Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

15 original exam-style questions - 4 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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This topic is chapter 3 of GCSE Spanish: Grammar Practice Book 1.

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1.3 Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite

AQA 8692 · about 30 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer every question. Full sentences are required in the tense-choice justification items. Time guidance: 40 minutes.

Conjugate the verb 'hablar' (to speak) in the imperfect for 'nosotros' to complete the sentence: Cuando éramos pequeños, nosotros siempre ______ con nuestros vecinos.

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the verb 'comer' (to eat) in the imperfect for 'ella' to complete: De niña, ella siempre ______ fruta después de clase.

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the verb 'vivir' (to live) in the imperfect for 'yo' to complete: Cuando tenía ocho años, yo ______ en un pueblo pequeño.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the verb 'jugar' (to play) in the imperfect for 'tú' to complete: ¿Cuando eras pequeño, tú ______ al fútbol cada sábado?

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

Choose the correct tense and give one-word justification in English. Sentence: 'Cuando ______ (ser) niños, mis primos y yo siempre ______ (ir) a la playa.'

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

Choose the correct tense and give one-word justification in English. Sentence: 'Mientras yo ______ (estudiar), mi hermano ______ (poner) la mesa.'

(Total for Question 6 is 2 marks)

Fill each gap in the short narrative with the correct imperfect form. Text: 'Cuando vivía en Madrid, cada mañana yo ______ (despertarse) a las siete, ______ (desayunar) con mi familia, luego ______ (caminar) al trabajo y no ______ (volver) a casa hasta las siete de la tarde.'

(Total for Question 7 is 4 marks)

Conjugate the irregular verb 'ser' in the imperfect for 'yo' to complete: Cuando era pequeño, yo ______ muy tímido.

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the irregular verb 'ir' in the imperfect for 'nosotros' to complete: Antes, nosotros ______ al parque cada domingo.

(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the irregular verb 'ver' in the imperfect for 'ella' to complete: Cuando era niña, ella ______ muchas películas con su familia.

(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)

Choose the correct tense and give one-word justification in English. Sentence: 'De repente, la luz se ______ (apagar) y todos ______ (gritar).'

(Total for Question 11 is 2 marks)

Translate the short Spanish passage into English. Passage: 'Anoche, mientras mi padre cocinaba, mi madre llamó a un amigo y nosotros charlábamos en la cocina.' Translate in full into English, preserving tense contrast.

(Total for Question 12 is 6 marks)

Translate these three short English sentences into Spanish, using the imperfect where appropriate. (i) I used to read every evening. (ii) Yesterday I read a long book. (iii) When I was young I liked cartoons.

(a)i) I used to read every evening.(2)

(b)ii) Yesterday I read a long book.(2)

(c)iii) When I was young I liked cartoons.(2)

(Total for Question 13 is 6 marks)

Choose the correct tense (imperfect or preterite) to complete the sentence and give a one-word justification in English. Sentence: 'Mientras yo ______ (leer) en la sala, sonó el teléfono.'

(Total for Question 14 is 2 marks)

Choose the correct tense and give one-word justification in English. Sentence: 'Ayer, María ______ (llegar) a las ocho y todos ______ (esperar) en la estación.'

(Total for Question 15 is 2 marks)

Mark scheme · 1.3 Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite

Question 1

B1 hablábamos
Answer: hablábamos

Question 2

B1 comía
Answer: comía

Question 3

B1 vivía
Answer: vivía

Question 4

B1 jugabas
Answer: jugabas

Question 5

B1 éramos; íbamos - both imperfect because repeated/habitual actions and description
B1 Justification: 'habitual' or 'repeated'
Answer: éramos; íbamos; habitual

Question 6

B1 estudiaba (imperfect) and puso (preterite) - background and single completed action
B1 Justification: 'background' or 'interruption'
Answer: estudiaba; puso; background

Question 7

B1 me despertaba
B1 desayunaba
B1 caminaba
B1 volvía
Answer: me despertaba; desayunaba; caminaba; volvía

Question 8

B1 era
Answer: era

Question 9

B1 íbamos
Answer: íbamos

Question 10

B1 veía
Answer: veía

Question 11

B1 apagó (preterite) and gritaron (preterite) - both single events
B1 Justification: 'sudden' or 'completed'
Answer: apagó; gritaron; sudden

Question 12

B1 Anoche, while my father was cooking (or 'my father cooked' depending on wording), correct sense
B1 my mother rang a friend / called a friend, correct preterite interpretation
B1 and we were chatting in the kitchen, correct imperfect background
B1 coherent full-sentence English with tense contrast preserved
B1 appropriate linking words 'while' and 'and' used or equivalent
B1 overall accurate translation with meaning fully conveyed
Answer: Last night, while my father was cooking, my mother called a friend and we were chatting in the kitchen.

Question 13

(a) B1 content: 'Leía' or 'Solía leer' or 'Leía todas las noches' conveys habitual past
(a) B1 accuracy: correct imperfect form (leía) or 'solía + infinitive' correct
(a) Answer: Leía todas las tardes/noches.
(b) B1 content: 'Ayer leí un libro largo' uses preterite for completed action
(b) B1 accuracy: correct preterite 'leí'
(b) Answer: Ayer leí un libro largo.
(c) B1 content: 'Cuando era pequeño, me gustaban los dibujos animados' uses imperfect for ongoing past likes
(c) B1 accuracy: correct imperfect forms 'era' and 'gustaban' agreeing with plural object
(c) Answer: Cuando era pequeño, me gustaban los dibujos animados.

Question 14

B1 leía - imperfect of leer for yo
B1 Justification: 'background' or 'ongoing' (one-word) explaining that leer was an ongoing action
Answer: leía; ongoing

Question 15

B1 llegó / esperaban - student chooses preterite llegó for llegar and imperfect esperaban for esperar
B1 Justification: 'single' or 'completed' for llegó and 'background' or 'ongoing' for esperaban
Answer: llegó; completed / esperaban; background

Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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1.3 Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite

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