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.
Hecho
Hice
He hecho
Habré 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 : Imperfect / El Imperfecto
Fill in the blank with the correct response.
Ellos _________ en la calle cuando vieron a Claudia.
han caminado
caminaron
habrán caminado
habían caminado
caminaban
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 __________.
sorprendido
sorprendió
sorprenderá
sorprendía
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 : Preterite / El Pretérito
Which verb form is correct in context?
Estaba andando en la calle cuando, de repente, un ladrón __________ robarme.
intentaba
intentó
intenté
intentaban
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 : Preterite / El Pretérito
Which verb form properly completes the sentence?
__________ cerca de la orilla del rio cuando, de repente, vi un pez.
Andé
Anduve
Andaba
Andaré
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 __________.
habrías comido
había comido
habías comido
comiste
has 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
sería
estaría
none of the other answers
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 #1 : Conditional Perfect / El Condicional Perfecto
“Si yo tuviera mucho dinero, __________.”
yo compré una casa
yo compro una casa
None of the above would be accurate
yo habría comprado una casa
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 #2 : Conditional Perfect / El Condicional Perfecto
Is something gramatically wrong with this sentence?
Siento como si no hubiera dormido por tres días, estoy muy cansado.
Siento is in the wrong tense.
This sentence is grammatically correct.
Hubiera dormido is in the wrong tense.
Estoy doesn't agree with the verb cansado.
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 #52 : Ap Spanish Language
Which of the following conjugated verbs should be used in the above sentence?
“¿ __________ hambre, Señor Ruiz? ¡Debe comer!
Es
Va
Está
Tiene
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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