Class 3: The Past Tenses in Spanish (Preterit & Imperfect)

Name: Class 3: The Past Tenses in Spanish (Preterit & Imperfect)
Rating: 3.4 (3 reviews)

Profesora D Spanish Made Easy

Created byDiana Di Tolla

Last updated 8/2021

English

What you'll learn

Students will conjugate regular and irregular verb conjugations in the preterit and imperfect tenses.
Students will understand how to apply their understanding to discern between sentences in the imperfect tense and in the preterit tense.
Students will apply their understanding to create several simple descriptive sentences in the imperfect tense and compare them to the preterite.
Students will apply their understanding to create several simple narrative sentences in the preterite tense and compare them to descriptive Imperfect sentences.

Course content

4 sections • 42 lectures • 3h 8m total length

Introduction and Class 3 Objectives3:16
Explore how the Spanish past tenses preterit and imperfect work in harmony, with quick conjugations, side-by-side comparisons, differences in expressions, and a culminating project that builds proficiency.
Instructor: Diana Di Tolla3:57
Meet an experienced Spanish educator who guides intermediate learners to master the Spanish past tenses (preterit and imperfect) through grammar-focused practice and language acquisition insights.
First We Conjugate? Why?2:02
Conjugate first to sharpen pattern recognition and distinguish preterit from imperfect, then analyze sentences and build your own, reinforcing recognition of infinitives and irregulars through focused practice.
What does the Preterit Look Like? Conjugating1:54
Learn how to conjugate the Spanish past tenses, including the preterit and imperfect, with a quick guide to regular endings, accents on the yo form, and the basics of irregulars.
Preterit Irregular Conjugations5:20
Explore the preterit irregular conjugations in spanish, including car, gar, zar patterns and the yo form, using color-coded charts. Review accents and endings to master irregulars and stem-changing patterns.
Expressions for the Preterit Tense2:00
Explore expressions used to describe actions in the preterit tense, with examples like 'went to the store yesterday' and 'wrote a paper yesterday' to internalize narration rules.
Rules for Using the Preterit4:34
Learn to narrate past events in Spanish using the preterit, describing a sequence of actions at a time with examples like entering, greeting, and leaving, then contrast with the imperfect.
The Preterit Tense in Context3:08
Explore the preterit in context through sequence of actions at specific times, with examples like yesterday and I went, and set up a comparison with the imperfect.
Ayer to Describe Your Past Actions4:05
Identify and list at least ten verbs that describe your past actions using ayer, reflect on your daily activities, and practice conveying actions with the imperfect and preterit.
Verb List of Regular Verbs3:47
Explore a curated list of regular Spanish preterit verbs drawn from daily life and practice saying them. Note irregular present-tense forms and ways to add daily vocabulary.
Quiz 1 (conjugations in the Preterit Tense)

What does the Imperfect look like? Conjugations4:12
This lecture covers the imperfect of the second past tense in Spanish and how to recognize it by ABBA endings, with regular -ar, -er, and -ir conjugations and three irregulars.
What is the Imperfect?3:01
Master the imperfect to describe habitual past actions, descriptions of people and settings, time and place, and ongoing feelings, including what you used to do on Saturdays.
Rules for Imperfect Tense3:02
Explore the imperfect tense in Spanish by mastering two action types—habitual or repeated actions and progressive actions—plus how to describe past time frames, background details, and mood.
Expressions for the Imperfect Tense2:32
Explore expressions for the imperfect tense that signal habitual and progressive actions over an unspecified period, with examples like siempre and los sábados.
Creating examples of Imperfect Tense4:48
Explore the imperfect tense in Spanish through quick question‑and‑answer practice that invites elaboration with yo, everyday vocabulary, and contextual phrases like park, grandma's house, and school.
The Weather in the Imperfect2:07
Explore how to express weather using the imperfect in Spanish, review key verbs and irregulars, and distinguish the imperfect from the preterit for past tenses.
Time and the Date in the Imperfect2:35
Master the Spanish imperfect by anchoring scenes with time and date, and practice era and other imperfect forms to describe background settings.
Describing Your Childhood3:51
Explore how to describe your childhood using the imperfect past tense, answering prompts about what you used to like, favorite foods, playtime, and memories with friends.
Describing Yourself in the Past2:42
Describe your past self using the imperfect with a list of adjectives, sharing three positives and two negatives, and practice questions about hair, height, and personality changes.
Quiz 2 (prueba 2): Imperfect Conjugations

