DELE A2 Preterite: Regular Verbs Practice Test & Review
The preterite is the past tense you use for completed actions. It is the first past tense taught at A2, and it appears in every reading and listening section of the DELE A2 exam. If you can’t tell “hablé” from “hablaba,” you’ll lose points.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the three conjugations, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full explanation. Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
The Rule
The preterite describes completed actions in the past. It answers the question “what happened?” The action has a clear beginning and end.
Ayer estudié español = Yesterday I studied Spanish (completed action).
El año pasado viajé a México = Last year I traveled to Mexico (completed action).
The preterite is used with specific time markers: ayer, anoche, la semana pasada, el año pasado, el lunes, en 2020.
-ar Verbs
| Subject | Hablar | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablé | I spoke |
| Tú | hablaste | You spoke |
| Él / Ella / Usted | habló | He / She / You spoke |
| Nosotros | hablamos | We spoke |
| Vosotros | hablasteis | You spoke |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | hablaron | They / You spoke |
The -ar preterite endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.
-er and -ir Verbs
| Subject | Comer | Vivir |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | comí | viví |
| Tú | comiste | viviste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | comió | vivió |
| Nosotros | comimos | vivimos |
| Vosotros | comisteis | vivisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | comieron | vivieron |
The -er and -ir preterite endings are identical: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Accents in the Preterite
The accents in the preterite are critical. They distinguish the yo and él forms.
| Form | Without accent | With accent | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo (hablar) | hable | hablé | I spoke |
| Él (hablar) | hable | habló | He spoke |
| Yo (comer) | comi | comí | I ate |
| Él (comer) | comio | comió | He ate |
Without the accent, “hable” is the present subjunctive, and “comi” is not a word.
The nosotros form of -ar and -ir verbs has no accent: hablamos, vivimos. It looks identical to the present tense. Context (a time marker) tells you which tense it is.
Time Markers for the Preterite
| Marker | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday |
| anoche | last night |
| anteayer | the day before yesterday |
| la semana pasada | last week |
| el mes pasado | last month |
| el año pasado | last year |
| el lunes | on Monday |
| en 2020 | in 2020 |
| hace dos días | two days ago |
These markers force the preterite. If you see one, use the preterite.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting the accent on the yo and él forms.
✗ Yo hable con él.
✓ Yo hablé con él.
The yo form of -ar verbs carries an accent on the é. - Confusing the yo and él forms.
✗ Ayer él hablé con su jefe.
✓ Ayer él habló con su jefe.
Yo takes hablé. Él takes habló. The accent position changes the meaning. - Using the present for a completed past action.
✗ Ayer como paella.
✓ Ayer comí paella.
Ayer forces the preterite. - Adding -s to the tú form.
✗ Tú hablastes.
✓ Tú hablaste.
The tú form of the preterite ends in -ste, not -stes.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is the verb -ar? | Yes | -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron |
| Is the verb -er or -ir? | Yes | -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron |
| Is the subject yo? | Yes | Accent on the ending (hablé, comí) |
| Is the subject él / ella / usted? | Yes | Accent on the ending (habló, comió) |
| Is the subject nosotros? | Yes | No accent (hablamos, comimos) |
| Is there a time marker (ayer, anoche)? | Yes | Preterite |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Ayer hablé con mi madre.
Yesterday I spoke with my mother.
- Hablé is the yo form. Accent on the é.
Ayer habló con su madre.
Yesterday he spoke with his mother.
- Habló is the él form. Accent on the ó.
Comí paella.
I ate paella.
- Comí is the yo form of comer. Accent on the í.
Comió paella.
He ate paella.
- Comió is the él form of comer. Accent on the ó.
