6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs

El tiempo pasado

The past tense

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs

Acabar de + [infinitive] is used to say that something has just occurred. It is used for the very recent past.

Note that acabar is in the present tense in this construction.

Acabo de comprar una falda.I just bought a skirt.

Acabas de ir de compras.You just went shopping.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbsAcabar + de+ infinitive: Tell what the subjects “just

did” in the recent past:Yo (comer)Tú (estudiar)Ud. (escribir) Él (trabajar)Ella (llegar)Nosotros (volver)Vosotros (salir)Uds. (pagar)Ellos (ir)Ellas (llamar)

Acabo de comer.Acabas de estudiar.Acaba de escribir. Acaba de trabajar.Acaba de llegar.Acabamos de volver.Acabáis de salir.Acaban de pagar.Acaban de ir.Acaban de llamar.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbsANTE TODO In order to talk about events in the past that did not just

occur, Spanish uses two simple tenses: the preterite and the imperfect.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs The imperfect tense is used to express circumstances,

descriptions, and uncountable actions in the past:– to describe in the past

• The car was red.– to describe emotional or mental states in the past

• I was (feeling) angry.– to state on-going (progressive) actions in the past

• They were studying and I was playing.– to state uncountable, repeated actions in the past

• I used to go to the beach every summer.• We frequently visited our grandparents.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs In contrast, the preterite tense is used to express actions

or reactions completed in the past that can be counted, including one time implied and the summary of a series of completed actions.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs The preterite answers the questions: What happened or ocurred?

It rained. (Completed, countable action.)It was fun. (Summary statement)

What did the subject do?

I left the house. (1x implied)She saw the movie three times. (Action countable times)

How did the subject react?We got angry. (reaction)

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs How does the preterite tense translate into English?In questions:

¿Qué compraste tú? = What did you buy?¿Compraste tú una camisa? = Did you buy a shirt?

In statements:Yo compré una camisa. = I bought a shirt. I did buy a shirt.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs

Ayer llegué a Santiago de Cuba. Anoche oí un ruido extraño.Yesterday I arrived in Santiago de Cuba. Last night I heard a strange noise.

Words commonly used with the past tense and often with preterite (The ones with * absolutely indicate preterite.)

anoche last night

anteayer the day before yesterday

ayer yesterday

de repente suddenly *

desde… from…*

hasta… until…*

pasado/a (adj.) last; past

el año pasado last year

la semana pasada last week

una vez once; one time *

dos veces twice; two times *

ya already

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs

-ar verbs -er verbs -ir verbscomprar vender escribir

SINGULAR FORMS

yo compré vendí escribítú compraste vendiste escribisteUd. / él / ella compró vendió escribióPLURAL FORMS

nosotros/as compramos vendimos escribimos

vosotros/as comprasteis vendisteis escribisteisUds. / ellos / ellas compraron vendieron escribieron

Preterite of regular –ar, –er, and –ir verbs

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs

¡ATENCIÓN! The yo and Ud. / él / ella forms of all three

conjugations have written accents on the last syllable to show that it is stressed.

As the preceding chart shows, the endings for regular –er and –ir verbs are identical in the preterite.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs The –ar and –er verbs that have a stem change in the

present tense are regular in the preterite. They do not have a stem change. (no boot changes for –ar/-er preterite)

PRESENT PRETERITE

cerrar (e:ie) La tienda cierra a las seis. La tienda cerró a las seis.

volver (o:ue) Carlitos vuelve tarde. Carlitos volvió tarde.

jugar (u:ue) Él juega al fútbol. Él jugó al fútbol.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs Note that the nosotros/as forms of regular –ar and –ir

verbs in the preterite are identical to the present tense forms. Context will help you determine which tense is being used.

En invierno compramos la ropa en la tienda de la universidad.In the winter, we buy clothing at the university store.

Anoche compramos unos zapatos de tenis y unas sandalias.Last night we bought a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of sandals.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs Verbs that end in –car, –gar, and –zar have a spelling

change in the first person singular (yo form only) in the preterite.

buscar busc- qu- yo busquéllegar lleg- gu- yo lleguéempezar empez- c- yo empecé

Except for the yo form, all other forms of –car, –gar, and –zar verbs are regular in the preterite.

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs Three other verbs — creer, leer, and oír — have spelling

changes in the preterite.

The i of the verb endings of creer, leer, and oír carries an accent in the yo, tú, nosotros/as, and vosotros/as forms, and changes to y in the Ud. / él / ella and Uds. / ellos / ellas forms.

creer cre- creí, creíste, creyó, creímos, creísteis, creyeronleer le- leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leísteis, leyeronoír o- oí, oíste, oyó, oímos, oísteis, oyeron

Ver is regular in the preterite, but none of its forms has an accent.

ver vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs¡INTÉNTALO! Provide the appropriate preterite forms of the verbs.

celebrar

1. Elena _____. celebró

2. Yo _____. celebré

3. Los chicos _____. celebraron4. Emilio y yo _____. celebramos5. Tú _____. celebraste

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbscomer

1. Los niños _____. comieron2. Tú _____. comiste

3. Usted _____. comió

4. Nosotros _____. comimos5. Yo _____. comí

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbssalir

1. Tú y yo _____. salimos

2. Ella _____. salió

3. Pablo y Elena _____. salieron

4. Nosotros _____. salimos

5. Yo _____. salí

6.3 Preterite tense of regular verbs comenzar 1. Ustedes _____.

comenzaron 2. Nosotros _____.

comenzamos

3. Yo _____. comencé

4. Marcos _____. comenzó 5. Tú _____.

comenzaste