The Preterite Tense

The Preterite The Preterite TenseTense

USESUSES To talk about specific To talk about specific actions completed at a actions completed at a specific time in the past.specific time in the past.

Example: Ayer yo fui al Example: Ayer yo fui al cine. cine.

Yesterday I went to the Yesterday I went to the movies.movies.

To talk about successive To talk about successive completed events.completed events.

Example: Esta mañana yo me Example: Esta mañana yo me desperté a las cinco, me desperté a las cinco, me levanté a las cinco y diez, me levanté a las cinco y diez, me duché, me vestí, me cepillé duché, me vestí, me cepillé los dientes y salí para la los dientes y salí para la escuela.escuela.

This morning I woke up, got up, This morning I woke up, got up, showerd, got dressed…etc.showerd, got dressed…etc.

The beginning and end of certain states or situations.

Example: La clase empezó a las siete.

The class began at seven. Example: Después de la

cena, ella se durmió. After dinner she fell asleep.

Expressions Used to Help Identify Expressions Used to Help Identify the Preterite Tensethe Preterite Tense

ayer – ayer – yesterdayyesterday anteayer- anteayer- the day before the day before

yesterdayyesterday anoche – anoche – last nightlast night la semana pasada – la semana pasada – last weeklast week el año pasado- el año pasado- last yearlast year el fin de semana pasado – el fin de semana pasado – last last

weekendweekend

hace + time expression hace + time expression

“ “ago”ago”

Yo viajé a España Yo viajé a España hace 2 hace 2 años. años.

I traveled to Spain I traveled to Spain two two years ago.years ago.

How do I conjugate in the How do I conjugate in the Preterite Tense?Preterite Tense?

It’s easy! You follow the It’s easy! You follow the same rules as the present same rules as the present tense. tense.

Take the infinitive: Take the infinitive: hablarhablar Drop the endingDrop the ending You are left with the stemYou are left with the stem Add the preterite endings to Add the preterite endings to the stem and you are done!the stem and you are done!

Preterite Tense EndingsPreterite Tense Endings“-AR” VERBS“-AR” VERBS

-ó

-aste-é -amos

-asteis-aron

comprar – to buycomprar – to buy

compré

compraron

comprasteis

compramos

comprastecompró

““car,gar & car,gar & zar verbs"zar verbs" Verbs that end in “-gar, -Verbs that end in “-gar, -car, -zar” have a spelling car, -zar” have a spelling change before the change before the -é-é ending of the “yo” form. ending of the “yo” form.

c c qu qu g g gu gu z z c c There are There are no stem changesno stem changes in ”-ar” verbs of the in ”-ar” verbs of the preterite tense.preterite tense.

buscar – to look buscar – to look forfor

busqué

buscaron

buscasteis

buscamos

buscaste

buscó

pagar – to paypagar – to pay

pagué

pagaron

pagasteis

pagamos

pagaste

pagó

empezar – to empezar – to beginbegin

empecé

empezaron

empezasteis

empezamos

empezasteempezó

jugar – to playjugar – to play

jugué

jugaron

jugasteis

jugamos

jugastejugó

Conjugating refleConjugating reflexivesxives Same rules for reflexives:Same rules for reflexives: llevantarseevantarse Remove the “se”Remove the “se” Drop the endingDrop the ending Add the endings to the Add the endings to the stemstem

Me Me levantlevanté / te é / te levantlevantasteaste

Conjugating in the Preterite Conjugating in the Preterite TenseTense

Same rules for “gustar”Same rules for “gustar” The verb “gustar” is used The verb “gustar” is used the same way it is used in the same way it is used in the present tense. the present tense.

You use the third person You use the third person singular and plural forms. singular and plural forms.

gustó / gustarongustó / gustaron

Conjugating in the Preterite Conjugating in the Preterite TenseTense

Me gustó la Me gustó la película ayer.película ayer.

¿Te gustaron los ¿Te gustaron los libros que libros que comrpaste anoche?comrpaste anoche?