Lesson 14: Verbs V – Habia
VERBOS V (Verbs V)
PRETERITO PLUSCUAMPERFECTO DE INDICATIVO (Pluscuamperfect Past Tense- Indicative Mood)
When forming this tense, you must conjugate the auxiliary verb and you must always keep the past participle of the main verb unchanged as expressed below:
| AUXILIARY “HABER” (Imperfect past tense) + PAST PARTICIPLE (of the main verb) | ||
| AMAR (love) | VOLVER (return) | ANADIR (add) |
| Yo habia amado Tu habias amado El habia amado Nosotros habiamos amado
Vosotros habiais amado Ellos habian amado |
habia vuelto habias vuelto habia vuelto habiamos vuelto
habiais vuelto habian vuelto |
habia anadido habias anadido habia anadido habiamos anadido
habiais anadido habian anadido |
Some other examples:
Yo habia tenido
Tu habias comenzado
El habia amado
Nosotros habiamos dicho
Vosotros habiais dormido
Ellos habian caminado
USE
- It expresses an action that happened before another action in the past (usually expressed with the indefinite past tense)
Example:
Cuando llegue (indefinite past) ya se habia ido (pluscuamperfect past).
(When I arrived she had already left)
Exercises:
1) Complete with the correct alternative
a) Susana y Juan viajo – viajaban en avion cuando el piloto anuncio — anunciaba — habia anunciado que llegarian retrasados. Susana se puso nerviosa ya que iba — habia ido – fue camino a la boda de su hija. Finalmente llegaron — habian llegado — llegaban media hora retrasados pero con tiempo suficiente como para asistir a la boda y luego a la fiesta.(Susana and Juan were traveling by plane when the pilot announced that they would arrive with a delay. Susana got nervous as they were traveling to attend her daughter´s wedding. Finally, they arrived half an hour later but with enough time to attend the wedding and then the party.)
b) Antonia no habia querido – quiso ir a la peluqueria porque habia estado – estaba su ex suegra alli el dia anterior y Antonia penso que seguramente la ex suegra le conto – habia contado el motivo de su pelea con su ex novio a toda la peluqueria. (Antonia didn´t want to go to the hairdresser because her former mother in law had been there the day before and Antonia believed that her former mother in law had told the reason of her break up to all the people in the hairdresser)
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
c) Cuando saliamos — sali,mos para el supermercado sono — habia sonado el timbre. Fue – Era mi mama. Para cuando se habia ido – fue, el supermercado ya cerro – habia cerrado y no pudimos — habiamos podido comprar las verduras para la ensalada, asi que habiamos decidido – decidimos cambiar de comida.(When we were about to head to the supermarket, the bell rang. It was my mother. By the time she left, the supermarket had closed so we couldn´t buy the vegetables for the salad, thus we decided to change the meal)
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
d) Cuando Valentina llego — habia llegado al zoologico ya cerraron- habian cerrado la entrada al Acuario, entonces habia comenzado comenzo a llorar. Su mama la calmo– habia calmado al decirle que volverian la proxima semana. (When Valentina arrived to the zoo, they had already closed the entrance to the Acquarium so she began to cry. Her mother calmed her by telling her they were going to return the following week.)
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
2) Follow the example and join the sentences into one. Pay attention to the time.
Example:
Carlos llego a la clase a las 8.00 a.m. El examen empezo a las 7.45 a.m. (Carlos arrived at 8.00 a.m to the class. It began at 7.45 a.m.)
Para cuando Carlos llego a la clase, el examen ya habia comenzado. <![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
a) Alejandra llego al aeropuerto a las 9.00 a.m. El avion salio a las 8.55 a.m.
(Alejandra arrived at the airport at 9.00 a.m. The plane took off at 8.55 a.m.)
Para cuando Alejandra llego al aeropuerto, el avion ya habia salido. <![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
b) Valeria se levanto a las 11.00 a.m. En el hotel el desayuno se sirve hasta las 10.00 a.m.
(Valeria got up at 11.00 a.m. The hotel served breakfast until 10.00 a.m)
Para cuando Valeria se levanto, el desayuno ya se habia servido en el hotel.
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
c) Karina compro flores para el balcon. La lluvia del dia anterior destrozo todas las plantas.
(Karina bought flowers for the balcony. The rain from the previous day haddestroyed all the plants)
Para cuando Karina compro flores para el balcon, la lluvia ya habia destruido todas las plantas.
d) Gustavo emigro a Sudafrica en 1999. Su padre se radico alli en 1997.
Gustavo emigrated to Southafrica in 1999. His father settled himself there in 1997.
Para cuando Gustavo emigro a Sudafrica, su padre ya se habia radicado alli hacia dos anos.
e) Fui a ver el departamento a las 12.00 del mediodia. El propietario lo alquilo a las 11.30 a.m.
(I went to see the flan at 12.00 midday. The landlord rented it at 11.30 a.m)
Para cuando fui a ver el departamento, el propietario ya lo habia alquilado.
Subjunctive mood
| AUXILIARY “HABER” (subjunctive mood) + PAST PARTICIPLE (of the main verb) |
| AMAR (love) |
| Yo hubiera/hubiese amado Tu hubieras/hubieses amado El hubiera/hubiese amado Nosotros hubieramos/hubiesemos amado
Vosotros hubierais/hubieseis amado Ellos hubieran/hubiesen amado |
USE
- It takes part in forming the conditional sentences
Example:
?Nunca lo hubiera sospechado! (Aunque ahora lo se con seguridad).
I world have never suspected it! (Though now I know it for certain).
?Me hubiera gustado ir a la fiesta! (Pero no pude ir)
I would have loved to go the party! (But I couldn´t go)
Exercise:
Complete with the right form of the verb in brackets
1) Si hubieras/hubieses (haber — tu) llamado por telefono antes, te hubieras ahorrado el viaje.
(If you had called before, you wouldn´t have come in vain)
2) Si hubieran/hubiesen (haber — ellos) estudiado, habrian pasado el examen…(If you had studied, you would have passed the exam) <![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
3) Si mi mama hubiera/hubiese comprado mas harina, podria haber hecho mas galletitas.
(If my mum had bought more flour she could have cooked more cookies)
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
4) ?Si solo me lo hubieras/hubieses (haber — tu) dicho antes!
(If you had only told me this before!)
5) Si hubieran/hubiesen (haber —ellos) comenzado a entrenar cuando eran ninos, seguramente hoy serian campeones.
(If they had began training when they were kids, they would surely be champions today)
6) ?Si no hubieras/hubieses (haber — tu) encendido la television, podria haber seguido durmiendo!
(If you had not turned on the TV, I could have kept on sleeping!).
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>
7) Si hubieramos/hubiesemos (haber — nosotros) viajado en aquel tren, habriamos llegado mas temprano.
(If we had traveled in that train, we would have arrived earlier).
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>