patrullar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect for ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Think of describing a routine: 'Cuando era niño, mi abuelo patrullaba el huerto cada tarde' (When I was a child, my grandfather patrolled the orchard every afternoon).

Notes on patrullar in the Imperfect

'Patrullar' is regular in the imperfect indicative tense.

Example Sentences

• Yo patrullaba la zona cuando era joven.

  I used to patrol the area when I was young.

  yo

• Tú patrullabas el perímetro mientras yo vigilaba la entrada.

  You were patrolling the perimeter while I watched the entrance.

  tú

• La guardia patrullaba la calle silenciosamente.

  The guard was patrolling the street silently.

  él/ella/usted

• Ellos patrullaban el sector durante la noche.

  They used to patrol the sector during the night.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for descriptions or habitual past actions.

  Correct: Use imperfect for ongoing/habitual past: 'Patrullaba a menudo' (He used to patrol often), not 'Patrulló a menudo'.

  Why: The imperfect describes background or repeated actions, while the preterite describes completed, single events.

• Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.

  Correct: Both yo and él/ella/usted forms are 'patrullaba'. Context is key.

  Why: These forms are identical, so the subject pronoun or surrounding context must clarify who is performing the action.

Related Tenses