Exercises to Avoid Common Mistakes in Estonian Tense Usage

Mastering the use of tenses in Estonian can be a challenging yet rewarding endeavor for language learners. The intricacies of Estonian tenses often lead to common mistakes, such as confusing the past and present tenses or misapplying the future tense. Our carefully designed exercises aim to help you navigate these complexities by providing practical examples and engaging activities that target frequent errors. By practicing with these exercises, you will develop a more intuitive understanding of Estonian tense usage, leading to greater confidence and fluency in your communication. These exercises cover a wide range of scenarios and contexts, from everyday conversations to more formal written expressions. Each activity is crafted to highlight specific tense-related challenges and provide clear, concise explanations to reinforce your learning. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner, these exercises will cater to your needs, helping you to avoid common pitfalls and enhance your grasp of Estonian grammar. Dive in and start refining your skills to achieve accurate and effective use of tenses in Estonian.

Exercise 1

1. Ma *lähen* poodi (verb for movement).

2. Eile *sõin* ma õuna (verb for eating in past tense).

3. Homme *lähen* ma randa (verb for going in future tense).

4. Ta *töötab* kontoris (verb for working in present tense).

5. Nad *õppisid* eile hilisõhtuni (verb for studying in past tense).

6. Me *jooksime* pargis (verb for running in past tense).

7. Kas sa *tuleb* homme peole? (verb for coming in future tense).

8. Ma *kirjutan* praegu kirja (verb for writing in present tense).

9. Nad *sõidavad* järgmisel nädalal Soome (verb for traveling in future tense).

10. Ta *luges* eile raamatut (verb for reading in past tense).

Exercise 2

1. Ma *käisin* eile kinos (past tense, first person singular).

2. Ta *loeb* praegu raamatut (present tense, third person singular).

3. Me *sõidame* homme Pärnusse (future tense, first person plural).

4. Nad *olid* eile väga väsinud (past tense, third person plural).

5. Sa *oled* alati nii abivalmis (present tense, second person singular).

6. Kas te *tulete* homme külla? (future tense, second person plural).

7. Ma *ei tea*, kus mu võtmed on (present tense, first person singular).

8. Ta *ei tulnud* eile tööle (past tense, third person singular).

9. Me *saame* järgmisel nädalal kokku (future tense, first person plural).

10. Nad *jooksevad* igal hommikul pargis (present tense, third person plural).

Exercise 3

1. Ma *olen* kodus (verb to be in present tense).

2. Nad *läksid* eile kinno (verb to go in past tense).

3. Me *tuleme* homme tagasi (verb to come in future tense).

4. Ta *ostis* poes leiba (verb to buy in past tense).

5. Me *sööme* lõunat praegu (verb to eat in present tense).

6. Kas sa *näed* seda? (verb to see in present tense).

7. Nad *õppisid* eesti keelt eelmisel aastal (verb to learn in past tense).

8. Me *läheme* homme matkama (verb to go in future tense).

9. Ta *kirjutab* praegu kirja (verb to write in present tense).

10. Eelmisel nädalal *oli* väga külm (verb to be in past tense).