Preterite Vs. Imperfect II
Uses of the preterite and imperfect in Spanish.
Questions and Answers
- 1.
Ella (vivir) ________________ en Barcelona por dos años.
Explanation
The correct answer is "vivió" because the sentence is in the past tense and refers to Ella living in Barcelona for two years. "Vivió" is the past tense form of the verb "vivir" (to live) in the third person singular form, which agrees with Ella as the subject of the sentence.Rate this question:
- 2.
I used to ride my bike every day.
- A.
Yo montar en bicicleta todos los días.
- B.
Yo monté en bicicleta todos los días.
- C.
Yo montaba en bicicleta todos los días.
- D.
Yo monta en bicicleta todos los días.
Correct Answer
C. Yo montaba en bicicleta todos los días.Explanation
The correct answer is "Yo montaba en bicicleta todos los días." This is the correct form of the imperfect tense in Spanish, which is used to describe past actions that were habitual or ongoing. The sentence is talking about a past routine of riding a bike every day, so the imperfect tense is the appropriate choice.Rate this question:
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- 3.
I was writing an essay when the telephone rang.
- A.
Yo escribí un ensayo cuando sonaba el teléfono.
- B.
Yo escribía un ensayo cuando sonaba el teléfono.
- C.
Yo escribí un ensayo cuando sonó el teléfono.
- D.
Yo escribía un ensayo cuando sonó el teléfono.
Correct Answer
D. Yo escribía un ensayo cuando sonó el teléfono.Explanation
The correct answer is "Yo escribía un ensayo cuando sonó el teléfono." This is because the sentence is describing an action that was ongoing in the past (writing an essay) when another action (the telephone ringing) happened. The imperfect tense "escribía" is used to describe the ongoing action, and the preterite tense "sonó" is used to describe the action that interrupted it.Rate this question:
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- 4.
The Maya had a very advanced civilization.Los Maya (tener)___________ una civilización muy avanzada.
Correct Answer
teníanExplanation
The correct answer is "tenían" which is the correct conjugation of the verb "tener" in the past tense for the subject "Los Maya". This indicates that the Maya had a very advanced civilization in the past.Rate this question:
- 5.
They were very happy, but then it began to rain.
- A.
Estuvieron muy alegres, pero entonces empieza a llover.
- B.
Estaban muy alegres, pero entonces empezó a llover.
- C.
Estaban muy alegres, pero entonces llovía.
- D.
Estuvieron muy alegres, pero entonces empezó a llover.
Correct Answer
B. Estaban muy alegres, pero entonces empezó a llover.Explanation
The correct answer is "Estaban muy alegres, pero entonces empezó a llover." This is the correct translation of the given sentence "They were very happy, but then it began to rain." The verb "estaban" is the correct past tense form of "estar" (to be) to match the past tense "were" in the English sentence. "Empezó" is the correct past tense form of "empezar" (to begin) to match "began" in the English sentence.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Marco y Carlos (querer)____________ un perro mucho, pero su papa siempre les (decir)___________ no.*separate answers with a comma and space, as in "uno, dos"
Correct Answer
querían, decíaExplanation
Marco y Carlos querían un perro mucho, pero su papa siempre les decía no. This sentence is in the past tense and refers to Marco and Carlos wanting a dog. The verb "querían" is the imperfect tense of "querer" which means "to want" and is used to express ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The verb "decía" is the imperfect tense of "decir" which means "to say" and is used to describe what their father used to say.Rate this question:
- 7.
Yo (comprar)_____________ un auto nuevo.
Correct Answer
compréExplanation
The correct answer is "compré". In this sentence, the verb "comprar" is conjugated in the first person singular form of the past tense, which is "compré". This indicates that the subject of the sentence, "yo" (I), performed the action of buying a new car in the past.Rate this question:
UN Spanish Language Day Quiz: Test Your Spanish Vocabulary!
UN Spanish Language Day Quiz: Test Your Spanish Vocabulary!
Spanish Test - Translate these questions into English
Spanish Test - Translate these questions into English
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