Difference between Pretérito Perfecto and Indefinido
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One of the common mistakes made by Spanish students is the difference between the Pretérito Perfecto and the Indefinido. This lesson will show you how to use both tenses.
Pretérito perfecto | Indefinido |
---|---|
For actions completed at a recent moment in time. El correo ha llegado. (The mail has arrived.) | For an action completed at a specific moment in the past. El avión aterrizó a las doce en punto. (The plane landed at four o’clock.) |
For actions or events occurring in the past that do not refer to a concrete time. Ana nos ha esperado en recepción. (Ana has waited for us in the reception area.) | For an action or event that lasted for a specific period of time when you can determine how long the action took place. Esperó dos horas en la estación. (He waited for two hours at the station.) |
For an action or event initiated in the past that is continuing into the present. Hemos vivido aquí por más de 7 años. (We have lived here for over 7 years.) | For series of actions or events completed in the past even if you cannot determine when these actions took place or for how long. Me levanté, desayuné, me duché y me fui a trabajar. (I woke up, had breakfast, took a shower and went to work.) |
/ | For actions that are not usually repeated using the following expressions: Mi hija cumplió 4 años. (My daughter turned 4.) |
The actions in “Pretérito Perfecto” are related to the present whereas the actions in Indefinido are not.
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Pretérito Perfecto | Indefinido |
---|---|
hoy (today) | ayer (yesterday) |
hace dos horas (two hours ago) | anteayer (the day before yesterday) |
esta semana (this week) | anoche (Last night) |
estos días (these days) | la semana pasada (last week) |
este martes/ mes/ año (this Tuesday/month/ year) | el mes/ año pasado (last month/year) |
nunca (never) | hace tres semanas (3 weeks ago) |
todavía no/ ya (not yet/ already) | en 2001 (in 2001) |
alguna vez (sometime) | de repente (suddenly) |
últimamente/ en los últimos tiempos (lately) | el día de su cumpleaños (the day of his birthday) |
hace poco (recently) | al comenzar mi trabajo (when I started working) |
If you would like to know more about the uses and the conjugation of Pretérito Perfecto and the Pretérito Indefinido, then have a look at our pages!
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Olivier has a lot of experience as a teacher. He is able to teach all levels (A1-C2) with his wide range of learning materials. We can recommend Olivier as your new teacher!
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Hello! I am an English and Spanish teacher and a language lover.
At university I studied translation and interpreting in Spanish, English, Russian and French and have been a language teacher since 2013, which is something I love.
I have lived in France and have British and Spanish family, so speaking several languages is something I do and enjoy every day. I love conversation, grammar, studying new vocabulary and learning about the differences between cultures in order to learn from them.
I have taught privately, in academies, in primary schools and high schools and in companies, so I have experience in many areas and with all ages and levels.
I have prepared students for official Cambridge, Trinity London and Aptis exams, but I have also helped to prepare for exams specific to some university degrees.
I have also prepared students to take the Spanish DELE exam.
I adapt very well to the needs of each student and I make almost all the materials I use and adapt them to the specific situations of each student.
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Marta does her courses by herself ! She is full of imagination and will learn you grammar, vocabulary or expressions in Spanish or in English by movies or series !
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Do you want to take your English learning skills to the next level. I am here to help you with your English skills and all that requires you to learn English.
I have a degree and have experience in teaching.
I love cooking, travelling and meeting new people.
I will be glad to meet you in class
Thank you
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Edel is an experienced teacher and a very nice and sweet person. She considers it important to understand what the student wants and, then, to plan the best way to achieve hir/her objectives. She organizes her time to be able to do everything that has been planned. Edel also knows the importance of practice and conversation, this is why her classes are normally quite interactive.
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Bérengère is a traveler ! She has a huge experience abroad as teacher for kids, teenagers and adults ! Students can easily learn French grammar with her severals teaching materials (videos, exercises, discussion and audio). Moreover Bérengère is passioned by languages, she is involved in her job and in your French learning !
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Hi, my name is Nomsa. I am an English tutor with 3 years experience in English tutoring. I can teach both adults and children for beginners, intermediate and business English lessons. My hobbies are watching movies, cooking and traveling around the world. I would like to meet new people and learn their ways of living as I am teaching them English as a second language.
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Nomsa has good grammar and interesting english exercises ! She has a good communication and teaching experiences as well.
