Pretérito indefinido (simple past)

Question 1

When do you use the pretérito indefinido?

In English, give an example of the verb ‘to start’.

Answer 1

To describe COMPLETED actions in a SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD that has FINISHED.

I started.

Question 2

In Latam, they never use the pretérito indefinido. True or false?

Answer 2

False: it is used for everything. They do not use its alternative, the pretérito perfecto (present perfect).

Question 3

In Spain, they use the pretérito indefinido for everything. True or false?

Answer 3

False: it is only used when describing a time period that has finished and/or specifying a date/time.

Question 4

How do you form the pretérito indefinido?

Answer 4

Take off the -ar/ir/er and add the appropriate ending.

Question 5

For -ar verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘yo’?

Answer 5

-é

Question 6

For -ar verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘tú’?

Answer 6

-aste

Question 7

For -ar verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘él/ella/usted’?

Answer 7

-ó

Question 8

For -ar verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘nosotros/as’?

Answer 8

-amos

Question 9

For -ar verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘vosotros/as’?

Answer 9

-asteis

Question 10

For -ar verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘ellos/ellas/ustedes’?

Answer 10

-aron

Question 11

-ir and -er verbs do not take the same endings in the past simple. True or false?

Answer 11

False: they do take the same endings.

Question 12

For -ir/er verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘yo’?

Answer 12

-í

Question 13

For -ir/er verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘tú’?

Answer 13

-íste

Question 14

For -ir/er verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘él/ella/usted’?

Answer 14

-ió

Question 15

For -ir/er verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘nosotros/as’?

Answer 15

-imos

Question 16

For -ir/er verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘vosotros/as’?

Answer 16

-isteis

Question 17

For -ir/er verbs, what is the simple past ending for ‘ellos/ellas/ustedes’?

Answer 17

-ieron

Question 18

How would you say ‘you (tú) finished’?

Answer 18

terminaste

Question 19

How would you say ‘he ate’?

Answer 19

comió

Question 20

How would you say ‘we (male) listened’?

Answer 20

escuchamos

Question 21

How would you say ‘you (vosotros) worked’?

Answer 21

trabajasteis

Question 22

How would you say ‘they (female) went out’?

Answer 22

salieron

Question 23

Which 4 common verbs are irregular in the past simple?

Which pairs are similar and why?

Answer 23

ir, ser, estar, tener

ir and ser are the exact same for every pronoun, you just infer from the context.

estar and tener are similar for every pronoun, you just add es- as the suffix for estar.

Question 24

Yo (ir/ser)

Answer 24

fui

Question 25

Tú (ir/ser)

Answer 25

fuiste

Question 26

él/ella/usted (ir/ser)

Answer 26

fue

Question 27

Nosotros/as (ir/ser)

Answer 27

fuimos

Question 28

Vosotros/as (ir/ser)

Answer 28

fuisteis

Question 29

Ellos/ellas/ustedes (ir/ser)

Answer 29

fueron

Question 30

Yo (tener)

Answer 30

tuve

Question 31

Tú (tener)

Answer 31

tuviste

Question 32

él/ella/usted (tener)

Answer 32

tuvo

Question 33

Nosotros/as (tener)

Answer 33

tuvimos

Question 34

Vosotros/as (tener)

Answer 34

tuvisteis

Question 35

Ellos/ellas/ustedes (tener)

Answer 35

tuvieron

Question 36

Yo (estar)

Answer 36

estuve

Question 37

Tú (estar)

Answer 37

estuviste

Question 38

él/ella/usted (estar)

Answer 38

estuvo

Question 39

Nosotros/as (estar)

Answer 39

estuvimos

Question 40

Vosotros/as (estar)

Answer 40

estuvisteis

Question 41

Ellos/ellas/ustedes (estar)

Answer 41

estuvieron