Preterite vs Imperfect

You have already learned about the two past tenses in Spanish You have already learned about the two past tenses in Spanish. In Spanish, it is very common to use both past tenses together There are some general rules to guide your decision about when to use the Preterite or the Imperfect. There are also certain words and expressions that will help you choose the appropriate tense. The following section informs you about the differences between El Pretérito and El Imperfecto and gives you some clues about when you should use each tense.

Rules to follow for the PRETERITE 1. States the beginning or the ending of an action in the past. 2. An event that lasted for a specific period of time & that has been completed, of which we know the beginning & the end. 3. A single action or a series of actions in the past that are totally completed.

Rules to follow for the IMPERFECT: 1. An on going or habitual action in the past, that is something that “Used to happen.” 2. Actions that were going on at the same time. 3. Something that was going on when ANOTHER action took place. (Imperfect & Preterite) 4. Descriptions, Physical & Emotional states as they were in the past. 5. TIME (Ser) & AGE (Tener)

PRETERITE Expressions: Make sure you TRANSLATE!! Ayer Anteayer La semana pasada Esta mañana De repente El año pasado Anoche

IMPERFECT Expressions: Make sure you TRANSLATE!! Siempre Nunca Frecuentemente Muchas veces De niño/a De joven Mientras Cada semana