Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-1© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum Startblock You have learned to use both the Perfekt and the Präteritum to talk about past events. However, these two tenses are not used interchangeably.

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-2© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum The Perfekt tense is most often used in conversation and in informal writing, such as s, blog entries, personal letters, or diaries. Habt ihr den Tisch gedeckt? Did you set the table? Nein, aber wir haben den Boden gewischt. No, but we mopped the floor.

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-3© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum The Präteritum is generally used in formal or literary writing, such as novels or newspaper articles, or in other formal contexts, such as news reports or speeches. It is sometimes called the narrative past, since it is often used to narrate a series of related past events. Es war einmal eine junge Frau mit dem Namen Aschenputtel. Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Cinderella. Jeden Tag fegte sie den Boden, machte sie die Betten und spu ̈ lte sie das Geschirr. Every day, she swept the floors, made the beds, and washed the dishes.

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-4© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum A few specific verbs are commonly used in the Präteritum, even in informal contexts. In conversation, most Germans use the Präteritum of sein, haben, and modal verbs, rather than the Perfekt. Hattet ihr am Mittwoch keine Hausaufgaben? Didn’t you have any homework on Wednesday? Meine alte Wohnung war ein Saustall. My old apartment was a pigsty. Die Kinder wollten das Gemu ̈ se nicht essen. The kids didn’t want to eat their vegetables. Solltet ihr gestern nicht staubsaugen? Weren’t you supposed to vacuum yesterday?

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-5© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum The Präteritum is also preferred by most speakers after the subordinating conjunction als. Als wir Kinder waren, haben wir viel Hausarbeit gemacht. When we were kids, we did a lot of housework. Als ich die Garage aufräumte, habe ich viele alte Bu ̈ cher gefunden. When I cleaned up the garage, I found lots of old books.

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-6© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum German verbs are usually listed in dictionaries and vocabulary lists by their principal parts (Stammformen): the infinitive, the third-person singular form of the Präteritum, and the past participle. For verbs with stem changes in the Präsens, the third-person singular form is given in parentheses. For completely regular verbs, only the infinitive is listed. geben (gibt) to give (gives) gab gave gegeben given

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-7© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum Knowing the principal parts of a verb allows you to produce all of its conjugations in any tense. Here are the principal parts of some of the verbs you’ve learned so far.

Strukturen 2B.1 LEKTION 2B 2B.1-8© 2014 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Perfekt versus Präteritum Er nahm einen Besen und gab seiner Schwester den Staubsauger. He took a broom and gave his sister the vacuum cleaner. Ich habe nur einen Keks genommen und habe Peter die anderen gegeben. I only took one cookie and gave the rest to Peter.