The document provides information on the differences between the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish. It lists regular and irregular conjugations of verbs in the preterite and imperfect, and provides examples of when each tense is used. The preterite is used to indicate specific, completed actions, while the imperfect denotes ongoing, habitual, or descriptive actions. It also notes how the meaning of some verbs changes depending on whether the preterite or imperfect is used.

1. Past Tense Preterite Imperfect Preterite vs Imperfect

2. Preterite conjugation Regular Verb Endings: ___-ar__ _ ____-er/-ir___ -é -amos -í -imos -aste -asteis -iste -isteis -ó -aron -ió -ieron

3. Preterite conjugation Irregular Yo Yo spelling changes: - car -qué -gar -gu é -zar -cé

4. Otros verbos –car acercarse (to come near, approach) buscar (to look for) arrancar (to pull out, start (engine) chocar (to crash) colocar (to place, put) complicar (to complicate) comunicar (to communicate) criticar (to criticize, critique) dedicar (to dedicate, devote) educar (to educate) embarcarse (to board, go on board) marcar (to dial, mark) equivocarse (to make a mistake) masticar (to chew) fabricar (to make, manufacture) pescar (to fish) justificar (to justify, give a reason for) platicar (to chat) practicar (to practice) secar (to dry) explicar (to explain) sacar (to take out, remove, receive [grades])

5. Otros verbos –gar agregar (to add) ahogarse (to drown) apagar (to turn off) cargar (to carry, load) castigar (to punish) despegar (to take off, peel off) pagar (to pay) pegar (to hit, glue) tragar (to swallow) llegar (to arrive) encargar (to put in charge, order [goods]) Stem changers colgar (ue) (to hang up) fregar (ie) to wash dishes, scrub) negar (ie) (to deny) regar (ie) (to water plants) jugar (ue) (to play a game, sports) rogar (ue) (to beg)

6. Otros verbos –zar almorzar (to eat lunch) abrazar (to hug) aterrizar (to land) cruzar (to cross) comenzar (ie) (to begin) empezar (ie) (to begin) especializarse en (to specialize in, major in) garantizar (to guarantee) gozar (to enjoy) lanzar (to throw) rezar (to pray) realizar (to carry out, attain, realize) tranquilizar (to calm down) tropezar (ie) (to trip, stumble) utilizar (to use, make use of)

7. Preterite Irregular C onjugation -uve group andar- to walk anduve, anduviste, anduvo, anduvimos, anduvisteis, anduvieron tener- to have tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron estar- to be estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron

8. Preterite Irregular C onjugation I group hacer- to do, to make hice, hiciste, hizo , hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron venir- to come vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, vinieron querer- to want quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron

9. Preterite Irregular C onjugation J group traer- to bring traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron decir- to have dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron traducir- to translate (all -ucir verbs like conducir to drive) traduje, tradujiste, tradujo, tradujimos, tradujisteis, tradujeron

10. Preterite Irregular C onjugation supe, pu-, pu- group saber- to know supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron poner- to put puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, pusisteis, pusieron poder- to be able pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron

11. Preterite Irregular C onjugation Other Verbs caber- to fit cupe, cupiste, cupo, cupimos, cupisteis, cupieron satisfacer- satisfice, satisficiste, satisfizo , satisficimos, satisficisteis, satisficieron

12. Preterite Irregular C onjugation Ser- to be and ir- to go. (You know which verb it is by using context of the sentence) fui fuimos fuiste fuisteis fue fueron

13. Dar and Ver dar- to give ver- to see di dimos vi vimos diste disteis viste visteis dio dieron vio vieron

14. Preterite Stem Changers Stem changes occur in –ir verbs only. Stem changes occur in él /ella/Ud . and ellos/ellas/Uds only. Stem changes are: e i o u

15. Preterite Stem Changers sentir (ei, i) (to feel) advertir (ei, i) (to warn) convertir (ei, i) (to convert) convertirse (ei, i) (to become) divertir (ei, i) (to amuse) mentir (ei, i) (to lie) divertirse (ei, i) (to amuse oneself) preferir (ei, i) (to prefer) sentir (ei, i) (to feel, be sorry) sentirse (ei, i) (to feel) dormir (ue, u) (to sleep) morir (ue, u) (to die) dormirse (ue, u) (to fall asleep)

