The Past Simple For Spanish and Portuguese Speakers
Hola, amigos! Olá, amigos! Are you ready to learn about the past simple in English? This guide is designed to help Spanish and Portuguese speakers better understand and use the past simple in English. We will explore the similarities and differences between the three languages and provide examples to illustrate these points. Let's get started!
Introduction to the Past Simple in English
The past simple is used to describe actions or situations that occurred in the past and are now completed. In English, the past simple is generally formed by adding -ed to the base form of a regular verb. However, there are many irregular verbs that have unique past forms. In Spanish, the past simple is known as "pretérito indefinido" or "pretérito perfecto simple," and in Portuguese, it is called "pretérito perfeito."
Regular Verbs
Formation
In English, regular verbs form the past simple by adding -ed to the base form. For example:
To work (trabajar, trabalhar) -> worked
To play (jugar, jogar) -> played
To dance (bailar, dançar) -> danced
In Spanish and Portuguese, regular verbs are conjugated differently depending on the verb ending (-ar, -er, -ir).
Example Sentences
I worked in a restaurant last year. (Trabajé en un restaurante el año pasado. / Trabalhei em um restaurante no ano passado.)
She played soccer with her friends. (Ella jugó fútbol con sus amigos. / Ela jogou futebol com os amigos.)
They danced all night long. (Bailaron toda la noche. / Dançaram a noite toda.)
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs in English don't follow the -ed rule for the past simple. They have unique past forms that must be memorized. Similarly, in Spanish and Portuguese, irregular verbs also have unique conjugations in the past simple.
Example Sentences
I went to the park yesterday. (Fui al parque ayer. / Fui ao parque ontem.)
She had a great time at the party. (Ella lo pasó muy bien en la fiesta. / Ela se divertiu muito na festa.)
They knew the answer to the question. (Ellos sabían la respuesta a la pregunta. / Eles sabiam foram a resposta para a pergunta.)
Tips for Spanish and Portuguese Speakers
Watch out for "false friends" – English verbs that look like Spanish or Portuguese verbs but have different meanings. For example, "assist" in English means "ayudar" in Spanish and "ajudar" in Portuguese, not "asistir" or "assistir."
Beware of irregular verbs, as they don't follow the -ed rule in English or the standard conjugation rules in Spanish and Portuguese. Memorizing the most common irregular verbs will help you in everyday conversations.
Remember that, unlike in Spanish and Portuguese, English does not have different conjugations for each subject pronoun. The past simple form of a verb is the same for all subjects