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This lesson teaches common Spanish expressions used with past tenses to express if past actions were habitual or completed. Key expressions like "ayer", "de repente", and "el mes pasado" pair with the simple past (pretérito indefinido) for completed events, while "muchas veces", "durante", and "anteriormente" are used with the imperfect tense for ongoing or repeated actions. It also highlights expressions that mark beginnings or endings in past narratives. Understanding these helps learners accurately express past time frames and nuances, crucial for effective communication in Spanish.
  1. We use ayer, de repente, el mes pasado with the preterite tense.
  2. We use muchas veces, durante, anteriormente with the imperfect tense.
  3. At principio and at final indicate beginning or ending.
Expresión (Expression)Tipo de pasado (Type of past)Ejemplo (Example)
Ayer (Yesterday)IndefinidoAyer visité la academia por primera vez.
Muchas veces (Many times)ImperfectoMuchas veces leía en la biblioteca por la tarde.
De repente (Suddenly)IndefinidoDe repente cerró la puerta del aula.
Durante (During)ImperfectoEstudiaba durante toda la mañana para el examen.
El mes pasado (Last month)IndefinidoEl mes pasado empecé un nuevo curso de máster.
Anteriormente (Previously)ImperfectoAnteriormente, trabajaba como practicante en la academia.
Al principio (At first)IndefinidoAl principio entró sin decir nada.
Al final (In the end)IndefinidoAl final presentó su proyecto al grupo.

 

Exercise 1: Expresiones con los tiempos del pasado: "Ayer", "De repente" , "El mes pasado" , etc...

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Completé, tuvimos, Empezamos, soñaba, parecían, entró, prestaba, escribí

1. Entrar:
: De repente ... un profesor desconocido.
(Suddenly, an unknown teacher entered.)
2. Empezar (nosotros):
: ... las prácticas hace tres semanas.
(We started the placements three weeks ago.)
3. Soñar (ella):
: Muchas veces ... con estudiar en el extranjero.
(I often dreamed of studying abroad.)
4. Tener (nosotros):
: Ayer ... clase de literatura española.
(Yesterday we had a Spanish literature class.)
5. Prestar:
: Durante años, él ... libros en la biblioteca del colegio.
(For years, he used to lend books in the school library.)
6. Parecer:
: Al principio del curso, todos ... nerviosos.
(At the beginning of the course, everyone seemed nervous.)
7. Completar (yo):
: ... el curso el mes pasado.
(I completed the course last month.)
8. Escribir (yo):
: Ayer ... una carta para pedir la matrícula
(Yesterday I wrote a letter to apply for enrolment)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that appropriately uses time expressions with past tenses.

1.
With 'yesterday' the imperfect and habitual expressions are not used.
With 'yesterday' the simple past should be used, not the imperfect.
2.
'Suddenly' indicates a punctual, not habitual, action, so the imperfect is not used with frequency.
'Suddenly' requires the simple past, not the imperfect.
3.
'Previously' indicates habituality and is used with the imperfect, not the simple past.
The expression 'once' indicates a punctual action and should not be used with the imperfect.
4.
'Last month' is not combined with the imperfect nor with habitual expressions.
With 'last month' the simple past is used, not the imperfect.

Expressions with Past Tenses: "Ayer", "De repente", "El mes pasado", and More

This lesson focuses on common Spanish expressions used with past tenses, helping learners understand how to indicate whether an action in the past was habitual or punctual. You will learn to recognize and use expressions like ayer (yesterday), de repente (suddenly), and el mes pasado (last month), which are typically combined with the pretérito indefinido (simple past) to describe completed actions.

Key Expressions and Their Past Tenses

  • Ayer, de repente, el mes pasado: used with the indefinido to express specific, completed past actions, e.g., "Ayer visité la academia por primera vez."
  • Muchas veces, durante, anteriormente: paired with the imperfecto to describe repeated or habitual actions in the past, e.g., "Muchas veces leía en la biblioteca por la tarde."
  • Al principio and al final: highlight the beginning or end of past events, mostly used with the indefinido, e.g., "Al principio entró sin decir nada."

Using This Knowledge

Understanding which expressions commonly pair with the imperfecto or indefinido helps you accurately express time frames and nuances of past actions. For example, "De repente cerró la puerta del aula" conveys a sudden action, while "Durante toda la mañana estudiaba para el examen" emphasizes a continuous past activity.

Grammar Note

In Spanish, the pretérito indefinido focuses on completed actions at specific moments, whereas the imperfecto describes ongoing or habitual past actions. Expressions such as "ayer" and "el mes pasado" call for the indefinido, while "muchas veces" and "anteriormente" require the imperfecto. In English, the distinction between past simple and past continuous also exists, but temporal phrases often do not enforce tense choice as strictly as in Spanish.

Useful Phrases

  • ayer – yesterday
  • de repente – suddenly
  • el mes pasado – last month
  • muchas veces – many times
  • durante – during
  • anteriormente – previously
  • al principio – at the beginning
  • al final – at the end

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