how do you remember the conjugations for the tenses: specifically preterit and imperfect?

Question

I guess how do you remember the conjugations for the tenses?

Answer 1

Practice, practice, practice. Use the forum here and watch Paralee's videos to learn. This is a great place to interact and use what you learn. Good luck!!

Answer 2

practice them, a lot. I'm still going over them, it's when your confronted with them in something and you have to work out what tense it is I find most difficult Another thing that might help you to learn it is to think of it in 2 parts. The I; You; He/She/It part... Then the We; You; They; - thats how i always remember them anyway

Answer 3

Make a chart and flashcards. Review daily until your comfort level increases.

Answer 4

Here is my method. It's long-winded and laborious but it works for me. Basically, I write out the paradigm of the verb I want to learn. I do one tense at a time. As I write out each of the various forms, I say it out loud. I repeat this 6 or 7 times. Then I either move onto another tense or onto another verb and do it all over again. I make a list of the verbs and which tenses I have done and go back and test myself after a few days/weeks. Any that I have forgotten, I will write them out again. Slowly you build up a memory bank and it becomes easier. I sometimes choose the verbs in random, but more often than not, I learn them in groups, ie the ones with, say the same stem changing. The saying out loud is important as it reinforces the association of the written form to the pronunciation.

I have used this for French verbs and it has worked pretty well. Of coruse, I still have to go back to the verb book to check a conjugation, especially on the speeliong. But then my native French friends do, as well !

The bottom line is that it takes time and effort. No short cuts. A little and oftenmis probably best.