Many students have trouble knowing when to use the preterite tense or the imperfect tense , as they both refer to actions in the past. There are several general rules you can follow to know when to use one tense or another. Additionally, many Spanish phrases tend to be used only with the preterite or only with the imperfect, so memorizing them is very helpful!
One way this pair of tenses is often used is to talk about an ongoing action or event that was interrupted in the past. In such case, the interrupted action is given in the imperfect tense, while the interrupting action is given in the preterite. Generally, the preterite is used for completed actions actions that have definite beginning and end points. These can be actions that can be viewed as single events, actions that were part of a chain of events, actions that were repeated a very specific number of times, or actions that specifically state the beginning and end of an action.
There are many helpful words and phrases that indicate specific time frames, therefore signaling that the preterite should be used. Here are a few:. Some verbs used to talk about events with a very definite beginning and end are almost always used in the preterite.
The conjunction cuando is almost always followed by the preterite tense because it indicates the specific moment of the action of the verb that follows it.
The other verb in the sentence may be an ongoing action that is interrupted by the preterite verb. In such cases, the ongoing verb is in the imperfect tense. Sentence structure formula: Imperfect cuando preterite. Alicia was working when I entered the office. Just like sentences using mientras, the sentence order can be switched around, but the verb following cuando will be conjugated in the preterite tense, regardless of where it is placed in the sentence.
Sentence structure formula: Cuando preterite , imperfect. When I entered the office, Alicia was working. As you can see in the previous example, when cuando is used at the beginning of the sentence, it will be followed by the preterite and a comma. After the comma, the next verb will be in the imperfect. In some sentences, the conjunction cuando is used to join two preterite verbs. In English, you might say a sentence like Yesterday I cleaned the house for two hours—in this sentence, the timeframe is very specific.
Translating this sentence into Spanish, you would use the preterite tense. Another example of the preterite might be I ate five strawberries. For regular -ar verbs, to form the preterite you drop the -ar and replace it with the correct preterite ending. Here's an example with the verb caminar to walk :. We do the same thing will verbs ending in -er and -ir. Here's an example with the verb comer to eat :.
Of course, some verbs will have irregular conjugations in the preterite. Some of the most common of these include: ser, ir, dar, hacer, estar, poner, tener, haber, querer, venir, andar, poder, and saber. You will need to memorize the six preterite forms for each of these irregular verbs.
The imperfect is used to denote an action that took place in the past, but the specifics of the timeframe are left up in the air. We use the imperfect in English, too. They were eating dinner when I arrived. Using "were" plus the gerund denotes the imperfect past in English. Here, we know that the action of eating dinner took place in the past, but it does not have a definite beginning or end, nor does it matter for the sentence's purpose. We don't know when they stopped eating dinner, but in this sentence it doesn't matter because we are more focused on the fact that they were eating.
I used to go fishing with my dad. Again when using the imperfect we don't care so much about the details of what happened when I do, how did I, when did I stop going the important fact in this sentence is that there was a time when I would go but I no longer go anymore. When forming the imperfect for a regular -ar verb, drop the -ar just like in the preterite conjugation but this time we add the imperfect ending.
Yesterday I did my homework. I also watched two movies. This might be a good time talk about why it's called the "imperfect" tense. It doesn't have anything to do with quality, but rather the idea that the action is "incomplete;" it doesn't have a specific beginning or end. Because we're using the imperfect and not attaching a definite time frame to these actions, we're indicating that when they began and when or if they ended is unknown or unimportant.
La plaza estaba decorada para la fiesta. Let's look at the same examples, this time with preterite conjugations and definite time frames. Now we are explicitly stating when the action started, lasted, or ended, and therefore indicating that the time frame is important. Because of this we are subtly indicating that a change has occurred:.
La plaza estuvo decorada por un mes. Esmeralda tuvo que regresar a casa el martes. The weather was cold two days ago. Note: Due to their meanings, some verbs tend to be conjugated in the imperfect tense and some verbs are more naturally preterite.
Because the verb soler means "to usually" or "to be in the habit of" it cannot be used in the preterite. Due to the differences in emphasis between a preterite and imperfect conjugation, some verbs will have significant differences in meaning when translated. Hopefully by now these variations will make some sense to you. Notice how the preterite tends to signal a change:. I knew Ana. I met Ana.
I was able to leave. Pude salir. I managed to leave. I was not able to finish. No pude terminar. I failed to finish. I wanted to speak. Quise hablar. I tried to speak. I didn't want to read. No quise leer. I refused to read. I knew the reason. I found out the reason. I had gloves. Tuve guantes. I got gloves.
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