8.2.8

Irregular ER Verbs (2/5)

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More Irregular ER Verbs in the Preterite Tense

Illustrative background for Stem change (vowel → u)Illustrative background for Stem change (vowel → u) ?? "content

Stem change (vowel → u)

  • In the preterite tense, some vowels change their root vowel to 'u', for example poner (to put), saber (to know) and poder (to be able to).
  • E.g. Poder:
    • Pude - I was able to.
    • Pudiste - you were able to.
    • Pudo - he/she was able to.
    • Pudimos - we were able to.
    • Pudisteis - you were able to.
    • Pudieron - they were able to.
Illustrative background for Stem change (vowel → i) - hacer (to do)Illustrative background for Stem change (vowel → i) - hacer (to do) ?? "content

Stem change (vowel → i) - hacer (to do)

  • In the preterite tense, some vowels change their root vowel to 'i', for example, hacer (to do):
    • Hice - I did.
    • Hiciste - you did.
    • Hizo - he/she did.
    • Hicimos - we did.
    • Hicisteis - you did.
    • Hicieron - they did.
Illustrative background for Stem change (vowel → i) - querer (to want)Illustrative background for Stem change (vowel → i) - querer (to want) ?? "content

Stem change (vowel → i) - querer (to want)

  • In the preterite tense, some vowels change their root vowel to 'i', for example, querer (to want):
    • Quise - I wanted.
    • Quisiste - you wanted.
    • Quiso - he/she wanted.
    • Quisimos - we wanted.
    • Quisisteis - you wanted.
    • Quisieron - they wanted.
Illustrative background for Traer (to bring)Illustrative background for Traer (to bring) ?? "content

Traer (to bring)

  • In the preterite tense, traer adds a 'j' to its stem.
    • Traje - I brought.
    • Trajiste - you (singular) brought.
    • Trajo - he/she brought.
    • Trajimos - we brought.
    • Trajisteis - you (plural) brought.
    • Trajieron - they brought.

Irregular ER verbs in the Preterite Tense

In the preterite tense, there are lots of verbs that change their stem or follow a different pattern to regular verbs. Here are some examples for ER verbs:

Illustrative background for Stem spelling change (i → y)Illustrative background for Stem spelling change (i → y) ?? "content

Stem spelling change (i → y)

  • In the preterite tense, some verbs change their spelling.
  • This only happens in the 'él/ella' and the 'ellos/ellas' forms - the other forms gain an accent on the 'i'.
  • For example, leer (to read):
    • Leí - I read.
    • Leíste - you read.
    • Leyó - she read.
    • Leímos - we read.
    • Leísteis - you read.
    • Leyeron - they read.
Illustrative background for Ser (to be) & Ir (to go)Illustrative background for Ser (to be) & Ir (to go) ?? "content

Ser (to be) & Ir (to go)

  • Ser and ir have the same conjugation in the preterite tense.
  • They have a completely irregular stem in the preterite tense.
    • Fui - I was/went.
    • Fuiste - you were/went.
    • Fue - he/she/it was/went.
    • Fuimos - we were/went.
    • Fuisteis - you (plural) were/went.
    • Fueron - they were/went.
Illustrative background for Ver (to see)Illustrative background for Ver (to see) ?? "content

Ver (to see)

  • In the preterite tense, ver changes its vowel from 'e' to 'i'.
    • Vi - I saw.
    • Viste - you (singular) saw.
    • Vio - he/she/it saw.
    • Vimos - we saw.
    • Visteis - you (plural) saw.
    • Vieron - they saw.
Illustrative background for Tener (to have)Illustrative background for Tener (to have) ?? "content

Tener (to have)

  • In the preterite tense, tener adds 'uv' to its stem.
    • Tuve - I had.
    • Tuviste - you had.
    • Tuvo - he/she had.
    • Tuvimos - we had.
    • Tuvisteis - you had.
    • Tuvieron - they had.
Illustrative background for Querer (to want)Illustrative background for Querer (to want) ?? "content

Querer (to want)

  • In the preterite tense, querer changes 'er' to 'is' in the stem before the ending.
    • Quise - I wanted.
    • Quisiste - you wanted.
    • Quiso - he/she wanted.
    • Quisimos - we wanted.
    • Quisisteis - you wanted.
    • Quisieron - they wanted.

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8Common Tenses

9Important Verbs

10Advanced Tenses

11Extra Grammar

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