Preterit Vs. Imperfect This is different than English because we consider past as one tense.

Preterit Rules Red Light

Preterit For Actions that can be viewed as single events Example: La gallina murió ayer.

Preterit For actions that were repeated a specific number of times. Example: La rana caminó a la tienda tres veces.

Preterit For actions that occurred during a specific period of time. Example: Yo estudié por diez minutos.

Preterit For actions that were part of a chain of events. Example: Yo asusté el alce americano y huyó.

Preterit To state the beginning or the end of an action. Example: Nosotros empezamos el partido de fútbol.

Imperfect Rules Green Light

Imperfect For actions that were repeated habitually. Example: Yo iba al colegio todos los días.

Imperfect For actions that set the stage for other past actions. Example: Hacía calor por la playa.

Imperfect For telling time. Example: Eran las dos de la mañana.

Imperfect For stating one’s age Example: Yo tenía seis años.

Imperfect For mental states Example: El profesor estaba enojado.

For physical sensations. Example: La estufa era calor.

Imperfect To describe the characteristics of people, things, or conditions. Example: La chica era muy fea.