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Spanish Grammar in Context

A reference grammar with video examples from the Spanish in Texas collection

  • Credits
  • Index
  • About
  • Home
  • Adjectives
    • Introduction to Adjectives
    • Adjectives – Formation and Placement
    • Comparisons and Superlatives with Adjectives
    • Past Participles as Adjectives
    • Todo
    • Indefinite Adjectives
    • Adjectives Practice
  • Adverbs
    • Introduction to Adverbs
    • Adverbs – Formation and Placement
    • Comparative Adverbs
    • Adverbs Practice
  • Conjunctions
    • Introduction to Conjunctions
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions Practice
  • Determiners
    • Introduction to Determiners
    • Definite Articles
    • Indefinite Articles
    • Possessive Determiners
    • Demonstrative Determiners
    • Expressions of Quantity
    • Determiners Practice
  • Negation
    • Introduction to Negation
    • Basic Negation: No
    • Alternate Forms of Negation
    • One-word Negative Sentences
    • Negation Practice
  • Nouns
    • Introduction to Nouns
    • Nouns – Number
    • Nouns – Gender
    • Nouns Practice
  • Prepositions
    • Introduction to Prepositions
    • Common Prepositions
    • Por vs. Para
    • Prepositions Practice
  • Pronouns
    • Introduction to Pronouns
    • Subject Pronouns
    • Direct Object Pronouns
    • Indirect Object Pronouns
    • Reflexive Pronouns
    • Order of Object Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Indefinite Pronouns
    • Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns
    • Pronouns Practice
  • Verbs
    • Introduction to Verbs
    • Tense/Mood
    • Introduction to Present Tense
      • -ar Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -er Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -ir Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
    • Ser “To Be”
    • Haber “To Have”
    • Reflexive Verbs
    • Preterit
    • Present Perfect
    • Imperfect
    • Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect
    • Pluperfect
    • Future
    • Conditional
    • Past Conditional
    • Imperative Mood (commands)
    • Introduction to Subjunctive
      • Subjunctive – Present
      • Subjunctive – Past or Imperfect
      • Subjunctive – Present Perfect
      • Subjunctive – Pluperfect
      • Tense Sequences
    • Si Clauses (If Clauses)
    • Indirect Speech
      • Indirect Speech – Present
      • Indirect Speech – Past
    • Passive Voice
    • Language Contact
    • Verbs Practice
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    Practice quizzes: verbs

    Imperfect

    Imperfect

    Imperfect forms from the Spanish in Texas Corpus

    The imperfect (imperfecto) is one of the two simple past tenses in Spanish. It is used for ongoing or recurrent actions in the past. It is also used for descriptions, states of being, and for providing background information about the past.

    Forms

    Regular verbs can be divided into 2 categories in the imperfect: –ar verbs and –er/–ir verbs. The regular imperfect endings are showed in the tables below.

    –ar verbs

    hablar  to speak
    yo hablaba nosotros/as hablábamos
    tú hablabas  
    él/ella/usted hablaba
    ellos/as/ustedes hablaban

    –ir and –er verbs

    comer  to eat
    yo comía nosotros/as comíamos
    tú comías  
    él/ella/usted comía
    ellos/as/ustedes comían
    Cada octubre había una peregrinación grandísima. En toda la carretera, creo que eran doce carriles, no había carros, nada más la carroza en la que iba la muñeca.
    Every October there was a huge pilgrimage. In the whole highway, I think there were twelve lanes, there were no cars, just, the carriage where the doll went.

    Irregular Verbs

    There are only 3 irregular verbs in the imperfect: ser, ir, ver

    ser  to be
    yo era nosotros/as éramos
    tú eras  
    él/ella/usted era
    ellos/as/ustedes eran
    ir  to go
    yo iba nosotros/as íbamos
    tú ibas  
    él/ella/usted iba
    ellos/as/ustedes iban
    ver  to see
    yo veía nosotros/as veíamos
    tú veías  
    él/ella/usted veía
    ellos/as/ustedes veían
    Yo creo que el reto más difícil para mí era hablar el inglés.
    I think that the most difficult challenge for me was speaking in English.

    Uses

    The imperfect tense has two primary uses: to describe on-going actions and states of being in the past, and to state habitual actions in the past. The preterit and imperfect are each used quite differently in narration.

    States of Being or Past Description

    The imperfect is used to describe people, places, conditions or situations in the past. Some verbs occur more frequently in the imperfect when they are in the past since they typically describe states of being: ser, tener, estar, gustar, etc. But these verbs do sometimes occur in the preterit.

    A mí me gustaba negociar, me gustaba hacer otras cosas.
    I used to like trading, I used to like to do other things.

    Habitual Actions in the Past

    The imperfect is also used to state habitual actions in the past. These past habits are often translated as used to. Note that the imperfect may also be translated by the simple past in English; however, the context, and often adverbs, let you know the action is a past habit.

    Ella y yo convivíamos con mi papá y mi mamá en la iglesia, nos íbamos de compras.
    She and I used to live together with my dad and my mom in the church, we used to go shopping.

    For more information about the uses of the imperfect and comparisons with the preterit, see also the page about narration.

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