LanguagesGCSE Spanish: tenses, ser and estar, and translation30 min★★★ difficulty

Spanish: preterite, imperfect, and ser versus estar

Two past tenses and two verbs meaning 'to be'. Both choices are decided by meaning, not by guesswork.

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Use Spanish tenses accurately, choose between ser and estar, and write at length.

Key learning points

• Preterite: completed events
• Imperfect: description and repetition
• Ser and estar
• Writing at length

This lesson at a glance

30 minutes
21 parts to scroll through
4 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

spanishtensesaccuratelychooselength

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Part 1 of 21 · Discover5%

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Part 1 of 21

Spanish: preterite, imperfect, and ser versus estar illustration

Visual introduction

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Spanish: preterite, imperfect, and ser versus estar

Two past tenses and two verbs meaning 'to be'. Both choices are decided by meaning, not by guesswork.

In a nutshell

Use Spanish tenses accurately, choose between ser and estar, and write at length.

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 21

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Preterite: completed events

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 21

Learn

Preterite: completed events

Use the preterite for single, finished actions: fui, hice, comí, visité. It answers 'what happened?'. Learn ser/ir (fui), hacer (hice) and tener (tuve) as irregulars, since they appear in nearly every past-tense answer.

Reset break

Part 4 of 21

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 21

Learn

Imperfect: description and repetition

Use the imperfect for what used to happen, repeated actions and description in the past: iba, comía, hacía buen tiempo, era pequeño. Cuando era pequeño, iba a la playa todos los veranos sets the scene; then the preterite narrates the event within it.

Quick check

Part 6 of 21

Quick check

Which tense describes what you used to do?

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 7 of 21

Quick check

Choose the correct verb: 'Madrid ___ en España.'

Give me a hint

Reset break

Part 8 of 21

Pause

That's sitting 2 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Learning cycle

Part 9 of 21

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Ser and estar

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 10 of 21

Learn

Ser and estar

Ser for permanent identity, origin, profession and characteristics: soy inglesa, es profesor. Estar for position, temporary states and feelings: estoy cansada, está en Madrid. Some pairs change meaning: es aburrido means 'he is boring'; está aburrido means 'he is bored'.

Explore the idea

Part 11 of 21

Learn

Writing at length

Extend with opinion phrases (me parece que, lo que más me gusta es), justification (ya que, puesto que) and contrast (sin embargo, aunque). Three tenses plus two justified opinions in a paragraph is the shape examiners reward.

Reset break

Part 12 of 21

Pause

That's sitting 3 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Quick check

Part 13 of 21

Quick check

What does 'está aburrido' mean?

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 14 of 21

Quick check

Which pair best extends a written answer?

Give me a hint

Explore the idea

Part 15 of 21

Worked example

Model paragraph with both past tenses

Cuando era pequeña, pasaba todos los veranos en casa de mis abuelos, donde había un jardín enorme y siempre hacía muchísimo calor. El verano pasado volví por primera vez en cinco años y me di cuenta de que el pueblo había cambiado bastante. Me parece que fue una experiencia muy positiva, aunque estaba un poco triste al final. El año que viene voy a volver con mi hermana porque quiero enseñarle el sitio. — The imperfect describes the background, the preterite narrates events, estar carries the feeling, and the near future closes the paragraph.

Reset break

Part 16 of 21

Pause

That's sitting 4 of 5 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Challenge round

Part 17 of 21

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 18 of 21

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

Three ____ plus two justified opinions in a paragraph is the shape examiners reward.

Challenge round

Part 19 of 21

Game · Recall cards

Which tense describes what you used to do?

Card 1 of 4

Mastery quiz

Part 20 of 21

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Spanish: preterite, imperfect, and ser versus estar

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. Which tense describes what you used to do?
2. Choose the correct verb: 'Madrid ___ en España.'
3. What does 'está aburrido' mean?
4. Which pair best extends a written answer?

Lesson round-up

Part 21 of 21

Lesson round-up

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