Ser and Estar in the Preterit and Imperfect Tenses - Ser and Estar; Present, Preterit, and Imperfect Tenses; Progressive Tenses; Present Subjunctive; Commands - Master Accelerated Grammar to Take Your Spanish to the Next Level

Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step: Master Accelerated Grammar to Take Your Spanish to the Next Level (2012)

Part I. Ser and Estar; Present, Preterit, and Imperfect Tenses; Progressive Tenses; Present Subjunctive; Commands

Chapter 2. Ser and Estar in the Preterit and Imperfect Tenses

Preterit Tense

The preterit expresses action completed in the past. The English translation is usually the simple past. The preterit is used to express the following:

• An action completed in the past (action with a definite end)

• A series of actions completed in the past

• A condition that is no longer in effect

Key Vocabulary

This list of words is often used when referring to past actions.

Adverbios y Adjetivos

Keep in mind that the action or actions expressed by the preterit have been completed. It doesn’t make any difference how long the action went on before; the action has a definite end.

Estar in the Preterit

The conjugation of estar in the preterit follows. Remember the three primary uses of estar: location, health, and changing mood or condition.

• Location

• Health

• Changing mood or condition

Ser in the Preterit

The preterit of ser is used most often for profession and identification.

• Profession

• Identification

Exercise 2.1

Complete the following sentences with the correct preterit form of ser or estar, according to the context of the sentence.

1. Ella es profesora hoy, pero antes ____ azafata.

2. Yo ____ gerente por dos años.

3. Nosotros ____ muy contentos ayer porque nos ganamos la lotería.

4. ¿Por qué ____ Manuel en la cárcel sin decirnos nada?

5. Ellos ____ en el supermercado hoy para comprar alimentos.

6. La semana pasada, Raúl ____ en México. Regresó a casa ayer.

7. Los muchachos ____ enfermos anteayer, pero están bien hoy.

8. ____ una buena idea.

9. ¿Dónde ____ la familia de Federico esta tarde?

10. ¿Quiénes ____ en la librería a las nueve y media esta mañana?

11. Yo ____ por irme de vacaciones, pero me faltó valor.

12. Nosotros ____ de pie la mayor parte del concierto.

Ser and estar with Description in the Preterit

On an advanced level, there are situations in which the speaker can decide whether to use ser or estar in the preterit tense with adjectives. A Spanish speaker can say, for example:

With this sentence, the speaker transmits a “categorical” judgment, a completed absolute fact.

However, a Spanish speaker may choose to say:

This sentence is more descriptive and represents a “circumstantial” judgment.

A Word About Descriptive Judgments

When examples such as these are presented to native speakers, all generally opine that both are correct, and the majority do not find any perceptible difference between the two. Those who do find some difference are not always able to articulate exactly what this difference is.

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense expresses action in the past that is not seen as completed. The imperfect is used to express the following:

• An action that “sets the stage” for another past action

• An action that expresses a narration, background, or situation in the past

• Repeated, habitual, and customary actions in the past

• Continuous actions or actions in progress in the past

• Description in the past

• Point of origin in the past

• Telling time in the past

• Telling one’s age (with tener) in the past

Estar in the Imperfect

• Location

• Health

• Changing mood or condition

• Personal opinion about food or appearance

Ser in the Imperfect

You learned that ser can be used in the preterit for profession and identification. The other uses of ser are best served by the imperfect.

• Description in the past

• Point of origin in the past

• Telling time in the past

• Identification in the past

Preterit or Imperfect Determined by the Speaker

You can use both the preterit and imperfect tenses in expressing relationships and in impersonal expressions.

• Relationships

In this example, the English translations are the same, but when you use the preterit in Spanish, it means that the action is completed; the friendship is over.

• Impersonal expressions

The use of the preterit or imperfect in these situations is a choice made by the speaker; the speaker decides whether the action is completed.

Exercise 2.2

Review ser and estar in the imperfect, then rewrite the following sentences, changing the verb from the present tense to the imperfect.

EXAMPLE Mi padre es de Polonia. Mi padre era de Polonia.

1. Yo soy de Venezuela. ___________________

2. Ellos son de España. ___________________

3. ¿Qué hora es? ___________________

4. Nosotros estamos bien. ___________________

5. Mi jardín es el más hermoso de la ciudad.

__________________________________________________

6. Los tres amigos están aquí. ___________________

7. No estoy cansada. ___________________

8. Somos cantantes. ___________________

9. ¿Dónde estás? ___________________

10. Yo estoy en la casa con mi hermana.

__________________________________________________

Exercise 2.3

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of ser or estar in the preterit or imperfect, according to the meaning of the sentence.

EXAMPLE Lorenzo fue escritor. Ahora es bombero.

1. Yo ___________________ camarero. Ahora soy maestro.

2. Nosotros ___________________ en el banco precisamente a las nueve esta mañana.

3. Ayer, ___________________ un día de mucha lluvia. Hace buen tiempo hoy.

4. El paciente ___________________ en la oficina del doctor a las siete de la mañana para su operación.

5. Carlos ___________________ gerente por dos años.

6. ___________________ la última vez que yo ___________________ a la playa.

7. ¿Quién ___________________ el presidente en el año mil novecientos noventa y dos?

8. La situación no ___________________ tan grave.

9. ___________________ las dos cuando sonó el despertador.

10. El hombre ___________________ de Perú.

11. ¿Qué día ___________________ cuando ella se graduó?

12. Me gustó la obra de teatro. ___________________ buena.

13. Nosotros ___________________ enfermos ayer, pero nos sentimos bien hoy.

14. ___________________ difícil recordar todo.

15. ___________________ una buena idea, pero no vamos a usarla.

Regular Verbs in the Preterit

Most verbs are regular in the preterit tense.

