Grammar 8.2: Preterite of -IR verbs that stem change in the present tense


Your book is so frustrating. Instead of just focusing on the preterite of -IR verbs with present-tense stem changes, it instead insists on talking about the preterite of all families of verbs that stem change in the present tense.


  • This is an absolute waste of time.
  • As we have already seen, -AR verbs that stem change in the present tense and -ER verbs that stem change in the present tense do not ever show stem changes in the preterite.
  • Period.
  • No more needs to be said.

But let's repeat it one more time, just for those who might not be paying attention:

 

  • It doesn't matter if -AR and -ER verbs stem change in the present tense.
     
  • They will not show a stem change in the preterite.

For -IR verbs, though, it does matter if they stem change in the present tense.

 

Let me give you the good news first:

  • Most of the time, -IR verbs with present-tense stem changes act as you'd expect them to in the preterite.
     
  • When the subject is yo, tú or nosotros, nothing happens to the stem at all. Seriously, not a thing:

Dormir (changes o-ue in present)

Stem: dorm

yo dormí

tú dormiste

nosotros dormimos

Pedir (changes e-i in present)

Stem: ped

yo pedí

tú pediste

nosotros pedimos

However...

When the subject is 3rd-person (whether 3rd-person singular or 3rd-person plural):

  • There will be a SIMPLIFIED, single-vowel preterite stem change.
  • If the verb stem-changes o-ue in the present, it will make an o to u stem change in the preterite.
  • If the verb stem-changes e-ie or e-i in the present, it will make an e to i stem change in the preterite.

Dormir (changes o-ue in present)

Base stem: dorm

New 3rd-person stem: durm

3rd-person singular: durmió

3rd-person plural: durmieron

Pedir (changes e-i in present)

Base stem: ped

New 3rd-person stem: pid

3rd-person singular form: pidió

3rd-person plural form: pidieron

Let's look at this all together.

Remember:

  • When the subject is yo, tú or nosotros, nothing happens to the stem at all.
  • We only make a simplified preterite stem change when the subject is 3rd-person singular or 3rd-person plural.

Dormir (changes o-ue in present)

 

yo dormí

tú dormiste

3rd-person singular durmió

nosotros dormimos

3rd-person plural durmieron

Pedir (changes e-i in present)

 

yo pedí

tú pediste

3rd-person singular pidió

nosotros pedimos

3rd-person plural pidieron

The preterite of -IR verbs that stem change in the present tense is very important, and it will be prominently featured in both the upcoming Preterite Quiz and the Final Exam.

 

  • What is not important, and what will not be part of those two tests, is the material in Grammar 8.3--verbs that change meaning in the preterite.

 

For your own knowledge, it's nice to be aware that:

  • "conocí" means "I met" (not "I knew"),
  • "pude" means "I managed to" (not "I could/was able to"),
  • "supe" means "I found out" (not "I knew"),
  • "quise" means "I tried to" (not "I wanted to").

But you are not expected to master this.

Just focus on Grammar 8.2, please.