escoltar Imperfect Conjugation
escoltar — to escort
The imperfect of escoltar (escoltaba, escoltabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past escorts.
escoltar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'escoltar' to describe actions of escorting that were happening continuously in the past, or that happened habitually. Think of background descriptions: 'He used to escort dignitaries' or 'While he was escorting her, the phone rang'.
Notes on escoltar in the Imperfect
Escolta is regular in the imperfect tense. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo escoltaba a mi padre a la estación todos los días.
I used to escort my father to the station every day.
yo
¿Tú escoltabas a tu hermana a la escuela?
Did you escort your sister to school (habitually)?
tú
Mientras el guarda nos escoltaba, vimos un animal.
While the guard was escorting us, we saw an animal.
él/ella/usted
Ellos nos escoltaban a menudo cuando éramos niños.
They often escorted us when we were children.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Vosotros escoltabais al profesor por el campus.
You all escorted the professor around the campus.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed escort action.
Correct: Use the preterite ('escoltó') for a specific, completed escort, not the imperfect ('escoltaba').
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, while the preterite describes completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing 'escoltaba' (yo/él/ella/usted) with other forms.
Correct: Make sure to use the correct ending for the subject: 'escoltaba' for yo/él/ella/usted, 'escoltabas' for tú, etc.
Why: Each pronoun has a distinct imperfect ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: escolto
The present tense of escoltar (escolto, escoltas, escolta, etc.) describes actions happening now or habitual escorts.
Preterite
yo: escolté
The preterite of escoltar is regular: escolté, escoltaste, escoltó, escoltamos, escoltasteis, escoltaron.
Future
yo: escoltaré
The future tense of escoltar (escoltaré, escoltarás, etc.) is used for actions that will definitely happen.
Conditional
yo: escoltaría
The conditional of escoltar (escoltaría, escoltarías, etc.) expresses 'would' escort, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: escolte
The present subjunctive of escoltar (escolte, escoltes, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and after certain expressions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: escoltara
The imperfect subjunctive of escoltar, like escolta(ra/ras/ra/ramos/rais/ran), is used for hypothetical past situations or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: escolta
Use the imperative of escoltar for direct commands: escolta (tú), escolte (usted), escoltemos (nosotros), escolten (ustedes), escoltad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no escoltes
Negative commands for escoltar use the present subjunctive: no escoltes (tú), no escolte (usted), no escoltemos (nosotros), no escolten (ustedes), no escoltéis (vosotros).