Comparing Past Tenses

Overview

Lesson 4 of 9 in Spanish Tenses and Commands. In a class of eight, students compare the preterite, imperfect, past continuous, and present perfect through timelines and a short narrative, then justify their tense choices in meaningful communication.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify whether a past action is completed, habitual/background, ongoing, or connected to the present.
• Select the appropriate Spanish past tense in context.
• Explain and justify tense choices using Spanish terminology and evidence from a sentence.
• Use past tenses accurately in a short narrative and discussion.

Success criteria

• I can match a past-tense sentence to the correct timeline.
• I can explain why a verb is in the preterite, imperfect, past continuous, or present perfect.
• I can use more than one past tense to describe an event clearly.
• I can revise a verb choice after receiving feedback.

Curriculum links

• IB Approaches to Learning: communication, critical thinking, self-management, and reflection.
• IB Language acquisition: interpreting written and spoken language, interacting in Spanish, and producing clear, purposeful communication.
• IB learner profile: knowledgeable, communicative, reflective, and open-minded.
• IB conceptual understanding: form, function, context, and perspective shape how language communicates meaning.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and retrieval

Open with the hook and retrieval slides. Display four versions of “I studied” in Spanish: estudié, estudiaba, estaba estudiando, and he estudiado. Ask students to silently predict how the meaning changes, then discuss with a partner. Invite two students to share a difference they notice.

2. 5–13 minutes – Build the tense timeline

Use the four-tense timeline slides to review the core meanings:

• Preterite: a completed, bounded event (Ayer terminé el proyecto).
• Imperfect: background, description, habit, or repeated action (Cuando era niño, leía mucho).
• Past continuous: an action in progress at a particular past moment (Estaba leyendo cuando llamaste).
• Present perfect: a past action with relevance to the present or an unspecified recent experience (He terminado el proyecto).

Draw a simple timeline and ask students to place each example on it. Emphasize that context, not English translation alone, determines the choice.

3. 13–21 minutes – Guided decision practice

Distribute the past-tense comparison worksheet. Complete the first two items together, modeling a decision process: What time frame is given? Is the action completed, ongoing, habitual, or connected to now? Students complete four additional items individually, then compare answers with a partner.

4. 21–31 minutes – Narrative investigation

Play or read the short narrative from the narrative investigation slides twice. The narrative should include all four target tenses, for example a background setting, an interrupted ongoing action, a completed event, and a recent result. Students underline the verbs on the worksheet, label each tense, and record one reason for each choice. Pause briefly after the second reading for students to check unfamiliar details.

5. 31–39 minutes – Justify and communicate

In pairs, students use their labeled narrative to explain three choices in Spanish, using sentence frames such as: Elegí el pretérito porque… and Se usa el imperfecto para… Each pair then receives two new event prompts, such as “a surprising school announcement” or “a memorable trip,” and creates a four-sentence response using at least three different past tenses. Partners identify the tense and ask one clarifying question.

6. 39–45 minutes – Exit reflection and feedback

Return to the plenary slides. Students complete the final worksheet item: choose the correct tense in a new sentence and justify the choice in one sentence. Conduct a quick round in which each student states one reliable clue for selecting a tense. Collect worksheets and note any recurring confusion for the next lesson.

Resources

• the past-tense comparison slide deck
• the past-tense comparison worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector or display
• Student notebooks and pens
• Optional audio recording of the narrative
• Four colored highlighters or colored pencils
• Timer

Assessment

• Listen during partner explanations for accurate tense identification and meaningful justification.
• Check worksheet annotations for correct tense labels, timeline placement, and evidence-based explanations.
• Use the final response to determine whether students can independently select and justify a tense.

Differentiation

• Provide a one-page tense decision tree and model sentences for students who need additional structure; allow partners to rehearse an explanation before sharing.
• For dyslexia-friendly access, provide the narrative in a clear sans-serif font with short lines, generous spacing, color-coded verb endings, and an audio version. Read the narrative aloud twice without requiring students to read and listen simultaneously.
• Support EAL learners with a bilingual or illustrated timeline, the sentence frames, and a small bank of time markers such as ayer, mientras, cuando, and ya.
• Extend advanced learners by rewriting the same event from different time perspectives: a completed report using the preterite, a background account using the imperfect, an interrupted scene using the past continuous, and a recent update using the present perfect. Students explain how the perspective changes.