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Year 10
Edexcel

Testigo: extended writing

I can use the imperfect, past continuous and preterite tenses to write an extended past-tense account.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Testigo: extended writing

I can use the imperfect, past continuous and preterite tenses to write an extended past-tense account.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The imperfect tense is used for what used to happen repeatedly and to set the scene in past-tense accounts.
  2. The past continuous tense is used for what was happening and to set the scene in past-tense accounts.
  3. The preterite tense is used for something completed in the past and to drive the narrative in past-tense accounts.
  4. It is important to make a plan before producing an extended piece of writing.

Keywords

  • Imperfect - verb tense used to talk about something that used to happen repeatedly and to set the scene in past-tense accounts

  • Past continuous - verb tense used to talk about what was happening and to set the scene in past-tense accounts

  • Preterite - verb tense used to talk about something completed in the past and to drive the narrative forward in past-tense accounts

Common misconception

The imperfect tense is only used to talk about something that used to happen repeatedly.

The imperfect is used to talk about something that used to happen repeatedly, but it has other uses in different contexts. For example, it can be used to set the scene in a narrative account or story, and to describe general situations in the past.


To help you plan your year 10 spanish lesson on: Testigo: extended writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The vocabulary in Task A1 covers Higher and Foundation Tier words, but it can be easily adapted to suit the needs of your class. You could consider live marking Task B2 to give students immediate feedback on their writing.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the Spanish below to the correct English translations.
Correct Answer:matrimonio,marriage
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marriage

Correct Answer:modelo,model
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model

Correct Answer:felicidad,happiness
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happiness

Correct Answer:peso,Mexican currency
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Mexican currency

Correct Answer:fin,end
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end

Correct Answer:adios,goodbye
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goodbye

Q2.
Match the verb tenses to their definitions.
Correct Answer:imperfect,expresses something that used to happen repeatedly: 'I used to play'
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expresses something that used to happen repeatedly: 'I used to play'

Correct Answer:preterite,expresses something completed in the past: 'I played'
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expresses something completed in the past: 'I played'

Correct Answer:past continuous,expresses what was happening: 'I was playing'
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expresses what was happening: 'I was playing'

Q3.
Match each verb to the correct tense.
Correct Answer:escuché,preterite
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preterite

Correct Answer:escuchaba,imperfect
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imperfect

Correct Answer:estaba escuchando,past continuous
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past continuous

Q4.
What is the 1st person singular form of 'comer' (to eat, eating) in the preterite?
estaba comiendo
comía
Correct answer: comí
Q5.
What is the 1st person singular form of 'gritar' (to shout, shouting) in the imperfect?
Correct Answer: gritaba
Q6.
What is the correct translation of the following sentence? 'Iba de vacaciones a Francia pero el año pasado fui a Alemania.'
Correct answer: I went on holiday to France last year but I used to go to Germany.
Last year I went on holiday to France and Germany.
I used to go on holiday to France but last year I went to Germany.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the Spanish words below to the correct English translations.
Correct Answer:veo,I see
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I see

Correct Answer:algo,something
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something

Correct Answer:alguien,someone
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someone

Correct Answer:diverso,diverse
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diverse

Correct Answer:peligroso,dangerous
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dangerous

Correct Answer:laboral,relating to work
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relating to work

Q2.
What is the correct translation of 'ahorraba dinero'?
I save money
I was saving money
Correct answer: I used to save money
Q3.
What is the correct translation of 'Yesterday I went out.'?
Correct answer: Ayer salí.
Ayer salía.
Ayer estaba saliendo.
Q4.
What is the most appropriate end for the following sentence? 'Estaba haciendo los deberes cuando __________.'
estaba escuchando un ruido raro.
Correct answer: escuché un ruido raro.
escuchaba un ruido raro.
Q5.
Which of these is not a use of the imperfect tense?
setting the scene in a story
Correct answer: driving the narrative in a story
saying what used to happen repeatedly
describing general situations in the past
Q6.
Sort the verbs below into the order they should appear in the following sentence: '__________ sol y estaba __________ una limonada cuando __________ a un hombre en peligro.'
1 - hacía
2 - bebiendo
3 - vi

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