Chapter 9 - The Imperfect Tense; Preterite vs. Imperfect; Double Object Pronouns; Uses of "se" Flashcards
What is the imperfect tense?
The imperfect tense is the verb form used in Spanish to talk about ongoing actions or conditions in the past.
Specifically:
- What one used to do habitually:
Todos los días, desayunaba a las ocho y luego caminaba a la escuela.
- To describe an action in progress in the past:
Vivíamos en Asuncion con mi prima Enedina y sus padres. - To tell time in the past:
Por lo general, eran las diez de la noche cuando comíamos. - To describe emotional or physical conditions in the past:
Todos estábamos muy contentos y nadie se enfermó ese año. Nos sentíamos muy afortunados. - To describe ongoing weather conditions in the past:
Llovía mucho en Paraguay en esa epoca. - To tell someone’s age in the past:
Enedina tenía quince años ese año.
How do you form an imperfect indicative verb?
Take the verb stem and add the corresponding imperfect stem endings.
What are the imperfect stem endings for -AR verbs?
aba
abas
aba
ábamos
abais
aban
What are the imperfect stem endings for -ER and -IR verbs?
ía
ías
ía
íamos
íais
ían
Conjugate the verb “ir” into the imperfect indicative tense:
ir:
iba
ibas
iba
ibamos
ibais
iban
Conjugate the verb “ser” into the imperfect indicative tense:
ser:
era
eras
era
éramos
erais
eran
Conjugate the verb “ver” into the imperfect indicative tense:
veía
veías
veía
veíamos
veíais
veían
Do present tense stem changing verbs carry their stem change over into the imperfect tense?
No; no verbs have stem changes in the imperfect, and there are only 3 irregular verbs at all in the imperfect: ir, ser, and ver.
What is the imperfect form of “hay”?
“había”
What are the ideal differences between the preterite and the imperfect?
The preterite is used to express “completed and over” actions.
The imperfect is used to express actions and conditions in the past that are seen as habitual or ongoing.
General guidelines for using the preterite against the imperfect:
- Relates a completed past action or series of completed past actions.
Comimos en ese restaurante la semana pasada.
We ate in that restaurant last week.
- Focuses on the beginning or end of a past event.
La cena comenzó a las nueve, pero no terminó hasta medianoche.
Dinner started at nine, but it didn’t end until midnight.
- Relates a completed past condition that is viewed as completely over and done with at this point in time (usually gives a time period associated with the condition).
Manuel estuvo enfermo por dos semanas, después de comer en ese restaurante, pero ahora está bien.
Manuel was sick for two weeks after eating in that restaurant, but now he is well.
- Relates an action that interrupted an ongoing action.
Ya comíamos el postre cuando por fin Miguel llegó al restaurante.
We were eating dessert when Miguel finally arrived at the restaurant.
General guidelines for using the imperfect against the preterite:
- Describes habitual or routine past actions.
Comíamos en ese restaurante todos las semanas.
We used to eat/ate in that restaurant every week.
- Focuses on the duration of the event in the past, rather than its beginning or end.
Cenábamos desde las nueve hasta medianoche.
We were eating from 9 until midnight.
- Describes past conditions (such as time, weather, emotional states, age, and location) that were ongoing at the time of description (no focus on the beginning of end of that condition).
El restaurante era famoso por su comida latinoamericana y estábamos muy contentos con los platos que pedimos.
The restaurant was famous for its Latin American food and we were very happy with the plates that we ordered.
- Describes ongoing background events in the past that were interrupted by another action.
Ya comíamos el postre cuando por fin Miguel llegó al restaurante.
We were eating dessert when Miguel finally arrived at the restaurant.
Here are some context words typically used with the preterite:
de repente - suddenly por fin - finally ayer - yesterday la semana pasada - last week el mes pasado - last month el año pasado - last year una vez - once dos veces - twice
Here are some context words typically used with the imperfect:
generalmente - generally por lo general - generally/usually normalmente - normally todos los días/meses/años - every day/month/year todas las semanas - every week frecuentemente - frequently típicamente - typically
What is a double object pronoun?
