Chapter 4 Questions

Question 1

“-ar” preterit regular verb endings

Answer 1

“-ar” preterit regular verb endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -astéis, -aron

Question 2

“-er” preterit regular verb endings

Answer 2

“-er” preterit regular verb endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron (same endings as “-ir”)

Question 3

“-ir” preterit regular verb endings

Answer 3

“-ir” preterit regular verb endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron (same endings as “-er”)

Question 4

Which verb form is the same in the preterit & present tenses, and for which conjugations?

Answer 4

The “nosotros” verb form is the same in the present and preterit tenses for “-ar” and “-ir”

Question 5

When is the preterit used in Spanish (5 answers)?

Answer 5

The preterit is used to express: 1. An action that was totally completed in the past; 2. An action completed at a definite, specific moment in the past; 3. An action or event that lasted for a specific period of time; 4. A series of actions or events completed in the past; 5. Actions or events that are not usually repeated, such as: cumplir años (to turn to a specific age), darse cuenta de (to realize), decidir (to decide), descubrir (to discover), graduarse (to graduate), morir (to die).

Question 6

What is the spelling change in the preterit for verbs that end in “-car”?

Answer 6

In the preterit, verbs that end in “-car” change the “c” to “qu”, “yo” form only

Question 7

What is the spelling change in the preterit for verbs that end in “-gar”?

Answer 7

In the preterit, verbs that end in “-gar” change the “g” to “gu”, “yo” form only

Question 8

What is the spelling change in the preterit for verbs that end in “-zar”?

Answer 8

In the preterit, verbs that end in “-zar” change the “z” to “c”, “yo” form only

Question 9

What is the stem change patterns of the preterit with respect to the present stem changes?

Answer 9

Preterit stem change pattern: “-ar” verbs w/stem changes in the present do NOT have stem changes in the preterit; “-ir” verbs w/stem changes in the present DO have stem changes in the preterit: (e->i and o->u) ONLY in the 3rd person singular and plural forms.

Question 10

What are the meanings of the following verbs when used in the preterit? 1. conocer; 2. saber; 3. poder; 4. querer (negative sentences); 5. querer; 6. tener.

Answer 10

Verbs with a special meaning in the preterit: 1. conocer: to meet; 2. saber: to find out, discover; 3. poder: to manage; 4. querer (negative sentences): to refuse; 5. querer: to try; 6. tener: to receive, to get.