Preterite vs Imperfect. Trying to decide when to use the Preterite and when to use the Imperfect is one of the challenges of learning these two tenses.

Presentación del tema: "Preterite vs Imperfect. Trying to decide when to use the Preterite and when to use the Imperfect is one of the challenges of learning these two tenses."— Transcripción de la presentación:

1 Preterite vs Imperfect

2 Trying to decide when to use the Preterite and when to use the Imperfect is one of the challenges of learning these two tenses. Review the uses of the Imperfect and the Preterite, and make a chart for yourself listing the differences.ImperfectPreterite

3 We generalize and say that the Imperfect is used to describe a scene and the Preterite is used to list series of completed actions. It can be a little more complex, especially with verbs that change meaning depending on the tense.

4 You will use the Imperfect – When you "set a scene" describing what your house or dog used to look like and what your family was like. Think of looking at a photograph and describing the people in it and what they were doing. Since the photograph is static, the people in it can't start doing something different. So you can only describe the scene you see. – When you are describing what people were doing (in the process of doing) or used to do – or when you describe what it was like when you arrived at the party last night. The stories that occur within these settings happen in the Preterite!

5 For example, let's set a scene: Eran las nueve de la noche. Era viernes. Hacía mal tiempo. Llovía. Todos estábamos en casa. Mamá y Papá miraban la televisión; yo leía una novela de StarTrek; mi hermana hablaba por teléfono con su novio en su cuarto. Esnupi (nuestro perro) dormía detrás del sillón en la sala. It was 9:00 at night. It was Friday. It was bad weather. It was raining. We were all at home. Mom and Dad were watching television; I was reading a StarTrek novel; my sister was talking on the phone with her boyfriend in her room. Esnupi (our dog) was sleeping behind the armchair in the living room.

6 But now let's talk about the action: De repente, ¡Entró un ladrón! Pasó por la escalera y caminó hasta la recámara de mis padres. Miró en el cuarto cuando oyó la voz de mi hermana. Se volvió y bajó las escaleras. Trató de huir de la casa, pero Esnupi se despertó y mordió la pierna del ladrón. Suddenly, a robber entered! He went upstairs and walked down to my parent's bedroom. He looked in the room but then he heard my sister's voice. He turned and went down the stairs. He tried to flee the house, but Esnupi woke up and bit the robber's leg.

7 This is a series of actions in the Preterite which happened within the setting established by the Imperfect.Preterite The focus of the Preterite is on completed action(s). The Imperfect focuses on a state of being.

8 Comí la cena...I ate my dinner (and I finished it) Tuvo que devolver la camisa. She had to -and did- return the shirt. Comía la cena... I was eating my dinner...[when something happened] -or- I used to eat my dinner... Tenía que devolver la camisa. She had to return the shirt (She was supposed to return it - but we don't know if she did or not.)

9 Some verbs have different meanings in the Imperfect and Preterite forms: Imperfect Preterite Conocerto have known someoneto have met someone Saberto have known something to have found out something Quererwantedtried No Quererdidn't wantrefused Poderwas able to (capable of)managed to (suceeded) No Poder wasn't able to (not capable) failed to

10 Quise hacerlo pero no pude.I tried to do it but I failed (to do it) Quería ir a la playa cada fin de semana. Y por no trabajar los fines de semana, podía ir frecuentemente. I wanted to go to the beach every weekend. And because I didn't work weekends, I was able to go frequently. La conocí el año pasado.I met her last year. Nos conocíamos por tres meses antes de casarnos. We knew each other for three months before marrying.

11 (Hubo, Había) una vez tres osos que (vivieron, vivían) en el bosque: Papá Oso, Mamá Osa, y Bebé Oso. Un día Mamá Osa (hizo, hacía) una sopa de arroz con pollo y (puso,ponía) tres platos en la mesa. Como ya (fue, era) mediodía, los osos (se sentaron, se sentaban) para comer porque (tuvieron, tenían) muchísima hambre.

12 Papá Oso (probó,probaba) la sopa primero y (dijo, decía) -¡Ay! ¡La sopa está muy caliente!- Entonces Bebé Oso y Mamá Osa (quisieron, querían) comer la sopa pero no (pudieron, podían) porque (estuvo, estaba) tan caliente como la sopa de Papá Oso. Los tres osos (decidieron,decidían) dar un paseo mientras (se enfrió, se enfriaba) la sopa. (Fue, Era) un día bonito del verano y (hizo, hacía) sol.

13 Los osos (se divirtieron, se divertían) cuando una niña perdida (llegó, llegaba) a la casa. (Se llamó, Se llamaba) Ricitos de Oro y (fue, era) una chica curiosa. Ella siempre (jugó,jugaba) cerca de su casa pero ese día (se perdió, se perdía) en el bosque. Ricitos de Oro (se acercó, se acercaba) a la casa y (miró, miraba) por la ventana pero no (hubo, había) nadie en el interior.

14 Entonces (abrió, abría) la puerta y (entró, entraba) en la casa. Ricitos (se alegró, se alegraba) cuando (vio, veía) los tres platos de sopa. Ricitos (se comió, se comía) toda la sopa del plato pequeño porque (estuvo, estaba) perfecta - ni demasiado caliente ni fría.