Pensar Preterite Practice

Question 1

Ayer ___ mucho antes de aceptar la nueva oferta de trabajo. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensé. Ayer marks a completed action, so the preterite is needed. Pensar is regular in the past, so the yo form is simply pens- + -é → pensé, with no e→ie change.

Question 2

¿En qué ___ anoche cuando te quedaste callado tanto tiempo? (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensaste. Anoche points to a finished moment, so the preterite fits. The tú ending in the preterite is -aste: pensaste, without any stem change.

Question 3

De repente, Lucía ___ en una solución para el problema del presupuesto. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensó. De repente signals a single completed event, so the preterite is right. The él/ella form takes -ó with an accent: pensó. Don't confuse it with the present piensa.

Question 4

Anoche mi hermano y yo ___ en cancelar el viaje por la tormenta. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensamos. Anoche makes this a completed action. The preterite nosotros form is pensamos — spelled the same as the present, but the past marker settles the meaning.

Question 5

Los jurados ___ un buen rato antes de anunciar al ganador. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensaron. A finished deliberation before a single announcement takes the preterite. The ellos ending is -aron: pensaron, with no stem change in the past.

Question 6

En ese momento ___ que había olvidado las llaves en la oficina. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensé. En ese momento pins the thought to one precise past instant, so the preterite fits: pensé. The imperfect pensaba would describe an ongoing state instead.

Question 7

Ayer ___ demasiado en los detalles y perdiste la calma. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensaste. Ayer sets a completed past, so the preterite is needed: pens- + -aste → pensaste. Pensar en means to think about something.

Question 8

Anoche mi abuelo ___ en llamar a su viejo amigo de la escuela. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensó. Anoche marks a completed moment, so the preterite pensó is correct. Pensar en + infinitive here means he considered doing something.

Question 9

Ayer nosotras ___ que la reunión sería más corta. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensamos. Ayer forces the past, and nosotras takes pensamos in the preterite. It looks identical to the present, so the time marker does the work.

Question 10

De repente todos ___ lo mismo: era hora de irse a casa. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensaron. De repente introduces a sudden completed reaction, so the preterite fits. Todos is a plural subject, so the ellos form pensaron is used.

Question 11

Al ver las noticias, en ese momento ___ en mi familia que vive lejos. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensé. En ese momento marks a single point in the past, so the preterite pensé is correct. Pensar en introduces who you thought about.

Question 12

El año pasado ___ en mudarte a otra ciudad, ¿lo recuerdas? (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensaste. El año pasado is a closed time frame, so the preterite is needed: pensaste. Pensar en + infinitive means you considered doing something.

Question 13

Ayer el entrenador ___ en cambiar toda la estrategia del equipo. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensó. Ayer marks a completed decision moment, so the preterite pensó fits. The regular -ar él form takes -ó with a written accent.

Question 14

Anoche mis vecinos ___ en organizar una fiesta sorpresa. (pensar)

Accepted Answer

pensaron. Anoche sets a completed past, so the preterite is right. The ellos form is pens- + -aron → pensaron, with no stem change.

Practice.