Spanish grammar - El imperfecto for -ER and -IR verbs |
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The rule for forming el imperfecto for regular -ER and -IR verbs is as follows: Remove the -er or -ir ending from the infinitive to get the stem. Add the following endings to the stem: • yo add -ía • tú add -ías • él, ella, usted add -ía • nosotros, nosotras add -íamos • vosotros, vosotras add -íais • ellos, ellas, ustedes add -ían Or for two ongoing simultaneous actions - 'I was doing that 'while' (mientras) that was happening'. |
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Yo bebía café mientras leía el periódico.
I was drinking coffee while I was reading the newspaper.
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Tú comías pizza mientras veías la televisión.
You (informal) were eating pizza while you were watching TV.
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Ella corría en el parque cuando empezó a llover.
She was running in the park when it started to rain.
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Nosotros vivíamos en Madrid cuando conocimos a Pedro.
We were living in Madrid when we met Pedro.
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Vosotros escribíais cartas mientras escuchabais música.
You all (informal) were writing letters while you were listening to music.
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Ellos vendían frutas en el mercado cuando llegó el cliente.
They were selling fruits in the market when the customer arrived.
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Yo abría la puerta mientras hablaba por teléfono.
I was opening the door while I was talking on the phone.
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Tú leías un libro mientras esperabas el autobús.
You (informal) were reading a book while you were waiting for the bus.
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Él recibía correos electrónicos mientras trabajaba.
He was receiving emails while he was working.
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Nosotros subíamos las escaleras cuando sonó el teléfono.
We were going up the stairs when the phone rang.
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Vosotros salíais de la casa cuando empezó la tormenta.
You all (informal) were leaving the house when the storm started.
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Ellas compartían secretos mientras caminaban juntas.
They (feminine) were sharing secrets while they were walking to-gether.
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Yo decidía qué estudiar mientras miraba la lista de cursos.
I was deciding what to study while I was looking at the list of courses.
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Tú subías al autobús cuando sonó tu teléfono.
You (informal) were getting on the bus when your phone rang.
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Él asistía a la clase cuando el profesor hizo una pregunta.
He was attending the class when the teacher asked a question.
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Vosotros cubríais la mesa cuando llegó la comida.
You all (informal) were covering the table when the food arrived.
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Ellos discutían sobre política mientras bebían vino.
They were discussing politics while they were drinking wine.
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Yo dividía la cuenta mientras tú pagabas.
I was dividing the bill while (you, informal) were paying.
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