Preterito Imperfecto D:

Question

Hi, I've been trying to translate this sentence for a while now, and was wondering if someone could help me with it

"Le pedí que me [ayudara/ayudase] con ese trabajo pero no quiso hacerlo"

What I can get from it is "I forgot that he might help me with this work, but he didnt want to do it"

Doesn't really sound right to me, which im sure it isnt

Help would be appreciated

Also, just to be sure can someone confirm that these are the correct translations for these sentences

"Pidió que le [diéramos/diésemos] su numero de telefono"

• He asked us to give him our telephone number
• He asked that we might give him our telephone number

"Buscaba a alquien que [pudiera/pudiese] jugar al tenis conmigo"

• I was looking for someone that might be able to play tennis with me

I feel like I should be writing "have been able", but I guess thats for the pluperfect subjunctive'

Answer 1

*"Buscaba a alquien que [pudiera/pudiese] jugar al tenis conmigo"

• I was looking for someone that might be able to play tennis with me*

It's the English that's confusing here, not the Spanish (due to the can / be able switches in tense). You could say:

I was looking for someone who could play tennis with me.

Answer 2

Estoy de acuerdo con el uso del pretérito. Es verdad que este chambón ya no quiere ofrecerle su ayuda.

samdie said:

Valerie said:

Samdie (or anyone I guess), doesn't "no quiso" mean "he refused" ? I seem to remember reading somewhere that if you wanted to say "he didn't want to" you had to say "no quería"....

On further consideration, I´m partly inclined to agree with you (though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "rule"). There is a kind of "abruptness" to "quiso" (versus "quería") that could be better reflected by "refused". In conversation, you might also say "he flat out didn't want to". This, too, would suggest a sudden stop to the discussion.

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Answer 3

Gus, This is a very popular construction when talking about sports that one plays.- jugar al/a la/a los/ a las... I say use the a + definite article.

Gus said:

"Buscaba a alguien que [pudiera/pudiese] jugar al tenis conmigo"'buscaba a alguien que pudiera jugar tenis conmigo'? no,al tenis conmigo

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Answer 4

"Buscaba a alguien que [pudiera/pudiese] jugar al tenis conmigo"

'buscaba a alguien que pudiera jugar tenis conmigo'? no,al tenis conmigo

Answer 5

Valerie said:

Samdie (or anyone I guess), doesn't "no quiso" mean "he refused" ? I seem to remember reading somewhere that if you wanted to say "he didn't want to" you had to say "no quería"....
On further consideration, I´m partly inclined to agree with you (though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "rule"). There is a kind of "abruptness" to "quiso" (versus "quería") that could be better reflected by "refused". In conversation, you might also say "he flat out didn't want to". This, too, would suggest a sudden stop to the discussion.

Answer 6

Ayudara, ayudase- Both correct but the ayudase is called the literary form of the imperfect subjunctive and is rarely used in speech. Same reason for diésemos and pudiese.
Might check your spelling of alquien--> alguien, numero--> número, telefono---|> teléfono.
Le pedí.. = I asked him
ese trabajo= that work, este trabajo = this work

Answer 7

Samdie (or anyone I guess), doesn't "no quiso" mean "he refused" ? I seem to remember reading somewhere that if you wanted to say "he didn't want to" you had to say "no quería"....

Answer 8

Ah!
Thank you!

Answer 9

1) I asked him to help me with that work but he didn't want to do it. (pedir = to ask [for something])
2 & 3 O.K.