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GCSE · Spanish grammar

ES.G2 Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite

AQA 8692 · Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer every question. Note: accents, the enye (n with tilde) and inverted punctuation have been omitted from the printed Spanish for technical reasons; students should write them correctly where required in their answers. 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 eramos pequenos, 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 nina, ella siempre ______ fruta despues de clase.

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the verb 'vivir' (to live) in the imperfect for 'yo' to complete: Cuando tenia ocho anos, yo ______ en un pueblo pequeno.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

Conjugate the verb 'jugar' (to play) in the imperfect for 'tu' to complete: Cuando eras pequeno, tu ______ al futbol cada sabado?

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

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

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

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

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

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

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

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, sono el telefono.'

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

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

(Total for Question 9 is 2 marks)

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

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

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)

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

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

Fill each gap in the short narrative with the correct imperfect form. Text: 'Cuando vivia en Madrid, cada manana yo ______ (despertar) 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 13 is 4 marks)

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

(Total for Question 14 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 15 is 6 marks)

Mark scheme · ES.G2 Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite

Question 1

B1 hablabamos
Answer: hablabamos

Question 2

B1 comia
Answer: comia

Question 3

B1 vivia
Answer: vivia

Question 4

B1 jugabas
Answer: jugabas

Question 5

B1 era
Answer: era

Question 6

B1 ibamos
Answer: ibamos

Question 7

B1 veia
Answer: veia

Question 8

B1 leia - imperfect of leer for yo, spelled without accent
B1 Justification: 'background' or 'ongoing' (one-word) explaining that leer was an ongoing action
Answer: leia; ongoing

Question 9

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

Question 10

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

Question 11

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

Question 12

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

Question 13

B1 despertaba
B1 desayunaba
B1 caminaba
B1 volvia
Answer: despertaba; desayunaba; caminaba; volvia

Question 14

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 15

(a) B1 content: 'Leia' or 'Solia leer' or 'Leia todas las noches' conveys habitual past
(a) B1 accuracy: correct imperfect form (leia) or 'solia + infinitive' correct
(a) Answer: Leia todas las tardes/noches.
(b) B1 content: 'Ayer lei un libro largo' uses preterite for completed action
(b) B1 accuracy: correct preterite 'lei' (lei without accent in printed Spanish)
(b) Answer: Ayer lei un libro largo.
(c) B1 content: 'Cuando era pequeno, 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 pequeno, me gustaban los dibujos animados.

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