AP Spanish : Verb Tense in Spanish
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Future Perfect / El Futuro Perfecto
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
__________ mi tarea antes del examen mañana.
Hice
Hecho
Habré hecho
He hecho
Había hecho
Habré hecho
The only possible tense that can be used correctly here is the future perfect, which uses the past participle of "hacer," "hecho" and the future form of the verb "haber," "habré."
Example Question #1 : Verb Tense In Spanish
Fill in the blank with the correct response.
Ellos _________ en la calle cuando vieron a Claudia.
habrán caminado
caminaron
han caminado
caminaban
habían caminado
caminaban
In the first part of the sentence, the action that was interrupted before they saw Claudia was an action in progress in the past; therefore the imperfect tense must be used.
Example Question #1 : Preterite / El Pretérito
Which is the correct verb form?
Estaba andando en el parque cuando, de repente, un ciervo me __________.
sorprendió
sorprendía
sorprenderá
sorprendido
sorprendió
This sentence expresses the completed action of the deer surprising me in the park, thus the preterite tense is the only correct response.
Example Question #2 : Verb Tense In Spanish
Which verb form is correct in context?
Estaba andando en la calle cuando, de repente, un ladrón __________ robarme.
intentaban
intentó
intenté
intentaba
intentó
An interrupted action sequence requires the imperfect tense for the interrupted action and the preterite tense for the interrupting action, in this case, "intentó." The other verbs either do not agree in tense or in number with "un ladrón."
English translation: "I was walking in the street when, all of a sudden, a thief tried to rob me."
Example Question #3 : Verb Tense In Spanish
Which verb form properly completes the sentence?
__________ cerca de la orilla del rio cuando, de repente, vi un pez.
Andaba
Anduve
Andaré
Andé
Andaba
The first verb conveys an action that is interrupted, so it needs to be in the imperfect tense. Only "Andaba" is the first person imperfect form of "andar" (to walk).
English translation: "I was walking near the bank of the river when, all of a sudden, I saw a fish."
Example Question #1 : Pluperfect / El Pluscoamperfecto
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
Cuando llegaron ayer, tú ya __________.
comiste
habrías comido
has comido
habías comido
había comido
habías comido
The first part of the sentence, "when they arrived yesterday," is in the preterite; the next clause that has the word "ya," "already," in it, implies the next action had occurred before the first one; therefore we need the past perfect tense, which in the 2nd person singular would be, habías comido.
Example Question #1 : Conditional / El Condicional
Which verb best completes this sentence?
Si hubiera hecho el crimen, __________ culpable, pero no lo hice.
estuviera
none of the other answers
estaría
sería
sería
This is a classic conditional haber/ser structure: the right answer is sería; estaría is in the right tense but does not agree with the adjective; estuviera both does not agree with the adjective and is in the wrong tense.
Example Question #21 : Spanish Verbs
“Si yo tuviera mucho dinero, __________.”
yo compro una casa
yo compré una casa
yo habría comprado una casa
None of the above would be accurate
yo habría comprado una casa
The statement “If I had a lot of money” requires the use of the conditional mood to complete the sentence. The only option that uses the conditional is “habría comprado” (I would have bought).
Example Question #4 : Verb Tense In Spanish
Is something gramatically wrong with this sentence?
Siento como si no hubiera dormido por tres días, estoy muy cansado.
Hubiera dormido is in the wrong tense.
Siento is in the wrong tense.
Estoy doesn't agree with the verb cansado.
This sentence is grammatically correct.
This sentence is grammatically correct.
The sentence above is grammatically correct, and uses a properly constructed conditional perfect subjunctive clause to describe the feeling introduced by the verb, siento.
Example Question #1 : Present / El Presente
Which of the following conjugated verbs should be used in the above sentence?
“¿ __________ hambre, Señor Ruiz? ¡Debe comer!
Está
Es
Tiene
Va
Tiene
In Spanish, to say that a person is hungry one must use the verb "tener." Also, the question is directed to someone in a formal situation; therefore, the conjugation of "tener" is in agreement with the subject "Usted."
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