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I love to teach my language ♥
My name is Abdelrahman, I'm a native Arabic speaker. I'm passionate about teaching Arabic. so it will be a great pleasure for me to help you learn Standard Arabic and Egyptian dialects.
My teaching approach will be easy and a lot of fun, Because I'm going to set up a suitable syllabus for every student depends on their needs and levels. and I want to make your path to learn easier and shorter. I'm looking forward to seeing you.
I often use these books in my teaching way:
- Arabic courses for English-speaking students (Madina book)
- Arabic between your hands.
- Al-kitab Al-Asasi (the basic book for non-Arabic speakers).
- kallimni Arabi bishweesh (Egyptian Arabic).
-Egyptian vernacular
I'm also choosing the best things from different books, so they can be suitable for my students.
I'm trying my best to make my lessons interesting and not boring, I have taught different ages from children to older people, and alhamdulillah it was a fantastic lesson.
hope to see you soon :)
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Abdelrahman is great Arabic teacher. He uses many teaching tools for providing the best learning to his students and adaptes each one to students level and needs. His Arabic couses are very structured, student can learn easily Arabic grammar, vocabulary, writing and pronunciation ! Abdelrahman is also a smiling and nice person, students can be in confidence with him and improve themself quickly.
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Hello,
My name is Amina, I’m Mexican, and I have almost 3 decades of experience teaching Spanish, which is my mother language. Regarding studies, I have a major as a Chemist Biologist, a Master in Cytopathology, a doctorate in Education, an FCE certification in English, level B2.
I’ve taught oral and written communication in Spanish to Engineering students, focused on aspects such as formal writing, correct spelling, oral presentations, job interviews and professional skills in general.
So, if you are an English speaker, interested in basic, intermediate or advanced Spanish practice, rest assured that I will be a good choice for you, with a variety of different subjects, whether professional or entertainment-related, depending on your interests.
On the other hand, if you are a native Spanish speaker like me, and you want to increase your practice in the professional use of this language, writing, spelling or oral expression, I am also ready to help you.
I'm looking forward to meeting you and chat about your goals in Spanish.
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Amina is a very nice person and an enthusiastic teacher who has been doing this job for almost 30 years. She knows very well how to help her students learning a language. Amina's wide experience makes her able to help all kind of students, from beginners to advanced, and also students who might need help with a more technical language.
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Why should you choose me? Take a look at what people say who have taken online classes with me.
Book lessons with me and
- prepare Dutch exams "Basisinburgering A1" and "Inburgeringsexamen A2". Your full commitment and my energetic, professional approach are the winning combination to help you succeed at once!
- learn Dutch because you live in the Netherlands (or are planning to move there) and still don’t speak the language properly or haven’t started yet. You’ll enjoy your environment more!
- learn Italian for work or because you will move to this beautiful country or simply because you just love it. Let me help you experience the language!
- study Spanish for pleasure, work or because you have to prepare an exam for school and you need to get confident to perform optimally
- get confident in useful daily conversations, meetings at work, exams, and presentations
- overcome the fear of failure; if you have learning problems, feel shy or need a boost of energy you’ll get confident enough to achieve your goals
My lessons are based on conversations. My method is to help you practice the language from the very beginning in spontaneous and direct conversations, using often role plays.
With books, articles, songs, and other interesting and stimulating material I will encourage conversation, develop grammar in a simpler way, and improve pronunciation.
Learning a foreign language is not a matter of doing much effort, but rather of being consistent, enjoying the lessons and allowing your intuition to work with you. You will book immediate results while having fun!
I've been teaching Dutch, Spanish and Italian for many years, in The Netherlands, for private institutes, for the integration of foreigners into society (Inburgering), and online from Italy, where I currently live.
Contact me for a free trial and let me know how I can help you.
CANCELATION POLICY
If you cancel a reservation please do it at least 24 hours before the session
(otherwise I would have to charge you for the lesson).
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Elena is great to have as a teacher. She takes her time to explain and adjust her course to your pace.
Elena P.I appreciate your feedback, Bram. Thank you!
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Hi! I'm Irene, a passionate Spanish teacher who can help you to learn Spanish from beginners up to advance level through dynamic and creative lessons. I can also prepare you for official DELE exams and have experience with kids and adults.
How are we gonna do it?
I'll share the material with you through Google Drive, so you always have access to the book and we'll also share a document in Google Drive, so everything we learn in the class it'll be there for you to reread or to print it.
