Short Answer Questions - Lesson 5

Here you can check what we were looking for in the short answer questions:

Short Answer Questions:

1. What are the main differences between the meaning and use of the past tenses in Spanish and English?

In this question we wanted you to mention the following differences, particularly the ones in bold:

- English has only one past tense (past simple) while Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect.

- The preterite is used for actions that are completed, with reference to time, or duration of time

- The imperfect is used to describe background, to describe past events at an unspecified time or distant past, interrupted action, or to describe event which began at one point and ended at another.

- Some verbs change meaning when used in the preterite tense and so we must use a different verb in English

- The imperfect can be translated into the past simple, past continuous, past perfect, or present simple with "used to" in English.

2. Write what you imagine would be source text for the following incorrect translations and then write a correct translation in English.

a) I married with him five years ago.

Me casé con él hace cinco años.
I married him five years ago.

b) I waited the bus for 45 minutes.

Esperé el autobus por 45 minutos.
I waited for the bus for 45 minutes.

3. Translate the following sentences which contain por or para to English.

a) Voy a hacer la prueba para averigüar si soy el padre de Júan.
I’m going to take the test to see if I am Juan’s father.

b) Por más que le pido, no me ayuda con mis gastos.
No matter how much I ask him to, he doesn’t help me with my expenses.

c) Trabajo casi 50 horas por semana.
I work almost 50 hours a week.

d) Es muy responsable para un niño de 10 años.
He’s very responsible for a 10-year-old boy.