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Revising Spanish grammar - preterite tense - AQAThe preterite tense - when to use it

Use the preterite tense to talk about completed actions at specific times in the past. The preterite is used when the past action has a definite beginning and definite end.

Part of SpanishGrammar

The preterite tense - when to use it

An explanation of the uses of the preterite tense and how to conjugate it

The Spanish is used to describe completed actions in the past. For example:

  • Fui al cine ayer (I went to the cinema yesterday).
  • Viajamos en tren (We travelled by train).
  • Mi hermana hizo sus deberes (My sister did her homework).

The preterite tense is used if the past action had a definite beginning and definite end and is often used with phrases that give a specific time frame, eg:

  • ayer (yesterday)
  • anteayer (the day before yesterday)
  • anoche (last night)
  • el a帽o pasado (last year)
  • el mes pasado (last month)
  • la semana pasada (last week)