Regular -ar Verbs

To conjugate a regular -ar verb in the preterit, drop the ending and add -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron to the stem.

A Word About Pronunciation

Notice that the first- and third-person singular forms carry written accents. It is very important to practice the pronunciation, stressing the accented syllable. Pronounce the verbs in this way: yo canté, tú cantaste, Ud. cantó, nosotros cantamos, vosotros cantasteis, ellos cantaron. Review the basic pronunciation rules: All words that end in n, s, or a vowel have the stress on the second-to-last (penultimate) syllable.

The preterit first-person plural nosotros form is identical to the present indicative form. Context clarifies whether the verb is in the present or preterit tense.

Regular -er and -ir Verbs

To conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterit, drop the ending and add -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron to the stem. The endings are the same for both -er and -ir verbs.

-Er Verbs

-Ir Verbs

Notice that the verb ver is regular. It does not carry an accent mark on the third-person singular form vio, because the form has only one syllable. The nosotros form of -ir verbs in the preterit is identical to the present indicative form. Its meaning becomes clear in context.

-Ir Verbs with Stem Changes in the Third Person

The following verbs have a stem change in the preterit. This stem change occurs only in the third-person singular and plural forms of the preterit.

Irregular Verbs in the Preterit

Verbs that are irregular in the preterit have an irregular stem and a special set of endings. Note that the endings do not carry accent marks. To conjugate an irregular verb in the preterit, add the endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron to the irregular stems.

When the irregular preterit stem ends in -j, the third-person endings become -o and -eron.

Dar, ir, and ser have different sets of endings.

A Word About haber

The third-person singular form of haber in the preterit is hubo, meaning there was, there were, was there?, were there?

It is important to memorize the preterit forms of all the irregular verbs, so that you will be able to use any verb you wish in the preterit.

Regular Verbs in the Imperfect

Regular -ar Verbs

To conjugate a regular -ar verb in the imperfect, drop the ending and add -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban to the stem. The first- and third-person singular forms (yo, él, ella, Ud.) are identical.

A Word About the Imperfect

There are no irregular -ar verbs in the imperfect. Practice the pronunciation of the verb conjugations above. There are one-syllable, two-syllable, three-syllable, and four-syllable verbs. Be sure to pronounce the imperfect in this way: yo trabajaba, tú trabajabas, él trabajaba, nosotros trabajábamos, vosotros trabajabais, ellos trabajaban.

Regular -er and -ir Verbs

To conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the imperfect, drop the ending and add -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the stem. The endings are the same for both -er and -ir verbs. The first- and third-person singular forms are identical.

-Er Verbs

A Word About haber

The third-person singular form of haber in the imperfect is había, meaning there was, there were, was there?, were there?

-Ir Verbs

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect

There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect.

The translation of ir in the imperfect is was going, were going.

Comparison of Preterit and Imperfect

Remember that the preterit is a completed action. The imperfect is often an action that was repeated in the past.

Exercise 2.4

Preterit or imperfect? Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. ¿Por qué no ___________________ tú la comida ayer? (comprar)

2. Anoche, yo ___________________ el vino a la fiesta. (traer)

3. ___________________ mediodía y el niño ___________________ hambre. (ser/tener)

4. ___________________ a llover y yo ___________________ la ventana. (empezar/cerrar)

5. La muchacha ___________________ la calle cuando su mamá la ___________________. (cruzar/llamar)

6. ¿Dónde ___________________ Uds. esta mañana precisamente a las nueve? (estar)

7. Nosotros ___________________ en el parque cuando ___________________ el animal exótico. (andar/ver)

8. El taxista nos ___________________ veinte dólares. ¿Cuánto te ___________________ a ti? (cobrar/cobrar)

9. Nosotros les ___________________ cartas a nuestros parientes desde Bolivia, pero ellos no las ___________________. (escribir/recibir)

10. Yo ___________________ por la calle equivocada cuando ___________________ que no ___________________ donde ___________________. (caminar/darse cuenta de/saber/estar)

11. Me agrada su amigo. ¿Dónde lo ___________________ Ud.? (conocer)

12. Pedro y sus amigos ___________________ todas las noches antes de acostarse. (divertirse)

13. Melisa ___________________ al cine cada domingo durante su juventud. (ir)

14. Los viajeros de Inglaterra ___________________ a mi casa la semana pasada y ___________________ conmigo hasta hoy. (llegar/quedarse)

Reading Comprehension

Marianela
por Benito Pérez Galdós

Pérez Galdós nació en las Islas Canarias y es mejor conocido por sus vistas de la sociedad española. Se murió en 1920 en Madrid.

Aquel día Pablo y Marianela salieron al campo. Con ellos iba Choto, su perro fiel. El día estaba hermoso. El aire era suave y fresco, y el sol calentaba sin quemar.

“¿Adónde vamos hoy?” preguntó Pablo, que era ciego de nacimiento.

“Adonde quiera Ud., señor,” contestó Marianela, que era su guía.

Marianela parecía crecer y adquirir nuevas fuerzas, cuando estaba al lado de su amo y amigo. Junto a él, se sentía llena de alegría. Al apartarse de él, sentía una profunda tristeza.

Pablo participaba de los mismos sentimientos hacia Marianela. En cierta ocasión le había dicho Pablo a la joven: Antes yo creía que era de día cuando hablaba la gente; y que era de noche, cuando la gente callaba y cantaban los gallos. Ahora, no hago las mismas comparaciones. Es de día cuando estamos juntos tú y yo; es de noche, cuando nos separamos.

Después de caminar un rato, llegaron a un lugar donde había muchas flores. Ambos se detuvieron. Pablo se sentó, y Marianela se puso a recoger flores para su amo. Los dos eran muy felices.

Verbos