PastPresentFutureHypothesizingPreterite vs ImperfectModesTense Correspondence
Discussing the Past (summary)
- To discuss events in the past, use preterite or imperfect. Make sure to check the difference between imperfect and preterite.
- To talk about somebody else’s past actions, use expressions of influence/emotion… + present perfect subjunctive, imperfect subjunctive, or pluperefect subjunctive.
- To talk about actions that were pending at a point in the past and things that may have or not existed, use imperfect subjunctive.
- To hypothesize about the past, use 3rd type: si + pluperefect subjunctive.
- To talk about a past action that preceeded another past action, use plueperfect.
- To answer question Have you ever? or to refer to past events with relevance to the present, use present perfect.
Discussing the Present (summary)
- To talk about habitual present actions, events or states, use present indicative. To discuss actions in progress, use present progressive.
- To talk about somebody else’s present actions, use expressions of influence/emotion… + present subjunctive or imperative.
- To talk about things that may have or not existed, use present subjunctive.
- To hypothesize (contrary to the fact), use 2nd type: si + imperfect subjunctive or conditional.
Discussing the Future (summary)
- To speak about a future action use present indicative, futuro popular (ir a + verb) or future tense.
- To express influence, talk about somebody’s future actions use expressions of influence/emotion… + present subjunctive.
- To talk about the actions that are pending use present subjunctive.
- To hypothesize about the future, use 1st type: si + present indicative, futuro popular (ir a + verb) or infinitive.
- To talk about something that will have happened by certain time, use future perfect.
3 Types of Hypothesizing
Structures in Spanish are very similar to those in English:
- Hypothetical situtaions in the future and the present:
Si + present indicative the present indicative
a future tense
commandSi llueve, no salgo
saldré/voy a salir/estaré saliendo
no salgas!If it rains (it may or may not), I don’t go out
will not go out/am not going out
don’t go out! - Hypothetical situtaions in the future and the present that are contrary to fact or very unlikely:
Si + imperfect subjunctive conditional Si lloviera, no saldría. If it rained (it does not), I would not go out. - Hypothetical situtaions in the past that are contrary to fact:
Si + pluperfect subjunctive conditional perfect Si hubiera llovido, no habría salido. If it had rained (it did not), I would not have gone out.
Preterite — beginning or end of a past action Imperfect –habitual action in the past. | El partido de fútbol empezó a la una. Terminó a las cuatro. Había un partido todos los sábados. |
Preterite — completed action. Imperfect — what was happening when another action interrupted it. | El partido duró tres horas. Estaba en la cocina cuando terminó. |
Preterite — series of comppleted actions. Imperfect — give background detials (time, location, weather, age …) | Los jugadores corrieron, saltaron y gritaron. Llovía un poco durante el partido. |
Preterite — ayer, anteayer, anoche, un vez, dos veces, el año pasado, el lunes pasado, de repente Imperfect — todos los días, todos los lunes, siempre, frecuantemente, mientras, de niño/a, de joven. These words are often associated with corresponding tenses. But not necessarily!!! | Ayer cenamos temprano. Ayer cenábamos cuando Juan llamó. De niño jugaba el fútbol. De niño empezó a jugar al fútbol. |
Preterite of some verbs have English equivalents different from the infinitives. Their English equivalents in imperfect do not differ from the infinitives. | |
Preterite and imperfect are often used together in the same sentence. 1. Imperfect tells what was happening when another action (preterite) broke its continuity. 2. Preterite reports the action which took place because of a condition described by imperfect. | Miguel estudiaba cuando sonó el télefono. Olivia comió tanto porque tenía mucha hambre. |
Preterite and imperfect are often used together when presenting an event. Imperfect is used to set the stage, describe conditions that caused actions, or to emphasize their conitnuing nature, while preterite just narrates actions. |
Overall, imperfect combines two constructions from English: past progressive and would/used to
while preterite corresponds to simple past.
These are tenses that you do need to know. There are more (in theory) and those are listed below.
Modo Indicativo
Presente | hablo |
Pretérito | hable |
Imperfecto / Copretérito | hablaba |
Futuro | hablaré |
Pospretérito / Condicional | hablaría |
Progressivo / Gerundio | hablando |
Presente Perfecto / Antepresente | he hablado |
Pluscuamperfecto / Antecopretérito | había hablado |
Condicional Perfecto / Antepospretérito | habría hablado |
Modo Subjuntivo
Presente de Subjuntivo | hable |
Subjuntivo Pasado / Imperfecto | hablara/hablase |
Antepresente / Presento Perfecto de Subjuntivo | haya hablado |
Antepretérito / Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo | hubiera/hubiese hablado |
Correspondence between Tenses in English and Spanish
English Tenses | Past | Present | Future | Future in the Past |
Indefinite | I spoke Preterite | I speak Present | I will speak Future | I would speak Coniditional |
Perfect | I had spoken Pluscuamperfect | I have spoken Present Perfect/ Acabar de | I will have spoken Future Perfect | I would have spoken Perfect Conditional |
Continuous | I was speaking Imperfect (Preterite Progressive) | I am speaking Present Progressive Future Popular | I will be speaking Future Progressive | I would be speaking Conditional Progressive |
Perfect Continuos | I had been speaking Pluscuamperfect Progressive | I have been speaking Present Perfect Progressive | I will have been speaking Future Perfect Progressive | I would have been speaking Perfect Conditional Progressive |
Spanish Indicative | Preterite | Imperfecto | Presento | Futuro | Condicional |
Simple | yo hable Past Indefinite | yo hablaba Past Conitnuous/ I used to,would | yo hablo Present Indefinite | yo hablaré Future | yo hablaría Future in the Past |
Perfecto | yo hube hablado no clear correspondence | does not exist | yo he hablado Present Perfect | yo habré hablado Future Perfect | yo habría hablado Future in the Past Perfect |
Progressivo | yo estuve hablando Past Conitnuous (very rare) | yo estaba hablando Past Conitnuous | yo estoy hablando Present Conitnuous | yo estaré hablando Future Conitnuous | yo estaría hablando Future in the Past Continuous |
Perfecto Progressivo | yo hube estado hablando no clear correspondence | does not exist | yo he estado hablando Present Perfect Conitnuous | yo habré estado hablando Future Perfect Conitnuous | yo habría estado hablando Future in the Past Perfect Conitnuous |
Spanish Subjunctive | Preterite/Imperfecto (Pasado) | Presento | Futuro |
Simple | yo hablara/hablase | yo hable | yo hablare |
Perfecto | yo hubiera/hubiese hablado | yo haya hablado | yo hubiere hablado |
Progressivo | yo estuviera hablando | yo esté hablando | yo estuviere hablando |
Perfecto Progressivo | yo hubiera/hubiese estado hablando | yo haya estado hablando | yo hubiere estado hablando |