Instruction: Spanish Preterite Tense – Regular

The preterite tense in Spanish is one of the two main past tenses and is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific point in the past. Unlike the imperfect tense, which is used for ongoing or habitual actions, the preterite is used for actions that have a clear beginning and end. It’s often used to tell stories or recount events that happened at specific times.

Overview of the Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is straightforward in its function: it communicates that an action was completed in the past. It’s the Spanish equivalent of the English simple past (e.g., “I spoke,” “she ate,” “we lived”).

When to Use the Preterite:

• To express actions that have been completed
  • Ayer hablé con mi amigo. (Yesterday, I spoke with my friend.)
  • El año pasado viajamos a México. (Last year, we traveled to Mexico.)
• To describe events that happened at a specific point in time
  • Esta mañana comí cereal. (This morning, I ate cereal.)
• To indicate a series of completed actions
  • Me levanté, me duché, y salí de casa. (I got up, showered, and left the house.)

Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the Preterite Tense

Regular verbs in the preterite tense follow specific patterns based on their endings: -ar, -er, and -ir.

1. -ar Verbs:

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite tense, remove the -ar ending and add the following endings: