apelar Imperfect Conjugation
apelar — to appeal
Ongoing or habitual past actions like 'apelaba' (he/she/you used to appeal) or 'apelaban' (they used to appeal).
apelar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe actions in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or set the scene. For 'apelar', this could mean 'He used to appeal every decision' or 'They were appealing when the interruption occurred.'
Notes on apelar in the Imperfect
Apelar is regular in the imperfect indicative. The forms are: apelaba, apelabas, apelaba, apelábamos, apelabais, apelaban.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, apelaba todas las multas.
When I was young, I used to appeal all the fines.
yo
Tú apelabas a la paciencia de todos.
You were testing everyone's patience.
tú
Él apelaba a las mismas excusas siempre.
He resorted to the same excuses all the time.
él/ella/usted
Ellos apelaban a la autoridad superior.
They were appealing to the higher authority.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'apeló' instead of the imperfect 'apelaba' for a habitual past action.
Correct: For actions that happened repeatedly or over a period in the past, use the imperfect: 'Ella apelaba a menudo.'
Why: The imperfect describes background, ongoing, or habitual actions in the past, while the preterite refers to completed events.
Mistake: Confusing 'apelábamos' (imperfect) with 'apelamos' (present/preterite).
Correct: The imperfect form for 'nosotros' is 'apelábamos'.
Why: The '-aba' ending is characteristic of the imperfect tense for -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: apelo
Current actions like 'apelo' (I appeal) or 'apelan' (they appeal), habitual actions, and general truths.
Preterite
yo: apelé
Completed past actions like 'apeló' (he/she/you appealed) or 'apelaron' (they appealed).
Future
yo: apelaré
Future actions like 'apelaré' (I will appeal) or 'apelarán' (they will appeal), also used for probability.
Conditional
yo: apelaría
Hypothetical actions like 'apelaría' (I would appeal) or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: apele
Subjunctive forms like 'apele' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'apelen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: apelara
Past subjunctive forms like 'apelara' (yo/él/ella/usted) or 'apeláramos' (nosotros) for hypothetical or uncertain past situations.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: apela
Commands like 'apela' (tú) and 'apelen' (ustedes) in the affirmative.
Negative Imperative
yo: no apeles
Negative commands like 'no apeles' (tú) and 'no apelen' (ustedes) use the present subjunctive.