When you used both direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns in a sentence.
Preparé la comida para ti.
I prepared for for you.
Te la preparé.
I prepared it for you.
Organicé un almuerzo especial para ellos.
I organized a special breakfast for them.
Se lo organicé.
I organized it for them.
Indirect and direct object pronouns stay the same when used together as double object pronouns, except for:
The indirect object third-person singular and third-person plural (le and les). In those two cases, the double object pronoun “se” replaces both le and les when used with the direct objects lo, la, los, and las.
List the direct object and indirect object pronouns:
DO:
me te lo/la nos os los/las
IDO:
me
te
le (se if used as a double object pronoun)
nos
os
les (se if used as a double object pronoun)
What is the order of a double object pronoun sentence?
The indirect object pronoun always comes before the direct object pronoun. This is true whether the pronouns are used before a conjugated verb or attached to the end of infinitives, affirmative commands, and present participles.
Pedí una sopa. Me la sirvieron inmediatamente.
I ordered a soup. I was served (it) immediately.
Le dije al camarero: “Por favor, tráigamela con un poco de pan”.
I told the waiter: “Please bring it to me with a little bread.”
In negative command forms, where do the double object pronouns go?
The double object pronouns must come before the verb in negative command forms.
Quiero un postre, pero no me lo traiga inmediatamente.
I want a dessert, but don’t bring it to me immediately.
When double object pronouns are used with a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive, where do they go?
They may either go before the conjugated verb or attach to the end of the infinitive.
Me lo van a servir ahora.
They are going to serve it to me now.
Van a servírmelo ahora.
They are going to serve it to me now.
Mnemonic Device to remember order of double object pronouns:
To you / the football / I threw.
Te lo tiró.
What are the three uses of “se” we have learned thus far?
- To replace le or les when used with a direct object pronoun.
Marta le dio un regalo a Selena.
Marta se lo dio.
- With reflexive verbs, when using usted/ustedes, él, ella, ellos, and ellas forms.
Ustedes se visitieron y salieron para la oficina. Ella se vistió después de ducharse.
- To give general and impersonal information about “what is done.”
Se sirve comida paraguaya en ese restaurante. ¡Se come muy bien allí!
What is the “generalizing” use of se and what are a few things to remember about it?
“Se” can be used to express actions with no specific subject and to say what “one does” in general.
- Se is always used with a third person form of the verb it corresponds with.
Se sirve comida aqui.
Food is served here.
Se hablan muchas lenguas en este país.
Many languages are spoken in this country.
- If a noun immediately follows the se + verb construction, the verb agrees with the noun.
Se sirve el desayuno todo el día.
Breakfast is served all day.
Se venden empanadas aquí.
Empanadas are sold here.
- If no noun immediately follows the se + verb, the third person singular form of the verb is used.
Se come muy bien aquí.
One eats well here.
Se duerme mal después de una comida fuerte.
One sleeps badly after a heavy meal.
What are the stem endings of a preterite tense and imperfect tense -AR verb?
hablar (to speak)
preterite: "I said" habl-é habl-aste habl-ó habl-amos habl-asteis habl-aron
imperfect: "I was saying; I said (habitually)" habl-aba habl-abas habl-aba habl-abámos habl-abais habl-aban
What are the stem endings of a preterite tense and imperfect tense -ER verb?
comer (to eat)
preterite: "I ate" com-í com-iste com-ío com-imos com-isteis com-ieron
imperfect: "I was eating; I ate (habitually)" com-ía com-ías com-ía com-íamos com-íais com-ían
What are the stem endings of a preterite tense and imperfect tense -IR verb?
pedir: to ask for, to order
preterite: “I asked for; I ordered”
ped-í ped-iste *pid-ío* ped-ímos ped-ís *pid-ieron*
*remember that, in the preterite, IR stem changing verbs do change in the third person singular and plural.
imperfect: ped-ía ped-ías ped-ía ped-íamos ped-íais ped-ían
