Sentir Preterite Practice

Question 1

Ayer ___ un dolor muy fuerte en el pecho durante el partido. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentí. Ayer marks a completed past event, so the preterite is needed. The yo form keeps the stem e and adds the accented ending: sent- + -í → sentí, used here with a noun (dolor) as 'to feel pain'.

Question 2

Anoche ___ mucho miedo al escuchar ruidos en el jardín. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentí. Anoche points to a finished moment in the past, so the preterite fits. Yo takes sentí, with no stem change; Spanish says sentir miedo where English uses 'to be afraid'.

Question 3

En ese instante ___ que algo malo iba a pasar. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentí. En ese instante marks one precise past moment, so the preterite is required. The yo form sentí keeps the e; here sentir means 'to sense' that something was coming.

Question 4

Ayer tú ___ un frío terrible en la montaña, ¿verdad? (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentiste. Ayer forces the preterite for a completed event. Tú keeps the stem e and adds -iste: sent- + -iste → sentiste. Spanish uses sentir frío for 'to be cold'.

Question 5

¿___ tú el temblor de anoche o ya dormías? (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentiste. The reference to anoche and a single event calls for the preterite. Tú takes sentiste; here sentir means 'to feel/notice' the earthquake.

Question 6

De repente ___ tú una punzada en la rodilla y te detuviste. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentiste. De repente signals a sudden completed action, so the preterite is needed. Tú keeps the e: sentiste, not any stem-changed form.

Question 7

Anoche mi hermano ___ un dolor insoportable de muelas. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sintió. Anoche places this in the completed past. In the third person singular the stem e changes to i: sint- + -ió → sintió, never 'sentió'.

Question 8

De repente la niña ___ mucho sueño y se acostó temprano. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sintió. De repente marks a single past moment, so the preterite fits. La niña is third person singular, which takes the e→i change: sintió.

Question 9

En ese instante Marta ___ una alegría enorme al ver a su hijo. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sintió. En ese instante points to one completed reaction, so the preterite is needed. Marta is él/ella, so the stem changes to i: sintió; sentir alegría means 'to feel joy'.

Question 10

Ayer nosotros ___ el calor del desierto como nunca antes. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentimos. Ayer forces the preterite. The nosotros form keeps the e and has no accent: sentimos — identical in spelling to the present, so the time marker settles the meaning.

Question 11

Anoche nosotros ___ un olor a quemado en el edificio. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentimos. Anoche pins this to a completed past event. Nosotros keeps the stem e with no change: sentimos; here sentir means 'to smell/notice' the odor.

Question 12

De repente todos nosotros ___ que el suelo se movía. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sentimos. De repente marks a sudden completed action, so the preterite fits. The subject todos nosotros is first person plural: sentimos, with the e kept in the stem.

Question 13

Ayer los turistas ___ un miedo terrible durante la tormenta. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sintieron. Ayer forces the preterite. In the third person plural the stem e becomes i: sint- + -ieron → sintieron, not 'sentieron'.

Question 14

En ese instante los niños ___ el ruido de los fuegos artificiales. (sentir)

Accepted Answer

sintieron. En ese instante marks one completed moment, so the preterite is required. Los niños is ellos, which takes the e→i change: sintieron; here sentir means 'to hear/feel' the noise.

Practice.