16. Preterite Stem Changers servir (i, i) (to serve) medir (i, i) (to measure) repetir (i, i) (to repeat) seguir (i, i) (to continue) despedir (i, i) (to fire someone) vestir (i, i) (to dress) pedir (i, i) (to ask for, request) re ír (i, i) (to smile) conseguir (i, i) (to get, obtain) sonreír (i, i) (to laugh) vestirse (i, i) (to dress oneself) freír (i, i) (to fry) despedirse de (i, i) (to say good-bye to)

17. Preterite conjugation i to y change (not –uir) Verbs that end in –er or –ir whose stem ends in a vowel, change i to y in the 3 rd person forms, él /ella/Ud . and ellos/ellas/Uds only. leer le í le ímos le íste le istéis le yó le yeron caerse (to fall down), creer (to believe), oír (to hear), poseer (to posess)

18. Preterite conjugation -uir verbs (not –guir verbs) Verbs ending in –uir also change i to y. (Note: there are no accents on t ú, nosotros, y vosotros) concluir- (to conclude) conclu í conclu imos conclu iste conclu isteis conclu yó conclu yeron

19. Preterite conjugation Other –uir Verbs atribuir (to attribute) construir (to build) contribuir (to contribute) distribuir (to distribute) huir (to flee) incluir (to include)

20. Translation The English Translation for the preterite is: Yo hablé- I spoke

21. Preterite Trigger Words: ayer anteayer una vez luego entonces de repente cuando anoche hace # años que ... la semana pasada el mes/año pasado

22. Preterite Uses: Specific Action Happened Once Specific Point in Time Sequential Actions Narration (AKA telling a story) Interrupting Action Beginning or End of an action in past

23. Imperfect Regular Verb Endings: __-ar__ - er/-ir_ _ -aba -ábamos -ía -íamos -abas -abais -ías -íais -aba -aban -ía -ían

24. Imperfect 3 irregular verbs: __ir__ __ser__ __ ver__ iba íbamos era éramos veía veíamos ibas ibais eras erais veías veíais iba iban era eran veía veían

25. Imperfect Translation The English Translation for the imperfect is: I used to speak Yo hablaba- I was speaking I would speak I spoke

26. Imperfect Trigger Words: algunas veces generalmente muchas veces todos los días a menudo siempre frecuentemente a veces mientras de vez en cuando cada (día, año, etc.) los lunes/los martes

27. Imperfect Uses: Repeated Action Continuous Action Habitual Actions (aka “Used to”) Descriptions/ Physical Appearance/ Emotional State Background Info Day/Date/Weather/Age 2 Actions Occurring at the Same Time An ongoing action interrupted by another action (2nd action is preterite)

28. Comparing Usage Preterite Specific Action Happened Once Specific Point in Time Sequential Actions Narration (AKA telling a story) Interrupting Action Beginning or End of an action in past Imperfect Repeated Action Continuous Action Habitual Actions (aka “Used to”) Descriptions/ Physical Appearance/ Emotional State Background Info Day/Date/Weather/Age 2 Actions Occurring at the Same Time An ongoing action interrupted by another action (2nd action is preterite)

29. Preterite vs Imperfect: verbs that change meaning Verb Preterite Imperfect Conocer Conocí- I met Conocía- I knew (to know a person or place) saber Supe- I found out Sabía- I knew (to know a fact or how to do something) pensar Pensé- It dawned on me Pensaba- I thought (to think) I realized poder Pude- I managed Podía- I could (to be able, can) I was able

30. Preterite vs Imperfect: verbs that change meaning Verb Preterite Imperfect no poder No pude- I couldn´t (failed to) No podía- I couldn´t (to not be able) (a specific effort and (No reference to specific failure implied) effort or failure) querer Quise- I tried Quería- I wanted (to want) no querer No quise- I refused No quería- I didn´t (to not want) want to tener Tuve- I got Tenía- I had (to have)

31. Preterite vs Imperfect: verbs that change meaning Verb Preterite Imperfect tener que Tuve que...- I had to... Tenía que...- I was (to have to...) supposed to... costar Costó- It cost Costaba- It cost (to cost) (and I bought it (implies that I didn´t buy it)