Preterite tense
There are certain situations in the past that will be stated using the preterite tense. Usually preterite
situations have something to do with completed actions that can be placed at a specific point
in time. The acronym SAFE will help you remember the types of situations in the past that require
you to use the preterite tense. In the English examples below, the verbs in bold would be conjugated
in the preterite in Spanish because of the way they are used in the sentence.
S
Specific instance or number of instances
Le llamé tres veces. Él me llamó ayer.
I called him three times. He called me yesterday.
A
Action that interrupts ongoing events
Ella llamó mientras yo trabajaba.
She called while I was working.
F
Focus on beginning or ending of action
Llovió a las seis y media.
It rained at 6:30.
E
Enclosed amount of time, or limited and completed time frame
Los árabes controlaron la mayoría de España por más de 700 años.
The Arabs controlled much of Spain for over 700 years.
Video Preterite vs. Imperfect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMoIZomZG0Q&list=WL&index=46
Imperfect Situations
In grammatical terms, the word “perfect” means completed. The prefix im– means “not,” so
imperfect means not completed. Thus, the imperfect tense is generally used in situations where
the completion of the verb is not certain, or at least not the point of the sentence. The acronym
WATERS will help you remember that the imperfect is generally used to express ongoing
situations that sort of “flow on” and have no specific place in time. Each word that represents a
letter in WATERS indicates a situation when an imperfect verb will be used. In the following
examples, verbs in the imperfect are in bold.
 Weather
Llovía.
It was raining.
 Age
Cuando tenía tres años, quería ser bombera.
When I was three, I wanted to be a firefighter.
 Time
Eran las cuatro.
It was four o'clock.
 Emotion
Estaba cansada.
I was tired.
 Repetition
Yo visitaba a mi abuela de vez en cuando.
I used to visit my grandmother from time to time.
 Setting or description
El sol brillaba y la vista era bonita.
The sun was shining and the view was pretty.
Since the English language doesn't have a special tense to indicate repetitive or ongoing actions,
there are a number of ways to get across this idea. The expression “used to …“ in front of a verb, or
even using the word “would” in front of the verb can indicate repetitive actions. For example: “I used
to study a lot” or “I would cry every day in kindergarten.” To show ongoing actions in English, the
past progressive tense is often used: “I was studying …“ Don't try to translate these expressions
literally into Spanish, just use the imperfect conjugation of the verb.
Present Tense Forms
Usually the first tense everyone learns when learning a new language, the present tense (el presente)
opens up many doors to communication providing a manner to ask questions, describe
someone, regular activities(things you do), abilities(what can you do), and present actions.
The Spanish present tense, called el presente, is quite similar in usage to the English present tense.
El presente is used to express:
I.
Current actions and situations
Estoy listo.
Vamos al mercado.
I am ready.
We are going to the market.
II. Habitual actions
Voy a la escuela todos los días. I go to school every day
Veo una película los sábados. I see a movie on Saturdays.
III. Absolute and general truths
La tierra es grande.
La escuela es importante.
The earth is big.
School is important.
IV. Actions which will occur in the near future
Voy al mercado lunes.
Ana llega a las dos.
I'll go to the store Monday.
Ana's arriving at two.
V. Conditions in si clauses
Si puedo, iré contigo.
If I can, I will go with you.
El presente has three different English equivalents. The English helping verbsto be and to do are
not translated into the Spanish present tense.
I eat
I am eating } Yo como.
I do eat
If you want to emphasize the fact that something is happening right now, you can use the present
progressive:
I am eating (right now)
I'm in the process of eating
} Estoy comiendo.
Present Indicative Uses
The present tense in Spanish is used to express several English equivalents which may seem unnatural at
first, but with practice, using the present tense will seem like second nature.
1. Habitual Actions
Habitual actions are the activities that a person does every day (or very often) for a long period of time. Daily
routines, responsibilities, and job-related activities can be expressed this way.
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
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Me levanto a las seis y media cada mañana. (I get up at six thirty every morning.)(reflexives)
Doy de comer al perro tres veces cada día. (I feed the dog three times each day.)
Trabajo para el zoológico. (I work for the zoo.)
Estudio biología en la universidad. (I study Biology at the university.)
2. Single Present Tense Events
In English and Spanish, this is usually expressed using the present progressive, but it is possible to use the
present tense in Spanish as well.
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

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¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)
Limpio la cocina. (I´m cleaning the kitchen.) Estoy limpiando la conica.
¿Cómo estás? (How are you doing?)
Estoy bien, gracias. (I´m doing well, thank you.)
3. Timeless Events/Universal Truths
These are phrases that are not connected to a specific time, but are generally known. These can be facts, or
generally accepted opinions.
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Uno más uno son dos. (One plus one is two.)
La verdad es el amor. (The truth is love.)
El hombre es mortal. (Man-kind is mortal.)
4. Hypothetical Situations
When introduced by si, the present tense expresses a hypothetical situation and reaction.
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
Si llega Marcos, salgo. (If Marcos arrives, I leave.)
Si llueve, la fiesta termina. (If it rains, the party ends.)
5. Past Tense Events that Continue to the Present
There are certain situations that may have begun in the past, but are still going on in the present. These are
expressed using:
hace + time + que + present tense verb


Hace tres años que esperamos tu llamada. (We´ve been waiting three years for your call.)
Hace una semana que pinta este cuadro. (He´s been painting this painting for a week.)