Choose the correct imperfect form of 'vivir' for the subject 'ellos'.

Choose the correct imperfect form of 'vivir' for the subject 'ellos'.

• A. vivía
• B. vivías
• C. vivían
• D. vivíamos

Answer: (C)

The imperfect form used here shows an action in the past that was ongoing or habitual for a plural third-person subject. For -ir verbs like vivir, the endings are -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Attach the stem vivir- to the plural ending -ían to get vivían. This matches ellos (they) and yields “vivían,” meaning “they were living” or “they used to live” in the past. The accent on the í helps signal the typical stress pattern of these forms. Other endings would correspond to different subjects (for example, -ía for singular subjects like he/she/you or I, or -íamos/-íais for nosotros/vosotros), so they wouldn’t fit with the plural ellos.

The imperfect form used here shows an action in the past that was ongoing or habitual for a plural third-person subject. For -ir verbs like vivir, the endings are -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Attach the stem vivir- to the plural ending -ían to get vivían. This matches ellos (they) and yields “vivían,” meaning “they were living” or “they used to live” in the past.

The accent on the í helps signal the typical stress pattern of these forms. Other endings would correspond to different subjects (for example, -ía for singular subjects like he/she/you or I, or -íamos/-íais for nosotros/vosotros), so they wouldn’t fit with the plural ellos.