1. El Preterito Time: Key Phrases: Structure: Simple tense
refers to specific, completed past actions
Key Phrases:
Certain time (last night, yesterday at 4:00, last July 4th)
certain number of times (once, 3 times)
Structure: Simple tense
verb stem + ending

2. The Preterite Tense Fixed point in time Specific number of actions
I called you at 3:00
Specific number of actions
I called you five times
Enclosed amount of time
I worked for eight hours.

3. Sometimes time is implied rather than stated.
I went to John’s party.
We ate at McDonald’s.
The meeting was boring
In the first 2 sentences, it is implied that the action happened once.
in the 3rd, we can assume that the meeting, from beginning to end, was boring.

4. Forming regular verbs in the preterite.
-ar verbs. Drop the –ar and add the following endings
-amos
-aron -é
-aste -ó
hablar (I spoke, you spoke, he spoke)
nosotros hablamos
ellos hablaron
yo hablé
tú hablaste
él habló

5. -er and –ir verbs. Drop the –er or –ir and add the following endings
-imos
-ieron -í
-iste
-ió
vivir (I lived, you lived, he lived)
comer (I ate, you ate, he ate)
nosotros vivimos
ellos vivieron
yo comí
tú comiste
él comió
yo viví
tú viviste
él vivió
nosotros comimos
ellos comieron

6. Orthographic Changes in Regular Verbs (Crazy yo’s!)
verbs ending in gar; insert u before the e
yo llegué
verbs ending in car; change c to qu
yo busqué
verbs ending in zar; change z to c.
yo almorcé