Hola Inma,
I couldn't find the link for the lesson you referred to in your reply, despite doing a search here.
"Do we use "iba" to show intention?"
Could you please give me the link. And Happy New Year!
Thank you,
Nicole
Ir (to go) is irregular in El Pretérito Imperfecto:
| yo | iba |
| tú | ibas |
| él / ella / Ud. | iba |
| nosotros / nosotras |
íbamos |
| vosotros / vosotras |
ibais |
| ellos / ellas / Uds. | iban |
The only form with an accent is the nosotros form íbamos.
See and listen to these examples:
For the conjugation of regular verbs see:
- Conjugate regular -ar verbs in El Pretérito Imperfecto (imperfect)
- Conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in El Pretérito Imperfecto (imperfect)
Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 5 questions, 6 answers
NicoleKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Re Lesson referred in your reply to Marco's question
Asked 1 month ago
InmaKwiziq team member
Hola Nicole,
Oops!!! it looks like the link meant to be sent to Marcos with that lesson didn't work at all! Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Here it is.
Inma
Nicole asked:View original
Re Lesson referred in your reply to Marco's question
Hola Inma,
I couldn't find the link for the lesson you referred to in your reply, despite doing a search here.
"Do we use "iba" to show intention?"
Could you please give me the link. And Happy New Year!
Thank you,
Nicole
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MarcosKwiziq community member
Do we use "iba" to show intention?
It seems like two of the examples use the imperfect to express an intended action.
¿Ibais a Ibiza para vuestra luna de miel?
Iban de vacaciones a una isla bonita.
In English we would say this as "Were you going to go..." and "They were going to go..." We don't know if these actions were ever completed or not, so it makes sense to use the imperfect tense.
Is this a valid interpretation and use of the imperfect tense? Thanks.
Asked 3 months ago
InmaKwiziq team member
Hola Marcos,
Yes, you are right!
Here is a lesson precisely on that.
I hope it helps.
Saludos
Inma
InmaKwiziq team member
Hola Marcos,
sorry, I just realised the link to this lesson didn't work when I sent it. Here it is. Try again please.
Inma
Marcos asked:View original
Do we use "iba" to show intention?
It seems like two of the examples use the imperfect to express an intended action.
¿Ibais a Ibiza para vuestra luna de miel?
Iban de vacaciones a una isla bonita.
In English we would say this as "Were you going to go..." and "They were going to go..." We don't know if these actions were ever completed or not, so it makes sense to use the imperfect tense.
Is this a valid interpretation and use of the imperfect tense? Thanks.
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EmanuelKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Substitute with Pretérito perfecto
It seems to me that in many cases we could substitute the imperfect with perfect. The main difference would be that in the former we talk about a repeated activity and in the latter about whether something ever took place or a few times at the most.
Asked 6 months ago
InmaKwiziq team member
Hola Emanuel
Yes, you could use El Perfecto in lots of these sentences, especially the ones with no time markers, for example in these two:
Sofía iba de Madrid a Jaén.
Sofía was going/ used to go from Madrid to Jaen.
Sofía ha ido de Madrid a Jaén.
Sofía went from Madrid to Jaen.
On this last sentence using El Perfecto, this is talking about either a specific journey that Sofía did at some point in the past without specifying when exactly or simply a sentence explaining part of her trip, again without specyfing on when.
Saludos
Inma
Emanuel asked:View original
Substitute with Pretérito perfecto
It seems to me that in many cases we could substitute the imperfect with perfect. The main difference would be that in the former we talk about a repeated activity and in the latter about whether something ever took place or a few times at the most.
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EmanuelKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Luna de miel
Could I also say por vuestra luna de miel? In case I would like to emphasize the reason for going here, not the timeframe?
Asked 6 months ago
Hola Emanuel,
Yes, we could have used "por" in this sentence if we meant "because of". Here is the lesson for this usage of por.
Saludos,
Inma
Emanuel asked:View original
Luna de miel
Could I also say por vuestra luna de miel? In case I would like to emphasize the reason for going here, not the timeframe?
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EmanuelKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Would it be ok to use fuisteis in the honeymoon sentence?
Asked 9 months ago
InmaKwiziq team member
Hola Emanuel
Yes, it would be correct but the meaning would change:
¿Fuisteis a Ibiza para vuestra luna de miel?Did you go to Ibiza for your honeymoon?
¿Ibais a Ibiza para vuestra luna de miel?
Were you going to Ibiza for your honeymoon?
The preterite is expressing a completed action in the past while the imperfect is expressing an ongoing action "to be doing something in the past", or in this case with verb "ir" it has a specific nuance, as if you were saying "Were you planning to go to Ibiza for your honeymoon?
Saludos
Inma
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