agravar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, or to describe background settings. For example, 'Cuando era joven, el frío me agravaba la tos.' (When I was young, the cold worsened my cough.)

Notes on agravar in the Imperfect

Agravar is regular in the imperfect tense.

Example Sentences

• El ruido me agravaba el dolor de cabeza constantemente.

  The noise constantly worsened my headache.

  él/ella/usted

• Tú agravabas la situación cada vez que intervenías.

  You worsened the situation every time you intervened.

  tú

• Ellos agravaban las disputas con sus chismes.

  They worsened the disputes with their gossip.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

• Yo agravaba el problema sin darme cuenta.

  I worsened the problem without realizing it.

  yo

• Nosotros agravábamos las tensiones sin querer.

  We worsened the tensions unintentionally.

  nosotros

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite instead of imperfect for ongoing past actions: 'El ruido agravó mi dolor de cabeza por horas'.

  Correct: Use the imperfect for ongoing or habitual past actions: 'El ruido agravaba mi dolor de cabeza por horas'.

  Why: The imperfect describes continuous or repeated actions in the past, not single completed events.

• Mistake: Confusing imperfect and preterite for descriptions: 'Cuando llegué, la situación se agravó'.

  Correct: Use imperfect for description/background: 'Cuando llegué, la situación se agravaba'. Use preterite for the specific event: 'Cuando llegué, la situación se agravó *mucho*'.

  Why: The imperfect sets the scene, the preterite describes the action that happened within that scene.

Related Tenses