The Preterite: -AR Verbs

The Preterite: -AR Verbs

How to Talk about Past Events

What is the Preterite?

The preterite is a speaking tense in Spanish that is used to talk about completed actions in the the past. In English, it would be verbs that end in -ed.

Multiple Choice

Pop Question! What is the preterite used for?

• Completed events in the present

• Events in the future

• Completed events in the past

• Events in the present

How to Conjugate -AR Verbs

• Today, we will be looking at the preterite form of -ar verbs

• Every ending in the preterite (except in nosotros) is different compared to the present tense.

• -AR verbs that have a stem change in the present DO NOT have a stem change in the preterite.

Multiple Select

Select ALL of the preterite -AR verb endings.

• Í

• ASTEIS

• IÓ

• ARON

• ASTE

Multiple Choice

What is the correct Spanish translation of the English sentence? "Last night, I studied for my biology test."

• Anoche, yo estudiar para mi examen de la biología.

• Anoche, yo estudiaba para mi examen de la biología.

• Anoche, yo estudio para mi examen de la biología.

• Anoche, yo estudié para mi examen de la biología.

Helpful Expressions

• The following words and expression should help you determine if you need to use the preterite:

• Anoche --> Last night

• Ayer --> Yesterday

• La semana pasada --> Last week

• El mes pasado --> Last month

• El año pasado --> Last year

Multiple Choice

What tense and conjugation should you use for this Spanish sentence? "Ayer, mi madre y yo ____ (comprar; to buy) zapatos nuevos.

• Preterite; compramos

• Present; compramos

• Present; compran

• Preterite; compraron

Multiple Choice

What tense and conjugation should you use for this Spanish sentence? "El año pasado, mis hermanas ___ (jugar; to play) al fútbol con sus equipo.

• Preterite; jugaste

• Present; juegan

• Preterite; jugaron

• Present; juegas

-CAR, -GAR, -ZAR Verbs

• Verbs that end in -car, -gar, and -zar have a spelling change in the first person singular (Yo form).

• These changes to the first person only apply in the preterite and the first person

Multiple Choice

What is the correct translation of the English sentence? "Last night, I stared cleaning the kitchen."

• Anoche, yo comenzé a limpiar la cocina.

• Anoche, yo comencé a limpiar la cocina.

• Anoche, yo empecé a limpiar la cocina

• Anoche, yo empezé a limpiar la cocina.

Lets practice!

On the next 5 slides, you will practice the preterite for -ar verbs,-car/-gar/-zar verbs, and determine if the sentence is in the past or the present.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct Spanish translation of the English sentence? "Last night, my mother cooked meatloaf with green beans."

• Anoche, mi madre cocina pastel de carne con judías verdes.

• Anoche, mi madre cocinó pastel de carne con judías verdes.

• Anoche, mi madre cocinar pastel de carne con judías verdes.

• Ayer, mi madre cocinó pastel de carne con judías verdes.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct tense and conjugation of this English sentence? "Last night, I ___ (usar; to use) mi cepillo hacer mi pelo.

• Present; uso

• Preterite; usí

• Future; usaré

• Preterite; usé