Final answer:
The endings added to -er and -ir verb stems to form the preterite tense in Spanish are different. -er verbs take endings such as -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron, while -ir verbs take the same endings.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Spanish, the endings added to -er and -ir verb stems to form the preterite tense are different. Here are the endings for each:
- For -er verbs: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
- For -ir verbs: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
For example, let's take the verb 'comer' (to eat) as an -er verb:
- Yo comí (I ate)
- Tú comiste (You ate)
- Él/Ella/Usted comió (He/She/You formal ate)
- Nosotros/Nosotras comimos (We ate)
- Vosotros/Vosotras comisteis (You all ate)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comieron (They/You all formal ate)
Similarly, for -ir verbs like 'vivir' (to live):
- Yo viví (I lived)
- Tú viviste (You lived)
- Él/Ella/Usted vivió (He/She/You formal lived)
- Nosotros/Nosotras vivimos (We lived)
- Vosotros/Vosotras vivisteis (You all lived)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes vivieron (They/You all formal lived)