The Imperfect Tense in Spanish

This section explains The Imperfect Tense in Spanish. The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that were happening in the past, or repeated actions in the past. It can also be used for background descriptions or to express things that used to happen regularly. The imperfect tense is often compared to the preterite tense, but it is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, rather than completed actions.

When to Use the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is used in the following situations:

1. Ongoing actions in the past (things that were happening).
   • Example: Estaba leyendo cuando me llamaste (I was reading when you called me).
2. Habitual actions or things that used to happen regularly.
   • Example: Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días (When I was a child, I used to play football every day).
3. Descriptions in the past, such as age, time, weather, or feelings.
   • Example: Era un día soleado (It was a sunny day).
4. Simultaneous actions in the past.
   • Example: Comía mientras miraba la televisión (I was eating while watching television).
5. Actions that were happening when something else interrupted.
   • Example: Estudiaba cuando sonó el teléfono (I was studying when the phone rang).

Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

Regular verbs in the imperfect tense follow set patterns for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Here are the endings for regular verbs:

2.1. Regular -AR Verbs

To conjugate -ar verbs in the imperfect tense, remove the -ar and add the following endings:

Example Sentences:

• Yo hablaba con mi amigo todos los días (I used to talk to my friend every day).
• Nosotros hablábamos mucho en clase (We spoke a lot in class).

Regular -ER and -IR Verbs

To conjugate -er and -ir verbs in the imperfect tense, remove the -er or -ir and add the following endings:

Example Sentences:

• Yo comía pizza todos los viernes (I used to eat pizza every Friday).
• Nosotros vivíamos cerca de la playa (We used to live near the beach).

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense: ser, ir, and ver. These verbs do not follow the regular conjugation patterns and must be memorised.

Verb ‘Ser’ (To Be)

Example Sentences:

• Cuando era joven, me gustaba correr (When I was young, I liked to run).
• Éramos muy felices en nuestra infancia (We were very happy in our childhood).

Verb ‘Ir’ (To Go)

Example Sentences:

• Iba al colegio todos los días (I used to go to school every day).
• Ellos iban al cine cada fin de semana (They went to the cinema every weekend).

Verb ‘Ver’ (To See)

Example Sentences:

• Veía mucha televisión cuando era pequeño (I used to watch a lot of television when I was little).
• Nosotros veíamos la película juntos (We were watching the film together).

Key Points to Remember

• The imperfect tense is used for ongoing actions, habitual actions, descriptions, and simultaneous actions in the past.
• Regular conjugations follow set patterns:
  • -ar verbs: -aba, -abas, -aba, etc.
  • -er / -ir verbs: -ía, -ías, -ía, etc.
• There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense: ser, ir, and ver.
• The imperfect tense is often used when talking about childhood memories, past routines, or background information.

Foundation Tier Examples

For foundation tier students, you are expected to recognise and use the regular and irregular forms of verbs in the imperfect tense, usually in simple sentences about past habits or descriptions.

Examples:

• Yo comía chocolate todos los días (I used to eat chocolate every day).
• Nosotros íbamos al parque los domingos (We used to go to the park on Sundays).
• Cuando era pequeño, me gustaba leer (When I was little, I liked to read).

Higher Tier Examples

Higher-tier students are expected to form more complex sentences using the imperfect tense, often including more details or multiple actions.

Examples:

• Cuando era joven, siempre iba a la piscina después de la escuela (When I was young, I always went to the swimming pool after school).
• Nosotros vivíamos en una casa grande, y cada verano íbamos a la playa (We used to live in a big house, and every summer we went to the beach).
• Mientras ella estudiaba, él jugaba al fútbol en el parque (While she was studying, he was playing football in the park).

Negative Form in the Imperfect Tense

To make a sentence negative in the imperfect tense, place ‘no’ before the verb.

Examples:

• No comía pizza en la dieta (I didn’t used to eat pizza on the diet).
• Nosotros no íbamos al cine a menudo (We didn’t go to the cinema often).
• Cuando era niño, no veía mucho la televisión (When I was a child, I didn’t watch much television).

Questions in the Imperfect Tense

To form questions, invert the subject and verb or use question words (e.g., ¿Qué, Cómo, Cuándo).

Examples:

• ¿Qué hacías ayer? (What were you doing yesterday?)
• ¿Iban ustedes al parque todos los días? (Did you all go to the park every day?)
• ¿Cómo era tu casa cuando eras pequeño? (What was your house like when you were little?)

Summary Table of Imperfect Tense Conjugations

Conclusion

The imperfect tense is crucial for expressing actions or descriptions in the past that were ongoing or habitual. It is important to learn the regular conjugation patterns as well as the irregular forms of ser, ir, and ver. Practising these conjugations and their usage in context will help you become more confident when speaking about past events in Spanish.