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Past routines and past events: imperfect tense

Past routines and past events: imperfect tense

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Why this why now

Pupils are already familiar with singular forms of 'estar' in the imperfect tense. Now, they are introduced to using the imperfect tense to talk about past habitual events. They learn singular forms of the imperfect tense for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in addition to irregular verb 'ser'. Pupils strengthen their knowledge of the preterite by contrasting it with the imperfect. They also revisit modal verbs, the difference between 'ser' and 'estar', prenominal adjectives, and 'cuando' as a relative pronoun. Pupils revisit key sounds r, rr, l, ll, and stress patterns.

Prior knowledge requirements

  • Pupils know singular persons of 'estar' in the imperfect.
  • Pupils know singular and plural persons of -ar, -er, -ir regular and irregular verbs in the preterite.
  • Pupils know modal verbs 'deber', 'poder', 'querer' in the present tense.
  • Pupils know singular and plural persons of 'ser' in the present tense.
  • Pupils know how to use 'cuando' as a relative pronoun.
  • Pupils know the difference between 'ser' and 'estar'.
  • Pupils know that some adjectives come before a noun.
  • Pupils know how to form the present participle.

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Why this why now

Pupils are already familiar with singular forms of 'estar' in the imperfect tense. Now, they are introduced to using the imperfect tense to talk about past habitual events. They learn singular forms of the imperfect tense for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in addition to irregular verb 'ser'. Pupils strengthen their knowledge of the preterite by contrasting it with the imperfect. They also revisit modal verbs, the difference between 'ser' and 'estar', prenominal adjectives, and 'cuando' as a relative pronoun. Pupils revisit key sounds r, rr, l, ll, and stress patterns.

Prior knowledge requirements

  • Pupils know singular persons of 'estar' in the imperfect.
  • Pupils know singular and plural persons of -ar, -er, -ir regular and irregular verbs in the preterite.
  • Pupils know modal verbs 'deber', 'poder', 'querer' in the present tense.
  • Pupils know singular and plural persons of 'ser' in the present tense.
  • Pupils know how to use 'cuando' as a relative pronoun.
  • Pupils know the difference between 'ser' and 'estar'.
  • Pupils know that some adjectives come before a noun.
  • Pupils know how to form the present participle.

Past routines and past events: imperfect tense

In this unit, pupils learn how to form the imperfect tense for past habitual events with -ar, -er, -ir verbs. Irregular imperfect forms for 'ser' 'era' and 'eras' are also taught. Pupils reinforce their knowledge of the imperfect tense by exploring the text 'El Quijote'.

7 lessons in unit

  1. 1

    Past experiences of work: -ar verbs imperfect tense 1st person singular

    I can describe what was happening and what happened at work using the preterite and imperfect.
  2. 2

    Past experiences of work: -ar verbs imperfect tense 2nd and 3rd person singular

    I can use imperfect tense verbs to talk about what I and others used to do in the past.
  3. 3

    Past celebrations: -er and -ir verbs imperfect tense

    I can use the preterite and imperfect tenses to talk about celebrations in the past.
  4. 4

    Past routines: -er and -ir verbs imperfect tense

    I can use modal and imperfect tense verbs to describe my own and other people's past routines.
  5. 6

    The past of a Spanish-speaking city: 'era', 'eras'

    I can use the verb ‘ser’ in both the present and imperfect tenses to understand a text about a Spanish-speaking city.
  6. 7

    Extended reading (Don Quijote): 'había' and 'tenía'

    I can use imperfect tense verbs to understand and discuss an important work of Spanish literature, such as Don Quijote.
  7. 8

    Extended reading (Don Quijote): imperfect continuous

    I can use the imperfect continuous to talk about what I and other people were doing in the past.

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