2. Preterite
• The preterite is the one-
time past action tense. It
has a longer list of what it
is NOT than it does for
what it actually is.
3. Preterite
• It is not time in the past...“it was 10
o’clock”
• It is not age in the past...“I was
twelve.”
• It is not weather...“it was a stormy
night”
• It is not habitual action...“every
summer I went...”
4. Preterite
• It is not on going action...“I was
sleeping.”
• It is not emotional...“I was angry”
• It is not... well, you get the point.
• IT IS... I went swimming. You ate
guacamole. We passed our exam.
5. Preterite
• To form the preterite you drop the ending
and add...
é amos
aste asteis
ó aron
í imos
iste isteis
ió ieron
AR verbs ER/IR verbs
6. Preterite
• Irregulars to know for now...
• Car-Gar-Zar (yo form changes)
• Sacar = Saqué
• Jugar = Jugué
• Empezar = Empecé
7. Important Words
• Ayer - yesterday
• Anoche - last night
• Anteayer - the day before yesterday
• La semana pasada - last week
• El fin de semana pasada - last weekend
