You're writing a family newsletter to send out at the start of the new year to let everyone know what's going on with your family. You will write about yourself, your family as a group, and then choose one family member to write about. Describe what happened el año pasado to each person/the group using the preterite tense in 1 sentence. Use the present progressive tense for 2 sentences to describe what they are currently doing ahora. No repeat use of verbs besides the forms of estar will be accepted. A total of 9 sentences are required, with 3 sentences each for the subjects of your sentences: Yo (3), Mi familia y yo (3), and a chosen family member (3).

Yo el año pasado aprendí a nadar. Ahora estoy aprendiendo a bucear. Además, estoy leyendo mucho.  

El año pasado mi familia y yo vimos muchas películas. Ahora estamos armando un rompecabezas juntos. Mi familia y yo estamos disfrutando pasar tiempo juntos.  

El año pasado mi tía ganó la lotería. Ahora está viviendo en una casa más linda.  Y está comprando juguetes para todos!

Explanation:

The Spanish preterite tense is used to describe actions that have already been completed.

For regular verbs, it´s formed by removing the -ar, -ir, or -er ending and adding the correct ending:

First person singular (yo):  

for verbs ending in - ar: -é;  

for verbs ending in -er and -ir: -í

Third person singular (él ella, usted):

for verbs ending in - ar: -ó;  

for verbs ending in -er and -ir: -ió

Third person plural (nosotros/as):

for verbs ending in - ar: -amos;  

for verbs ending in -er and -ir: -imos

The present progressive is used to describe an action that is happening in the present, and is formed by the present tense conjugation of estar + a present participle.