Learn mejorar conjugation in Pretérito Imperfecto step by step with detailed explanations

In this lesson we will see how to conjugate the verb mejorar in the Pretérito Imperfecto tense of the Indicativo mood. It means we will see step by step how to create the following conjugation:

yo	mejoraba
tú	mejorabas
él/ella/usted	mejoraba
nosotros/nosotras	mejorábamos
vosotros/vosotras	mejorabais
ellos/ellas/ustedes	mejoraban

This lesson is specifically about the mejorar conjugation. For an overview of all the Simple Tenses conjugation check the Simple Tenses Conjugation Chart.

We also have a Video Presentation on how to conjugate verbs in Pretérito Imperfecto. It’s embedded on the right, but you may as well find it in this article containing additional information.

The objective of this series is to explain as much as possible the logic behind exceptions and spelling corrections. That way the amount of stuff which needs to be memorized will be minimal and the learning process will be more effective. It means learning faster and with much less effort.

Note the timeline

The ability to accurately locate the intended position on the timeline is a crucial skill for proper choice of tenses. So pay attention to the timeline in our lessons and visualize it while listening, speaking, writing and reading. After a bit practice you’ll be able to select the right tense to use much easier.

Step by step instructions

The verb mejorar has a completely regular conjugation in the Pretérito Imperfecto tense of the Indicativo mood. It means this verb follows the general rules for its group (-ar) without any exceptions. This tense is really easy, because there are only three irregular verbs!

The basis for the conjugation of this verb is its stem, so we start by splitting the infinitive into a stem and an ending. It’s really easy to do – just remove two letters from the end of the infinitive to get the ending – one of -ar, -er, -ir. What’s left is the stem. So in case of the verb mejorar it’s easy to see that: the stem is: mejor- and the ending is: -ar

Use the stem mejor- in each subject as the basis for the conjugation, the common prefix or root that each of the forms begins with.

Next, add to this regular stem the endings specific to each person. See the image on the side showing all the six endings. Note both the shapes and colors of the letters. It should help you find patterns and make it easier to remember these endings. Each grammatical person has a specific ending in each of the three conjugation groups -ar, -er, -ir

Add the regular ending -aba for the first person singular to get mejoraba

Like previously add the regular ending -abas for the second person singular to get mejorabas

And as before add the regular ending -aba for the third person singular to get mejoraba

Also as in the previous case add the regular ending -ábamos for the first person plural to get mejorábamos

Note difference in spelling Only the first person plural has an accent here. This difference exists only in case of the verbs from the -ar group. Other groups always have an accented i in the ending in this tense, otherwise there would be a diphtong. A diphtong is formed when a weak vowel i/u and a strong vowel a/e/o are combined in a single syllable giving a sound which begins as one vowel and moves toward the other. English also has it in words like: vein, plain. So add the accent to get mejorábamos

And again add the regular ending -abais for the second person plural to get mejorabais

And similarly add the regular ending -aban for the third person plural to get mejoraban

¡Ya está! The conjugation is now complete. But don’t end your session yet – it is very important to repeat and practice the material in order to retain it. Check below for suggestions.

Next Steps

• To practice this conjugation and test your knowledge try this Conjugation Exercise
• To see other conjugation lessons for this verb choose another tense: Presente (indicativo)Pretérito Perfecto Simple (indicativo)Condicional (indicativo)Futuro (indicativo) 
• For various exercises related to this verb, visit our Exercise section
• To see conjugation charts in all tenses for this verb, visit the Conjugator
• To explore other learning materials visit the Study section

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