Comparing Definitions of Both Tenses3:39
Compare the imperfect and preterit definitions side by side to distinguish narration from scene setting, describing past actions, feelings, and details like appearance.
Comparing Rules of Both Tenses4:18
Compare the rules of preterit and imperfect in Spanish, showing how preterit marks specific actions at a set time with beginnings and ends, while imperfect describes ongoing descriptions and emotions.
Comparing Conjugations of -AR Verbs6:24
Compare and contrast the preterit and imperfect endings for -ar verbs, and identify usage with time expressions like yesterday to anchor past events.
Comparing Conjugations of -ER Verbs6:24
Explore how -er verb conjugations differ in the Spanish past tenses, preterit and imperfect, with examples using comer, siempre, nunca, and describing actions yesterday versus habitual past.
Comparing Conjugations of -IR Verbs6:28
Compare conjugations of -ir verbs in the Spanish preterit and imperfect, using regular endings and context phrases to distinguish completed actions from descriptions, with vivir examples.
Comparing TO GO in the Past Tenses4:54
Compare the preterit and imperfect in Spanish by examining their conjugations, actions vs descriptions, sequence of events, and habitual timing, with examples using siempre and other time anchors.
Comparing SER in the Past Tenses5:46
Compare ser in the past tenses using the doctor framework—description, occupation, time and relationship—to distinguish preterit from imperfect with practical examples.
Comparing DECIR, TRAER, CONDUCIR in the Past Tenses4:26
Compare and contrast decir, traer, and conducir in the past tenses, highlighting irregular preterit forms, regular imperfect forms, and how usage shifts with actions, habit, and storytelling.
Comparing PONER and PODER in the Past Tenses2:47
Compare poner and poder in the past tenses, exploring preterit and imperfect uses for 'to be able to' and 'to set or put' with side-by-side examples.
ESTAR, TENER, & VENIR in the Past Tenses5:20
Explore the past tenses in Spanish with estar, tener, and venir in the preterit and imperfect. Practice regular vs irregular forms and apply correct tense across subject pronouns.
Querer, Necesitar y Pensar in the Past Tenses7:28
Explore the imperfect vs preterit in Spanish using querer, necesitar y pensar, and learn when to express ongoing needs or specific past moments through practical examples.
Describing Versus Narrating3:50
Explore describing versus narrating in the past tenses, using weather, setting, and time cues like yesterday or when I was five to illuminate when to use preterit and imperfect.

Comparing Background Details in the Past Tenses6:59
Master when to use imperfect versus preterit to describe background details in Spanish past tenses. Explore time, weather, age, clothing, and event-focused actions with practical rules and examples.
Comparing Actions in the Past4:24
Compare actions in the past by using the preterit and imperfect to narrate events versus habitual descriptions, with examples of daily routines and past activities.
Comparing Actions in the Past (Meanwhile)4:13
Explore how mientras marks two actions happening simultaneously in the past, using preterit and imperfect to describe completed versus ongoing states, with practical examples and practice.
Comparing Emotions in the Past Tenses5:33
Explore how to express emotions in past tenses by contrasting imperfect and preterit, describing ongoing feelings versus specific moments, and maneuvering rules to tell authentic Spanish stories.
Comparing the Weather in the Past5:14
Compare the preterit and imperfect when describing weather in Spanish, using snow and rain examples to distinguish completed actions from descriptions. Learn when to express action versus description.
Comparing Gustar in Both Tenses6:01
Compare gustar in the imperfect and preterit to describe past likes. Practice with quick conjugations, yes-no questions, and examples of what you used to like.
Comparing Clothing in the Past Tenses4:43
Learn to describe clothing in the past using the preterit and imperfect, with examples from yesterday and habitual wear, plus guidance on regional variations and choosing the right form.
Using When (Cuando) with the Past Tenses5:37
Cuando connects past actions, typically with the preterit and imperfect. The lecture explains using when with age, interruptions, and parallel actions, and how to choose between preterit and imperfect.
Describing Yesterday with Both Tenses5:15
Describe yesterday with both past tenses by mapping actions with preterit and background or feelings with imperfect, guided by question words like when, how long, where, and why.
Culminating Project: A Personal Timeline Using Both Tenses
Describing A Past Event with Both Tenses2:46
Describe a past event in Spanish using the imperfect and preterit, and practice narrating a simple story by comparing and contrasting the two tenses.
Class 3 Objectives Revisited & Next Steps4:24
Review how imperfect contrasts with preterite, with conjugations and a timeline of past actions and descriptions. Continue exposure: read, listen, and use five minutes a day toward the present subjunctive.

