The Imperfect Tense: Usos
Imperfect Tense: Describing a Situation The imperfect tense is also used: To describe people, places, and situations in the past La casa de mis abuelos era enorme. Tenía cinco dormitorios.
Imperfect Tense: Describing a Situation To talk about a past action or situation when no beginning or end is specified Había mucha gente en la casa para el aniversario de mis abuelos.
Imperfect Tense: Describing a Situation To describe the situation or background information when something else happened or interrupted the ongoing action.
Imperfect Tense: Describing a Situation In these cases, the imperfect tense is used to tell what someone was doing when something happened (preterite.)
Imperfect Tense: Describing a Situation Todos mis parientes bailaban cuando llegamos. All my relatives were dancing when we arrived.
Imperfect Tense: Other Uses The imperfect tense may also be used: To tell what time it was or what the weather was like when something happened. Eran las cinco de la mañana y llovía mucho cuando el accidente occurió.
Imperfect Tense: Other Uses To describe the physical, mental, and emotional states of a person or thing when something happened. Muchas personas querían ayudar a la familia, pero no sabían que hacer.
Imperfect Tense: Other Uses These verbs are often used in the imperfect to describe states of being:
Imperfect Tense: Other Uses Estar (triste, contento, cansado) Parecer (cansado, mal) Pensar Querer Sentirse (bien, enfermo) Tener (calor, frío, hambre, sed, sueño)
Imperfect Tense: Other Uses Había and hubo are forms of haber and both mean there was, there were. Había is used to describe a situation that existed in the past, while hubo is used to say that an event took place.
Imperfect Tense: Other Uses Había mucho humo en el apartamento. Hubo un terremoto ayer a las seis de la mañana.