Vocabulary
This word describes clothing that has lost its original color from washing or sun exposure. What is it?
destenido/a (faded)
A student writes: Ayer ella fui al supermercado.
Identify and correct all errors.
Fui is the yo form. Corrected: Ayer ella fue al supermercado.
Choose the correct tense and explain why: Cuando era niña, (fui / iba) al mercado con mi abuela todos los sábados.
iba — habitual, repeated action with no defined endpoint. Fui would mean she went once on a specific occasion
The imperfect has only three irregular verbs. Name all three and give their full conjugations
ser: era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran / ir: iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban / ver: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían
What is the exact formula for the imperfect progressive, and how does it differ from the simple imperfect in emphasis?
Imperfect of estar + present participle (-ando/-iendo). Simple imperfect = general ongoing or habitual state; imperfect progressive = emphasizes an action visibly and actively in progress at that specific moment.
Give the Spanish terms for both a striped fabric pattern and a plaid or checkered fabric pattern
a rayas (stripes), a cuadros (plaid/checkered)
Conjugate servir in the preterite for él and ellos. Why are these forms different from a regular -IR verb?
él sirvió / ellos sirvieron — stem-changing -IR verbs shift e→i in the third person preterite (él, ellos only); all other persons conjugate regularly.
Fill in both blanks with the correct tense: Mi madre ______ (comprar) la ternera mientras yo ______ (hablar) con el carnicero.
compraba / hablaba — both are imperfect because both actions were ongoing simultaneously in the background. Neither one interrupts the other.
Write two sentences about childhood eating habits using the imperfect: one with a regular verb and one with an irregular verb.
De niño, comía cereal todas las mañanas. Siempre íbamos a un restaurante de mariscos los domingos.
Form the imperfect progressive of servir for él and pedir for nosotros. Note any stem changes
él estaba sirviendo / nosotros estábamos pidiendo — stem-changing -IR verbs shift e→i in the present participle.
Name the three table condiment containers a waiter might place on your table before you order.
el pimentero (pepper shaker), el salero (salt shaker), la azucarera (sugar bowl)
Use traer, poner, and decir all in the preterite in one sentence about a restaurant scene.
Sample:El camarero trajo la cuenta, la puso en la mesa y dijo que el postre estaba incluido.
Cuando era niño, siempre __________ (ir) al supermercado los sábados con mi padre cuando de repente ________ (cerrar) el supermercado.
Translate precisely: "The cashier was about 30 years old, she was very pleasant, and she always recognized the regular customers."
La cajera tenía unos 30 años, era muy agradable y siempre reconocía a los clientes habituales.
Combine these two sentences into one using cuando & the imperfect progressive: El cocinero preparaba la salsa secreta. / La inspectora de salud entró a la cocina.
El cocinero estaba preparando la salsa secreta cuando la inspectora de salud entró a la cocina.
What single Spanish word covers both the concept of "flavor" and "taste" as a noun?
el sabor
What is the only spelling change in the preterite of hacer, in which form does it occur, and why does it happen?
hice → hizo in the él/ella/Ud. form.
A student writes: Siempre pedía el atún, pero ayer pedí los camarones. Is this correct? Explain the tense logic for each verb.
Correct. Pedía = habitual past action (always, imperfect); pedí = single specific completed action yesterday (preterite). Both tenses are used precisely.
A student asks: "Why can't I use the imperfect to say I ate dinner last night?" Give a precise grammatical explanation.
Last night is a specific, completed time frame with a defined end. The imperfect requires no defined endpoint — it describes ongoing, habitual, or background states. A single completed dinner last night requires the preterite: cené anoche.
Write a three-sentence mini-story using the imperfect progressive for background actions and the preterite for interrupting events. Use restaurant or shopping vocabulary from the unit.
Sample: Mi familia estaba eligiendo las prendas en el centro comercial cuando de repente sonó una alarma. El cajero estaba contando el dinero cuando todas las luces se apagaron. Yo estaba probándome un vestido rosado cuando el guardia nos pidió que saliéramos. Accept any grammatically correct response.
Your group has 1 min & 30 seconds.
Write a complete dinner order for a group of 4 individuals — in Spanish — using at least eight vocabulary words from the unit. The order must include an appetizer & a main dish for each person.
Answers will vary.
Your group has 3 minutes to write a three sentence story entirely in the preterite about a disastrous night at a restaurant.
Answers will vary.
You must fill in the blank, identify which tense is correct to use:
De niña, ella siempre ______ (pedir) el atún en ese restaurante.
El sábado pasado, el cocinero ______ (agregar) demasiada sal a la salsa.
Nosotros ______ (conocer) al chef famoso en el centro comercial el año pasado.
Cuando era joven, mi abuela ______ (ir) al mercado todos los viernes
1. pedía (imperfect — habitual: siempre); 2. agregó (preterite — specific completed action: el sábado pasado); 3. conocimos (preterite — met for the first time: specific event); 4. iba (imperfect — habitual: todos los viernes)
Describe a busy supermarket scene using only the imperfect tense.
Write at least two sentences using vocabulary from the unit
Sample: El supermercado estaba lleno de gente. Los cajeros trabajaban rápidamente. Los clientes buscaban las frutas, los mariscos y la carne de res. Unos niños probaban muestras cerca del mostrador y los meseros repasaban los pedidos.
Your group has 90 seconds to write three sentences, each following this exact structure:
[person] + estaba/estaban + [present participle] + cuando + [preterite interruption].
Each sentence must use a different subject, a different main verb, and must include vocabulary from the unit.
Answers may vary