Spanish grammar
Llevaba, era, parecía, caminaba
Describe someone you saw.
From the scene Llevaba un abrigo largo (He was wearing a long coat)
In short
Describe someone you saw with the imperfect: llevaba, era, parecía, caminaba.
- he/she was wearing llevaba
- it was (description) era
- it looked like parecía
- he/she was walking caminaba
Your turn
Which one goes with it was (description)?
Options: llevaba · parecía · era
Show answer
it was (description) → era
How it works
To describe someone you saw — clothes, looks, what they were doing — use the imperfect.
Good to know
Llevaba (was wearing), era (was), parecía (looked like), caminaba (was walking).
he/she was wearing llevaba
Tomás
Llevaba un abrigo largo y una gorra.
He was wearing a long coat and a cap.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) un abrigo largo y una gorra.
Options: Parecía · Llevaba · Era
Show answer
Tomás
Llevaba un abrigo largo y una gorra.
He was wearing a long coat and a cap.
it was (description) era
Tomás
Oscuro. Era un abrigo muy largo.
Dark. It was a very long coat.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Oscuro. (blank) un abrigo muy largo.
Options: Llevaba · Parecía · Era
Show answer
Tomás
Oscuro. Era un abrigo muy largo.
Dark. It was a very long coat.
it looked like parecía
Tomás
No, parecía una sombra en la oscuridad.
No, it looked like a shadow in the dark.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
No, (blank) una sombra en la oscuridad.
Options: llevaba · era · parecía
Show answer
Tomás
No, parecía una sombra en la oscuridad.
No, it looked like a shadow in the dark.
he/she was walking caminaba
Tomás
Caminaba despacio, como muy cansado.
He was walking slowly, as if very tired.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) despacio, como muy cansado.
Options: Era · Caminaba · Llevaba
Show answer
Tomás
Caminaba despacio, como muy cansado.
He was walking slowly, as if very tired.
Common mistake
Not Lleva or Llevó here. Description of what he had on.
Llevaba un abrigo largo y una gorra.
He was wearing a long coat and a cap.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| he/she was wearing | llevaba |
|---|---|
| it was (description) | era |
| it looked like | parecía |
| he/she was walking | caminaba |
More lines from the story
- Elena¿Cómo era? Descríbemela.What did they look like? Describe them to me.
- Elena¿Y cómo caminaba? ¿Rápido?And how was he walking? Fast?