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Grammar Basics

Verbs

Vocabulary

Spanish 101A

Spanish 101B

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The Imperfect is often called the Descriptive Past Tense because we "describe or set scenes" using the Imperfect Tense.
The Imperfect handles three different Past tense constructions in English:
    • I studied at Ohlone College. (we don't know if I finished or not.)
    • I used to study at Ohlone College.
    • I was studying at Ohlone college. (Describing or Setting the scene)

It is important to note that we use the Imperfect to indicate we "were doing" something. In other words, we use the Imperfect to say:

I was studying last night, while Susana was watching television Yo estudiaba anoche mientras que Susana miraba la televisión.
    • Do not use the Past Progressive (Estar + "-ing") to say this. The Past Progressive (like the Present Progressive) carries a sense of immediacy: I was "in that moment, just in the middle of " doing something at an exact moment in time; or emphasis: What "the heck were they doing"?

The Imperfect past tense endings:

AR VERBS (ALL)

IR/ER VERBS

Yo

aba ía

abas ías

Él, ella, usted

aba ía

Nosotros

ábamos íamos

Ellos

aban ían

Note: for -ir and -er verbs, the "í" of the Imperfect past tense always carries an accent as well as the "á" of the Nosotros form of the -ar verbs!

Examples:

Yo

Él, ella, usted

Nosotros

Ellos

Hablar

hablaba hablabas hablaba hablábamos hablaban

Comer

comía comías comía comíamos comían

Vivir

vivía vivías vivía vivíamos vivían

There are only three verbs that are irregular in the Imperfect: Ser, Ir, and Ver

Yo

Él, ella, usted

Nosotros

Ellos

Ser

era eras era éramos eran

Ir

iba ibas iba íbamos iban

Ver

veía veías veía veíamos veían