Editing Spanish grammar (section)

=== Past tenses ===
Spanish has a number of verb tenses used to express actions or states of being in a past time frame. The two that are "simple" in form (formed with a single word, rather than being [[compound verb]]s) are the [[preterite]] and the [[imperfect]].

==== Preterite ====
The preterite is used to express actions or events that took place in the past, and which were instantaneous or are viewed as completed. For example:
* {{lang|es|Ella se murió ayer}} (She died yesterday)
* {{lang|es|Pablo apagó las luces}} (Pablo turned the lights off)
* {{lang|es|Yo me comí el arroz}} (I ate the rice)
* {{lang|es|Te cortaste el pelo}} (You had your hair cut, Lit. "You cut yourself the hair")

{|class="wikitable"
|+Preterite forms of the regular {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ar}} verb {{lang|es|italic=yes|hablar}} ('to speak')
|-
!
!Singular
!Plural
|-
!First person
|{{lang|es|(yo) habl'''é'''}}||{{lang|es|(nosotros/-as) habl'''amos'''}}
|-
!Second person familiar
|{{lang|es|(tú, vos) habl'''aste'''}}||{{lang|es|(vosotros/-as) habl'''asteis'''}}
|-
!Second person formal
|{{lang|es|(usted) habl'''ó'''}}||{{lang|es|(ustedes) habl'''aron'''}}
|-
!Third person
|{{lang|es|(él, ella) habl'''ó'''}}||{{lang|es|(ellos, ellas) habl'''aron'''}}
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Preterite forms of the regular {{lang|es|italic=yes|-er}} verb {{lang|es|italic=yes|comer}} ('to eat')
|-
!
!Singular
!Plural
|-
!First person
|{{lang|es|(yo) com'''í'''}}||{{lang|es|(nosotros/-as) com'''imos'''}}
|-
!Second person familiar
|{{lang|es|(tú, vos) com'''iste'''}}||{{lang|es|(vosotros/-as) com'''isteis'''}}
|-
!Second person formal
|{{lang|es|(usted) com'''ió'''}}||{{lang|es|(ustedes) com'''ieron'''}}
|-
!Third person
|{{lang|es|(él, ella) com'''ió'''}}||{{lang|es|(ellos, ellas) com'''ieron'''}}
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Preterite forms of the regular {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ir}} verb {{lang|es|italic=yes|vivir}} ('to live')
|-
!
!Singular
!Plural
|-
!First person
|{{lang|es|(yo) viv'''í'''}}||{{lang|es|(nosotros/-as) viv'''imos'''}}
|-
!Second person familiar
|{{lang|es|(tú, vos) viv'''iste'''}}||{{lang|es|(vosotros/-as) viv'''isteis'''}}
|-
!Second person formal
|{{lang|es|(usted) viv'''ió'''}}||{{lang|es|(ustedes) viv'''ieron'''}}
|-
!Third person
|{{lang|es|(él, ella) viv'''ió'''}}||{{lang|es|(ellos, ellas) viv'''ieron'''}}
|}

Note that (1) for {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ar}} and {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ir}} verbs (but not {{lang|es|italic=yes|-er}}), the first-person plural form is the same as that of the present indicative; and (2) {{lang|es|italic=yes|-er}} and {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ir}} verbs share the same set of endings.

==== Imperfect or "copretérito" ====
The imperfect expresses actions or states that are viewed as ongoing in the past. For example:
* {{lang|es|Yo era cómico en el pasado}} (I was/used to be funny in the past).
* {{lang|es|Usted comía mucho}} (You ate a lot – literally, this sentence is saying "You used to eat a lot", saying that in the past, the person being referred to had a characteristic of "eating a lot").
* {{lang|es|Ellos escuchaban la radio}} (They were listening to the radio).
All three of the sentences above describe "non-instantaneous" actions that are viewed as continuing in the past. The characteristic in the first sentence and the action in the second were continuous, not instantaneous occurrences. In the third sentence, the speaker focuses on the action in progress, not on its beginning or end.

{|class="wikitable"
|+Imperfect forms of the regular {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ar}} verb {{lang|es|italic=yes|hablar}} ('to speak')
|-
!
!Singular
!Plural
|-
!First person
|{{lang|es|(yo) habl'''aba'''}}||{{lang|es|(nosotros/-as) habl'''ábamos'''}}
|-
!Second person familiar
|{{lang|es|(tú, vos) habl'''abas'''}}||{{lang|es|(vosotros/-as) habl'''abais'''}}
|-
!Second person formal
|{{lang|es|(usted) habl'''aba'''}}||{{lang|es|(ustedes) habl'''aban'''}}
|-
!Third person
|{{lang|es|(él, ella) habl'''aba'''}}||{{lang|es|(ellos, ellas) habl'''aban'''}}
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Imperfect forms of the regular {{lang|es|italic=yes|-er}} verb {{lang|es|italic=yes|comer}} ('to eat')
|-
!
!Singular
!Plural
|-
!First person
|{{lang|es|(yo) com'''ía'''}}||{{lang|es|(nosotros/-as) com'''íamos'''}}
|-
!Second person familiar
|{{lang|es|(tú, vos) com'''ías'''}}||{{lang|es|(vosotros/-as) com'''íais'''}}
|-
!Second person formal
|{{lang|es|(usted) com'''ía'''}}||{{lang|es|(ustedes) com'''ían'''}}
|-
!Third person
|{{lang|es|(él, ella) com'''ía'''}}||{{lang|es|(ellos, ellas) com'''ían'''}}
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Imperfect forms of the regular {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ir}} verb {{lang|es|italic=yes|vivir}} ('to live')
|-
!
!Singular
!Plural
|-
!First person
|{{lang|es|(yo) viv'''ía'''}}||{{lang|es|(nosotros/-as) viv'''íamos'''}}
|-
!Second person familiar
|{{lang|es|(tú, vos) viv'''ías'''}}||{{lang|es|(vosotros/-as) viv'''íais'''}}
|-
!Second person formal
|{{lang|es|(usted) viv'''ía'''}}||{{lang|es|(ustedes) viv'''ían'''}}
|-
!Third person
|{{lang|es|(él, ella) viv'''ía'''}}||{{lang|es|(ellos, ellas) viv'''ían'''}}
|}

Note that (1) for all verbs in the imperfect, the first- and third-person singular share the same form; and (2) {{lang|es|italic=yes|-er}} and {{lang|es|italic=yes|-ir}} verbs share the same set of endings.

==== Using preterite and imperfect together ====
The preterite and the imperfect can be combined in the same sentence to express the occurrence of an event in one clause during an action or state expressed in another clause. For example:
* {{lang|es|Ellos escuchaban la radio cuando oyeron un ruido afuera.}} (They were listening to the radio when they heard a noise outside.)
* {{lang|es|Yo estaba en mi cuarto cuando usted entró.}} (I was in my room when you came in.)
* {{lang|es|Era un día muy tranquilo cuando eso pasó.}} (It was a very peaceful day when that happened.)
In all three cases, an event or completed action interrupts an ongoing state or action. For example, in the second sentence, the speaker states that he was in his room (expressed through the imperfect to reflect the ongoing or unfinished state of being there) when the other person "interrupted" that state by entering (expressed through the preterite to suggest a completed action).