AP Spanish : Spanish Verbs
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Spanish
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Participles / Participios
Which verb best completes the sentence?
Mi coche no está __________, tengo que arreglarlo.
trabajando
roto
funcionando
funciona
funcionando
The present participle funcionando is correct; funciona is in the wrong tense; roto doesn't make sense in context (one doesn't fix a car that isn't broken); trabajando is bad Spanish and wrong in context, although it is in the right tense.(Machines function, men and animals work).
Example Question #2 : Verbals In Spanish
Which verb best completes the sentence?
La pagina de la red se está __________.
cargaba
cargó
filtra
cargando
cargando
The estar + gerund structure of this sentence means that only right answer is the gerund, cargando.
Example Question #3 : Verbals In Spanish
Which verb best completes this sentence?
Mereces un pena doblada, buen rey, porque has __________ a sus amigos más leales.
traicionó
traicionaste
traicionado
traicionando
traicionado
The verb has (haber) requires the past participle, the only example of which here is traicionado.
Example Question #11 : Spanish Verbs
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
__________ mi tarea antes del examen mañana.
Había hecho
Hecho
Habré hecho
He hecho
Hice
Habré hecho
The only possible tense that can be used correctly here is the future perfect, which uses the past participle of "hacer," "hecho" and the future form of the verb "haber," "habré."
Example Question #1 : Imperfect / El Imperfecto
Fill in the blank with the correct response.
Ellos _________ en la calle cuando vieron a Claudia.
han caminado
caminaban
habían caminado
caminaron
habrán caminado
caminaban
In the first part of the sentence, the action that was interrupted before they saw Claudia was an action in progress in the past; therefore the imperfect tense must be used.
Example Question #1 : Preterite / El Pretérito
Which is the correct verb form?
Estaba andando en el parque cuando, de repente, un ciervo me __________.
sorprendió
sorprenderá
sorprendía
sorprendido
sorprendió
This sentence expresses the completed action of the deer surprising me in the park, thus the preterite tense is the only correct response.
Example Question #2 : Preterite / El Pretérito
Which verb form is correct in context?
Estaba andando en la calle cuando, de repente, un ladrón __________ robarme.
intentó
intentaban
intenté
intentaba
intentó
An interrupted action sequence requires the imperfect tense for the interrupted action and the preterite tense for the interrupting action, in this case, "intentó." The other verbs either do not agree in tense or in number with "un ladrón."
English translation: "I was walking in the street when, all of a sudden, a thief tried to rob me."
Example Question #3 : Preterite / El Pretérito
Which verb form properly completes the sentence?
__________ cerca de la orilla del rio cuando, de repente, vi un pez.
Andaré
Anduve
Andé
Andaba
Andaba
The first verb conveys an action that is interrupted, so it needs to be in the imperfect tense. Only "Andaba" is the first person imperfect form of "andar" (to walk).
English translation: "I was walking near the bank of the river when, all of a sudden, I saw a fish."
Example Question #12 : Spanish Verbs
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
Cuando llegaron ayer, tú ya __________.
había comido
habías comido
habrías comido
has comido
comiste
habías comido
The first part of the sentence, "when they arrived yesterday," is in the preterite; the next clause that has the word "ya," "already," in it, implies the next action had occurred before the first one; therefore we need the past perfect tense, which in the 2nd person singular would be, habías comido.
Example Question #1 : Verb Tense In Spanish
Which verb best completes this sentence?
Si hubiera hecho el crimen, __________ culpable, pero no lo hice.
estaría
none of the other answers
sería
estuviera
sería
This is a classic conditional haber/ser structure: the right answer is sería; estaría is in the right tense but does not agree with the adjective; estuviera both does not agree with the adjective and is in the wrong tense.
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