El imperfectothe past in progress…

FORMING the imperfect

tense

The imperfect tense is formed as follows:

hablar comer vivir yo habl com viv

tú habl com viv

él habl com viv

nosotros habl com viv

ellos habl com viv

aba

abasaba

ábamosaban

ía

ías

ía

íamos

ían

ía

ías

ía

íamos

ían

There are only 3 irregulars in the imperfect:

IR => SER =>

VER =>

iba era

veía

Just add “s” for tú form, “mos” for nosotros, “n” for ellos/Uds.

Don’t forget to add the accent on the nosotros forms (íbamos, éramos)

USING the imperfect

tense

Los usos del imperfecto

• Setting the scene

• Habitual actions

• Telling time• Telling your

age• Physical/

mental state• What

things/people were like

Hacía calor y Elena estaba tomando el sol en la playa. Era un día perfecto.

It was hot and Elena was sunbathing on the beach.

It was a perfect day.

Los usos del imperfecto

• Setting the scene

• Habitual actions

• Telling time• Telling your

age• Physical/

mental state• What

things/people were like

Mi hermano y yo siempre jugábamos.

Montábamos a nuestro papá como si fuera un caballo. My brother and I always used to play.

We would ride our dad as if he were a horse.

Los usos del imperfecto

• Setting the scene

• Habitual actions

• Telling time• Telling your

age• Physical/

mental state• What

things/people were like

Eran las tres de la tarde.

Era la una de la mañana.

Era de noche.It was 3:00 in the afternoon.

It was 1:00 AM.

It was night time.

Los usos del imperfecto

• Setting the scene

• Habitual actions

• Telling time• Telling your

age• Physical/

mental state• What

things/people were like

En 1977, tenía cinco años.

In 1977, I was five years old.

Los usos del imperfecto

• Setting the scene

• Habitual actions

• Telling time• Telling your

age• Physical/

mental state• What

things/people were like

Ella estaba muy contenta conmigo.

Yo tenía mucho miedo.

Me gustaba la escuela. She was very happy with me.

I was very afraid.

I used to like/liked school.

Los usos del imperfecto

• Setting the scene

• Habitual actions

• Telling time• Telling your

age• Physical/

mental state• What

things/people were like

Mi hermanita Jamie era rubia.

Ella estaba herida.

Ella no llevaba una camisa.Mi little sister Jamie was

blonde.

She was wounded.

She wasn’t wearing a shirt.

One way to determine if a verb is actually the imperfect is to try substituting one of the following:

was/were ...ingused to ...would (meaning used to) ...

I was studying when…Yo estudiaba cuando…You used to know everything.Sabías todo.I would always eat poptarts.Yo siempre comía las tartas tostadas.

Preterite v. Imperfect

the Beginning or enD of past action

the miDDle of past action

Preterite for the beginning of past action:

I turned on the ignition and left for Lincoln.

Yo encendí el coche y salí para Lincoln.

Imperfect for the middle of past action:

I was driving my car.

Yo conducía mi coche.

Preterite for the end of past action:

I hit the brakes and stopped the car.

Yo puse el freno y paré el coche.

Preterite for interrupting an action in progress (imperfect):

Some girls who were studying ran outside.

Unas chicas que estudiaban corrieron

afuera.

¡EL FIN!