¿Pretérito o imperfecto? There are two verb tenses used when discussing past events in Spanish

¿Pretérito o imperfecto?

There are two verb tenses used when discussing past events in Spanish.


Most verbs can be conjugated in either tense, but the meaning changes depending on which tense you choose.


Knowing when to use one tense or the other can be a bit of a trick for Spanish learners, but there are a few clues that can help you figure it out…


We use the preterite tense when:

•The action has been completed.

•The action had a defined beginning and end.


This would apply to events that occurred:

•within a specific time frame

•a specific number of times


Ayer fui a la playa.


This events occurred within a specific time frame:



Certain words or phrases are often associated with specific time frames.



Certain words or phrases are often associated with specific time frames.



The word ayer (yesterday) indicates a specific time frame.



There are several other words or phrases that may indicate a specific time frame…


Let’s look at our sentence again:


Let’s look at our sentence again: Ayer fui a la playa.


Let’s look at our sentence again: Ayer fui a la playa.

We can replace ayer with several other words or phrases that indicate the use of preterit tense.



(yesterday)


Ayer por la mañana fui a la playa.

(yesterday morning)


Ayer por la tarde fui a la playa.

(yesterday afternoon)


Anteayer fui a la playa.

(the day before yesterday)


Anoche fui a la playa.

(last night)


El otro día fui a la playa.

(the other day)


Esta mañana fui a la playa.

(this morning)


Esta tarde fui a la playa.

(this afternoon)


La semana pasada fui a la playa.

(last week)


El mes pasado fui a la playa.

(last month)


El año pasado fui a la playa.

(last year)


Hace dos días que fui a la playa.

(two days ago)


Hace una semana que fui a la playa.

(a week ago)


Hace tres meses que fui a la playa.

(three months ago)


Hace dos años que fui a la playa.

(two years ago)


The words or phrases that indicate a specific time frame are not always found at the beginning of the sentence.


For example, this sentence…

Hace tres meses que fui a la playa.


…can also be written as:

Fui a la playa hace tres meses.


And this sentence…

El mes pasado fui a la playa.


…can also be written as:

Fui a la playa el mes pasado.


Sometimes the preterit tense is used to describe an event that covers a broad spectrum of time. This time frame is still defined in terms of a beginning and an end.


Por dos años estudié el inglés.

(for two years)


Por una semana estuve enferma.

(for one week)


Durante el día fui a las clases.

(during the day)


Durante el verano trabajé en una tienda.

(during the summer)


The preterit can be used to describe a single event (such as those that we’ve already seen) or a chain of events…


Mario se bañó, se vistió, y salió con sus amigos.


The preterit can be used to describe a single event that was repeated a specific number of times…


Fui a la playa tres veces.


In each of these cases, the use of the preterit tense indicated that the action occurred during a specific time frame…


And the action had a beginning and an end, which was indicated by a key word or phrase…


Let’s review some of the key words and phrases for preterit tense…


ayeranocheanteayerel otro día

ayer por la mañana ayer por la tarde esta mañana esta tarde


la semana pasada el mes pasado el año pasado hace tres minutos

hace cuatro días hace dos semanas hace un año


Now let’s switch gears and talk about the imperfect tense…


Quite often the imperfect tense is used to set the stage for the main action, which is expressed in the preterit tense.


There are some situations in which you will always use the imperfect tense:


•When discussing the time of day that something happened

•When discussing someone’s age


For example:

Eran las tres de la tarde cuando llegamos a la playa.


For example:


Imperfect Tense: Time of day


For example:


Preterit Tense: Main Action


For example:

Tenía quince años cuando fuimos a la playa.


For example:

Tenía quince años cuando fuimos a la playa.

Imperfect Tense: Age Description


For example:

Tenía quince años cuando fuimos a la playa. Preterit

Tense: Main Action


We also use the imperfect for descriptions that set the stage:•The weather •Who was there•How people were feeling•What people looked like


For example:

Era un día caluroso cuando fuimos a la playa.


For example:


Imperfect Tense: Weather Description


For example:


Preterit Tense: Main Action


For example:

Estaba mi prima cuando fuimos a la playa.


For example:

Estaba mi prima cuando fuimos a la playa.

Imperfect Tense: Who was there?


