8.2: The Imperfect
- Page ID
- 415665
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The Imperfect
The imperfect tense is used to describe repeated or habitual actions in the past.
In English we can use the helping verb did and an infinitive, or the past tense to form the imperfect. There are also other ways to translate a verb conjugated in the imperfect into English. For example
Yo saltaba.
1. I jumped.
2. I used to jump.
3. I did jump.
4. I would jump.
5. I was jumping.
6. I kept on jumping.
We can remember the saying Ed used to drink wacky, wild, kool-aid to remember these translations.
In Spanish there are two sets of endings to conjugate in the imperfect tense. The imperfect endings depend on the whether the verb ends in -AR or -ER/IR verb.
estudiar comer vivir
estudiaba estudiábamos comía comíamos vivía vivíamos
estudiabas estudiabais comías comíabais vivías vivíais
estudiaba estudiaban comía comíaban vivía vivían
Note how the -ER and -IR verbs share the same preterit endings and that each ending for -ER and -IR has a written accent mark.
Also, note that only the nosotros/nosotras ending for -ar verbs has a written accent mark.
Unlike the preterite, there are no spelling change or stem-changing verbs in the imperfect.
There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect. They are
ir ser ver
iba íbamos era éramos veía veíamos
ibas ibais eras erais veías veíais
iba iban era eran veía veían
Unlike the preterite, the verbs IR and SER have their own conjugated forms. Each only has a written accent mark in the nosotros form.
Note how each conjugated form of VER has a written accent mark.
With practice, using the imperfect tense will start to feel natural. In fact, some of the conjugated forms forms of the imperfect are fun to say. So, let's practice!
Prácticas.
A. Conjugate the following verbs in the imperfect tense.
cantar trabajar comprender escribir
B. Conjugate each of the verbs in the imperfect in the indicated form.
1. bailar (la profesora)
2. comer (yo)
3. cantar (tú)
4. beber (la chica)
5. explicar (la profesora)
6. tocar (tú)
7. jugar (Uds.)
8. correr (Ud.)
9. caminar (nosotros)
10. comprender (ustedes)
11. cocinar (tú)
12. patinar (la atleta)
13. entender (yo)
14. alegrarse (mis amigos)
15. ir (la familia)
16. morir (la planta)
17. prepararse (el chico)
18. romper (tú)
19. volver (usted)
20. tocar (yo)
21. jugar (yo)
22. almorzar (yo)
23. ser (ella)
24. ver (usted)
25. decir (tú)
26. leer (ustedes)
27. poder (nosotros)
28. querer (yo)
29. hacer (el estudiante)
30. saber (los estudiantes)
C. Translate each sentence into Spanish.
1. She did study.
2. He washed the dishes.
3. I ran.
4. They did dance.
5. We played soccer.
6. You (formal, plural) used the computer.
7. I did clean the house.
8. They did their homework.
9. We went.
10. She said.
11. You (fam.) wrote.
12. They did eat.
13. The dog slept.
14. I arrived early.
15. We did prepare ourselves.
16. She said the answer.
17. We went to the library.
18. You (fam.) translated the song.
19. I brought tacos.
20. He saw the program.
D. Write a short paragraph to explain five activities you used to do in the past. Start your paragraph with “En el pasado, muchas veces……”
E. La música. The songs Rosas by La Oreja de Van Gogh uses the preterite and imperfect tenses. Listen to the song. Then, listen to it again write the verbs that you hear in the preterite and imperfect tenses.
F. What is the imperfect tense? How is it different than the preterite tense? Is it easier or harder to conjugate in the imperfect or the preterite? Explain your answer. Then, write three sentences in each verb tense, the preterite and the imperfect.