Editing Spanish grammar (section)

==== 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.