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New
Year 11
Edexcel

Una peli de Guillermo del Toro: imperfect and preterite tenses

I can use the imperfect and preterite tenses to describe a film.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Una peli de Guillermo del Toro: imperfect and preterite tenses

I can use the imperfect and preterite tenses to describe a film.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The imperfect tense is used for descriptions, giving background information and ongoing events in the past.
  2. The preterite tense is used for completed events in the past.
  3. We use the 3rd person singular and plural when we talk about a film.

Keywords

  • Imperfect - verb tense used to talk about something that used to happen repeatedly and to set the scene in past-tense accounts

  • Preterite - verb tense used to talk about something completed in the past and to drive the narrative forward in past-tense accounts

  • 3rd person - form of pronouns and verbs used to refer to 'she', 'he', 'it' (singular) or ‘they’ (plural)

Common misconception

To describe the past we can use both the preterite and the imperfect interchangeably.

We use the imperfect to set the scene, to give background information and to describe onling states. And we use the preterite to express completed actions that move the plot forward.


To help you plan your year 11 spanish lesson on: Una peli de Guillermo del Toro: imperfect and preterite tenses, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The teacher might want to show students the trailer of 'El Laberinto del Fauno'.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these words means 'affection'?
escena
cine
Correct answer: cariño
crítica
juventud
Q2.
Match the Spanish to the English.
Correct Answer:asegurar,to assure, assuring

to assure, assuring

Correct Answer:mandar,to send, sending

to send, sending

Correct Answer:castigar,to punish, punishing

to punish, punishing

Correct Answer:abrazar,to hug, hugging

to hug, hugging

Correct Answer:aparecer,to appear, appearing

to appear, appearing

Correct Answer:confiar,to trust, trusting

to trust, trusting

Q3.
Order the words to say: 'At night, the cinema was empty.'
1 - por
2 - la
3 - noche
4 - el
5 - cine
6 - estaba
7 - vacío
Q4.
Match the Spanish to the English.
Correct Answer:conocido,well known

well known

Correct Answer:enfadado,angry

angry

Correct Answer:roto,broken

broken

Correct Answer:irritante,irritating

irritating

Correct Answer:profundo,profound

profound

Correct Answer:pesado,annoying

annoying

Q5.
'Cada prueba era más peligrosa.'. Translate this sentence into English.
Correct Answer: Each test was more dangerous
Q6.
'The girl appeared in the museum.'. Translate this sentence into Spanish.
Correct Answer: La niña apareció en el museo

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these words are prepositions?
débil
pueblo
finalmente
Correct answer: por
Correct answer: sobre
Q2.
Match the Spanish to the English.
Correct Answer:gusto,pleasure, taste

pleasure, taste

Correct Answer:película,film

film

Correct Answer:personaje,character

character

Correct Answer:protección,protection

protection

Correct Answer:respeto,respect

respect

Correct Answer:tema,theme, topic

theme, topic

Q3.
'Esa noche, la niña __________ el silbida del viento.'. Which word best completes this sentence?
escuchaba
vio
escucha
Correct answer: escuchó
veía
Q4.
Order the words to say: 'The protagonist had to follow complicated instructions.'
1 - la
2 - protagonista
3 - tenía
4 - que
5 - seguir
6 - instrucciones
7 - complicadas
Q5.
'Había un bosque mágico.'. Translate this sentence into English.
Correct Answer: There was a magical forest
Q6.
'The creature promised to guide her.'. Translate this sentence into Spanish.
Correct Answer: La criatura prometió guiarla

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