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Year 9 - Spanish

Rigoberta Menchú: -ar verbs 1st and 2nd person singular (preterite)

Inspiring people: 3rd person singular and plural preterite

Unit Summary

This unit revisits singular forms of regular -ar, -er, -ir verbs and irregular verbs in the preterite. It revisits question words, direct object pronouns, and contrasts the third person plural present with the preterite. Pupils exploit texts to learn about Diana Trujillo.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use -ar verbs in the preterite tense to ask and answer questions about other people's past experiences.

Key Notes

  • Word mastery includes recognising, understanding, and using a word in different contexts.
  • The preterite tense is used to talk about events completed in the past.
  • For -ar verbs, to say 'I', remove the -ar and -é. For 'you' add -aste, and for 'she, he, it' add -ó.
  • Spanish doesn't have a word for 'do' or 'did' in questions. When asking questions, only the main verb is used.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • preterite tense: a tense used for events completed in the past

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • We have to use a word like 'did' in Spanish questions.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

Word mastery includes recognising, understanding, and using a word in different contexts. The preterite tense is used to talk about events completed in the past.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'preterite tense'

a tense used for events completed in the past. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: We have to use a word like 'did' in Spanish questions. Correction: In Spanish, you don't need a word like do or did to ask questions. The verb ending itself shows the tense and subject, e.g. '¿Trabajaste en el campo?' - 'Did you work in the countryside?'.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 9 Spanish guide library.