Transcript Unit 3A: Labolengua

Unit 3A Labolengua
Doler and past tenses
Unit 3A: Labolengua
A How to use the verb doler (ue) to
say what hurts
Some verbs are commonly used in the third person only. You have already
met the verbs gustar – to like something, encantar – to like something a lot,
and interesar – to be interested in something, which are used in this way.
Now you can use the verb doler (ue) in the same way to say what hurts.
Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. (I’ve got a headache.)
Me duelen los oídos. My ears hurt. (I’ve got earache.)
© Oxford University Press 2012
Unit 3A: Labolengua
B Past tenses: using a mix of
preterite and imperfect
Remember, if you want to say what you did or what happened – when the
action began and ended in the past – you need to use the preterite tense.
But:
If you want to say what you used to do or describe something that went on
over a longer period of time, then you use the imperfect tense.
© Oxford University Press 2012
Unit 3A: Labolengua
In the sentence below you need to use the imperfect to say how old you were
but the preterite tense to say you began to play.
¿Cuántos años tenías cuando empezaste a jugar con el equipo nacional?
How old were you when you started to play for the national team?
© Oxford University Press 2012