abortar Imperfect Conjugation
abortar — to abort
Imperfect forms like 'abortaba' (yo) describe past ongoing or habitual actions of aborting.
abortar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for descriptions, ongoing actions, or habitual actions in the past. For 'abortar,' it could describe a past routine of aborting certain tasks, or set the scene where something was in the process of being aborted.
Notes on abortar in the Imperfect
'Abortar' is regular in the imperfect tense. The conjugations follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, yo abortaba mis dibujos si no me gustaban.
When I was a child, I used to abort my drawings if I didn't like them.
yo
Tú abortabas la conversación cada vez que salía el tema.
You used to abort the conversation every time the subject came up.
tú
Él abortaba el entrenamiento si sentía dolor.
He would abort the training if he felt pain.
él/ella/usted
Ellos abortaban la misión si las condiciones no eran seguras.
They would abort the mission if the conditions weren't safe.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single completed action in the past.
Correct: Instead of 'Él abortaba el proyecto ayer', use the preterite: 'Él abortó el proyecto ayer'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not specific, completed events.
Mistake: Confusing imperfect and preterite in narrative.
Correct: Use imperfect for background ('La noche era oscura') and preterite for actions ('y abortamos el plan').
Why: Different tenses serve different narrative functions.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: aborto
Present tense forms like 'aborto' (yo) and 'aborta' (él/ella/usted) describe current actions or habits.
Preterite
yo: aborté
Preterite forms like 'aborté' (yo) and 'abortaron' (ellos) mark completed actions like aborting a mission.
Future
yo: abortaré
Future forms like 'abortaré' (yo) and 'abortarán' (ellos) indicate actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: abortaría
Conditional forms like 'abortaría' (yo) express hypotheticals ('would abort').
Present Subjunctive
yo: aborte
Use present subjunctive forms like 'aborte' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'aborten' (ustedes) after expressions of doubt or desire.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: abortara
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'abortara' or 'abortase' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aborta
Use imperative forms like 'aborta' (tú) and 'aborten' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no abortes
Negative commands like 'no abortes' (tú) and 'no aborten' (ustedes) use the present subjunctive.