FDS - Gramática: El Imperfecto (Lesson)
Gramática: El Imperfecto
What is the imperfect? The Spanish imperfect tense (el imperfecto) is used to describe past habitual actions or to talk about what someone was doing when they were interrupted by something else. The tense is used for past actions that are not seen as completed. The use of the imperfect tense implies that the past action did not have a definite beginning or a definite end. The imperfect tells when — in general, an action occurred.
Clues to Help You
When deciding whether or not to use the imperfect, keep in mind it is usually associated with clues/phrases that describe the frequency of past actions which will help you in your selection. These clues refer to and/or describe the frequency of past actions
The following is a partial list of the most commonly used phrases in Spanish that signal the use of the "Imperfect".
a menudo: often
a veces: sometimes
cada año: every year
cada día: every day
con frecuencia: frequently
constantemente: constantly
de vez en cuando: from time to time
en aquella época: at that time
frecuentemente: frequently
generalmente: usually
muchas veces: many times
mucho: a lot
nunca: never
por un rato: for a while
siempre: always
tantas veces: so many times
todas las semanas: every week
todo el tiempo: all the time
todos los días: every day
varias veces: several times
El Imperfecto Regular: Verbos de -ar, -er, -ir
View the presentations below which introduce the conjugations of additional past tense in Spanish called the imperfect. Note the accents! Take notes as you view the material as you will be responsible for the content. Be sure your speakers are turned up!
Please view this video on imperfect tense below.
After watching the introduction video on the Imperfect tense, below you will find further explanations broken down into sections to help make this easier to understand.
Imperfect AR Verbs
View the Imperfect Ar verbs video below.
Regular AR Verbs in Imperfect Song!
Here is a video with a song to help you remember verbs in the imperfect tense.
Imperfect Regular -ER and -IR Verbs
Check out this video on imperfect regular -er and -ir verbs.
Regular -ER and -IR Verbs in Imperfect Song!
This video has a song that will help you remember -er and -ir verbs in the imperfect tense.
Complete the online activities below using the regular imperfect to reflect on the presentations you just viewed. A chart is provided to help you decide on the correct verb form for each item in the activity. Keep in mind there are no stem changes in the imperfect tense, and 'había' is the imperfect form of 'hay' (the infinitive form is 'haber').
Imperfect Review
Please complete the activity below.
El Imperfecto Irregular: IR, Ser, y Ver
View the presentation below that contains three irregular infinitives in the imperfect tense. Pay careful attention to where the accents are placed as they are emphasized by the pronunciation. Take notes as you view the material as you will be responsible for the content. Be sure your speakers are turned up.
Please view the video below.
After watching the introduction video on the Irregular Imperfect tense, below you will find further explanations broken down into sections to help make this easier to understand.
View this video on irregular imperfect tense.
This video below provides another song to memorize, this time for imperfect tense.
Ir, ser, and ver are the only irregular verbs in the imperfect tense in Spanish.
Complete the inline activity below using the irregular imperfect to reflect on the presentations you just viewed. A chart is provided to help you decide on the correct verb form for each item in the activity.
Click here to download a study guide for your notes. Links to an external site.
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