Spanish · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 5 of 12
Work and studies
El trabajo y los estudios
Talk about your studies and jobs, describe past habits with the imperfect, and say how long you've worked somewhere with desde hace.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you studied and where you have worked
- Describe past habits and situations with the imperfect
- Choose between the imperfect and the preterite
- Say how long you've been doing something with desde hace, and use a before people
Listen
Nerea Etxeberria has a job interview for a receptionist's job at a hotel in Bilbao. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Interviewer
Buenos días, Nerea. Bueno, ¿qué estudió usted?
Good morning, Nerea. Right, what did you study?
Nerea
Estudié Turismo en la universidad, aquí en Bilbao. Terminé hace tres años.
I studied Tourism at university, here in Bilbao. I finished three years ago.
Interviewer
¿Y tiene experiencia en hoteles?
And do you have experience in hotels?
Nerea
Sí. Cuando era estudiante, trabajaba todos los veranos en un hotel de San Sebastián.
Yes. When I was a student, I worked in a hotel in San Sebastián every summer.
Interviewer
¿Y qué hacía allí?
And what did you do there?
Nerea
Estaba en la recepción. Hacía las reservas, contestaba el teléfono y ayudaba a los clientes.
I was on reception. I made the bookings, answered the phone and helped the guests.
Interviewer
¿Hablaba idiomas en el trabajo?
Did you speak foreign languages at work?
Nerea
Sí, hablaba inglés y francés todos los días. Muchos clientes eran de Francia.
Yes, I spoke English and French every day. Lots of the guests were from France.
Interviewer
Muy bien. ¿Y ahora dónde trabaja?
Very good. And where do you work now?
Nerea
En una agencia de viajes. Trabajo allí desde hace dos años.
At a travel agency. I've been working there for two years.
Interviewer
¿Y por qué quiere cambiar de trabajo?
And why do you want to change jobs?
Nerea
Porque me encantan los hoteles y quiero hablar más con los clientes.
Because I love hotels and I want to talk to guests more.
Understand
The imperfect: trabajaba, hacía
The “imperfect” () is the second past tense of Spanish. -ar verbs take -aba endings and -er and -ir verbs take -ía endings. The and / / forms are the same: means “I worked” or “he / she worked”.
Only three verbs are irregular: (), () and (). All the others, even and , are regular: , .
| Person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / | ||||
| / | ||||
| / | ||||
| / / |
Imperfect or preterite?
Use the imperfect for habits in the past (what you used to do, often with …, , …) and for descriptions and situations: what someone or something was like, where someone was.
Use the preterite (chapter 1) for single finished events, and for actions with a clear end or a fixed length: , .
A good test: if English can say “used to” or “was …ing”, Spanish usually needs the imperfect.
| Imperfect: habits and descriptions | Preterite: finished events |
|---|---|
| (When I was a student, I worked in a hotel.) | (I studied Tourism.) |
| (I spoke English every day.) | (Yesterday I spoke to the manager.) |
| (Lots of guests were from France.) | (I finished three years ago.) |
How long? desde hace
To say how long you've been doing something that is still true now, use the present + + the length of time. English uses “have been …ing” here.
To ask, say ¿Desde cuándo…? (chapter 3). For jobs, remember that Spanish uses with no or : .
- Trabajo aquí desde hace dos años.I've been working here for two years.
- ¿Desde cuándo estudias español?How long have you been studying Spanish?
- Estudio español desde hace seis meses.I've been studying Spanish for six months.
- Soy camarera desde hace un año.I've been a waitress for a year.
Ayudar a los clientes: a before people
When the person who receives the action (the “direct object”) is a specific person, Spanish puts before it: (I helped the guests). This “personal ” has no English translation. With things, there's no : (I made the bookings).
+ becomes , as always: . doesn't take the personal : .
- Ayudaba a los clientes.I helped the guests.
- Los domingos veía a mis abuelos.On Sundays I used to see my grandparents.
- Veía la ciudad desde el hotel.I could see the city from the hotel.
More in the grammar: Object pronouns: lo, la, le, les · The imperfect: describing the past · The preterite: talking about the past
New words
- estudiarto study
- la universidaduniversity · feminine
- terminarto finish
- la experienciaexperience · feminine
- cuandowhen · no accent when it isn't a question:
- el veranosummer · masculine
- la recepciónreception (desk) · feminine
- la reservabooking, reservation · feminine
- contestar el teléfonoto answer the phone
- ayudarto help · : to help someone
- el cliente / la clientacustomer, client; hotel guest
- hablarto speak, to talk · ,
- el idiomalanguage · masculine, although it ends in -a; , …
- la agencia de viajestravel agency · feminine
Practise
1.Which sentence describes a habit in the past?
2.Complete with the imperfect of : “When I was a student, I lived in Bilbao.”
When I was a student, I lived in Bilbao.
3.Complete with the preterite of : “I finished university three years ago.”
I finished university three years ago.
4.Which sentence is correct?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I've been working here for two years.
6.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Estudié Turismo en la universidad.
I studied Tourism at university.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.