formular Imperfect Conjugation
formular — to phrase
The imperfect of formular is regular: formulaba, formulabas, formulaba, formulábamos, formulabais, formulaban.
formular Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'formular' to describe habitual actions in the past ('Siempre formulaba la misma pregunta' - I always phrased the same question) or to set the scene ('Mientras él formulaba su discurso...' - While he was phrasing his speech...).
Notes on formular in the Imperfect
Formular is regular in the imperfect tense, following the standard -aba endings for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, formulaba muchas preguntas.
When I was a child, I used to phrase many questions.
yo
¿Tú formulabas las quejas por escrito?
Did you used to phrase the complaints in writing?
tú
Ella formulaba sus ideas de manera muy creativa.
She used to phrase her ideas very creatively.
él/ella/usted
Ellos formulaban sus peticiones al comité.
They were phrasing their requests to the committee.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Correct: Formulaba la pregunta todos los días. (Correct Imperfect) vs Formuló la pregunta todos los días. (Incorrect - implies a single completed event)
Why: The imperfect describes actions that were repeated or in progress over time, while the preterite describes completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'formulaba' (yo/él/ella/usted) with other forms.
Correct: Yo formulabais las ideas. (Incorrect) -> Yo formulaba las ideas. (Correct)
Why: Each pronoun has a specific imperfect ending; mixing them up is a common error.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: formulo
The present tense of formular is regular: formulo, formulas, formula, formulamos, formuláis, formulan.
Preterite
yo: formulé
The preterite of formular is regular: formulé, formulaste, formuló, formulamos, formulasteis, formularon.
Future
yo: formularé
The future tense of formular is regular: formularé, formularás, formulará, formularemos, formularéis, formularán.
Conditional
yo: formularía
The conditional of formular is regular: formularía, formularías, formularía, formularíamos, formularíais, formularían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: formule
The present subjunctive of formular (formule, formules, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, and impersonal expressions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: formulara
The imperfect subjunctive of formular (formulara, formularas, etc.) expresses past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: formula
The imperative of formular is regular in the tú form (formula) but uses subjunctive forms for others.
Negative Imperative
yo: no formules
Negative commands for formular use 'no' plus the present subjunctive forms.