PRETERITE VS. IMPERFECT When to use these past tenses

Preterite Sequence of events –I woke up, brushed my teeth, and took a shower. Interruption –I was watching TV when the phone rang. Main Event –It was cold out and snowing. I went sledding. Beginning/End of an event –The game ended at 5:00. Action completed –Yo fui al centro comercial ayer.

When to Use the Preterite When an action was completed When an action was completed at a specific time When an action was completed a specific number of times When an action began or ended When an action interrupts another action

Phrases that indicate use of the preterite Ayer Anteayer Anoche Desde el primer momento Durante (dos siglos) El otro (día) En ese momento Entonces Esta (mañana) (El año) pasado Hace (dos días) Por la mañana A las 10:00 El martes/lunes/etc. *Parenthesis indicate a measure of time that can be interchangeable. Ex: (El año) pasado El verano pasado

Imperfect Description –My mother was tall. Age –I was 18 years old. Repeated Action –I always got good grades. –Every summer we went camping. Emotion –I was bored. Time –It was 5:00 in the afternoon. Weather –It was raining. Ongoing Action –My mother was cleaning the kitchen. Background information –It was a rainy and foggy day. My sisters were playing and my parents were reading the paper. Use to…. –I use to love that movie!

When to use the Imperfect To state in general when an action took place To describe background information To express weather To tell time To tell age To describe physical and mental states and conditions, including feelings To express habitual actions To express what used to happen To express what was/were…ing

Phrases that indicate use of the Imperfect A menudo A veces Cada (día) Nunca Rara vez Siempre Casi siempre En aquella época Frecuentemente Generalmente Muchas veces Mucho De vez en cuando Con frecuencia

Examples of the preterite tense Paco trabajó en el supermercado hace dos años. Paco worked at the supermarket 2 years ago. Yo leí el periódico ayer por la tarde. I read the newspaper yesterday afternoon. Comimos una torta en la fiesta el viernes pasado. We ate a cake at the party last Friday.

Examples of the imperfect tense Hacía mal tiempo. It was bad weather. Yo tenía miedo de la tormenta. I was afraid of the storm. Mi abuelo tenía 84 años. My grandfather was 84 years old. Mi padre era un chico malo. My father was a bad boy.

Examples of the preterite vs. the imperfect tenses Beto estudió anoche. Beto studied last night. Beto estudiaba todas las noches. Beto used to study every night. Beto estudiaba cuando se durmió. Beto was studying when he fell asleep.

Practice Anoche Luís comió/comía unos tacos. Hace un año viajamos/viajábamos a Costa Rica. Isabel tuvo/tenía seis años cuando aprendió/aprendía a montar la bicicleta. Yo estuve/estaba en la clase de historia cuando mi mamá me llamó/llamaba. Fueron/Eran las tres de la tarde cuando Marco llegó/llegaba a casa. Tú siempre sacaste/sacabas buenas notas. Manuela fue/era muy simpática. El otro día yo fui/iba a la biblioteca. Nosotras asistimos/asistíamos a la clase de baile solamente tres veces. 10)De vez en cuando mi mamá cocinó/cocinaba comida china.