Requirements

Student should have a beginning understanding of the Spanish language with regards to the present tense, pronunciation, and can speak, write, comprehend spoken Spanish, and read on specific topics.
Students should have completed Spanish level 1 of a high school level Spanish language course and have some knowledge of thematic vocabulary or have completed Spanish level 101 of a college level Spanish language course and have some knowledge of thematic vocabulary.

Description

Do you struggle describing events in the Past in Spanish?

Knowing when to use the Preterit or the Imperfect Tenses?

If you want to take your Spanish knowledge to the next level and learn to describe past events using both the IMPERFECT and the PRETERIT tenses, this class is for you!

Class 3: The Past tenses is the third of the series that comprises the imperfect versus the preterit tenses. In this course you will build a strong foundation for Mastering the Past in Spanish with expressions that are typically used with each tense, and the conjugations of regular and irregular verbs.

This intermediate level class and series on the past tenses in Spanish is specifically designed for students of Spanish language and culture who want to master these grammatical structures with confidence in conversational speaking, improved reading, writing and listening skills. Not knowing the past tenses, or how to distinguish them properly, condemns students to the beginner level of understanding and performance of the Spanish language.

Ms. Diana Di Tolla skillfully breaks down both past tenses, into its most simplistic, in order for you to understand. The first phase of Class 3 is conjugation and rules of the preterit. Then, moving to simple sentences to build confidence and doing the same with the imperfect. Using expressions to provide concrete association, 50% of this course involves side by side comparisons to contrast usage of both tenses to build proficiency. Each lesson thoughtfully lays out a foundation that includes conjugating, creating simple sentences, and, building upon previous learning. Class 3 concludes with using both tenses in a culminating project. This class entails all the modalities: reading / writing / listening / speaking, thus, giving you a STRONG foundation in the past in Spanish.

These classes are highly interactive and your involvement is key to the mastering process.

Facilitate your understanding of the past tenses in Spanish, learn the steps to proficiency and practice speaking at an intermediate level. Understanding the past tenses and achieving proficiency to their use, propels students firmly into the intermediate level of performance. This is the difference between a HIGH or a LOW score on any end of year exam, DELE, or proficiency exam for Spanish language.

Who this course is for:

Students who are currently taking Spanish level 2, 3, 4 or 5 (Advanced Placement) would benefit from taking this course simultaneously.
Students are those desiring to review main principles of the two past tenses to gain further understanding and proficiency.
My target students are students who wish to move beyond the beginning/novice level of Spanish language in order to reach fluency at the intermediate level.
Students are predominantly L2 language learners, growing up in a household with spoken English and are trying to understand Spanish at an intermediate level, (typically students in the US and Canadian education systems.)
Students need to have a good grasp of spoken English and written English grammar as the presentation and comparisons are between English and Spanish.
Students who are familiar with the present tense, the preterit tense, and the imperfect tense in Spanish, subject pronouns, and the conjugation table.

Class 3: The Past Tenses in Spanish (Preterit & Imperfect)

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction10 lectures • 34min

The Second Past Tense: the Imperfect9 lectures • 29min

Comparing and Contrasting Verbs in the Imperfect and Preterit Tenses12 lectures • 1hr 2min

Comparing and Contrasting Rules and Usage of Past Tenses11 lectures • 55min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: