Generally speaking, the
preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed
, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.
How do you know when to use the preterite tense?
The preterite tense is used
if the past action had a definite beginning and definite end
and is often used with phrases that give a specific time frame, eg: The preterite tense is NOT used to describe people in the past or to describe or set a scene.
When should I use imperfect?
The imperfect tense is generally used for
actions in the past that do not have a definite end
. These can be actions that are not yet completed or refer to a time in general in the past. It can also be used to talk about: actions that were repeated habitually.
Do you use imperfect or preterite for age?
Whenever you want to refer to someone’s age in the past or tell what was the time when something happened, also use the
imperfect tense
. Eran poco más de las tres de la tarde de ayer.
What is an example of when we should use the preterite?
Use the preterite when a completed action is repeated a specific number of times. For example:
Fui al aeropuerto tres veces ayer
. I went to the airport three times yesterday.
Is suddenly preterite or imperfect?
| A B | When something happens suddenly or immediately Preterite | An ongoing action in the past (I was listening to the radio) Imperfect | A list of completed actions Preterite | When something happened for the first time(It began to rain) Preterite |
|---|
Can you use imperfect and preterite in the same sentence?
The preterite and imperfect tenses are often used together in the same sentence. … Two vocabulary words that are necessary to join two past tense verbs in the same sentence are
mientras (while) and cuando (when)
.
Do you use imperfect for emotions?
The imperfect is
used to describe past actions that have no clear beginning and end
. This includes descriptions, age, weather, time, and emotions. It also refers to repeated action (translated as “used to”) such as, “iba todos los veranos” (I used to go every summer). Learn more about conjugating the imperfect tense.
Is an interrupting action preterite or imperfect?
Something was happening, when an action ‘interrupted’ it. The ongoing action is imperfect, and the action that ‘interrupts’ is
preterite
.
What are examples of preterite?
- caminar (to walk)
- Yo caminé al parque. – I walked to the park. Él caminó en la calle. …
- Yo caminé en la playa. – I walked on the beach.
- correr (to run).
- Yo corrí dos veces. – I ran two times. …
- ir (to go)
- Yo fui a Francia. – I went to France. …
- dar (to give)
What are the preterite endings?
| Person Verbs ending in -ar Verbs ending in -er and -ir | yo -é -í | tú -aste -iste | él, ella, usted -ó -ió | nosotros -amos -imos |
|---|
What are the 3 irregular verbs in the imperfect?
There are only three irregular verbs:
ver (to see), ser (to be), and ir (to go)
.
Do you use imperfect for suddenly?
Use the imperfect
to set the stage for another past action
. … It’s usually used to say that someone was doing such and such a thing (imperfect), when all of a sudden something happened (preterite
Is background information preterite or imperfect?
The part that seems to be descriptive,
background info is imperfect
, while actions and specific events are preterite.
What is the difference between past and imperfect tense?
Imperfect and past tense verbs show the difference in the timing of past actions The
past perfect
tense relates to an action that was completed at a time relative to another timed event. For example, “By 2000 they had married.” The imperfect tense, refers to an action that continued for some time.
In what situations do you use the imperfect tense?
The imperfect tense is one of the verb tenses used
to talk about the past
, especially in descriptions, and to say what was happening or used to happen, for example, It was sunny at the weekend; We were living in Spain at the time; I used to walk to school.