I'll offer you a 20 minutes free class so you have the chance first to meet me and judge if you would like to start learning Spanish with me.
Feel free to ask questions! :)
See you through the screen
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You will have great courses with Irene. She is passionate by her work and she is very nice. Her courses are structured !
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Ana is very motivated and enthusiastic to start teaching English. She is professional and she will adapt her lessons and learning materials to your needs, goals, and level.
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My name is Lisette and I live in Cape Town, South Africa.
I have had 2 years of tutoring experience in English and am currently tutoring a 5-year-old boy in the UK.
I am a certified ESL teacher after completing a 120-hour course through www.letstefl.com which is affiliated and accredited with WTEFLAC (World TEFL Accrediting Commission). This enables me to teach beginners, intermediate and advanced students.
I am very patient and believe in having a great relationship with my students, so learning revolves around trust, and making mistakes is natural! I strongly believe in motivation and praise and building your self-confidence on your English language journey. I will be with you all the way!
My learning materials depend on what lessons you require. If you are a beginner, we'll be using fun flashcards and props. I have an interactive board that I use as well as a whiteboard and playing games and checking your comprehension as we go along. Not to mention rewards and lots of fun!
For intermediate students, we can expand your basic English, learn about different pop cultures, what you are interested in, music, and social media.
If you just need basic English to shop, to use local transport or to order in a restaurant, I'll provide examples that are simple and easy to remember.
I look forward to hearing from you and any questions that you may have.
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Lisette is a new teacher and very happy about, being a part of coLanguage. She was well-prepared and have a wide range of learning materials for her students, with focus on young children. We can recommend Lisette as your new teacher!
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Learning Spanish is no big deal now, it´s a huge accomplishment. I´m here to help you to learn this marvelous language as easy as possible. I count on a 10 years’ experience of teaching Spanish. Therefore, for whatever reason – travel, apply to university, DELE exams, speaking to family or friends, work, or love- I will guide you along the way, from beginner to advanced.
First of all, I need to know your goal because it would let me design a plan especially for you to help you achieve it. Generally, we will follow the communicative approach. We don’t just dive right into verb tenses or lists of vocabulary words. Instead, I prefer to teach you the ins-and-outs of the Spanish language in a more different way! So, we will be using a variety of resources such as movies, songs, essays, stories, news and interviews, etc.
If you want to know more about me, I should say I´m studying Advanced Hispanic Studies for a PHD degree at the University of Valencia. I hold a master´s degree in General Linguistics and a Bachelor's degree in Spanish Language. As a teacher, I’ve held online classes, face to face classes and several courses at different institutes and the University of Applied Science and Technology in my country of origin, Iran.
One thing more, I am a big fan of learning new languages and like to do it enjoying it. I will always make sure that you are enjoying learning Spanish.
Don’t hesitate more and let’s start together. Why don't you just book your first session with me?
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We took group lessons with Elnaz in Spanish. Her teaching method is efficient and clear. Her communication is quick and very friendly. Would recommend her as a teacher!
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Elsa is a really nice and sweet teacher. She has experience with every kind of student, but especially with children. She will adapt the classes to the students' different levels and needs, and she will provide all the learning materials they might need.
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I'm a venezuelan living in France since 2013 where I teach Spanish at university level and prepare my PhD. I love languages and communication, I am also interested in knowing different cultures and their history.
In my classes I help my students to feel comfortable when they speak Spanish, I also explain grammar and answer all questions about any subject related to Spanish language. For over five years I've been teaching Spanish in France and online full time.
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I've been studying with Paul for about 3 months and can only say: he is a great teacher, always well prepared, motivated and motivating.
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I offer personalized English classes which are really suitable to the student's level and motivations.
I work equally the four main skills of the language throughout authentic materials such as songs, videos, movies or short films and even magazines and newspapers articles. I also combine my classes with course books whose levels are challenging enough to help the students to make an accurate and confident learning progress.
I offer grammar and vocabulary exercises and activities to help the students to enrich the language's development.
My classes are online within reduced groups of students to maintain classes well balanced and entertaining enough. I also offer individual lessons.
The duration of the classes are ideally 60 minutes long.
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Marisol is a very open and friendly person and I really enjoyed talking to her. She has great experience in tutoring children but is also well prepared to teaching adults.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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