Hola ¿Cómo estáis?

In the previous interactive video review lesson in this course we looked at the Past Simple in Spanish El Pretérito Indefinido. Today we are going to practice the other Past Simple in Spanish El Pretérito Imperfecto. In English the Past Simple is much simpler. In Spanish there are two different tenses which translate to the equivalent of the English Past Simple.

Answers to all tasks involved in this lesson will be given at the end of the post and you can also follow a link with this post to watch the original theory video lesson on the same topic.

To go back and watch the original video lesson please follow this link:

Practice using The Past Simple in Spanish El Pretérito Imperfecto

1. First, let´s practice conjugating some regular verbs in the Spanish El Pretérito Imperfecto. I will say a person (yo, tú, usted etc) and a regular Spanish verb and I would like you to conjugate the verb in the correct way for the Spanish El Pretérito Imperfecto: (For example: Ellos / comprar: Compraban)

Vosotros / venir
Ellos / bailar
Nosotros / comer
Yo / decir
Tú / jugar
Ellas / escribir
Ustedes / estudiar
Ella / comer
Usted / volver
Él / salir

2. Let´s practice now the very important verbs Ser and Ir, which are irregular with El Pretérito Imperfecto. I will say a person (yo, tú, usted, etc) and one of the verbs, Ser or Ir, and I would like you to conjugate the verb in the correct way for the Spanish El Pretérito Imperfecto: (For example: Nosotros / ser: Éramos)

Ellos / ser
Tú / ser
Usted / ir
Nosotros / ser
Yo / ir
Vosotros / ir
Él / ser
Ustedes / ir
Ella /ir
Yo /ser

3. El Pretérito Imperfecto has four different uses. Do you remember them?

4. Now, please translate the following sentences from Spanish to English:

Antes vivía en Madrid, pero ahora vivo en Barcelona.
Cuando trabajaba en esta oficina estaba muy estresado.
Mi abuelo siempre llevaba zapatos rojos.
Cuando era pequeña, solía jugar mucho con mi hermana.
Ana siempre solía comer en este restaurante cuando estudiaba en la universidad.

5. Finally, please translate the following sentences from English to Spanish:

Last year I used to play guitar every day.
My brother used to smoke years ago, but now he doesn´t.
Carlota and Alberto went to the cinema every week when they were little.
We used to drink coffee every day.
Bernardo didn´t eat vegetables when he was little.

Esto es todo por hoy.

¡Adiós!

I hope you are enjoying my weekly interactive Spanish lessons. Follow this link for many more great resources to help you learn and practice Spanish.

Answers:

1.
Veníais
Bailaban
Comíamos
Decía
Jugabas
Escribían
Estudiaban
Comía
Volvía
Salía

2.
Eran
Eras
Iba
Éramos
Iba
Íbais
Era
Iban
Iba
Era

3.
To express habitual actions in the past
To make descriptions in the past
To describe an action happening in the past
To express two simultaneous actions in the past

4.
Before I used to live in Madrid, but now I live in Barcelona.
When I worked in this office I used to be very stressed.
My grandfather always wore red shoes.
When I was little, I used to play a lot with my sister.
Ana always used to eat in this restaurant when she studied at university.

5.
El año pasado solía tocar la guitarra todos los días.
Mi hermano fumaba hace años, pero ahora no.
Carlota y Alberto iban al cine todas las semanas cuando eran pequeños.
Solíamos beber café todos los días.
Bernardo no comía verduras cuando era pequeño.