Local and international events: imperfect continuous
I can describe past events using the imperfect continuous combined with the preterite tense.
Local and international events: imperfect continuous
I can describe past events using the imperfect continuous combined with the preterite tense.
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Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- We can create nouns in Spanish by adding -idad to singular adjectives ending in a consonant. E.g. real to realidad.
- The singular forms of 'estar' in the imperfect tense are 'estaba' (I was or he, she, was) and 'estabas' (you were).
- To talk about ongoing events in the past we use 'estar' in the imperfect tense with a present participle.
- The preterite is used for completed actions, remove the -ar verb ending and add -é (I), -aste (you) or -ó (he, she, it).
- We can combine these two tenses to describe events in the past: 'Estaba escuchando la radio cuando noté un olor raro.'
Keywords
Imperfect continuous - verb tense used to talk about ongoing actions in the past, what 'was happening'
Estaba - I was/he, she, it was
Estabas - you (singular) were
Common misconception
To form the imperfect continuous instead of the present continuous both the form of 'estar' and the present participle need to change.
To form the imperfect continuous, only the form of 'estar' needs to change, into the imperfect tense. The present participle stays the same, it is formed by removing the infinitive ending and adding -ando for -ar verbs and -iendo for all other verbs.
To help you plan your year 9 Spanish lesson on: Local and international events: imperfect continuous, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 Spanish lesson on: Local and international events: imperfect continuous, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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Explore more key stage 3 Spanish lessons from the Important events: present and imperfect continuous unit, dive into the full secondary Spanish curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word means 'forest'?
Q2.'De repente, un ratón __________ a través de la cama.' Which verb completes this sentence?
Q3.Match the Spanish to the English.
essential
terrible
dangerous
poor
different
serious
Q4.Match the Spanish to the English.
to promote, promoting
to produce, producing
to protect, protecting
to resolve, resolving
to survive, surviving
to put up with, to stand, putting up with, standing
Q5.Match the Spanish to the English.
to accept, accepting
to dedicate, dedicating
to miss (someone), missing (someone)
to turn on, turning on
to manage (to), managing (to)
to swim, swimming
Q6.Order the words to say 'she was swimming when she saw a shark'.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which nouns are masculine?
Q2.Match the Spanish to the English.
to cheer (someone) up, cheering (someone) up
to announce, announcing
to chat, chatting
to close, closing
to rain, raining
to notice, noticing