Chapter 5
Topic 3 Imperfect vs. Preterit
The most commonly used verb tenses, in narrations, in Spanish, are the preterit and the imperfect.
The preterit
- El pretérito answers, “What happened”?
- Is used to relate events
- Commonly used to narrate activities that,
- lasted for a precise length of time,
- happened a precise number of times,
- with a definite beginning and end.
The imperfect
- El imperfecto answers, “what was going on when something else happened”?
- Is used to describe what was going on, states of being, or past habits in the past.
- is used for indefinite lengths of time.
Commonly used with:
| Adverbs & The Imperfect |
|---|
| todos los días, todas las mañanas |
| every day, every morning |
| generalmente, usualmente |
| generally, usually |
| en el pasado, antes |
| long ago in the past |
| siempre, a menudo… |
| always, often |
| Adverbs & The Preterit |
|---|
| un día, una mañana, una tarde… |
| one day, one morning, one evening |
| de prepente |
| suddenly |
| de inmendiato, inmendiatamente |
| right away, immediately |
| primero finalmente… |
| first of all, finally |
| Tuve un accidente en mi cochoe la semana pasada. Nosotros (viajar) a |
| un hotel en la playa cuando chocamos (we crashed). Mi hijo (estar) |
| en el coche conomigo. El conductor (driver) del otro coche muy rápido. |
