Final answer:
The preterite tense of 'poder' in the third person singular form (ud./el/ella) is 'pudo'. This verb is irregular and changes stem from 'pod-' to 'pud-' in the past tense.
Step-by-step explanation:
The verb poder is irregular in the preterite tense in Spanish. When conjugating poder in the preterite tense for the third person singular (he, she, it), which includes the formal second person singular (usted), the correct form is pudo. This is due to the irregular preterite stem change where the e becomes u. The verb poder means 'to be able to' or 'can,' and in the preterite, it indicates that someone had the ability to do something in the past but implies that it was a specific, completed action.
For example:
- Ella pudo terminar su proyecto. (She was able to finish her project.)
In this sentence, pudo is the final answer for the conjugation of poder in the preterite tense for the third person singular.
In two line explanation: The third person singular (ud./el/ella) form of poder in the irregular preterite tense in Spanish is pudo. This form indicates that the person had the ability to do something as a completed action in the past.