presidir Preterite Conjugation
presidir — to chair
The preterite of 'presidir' marks completed actions like 'presidí' (I chaired) or 'presidió' (he/she chaired).
presidir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite tense for actions of presiding that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of it as marking the beginning or end of an event where someone chaired it, or the entire act of presiding as a finished event.
Notes on presidir in the Preterite
'Presidir' is regular in the preterite tense. All the endings follow the standard pattern for regular -ir verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo presidí la conferencia inaugural el año pasado.
I chaired the inaugural conference last year.
yo
¿Tú presidiste la reunión de ayer?
Did you chair yesterday's meeting?
tú
Ella presidió el consejo estudiantil durante dos años.
She chaired the student council for two years.
él/ella/usted
Los miembros presidieron la ceremonia con gran solemnidad.
The members chaired the ceremony with great solemnity.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'presidía' when the action was a single completed event.
Correct: For a specific completed instance of chairing, use the preterite: 'Él presidió la reunión.'
Why: The preterite is for completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'presidió' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The él/ella/usted form is 'presidió' with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable, distinguishing it from other forms and indicating a completed action.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: presido
The present tense 'presido' (I chair) or 'presiden' (they chair) describes current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: presidía
The imperfect 'presidía' describes ongoing or habitual past actions of chairing.
Future
yo: presidiré
The future tense 'presidiré' (I will chair) or 'presidirá' (he/she will chair) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: presidiría
The conditional 'presidiría' (I would chair) expresses hypotheticals or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: presida
The present subjunctive like 'presida' or 'presidan' expresses wishes, doubts, or uncertainty about current or future events.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: presidiera
The imperfect subjunctive like 'presidiera' or 'presidiera' is used for past hypothetical situations or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: preside
Commands like 'preside' or 'presidan' are used to tell someone to chair something.
Negative Imperative
yo: no presidas
Negative commands like 'no presidas' or 'no presidan' tell someone not to chair something.