Preterite Verbs with Stem Changes

Some Spanish -ir verbs change their stems in the preterite tense. Unlike present tense stem changes, these changes only occur in the third-person forms. Learning these patterns will help you recognize and correctly use common verbs when describing past events. In this module, you will that certain -ir verbs change their stems in the preterite tense.

Lesson 1: Understanding Stem Changes in the Preterite

Certain -ir verbs change their stems when used in the preterite tense. These changes appear only in the él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas, and ustedes forms.

Common changes include:

e → i
o → u

Example:

repetir → repitió

dormir → durmió

Sample Sentences

Ella durmió bien anoche. – She slept well last night.
Él pidió ayuda al profesor. – He asked the teacher for help.
Ellos sintieron miedo. – They felt fear.
Ella repitió la respuesta. – She repeated the answer.
Ellos sirvieron la comida. – They served the food.

Lesson 2: The e → i Stem Change

Many -ir verbs change e → i in the third-person forms of the preterite.

Sample Sentences

Ella pidió un café. – She ordered a coffee.
Él siguió las instrucciones. – He followed the instructions.
Ellos sintieron alegría. – They felt happiness.
Ella repitió la frase. – She repeated the phrase.
Ellos eligieron el restaurante. – They chose the restaurant.

Lesson 3: The o → u Stem Change

Some verbs change o → u in the third-person forms.

Sample Sentences

Ella durmió en el hotel. – She slept in the hotel.
Él murió hace muchos años. – He died many years ago.
Ellos durmieron en la casa. – They slept in the house.
Ella durmió durante el viaje. – She slept during the trip.
Ellos murieron en el accidente. – They died in the accident.

Lesson 4: Recognizing Stem-Changing -IR Verbs

Many common -ir verbs follow these patterns.

Sample Sentences

Ella pidió información en la oficina. – She asked for information at the office.
Él siguió el camino correcto. – He followed the correct path.
Ellos sintieron curiosidad. – They felt curiosity.
Ella eligió un asiento cerca de la ventana. – She chose a seat near the window.
Ellos repitieron la pregunta. – They repeated the question.

Lesson 5: Using Stem-Changing Verbs in the Past

These verbs allow speakers to describe actions that occurred at a specific moment in the past.

Sample Sentences

Ella pidió comida en el restaurante. – She ordered food at the restaurant.
Él siguió el plan original. – He followed the original plan.
Ellos sintieron entusiasmo por el proyecto. – They felt enthusiasm for the project.
Ella eligió un libro interesante. – She chose an interesting book.
Ellos durmieron durante el vuelo. – They slept during the flight.

End of Module Review

In this module, you learned that certain -ir verbs change their stems in the preterite tense. These changes usually occur in the third-person forms, making them different from the present tense patterns. Recognizing stem changes such as e → i and o → u will help you correctly understand and use verbs like pedir, sentir, seguir, and dormir when talking about past events.