Preterit vs. Imperfect

The preterit Uses of the preterit: S-P-I-C-Y S=specific, sudden occurrence, completed actions in the past, –ed endings (what happened/occurred) P=past actions that were part of a series of distinct instances, or actions repeated a series of times. (not to be confused with habitual) I=interrupting actions of an ongoing action in the imperfect. C=completed actions in the past. Beginning or end of an action. (time limit) Y="yesterday” (anoche y ayer)

Preterit KEY WORDS ayer anoche el año/mes pasado la semana pasada

The imperfect The imperfect T-O-A-D- S-T-E-W T=thoughts or feelings (mental, emotional, physical states, attitudes, and beliefs) O=other past actions that where (used to/habitual) A=age D=descriptions of people, places, situations and the physical state of an object. S= setting or scene description (background information, such as thetime, the weather, and the location) T=time/date E=existing continuous action or circumstance in the past with no reference to its beginning or end. (was/were + -ing form of verb. W=weather

The imperfect KEY WORDS Siempre todos los días cada semana/mes/año/verano los sábados a menudo muchas veces generalmente mientras

Conjugation forms for the preterit To conjugate verbs in the preterit, simply drop the (-ar,-er,or -ir) ending and add one of the following: -AR -ER/-IR é aste ó amos aron í iste ió imos ieron

Conjugation Forms for The imperfect To conjugate verbs in the imperfect, simply drop the (-ar, -er, or –ir) ending and add the following: -AR -ER /-IR aba abas aba ábamos aban ía ías Íamos ían