3. They used the rake nine times. 
 
 Ellos usaron el rastrillo nueve veces. 
 
 
 
4. The brother-in-law put the leaves in the bag. 
 
 El cuñado metió las hojas en la bolsa. 
 
 
 
5. This morning the women sewed the clothes. 
 
 Esta mañana las mujeres cosieron la ropa. 
 
 
 
6. Last night, I covered the dessert. 
 
 Anoche yo cubrí el postre. 
 
 
 
 
 
Now lets try some on your own. The answers follow. 
 
 
 
1. The son-in law ate shrimp two times. 
 
2. Today they decided to tell the truth. 
 
3. Did you use the hoe in the yard today (Familiar) 
 
4. The daughter-in-law turned on the oven a two oclock. 
 
5. Last summer, the soldiers marched in the parade. 
 
6. He suffered a lot in the war this year. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Answers: 
 
 
 
1. El yerno comió camarones dos veces. 
 
2. Hoy ellos decidieron a decir la verdad. 
 
3. Usaste tu el azadon en el jardin hoy 
 
4. La nuera encendió el horno a las dos. 
 
5. El verano pasado los soldados marcharon en el desfile. 
 
6. El sufrió mucho en la guerra este ano. Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesoft.com" target="_blank">ArticleSoft.com</a> About the Author: Patrick Jackson is the author of this article. He is a self-taught speaker of 
Spanish and the founder of the <A 
href="http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com/">Learning Spanish Like Crazy</A> 
method. Webmasters, feel free to republish this article.To immediately download 
two free lessons from Learning Spanish Like Crazy and to start speaking real 
Latin American Spanish, go to <A href="http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com/" 
target=_new>http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com</A>

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