Preterite Tense: Regular and High-Frequency Irregular Verbs - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

10 original exam-style questions - 6 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

Download PDF Jump to mark scheme (page 7)Preterite Tense: Regular and High-Frequency Irregular Verbs revision guide

This topic is chapter 2 of GCSE Spanish: Grammar Practice Book 1.

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1.2 Preterite Tense: Regular and High-Frequency Irregular Verbs

AQA 8692 · about 35 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer every question. Use the preterite (simple past) as required. No dictionary is needed.

Conjugate the regular -ar verbs in the preterite for the subject given. Context: a student recounting actions yesterday at school.

(a)ayer, yo (bailar) en la clase de educación física(1)

(b)anteayer, tú (mirar) una película en clase(1)

(c)el viernes, ella (contestar) las preguntas del profesor(1)

(d)el sábado, nosotros (practicar) un ejercicio nuevo(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 4 marks)

Conjugate the high-frequency irregular verbs dar, poder, poner and decir in the preterite for the subject given. Context: short news-style statements about single past events.

(a)Yo (dar) una presentación en clase ayer(1)

(b)El entrenador (poder) preparar al equipo para el partido(1)

(c)Ellos (poner) las decoraciones en el salón(1)

(d)Nosotros (decir) la verdad al director(1)

(Total for Question 2 is 4 marks)

Conjugate the regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterite for the subject given. Context: short statements about finished actions last weekend.

(a)el domingo, yo (comer) una paella(1)

(b)ayer por la tarde, tú (beber) agua después del partido(1)

(c)el lunes, el profesor (decidir) el nuevo horario(1)

(d)anoche, nosotros (vivir) en casa de mis abuelos por una noche(1)

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

Complete the three verbs that require a spelling change in the preterite first person singular when in the yo form for verbs ending -car, -gar, -zar. Context: a teenager describing single past events on a trip.

(a)el año pasado, yo (jugar) al tenis en las vacaciones(1)

(b)ayer, yo (buscar) mi teléfono y lo encontré(1)

(c)la semana pasada, yo (llegar) a casa tarde(1)

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Identify whether the preterite form in each sentence is from ser or ir based on the context. Context: two short sentences about a past trip or a past description.

(a)Sentence: 'Ayer fuimos al mercado y compramos fruta.' Did 'fuimos' mean 'were' (ser) or 'went' (ir)?(1)

(b)Sentence: 'El concierto fue muy divertido.' Did 'fue' mean 'was' (ser) or 'went' (ir)?(1)

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

Conjugate the irregular preterite verbs in the sentences. Context: short factual reports of completed actions last week.

(a)El mes pasado, yo (tener) una reunión con mis profesores(1)

(b)Hace dos días, ella (estar) en la biblioteca todo el día(1)

(c)El otro día, nosotros (hacer) un experimento en la clase de ciencias(1)

(Total for Question 6 is 3 marks)

Multiple choice: choose the preterite form that correctly completes the sentence about a finished action yesterday. Context: short school and family events.

(a)Anoche, mi madre (A puso B pones C ponía D pondrá) la mesa para la cena.(1)

A puso
B pones
C ponía
D pondrá

(b)El sábado pasado, yo (A dije B digo C decía D decir) la verdad a mi amigo.(1)

A dije
B digo
C decía
D decir

(c)Una vez, mi hermano (A pudo B puede C podía D podrá) terminar el libro en un día.(1)

A pudo
B puede
C podía
D podrá

(d)Ayer, yo (A di B doy C daba D daré) un regalo a mi profesora.(1)

A di
B doy
C daba
D daré

(Total for Question 7 is 4 marks)

Translate each short English sentence into Spanish using the preterite for the single completed action. Context: everyday completed actions last week.

(a)I went to the cinema yesterday.(1)

(b)She had lunch at twelve.(1)

(c)They put the books on the table.(1)

(d)We said the answer to the teacher.(1)

(e)He was able to finish the test.(1)

(Total for Question 8 is 5 marks)

Complete the longer past-tense passage about a school trip. Fill each gap with the correct preterite form of the verb in brackets. Context: a recount of a one-day class trip last month.

(a)Gap 1: (salir)(1)

(b)Gap 2: (bajar)(1)

(c)Gap 3: (ver)(1)

(d)Gap 4: (dar)(1)

(e)Gap 5: (leer)(1)

(f)Gap 6: (volver)(1)

(Total for Question 9 is 6 marks)

Identify which verb in the list is irregular in the preterite. Context: a revision check on common verbs.

(a)Which of these verbs is irregular in the preterite: 'hablar, comer, tener, abrir'?(1)

(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)

Mark scheme · 1.2 Preterite Tense: Regular and High-Frequency Irregular Verbs

Question 1

(a) B1 bailé
(a) Answer: bailé
(b) B1 miraste
(b) Answer: miraste
(c) B1 contestó
(c) Answer: contestó
(d) B1 practicamos
(d) Answer: practicamos

Question 2

(a) B1 di
(a) Answer: di
(b) B1 pudo
(b) Answer: pudo
(c) B1 pusieron
(c) Answer: pusieron
(d) B1 dijimos
(d) Answer: dijimos

Question 3

(a) B1 comí
(a) Answer: comí
(b) B1 bebiste
(b) Answer: bebiste
(c) B1 decidió
(c) Answer: decidió
(d) B1 vivimos
(d) Answer: vivimos

Question 4

(a) B1 jugué
(a) Answer: jugué
(b) B1 busqué
(b) Answer: busqué
(c) B1 llegué
(c) Answer: llegué

Question 5

(a) B1 ir - went
(a) Answer: ir - went
(b) B1 ser - was
(b) Answer: ser - was

Question 6

(a) B1 tuve
(a) Answer: tuve
(b) B1 estuvo
(b) Answer: estuvo
(c) B1 hicimos
(c) Answer: hicimos

Question 7

(a) B1 A - puso
(a) Answer: A puso
(b) B1 A - dije
(b) Answer: A dije
(c) B1 A - pudo
(c) Answer: A pudo
(d) B1 A - di
(d) Answer: A di

Question 8

(a) B1 Fui al cine ayer
(a) Answer: Fui al cine ayer
(b) B1 Almorzó a las doce
(b) Answer: Almorzó a las doce
(c) B1 Pusieron los libros en la mesa
(c) Answer: Pusieron los libros en la mesa
(d) B1 Dijimos la respuesta al profesor
(d) Answer: Dijimos la respuesta al profesor
(e) B1 Pudo terminar el examen
(e) Answer: Pudo terminar el examen

Question 9

(a) B1 salió
(a) Answer: salió
(b) B1 bajaron
(b) Answer: bajaron
(c) B1 vieron
(c) Answer: vieron
(d) B1 dio
(d) Answer: dio
(e) B1 leímos
(e) Answer: leímos
(f) B1 volvieron
(f) Answer: volvieron

Question 10

(a) B1 tener
(a) Answer: tener

Preterite Tense: Regular and High-Frequency Irregular Verbs - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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1.2 Preterite Tense: Regular and High-Frequency Irregular Verbs

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