G A M E Past Tense Practice - Preterite & Imperfect
For those of you who found our last Preterite vs Imperfect game a little too advanced I thought I'd get a new one going and keep it a bit simpler.
Here's a helpful link Pret vs Imp
and some tips: (caveat emptor: bear in mind there are always exceptions and these are just basic guidelines to get you started - nothing replaces listening and reading as the best way to learn when and where to use these tenses!
)
Preterite:
Specific time/duration.
Stressing the beginning/end of an action.
Narrating a sequence of completed actions/events.
Describing sudden changes in physical states or emotions.
Narrating an action that interrupts another ongoing action.
Imperfect:
Physical states (not changes).
Describing intrinsic characteristics of places, things and conditions in the past.
For ongoing actions (not completed).
Recurring and habitual actions.
Background/Setting the Scene
The weather or time in the past when other event occurred.
How to play:
Translate the given sentence into Spanish using the correct preterite or imperfect verb forms.
Post one new fairly simple sentence in English that includes at least one verb in the past.
If it runs like a story that's great fun but if not, no worries.
The thread should look like this:
GIven:
Translated:
New Sentence:
I'll start us off:
New Sentence: Who broke the cup?
114 Answers
Given: I spoke to my mother by telephone today and she gave me her shopping list, but I lost it. Now what do I do?
Translates: Hablé a mi mamá hoy por teléfono y me dió su lista de compras pero la perdí. Ahora, ¿qué debo hacer?
(¿qué hago? didn't seem quite right??)
Edit:
Gracias a nuestro lagarto favorito
Hablé con mi mamá hoy por teléfono y me dió su lista de compras pero la perdí. Ahora, ¿qué hago?
New Sentence: Yesterday my sister was telling me what a good time she had at the party.
Given: Yesterday, I sold some collectibles that I collected when I was young.
Translation: Ayer vendí unos colleccionables que collecioné cuando era joven
New Sentence: The factory used to make chocolate bars but then closed down
Given sentence
I knew that I was breaking the law when I ran the stop sign, but I drive a stick shift - what would you do?
Translation.Supe que rompí la ley cuando pasé la señal de stop sin parada pero conduzco una palanca de transmisión manua. ¿Qué deberías hacer?
My brother called this week to say that my nephew was engaged.
Given: I saw two puppies who were sleeping on a blanket
Translation. Vi dos perritos durmiendo en una manta
New Sentence. I said hello but they did not hear me
Given: .It was 15th March when they got married.
Translated: Era el 15 de Marzo cuando se casaron
New: It was a really sunny day and I forgot to drink water.
Given It was a really sunny day and I forgot to drink water.
Translated: Hacía mucho sol y se me olvidé a beber agua o
Era un día mucho sol y me olvidé beber el agua
Reason: 1 imperfect used to describe the weather when event ocurred 2 Preterite used here to narrate an individual event: I forgot to drink water
New sentence: The new neighbours took their children to the park and the children played on the swings
Given The new neighbours took their children to the park and the children played on the swings.
Los nuevos vecinos trajeron a sus niños al parque y los niños jugaron en los columpios.
I met a person on Skype the other day who used to live on Guam.
Given: Yesterday i bought a new video game at the store .
Translated: Ayer compré un juego neuvo de video en la tienda.
Reason: compré - singular action completed in the past
New Sentence: The man was kind to the children.
I worked in the city today.
Trabajé en la ciudad hoy.
Kiwi Girl created this game.
Given: I went shopping and bought a new shirt! It was really pretty!
Translated: ¡Fui de compras y me compré una camisa nueva! ¡Era muy bonita!
New Sentence: While you went shopping, did you see my sister?
Given:
But wait, I was sure that I had seen this handwriting before.
Translation:
Pero espera, estaba seguro de que hube visto esta caligrafía antes.
New Sentence:
It was my own handwriting, but it was written with red ink, or was it written with blood?
Given:
"We have been watching you!" That freaked me out, seriously, what was going on here?
Translation:
¡Hemos estado mirandote! Ay, eso me puso los pelos de punta, de verdad ¿qué estaba pasando aquí?
New Sentence:
But wait, I was sure that I had seen this handwriting before.
Given: I reached into the car, grabbed the note, and it said....
Translation: Metí la mano en el coche, agarré la nota y la dijo
New Sentence: "We have been watching you!" That freaked me out, seriously, what was going on here?
Given: I looked through the window and saw my keys in the car!
Translation: Miré por la ventana y vi mis llaves en el coche!
New Sentence: I reached into the car, grabbed the note, and it said....
Given: Chris ordered them with pickle and ketchup but they were served with mustard and onion.
Translation: Chris las pidió con encurtidos y catsup pero se las sirvieron con mostaza y cebolla.
New Sentence: Why didn't you guys turn the lights off when you left the house?
