Spanish I - The Preterite Tense - Quick Guides

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Study GuideSpanish I–The Preterite Tense1.Quiz: Regular Verbs in the Preterite Tense1.QuestionAyer nosotros _____ en la clase de educación física.Answer Choices•Bailamos•Bailaste•bailaronCorrect AnswerbailamosWhy This Is CorrectThe subjectnosotrosuses thefirst-person pluralverb form.•bailamos= we danced (past tense)•ayerindicates the past, andbailamoscorrectly agrees withnosotrosSo the correct sentence is:Ayer nosotros bailamos en la clase de educación física.Why the Other Options Are Incorrect•bailaste→ second-person singular (you danced)•bailaron→ third-person plural (they danced)✔Therefore,bailamosis thecorrect answer.2.QuestionRicardo _____ a Mario anoche.

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Study GuideAnswer Choices•Conocí•Conocieron•conocióCorrect AnswerconocióWhy This Is Correct•Ricardoisthird person singular.•Anochesignals thepreterite tense(completed action in the past).•The correct preterite form ofconocerforhe/sheisconoció.So the correct sentence is:Ricardo conoció a Mario anoche.Why the others are incorrect:•conocí→ first person singular (I met)•conocieron→ third person plural (they met)Therefore,conocióis thecorrect answer.3.QuestionJosé y Juan _____ cinco kilómetros durante el fin de semana.Answer Choices•Corrió•Corrieron•corriste

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Study GuideCorrect AnswercorrieronWhy This Is CorrectJosé y Juanis aplural subject(two people), so the verb must be in thethird person pluralform.•corrieron= they ran (él/ella → corrió,ellos → corrieron)Why the others are incorrect:•corrió→ singular (he/she ran)•corriste→ second person singular (you ran)Therefore,corrieronis thecorrect answer.4.QuestionYo _____ por cuatro horas anoche.Answer Choices•trabajé•Trabajó•trabajaronCorrect AnswertrabajéWhy This Is Correct•Yoisfirst person singular.•Anocheindicates thepreterite tense(a completed action in the past).•The correct preterite form oftrabajarforyoistrabajé.

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Study GuideExplanation by elimination:•trabajé→ yo form, preterite tense•trabajó→ él/ella/ustedform•trabajaron→ ellos/ellas/ustedes formExample:Yotrabajépor cuatro horas anoche.5.QuestionMis amigos _____ a mis padres a su fiesta.Answer Choices•Invitamos•Invitaron•inviteCorrect AnswerinvitaronWhy This Is Correct•Mis amigosisthird person plural(they).•The verb must agree with the subject inperson and number.•Invitaronis thethird person pluralform ofinvitarin the past tense (preterite).Mis amigos invitarona mis padres a su fiesta.Why the Other Options Are Incorrect•invitamos→ first person plural (we invited)•invité→ first person singular (I invited)Onlyinvitaronmatchesmis amigos.

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Study Guide6.QuestionYo _____ en México por dos años.Answer Choices•Viví•Vivió•vivisteCorrect AnswervivíWhy This Is CorrectThe subjectyouses thefirst-person singularform of the verbvivirin thepreterite tense(past,completed action).•yo → vivíSo the correct sentence is:Yovivíen México por dos años.Why the Other Options Are Incorrect•vivió→ third person singular (él / ella / usted)•viviste→ second person singular (tú)vivícorrectly matches the subjectyoand the past time expressionpor dos años.7.Question¿_____ tú a las siete de la noche?Answer Choices•Volví•Volvió•Volviste

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Study GuideCorrect AnswerVolvisteWhy This Is CorrectThe subjecttúrequires thesecond-person singularform of the verbvolverin thepreterite tense.•tú → volvisteCorrect sentence:¿Volvistetú a las siete de la noche?Why the Other Options Are Incorrect•Volví→ first person singular (yo)•Volvió→ third person singular (él / ella / usted)Volvistecorrectly agrees withtúand fits the question format.8.QuestionLas mujeres _____ helados en el parque.Answer Choices•Vendimos•Vendisteis•vendieronCorrect AnswervendieronWhy This Is CorrectThe subjectLas mujeresisthird person plural (ellas).In thepreterite tenseofvender, the correct conjugation forellasisvendieron.So the correct sentence is:

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Study GuideLas mujeresvendieronhelados en el parque.Why the Other Options Are Incorrect•vendimos→ first person plural (nosotros / nosotras)•vendisteis→ second person plural (vosotros), not used withlas mujeresvendieroncorrectly agrees with the subjectLas mujeres.2.Different Yo Forms in the Preterite TenseSpanish spelling rules are very consistent. Because of this, sometimes the spelling of a verb mustchange so that thepronunciation stays the same.This happens with certain verbs in theyo form of the preterite tense. When endings like–éor–íareadded, the sound of the verb could change. To prevent that, Spanish adjusts the spelling—butonly inthe yo form.2.1Verbs That End in–garIn Spanish, the lettergcan have:•ahard sound(likegingood), or•asoft sound(likegingym).Verbs that end in–garhave ahard g soundin the infinitive.However, when you form theyo preterite, the ending–éwould normally make the g sound soft. Thatwould change the pronunciation, which Spanish avoids.What Spanish DoesTo keep thehard g sound, auis added before theé.•g → gu(yo form only)•Theu is silent—it is never pronounced.gar verbs change g to gu in the yo preterite form.

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Study GuideExample•pagar →pagué•(Pronouncedpah-GAY)All other forms of the verb stay regular.2.2Verbs That End in–carThe lettercalso has two sounds:•hard c(likek),•soft c(likes).In verbs ending in–car, thec is hardin the infinitive. But when you add–éfor the yo preterite, the cwould become soft—and that changes the sound.

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Study GuideWhat Spanish DoesTo keep the hardksound, Spanish changes:•c → qu(yo form only)The lettersqualways sound likek, and theu is silent.2.3Easy Rule to Remembercar verbs change c to qu in the yo preterite form.Example•tocar →toqué

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Study Guide2.4Verbs That End in–zarIn Spanish,z cannot come before e. When this happens,z changes to c.Because the yo preteriteending is–é, verbs that end in–zarmust change spelling.What Spanish Does•z → c(yo form only)Easy Rule to Rememberzar verbs change z to c in the yo preterite form.Example•cruzar →crucé

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