Question 1

Wait, iba is from ir (to go)? Why doesn't it look anything like it?

Accepted Answer

Ir is one of the only three verbs that are completely irregular in the imperfect tense (the other two being ser and ver). Because it doesn't follow the normal rules, you just have to memorize its forms: iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, iban.

Question 2

Why does this sentence use iba instead of the past tense fui (I went)?

Accepted Answer

Iba is the imperfect past tense. We use the imperfect to talk about habits in the past (meaning "I used to go") or an action that was ongoing ("I was going"). If you used fui (the preterite tense), it would mean you went to the avenue one specific time as a single, completed event.

Question 3

Why do we use era instead of estaba to say the sidewalk "was" narrow?

Accepted Answer

Era is the imperfect form of ser. We use ser rather than estar to describe permanent characteristics or defining physical traits. Even though we are talking about the past, being "narrow" (estrecha) was a built-in characteristic of that sidewalk, not a temporary condition or mood.

Question 4

Why does estrecha end with an "a" here?

Accepted Answer

Estrecha is an adjective meaning "narrow". In Spanish, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because la acera (the sidewalk) is a feminine noun, the adjective takes its feminine form estrecha instead of the masculine estrecho.

Yo iba a la avenida, pero la acera era estrecha.

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