Preterite Tense Flashcards
When is the preterite tense used ?
It is used to express:
-an action that was totally completed in the past
-an action completed at a definite , specific moment in the past
-an action or event that lasted for a specific period of time. If you can determine how long the action took place
-a series of actions or events completed in the past e.g yo llegué a la oficina, preparé un café , me senté y llamé a un cliente
-actions or events that are not usually completed ( cumplir años-to turn a specific age, darse cuenta de -to realise, decidir, descubrir, graduarse-to graduate , morir)
What are the -AR verb endings for the preterite tense ?
Yo= é
Tú= aste
Él/ ella/usted= ó
Nosotros/nosotras(we)= amos
Vosotros/vosotras (you pl.)= asteis
Ellos/ellas/ustedes= aron
What are the -ER and -IR verb endings in the preterite tense?
Yo= í
Tú= iste
El/ella/usted= ió
Nosotros/nosotras(we)= imos
Vosotros/vosotras(you pl.)=isteis
Ellos/ellas/ustedes= ieron
At that time
A esa hora
Anoche
Last night
Anteanoche
The night before last
The day before yesterday
Anteayer
Ayer al mediodía
Yesterday at noon
Ayer por la mañana/noche/tarde
Yesterday morning/evening/afternoon
El año pasado
Last year
En ese momento
At that moment
Hace (diez) años
(Ten) years ago
Hoy por la mañana
This morning
La semana pasada
Last week