For example:

Estaba mi prima cuando fuimos a la playa. Preterit

Tense: Main Action


For example:

Me sentía enfermo cuando fuimos a la playa.


For example:

Me sentía enfermo cuando fuimos a la playa.

Imperfect Tense: How someone felt (physically)


For example:

Me sentía enfermo cuando fuimos a la playa. Preterit

Tense: Main Action


For example:

Me sentía feliz cuando fuimos a la playa.


For example:

Me sentía feliz cuando fuimos a la playa.

ImperfectTense: How someone felt (emotionally)


For example:

Me sentía feliz cuando fuimos a la playa. Preterit

Tense: Main Action


For example:

(Yo) Era delgada cuando fuimos a la playa. Preterit

Tense: Main Action


For example:

(Yo) Era delgada cuando fuimos a la playa.


For example:

(Yo) Era delgada cuando fuimos a la playa.

ImperfectTense: What someone looked like (physically)


For example:

(Yo) Era delgada cuando fuimos a la playa. Preterit

Tense: Main Action


We use the imperfect tense to describe things that we did on a regular basis.


However, the time frame is not specific and the action has no precise beginning or end.


When using the imperfect tense, the time frame is repetitive (habitual), vague, or non-specific


There are key words or phrases that can indicate the use of the imperfect tense…


Let’s look at some examples…


Íbamos a la playa.


It may be helpful to think of this as ‘would go’ instead of ‘went.’

Íbamos a la playa.


(We ‘would go’ to the beach.)

Íbamos a la playa.


A veces

(sometimes)

íbamos a la playa.


Muchas veces

(many times)

íbamos a la playa.


Varias veces

(various times)

íbamos a la playa.


Tantas veces

(so many times)

íbamos a la playa.


De vez en cuando

(from time to time)

íbamos a la playa.


Rara vez

(rarely)

íbamos a la playa.


Cada día

(every day)

íbamos a la playa.


Cada semana

(every week)

íbamos a la playa.


Cada mes

(every month)

íbamos a la playa.


Cada año

(every year)

íbamos a la playa.


Con frecuencia

(frequently)

íbamos a la playa.


Frecuentemente

(frequently)

íbamos a la playa.


Generalmente

(generally)

íbamos a la playa.


Nunca

(never)

íbamos a la playa.


Siempre

(always)

íbamos a la playa.


A menudo

(often)

íbamos a la playa.


Por un rato

(for awhile)

íbamos a la playa.


Todos los días

(every day)

íbamos a la playa.


Todas las semanas

(every week)

íbamos a la playa.


Todo el tiempo

(all the time)

íbamos a la playa.


The imperfect tense is often used to describe past routines, such as those of our childhood…


En aquella época

(at that time)

íbamos a la playa.


En aquel entonces

(at that time)

íbamos a la playa.


En esos tiempos

(back then)

íbamos a la playa.


Antes

(before)

íbamos a la playa.


Cuando era niño

(when I was a child)

íbamos a la playa.


De niño

(as a child)

íbamos a la playa.


Cuando tenía ____ años

(when I was ___ years old)

íbamos a la playa.


You would also use the imperfect tense when there are simultaneous past actions in which one action interrupts the other…


For example:

Iba a la playa cuando mi prima me llamó en el celular.


For example:


Imperfect Tense: 1st action in progress(We were going to the beach when…)


For example:


Preterit Tense: 2nd action interrupts the 1st action(when my cousin called me on my cell.)


Let’s take another look at some of the key words and phrases for the imperfect tense…


a vecesrara vez

varias vecestantas veces

muchas vecesde vez en cuando


cada díacada semana

cada mescada año

todos los díastodas las semanas

todos los mesestodos los años


con frecuenciafrecuentemente

generalmente

nuncasiempre

por un rato

a menudo


en aquella época en aquel entoncesen esos tiempos

de niño/acuando era niño/a

cuando tenía ___ años

antes


Preterite = completed action in the past; specific time frame

Imperfect = repetitive (habitual), vague, or non-specific time frame

A practicar• Go to the Class Zone homepage for

En español Book 2:• http://www.classzone.com/books/en_espanol

_2/?state=WA

• Practice the preterite/imperfect forms in Unidad 1 and Unidad 2.

• Print the last screen of each activity you do, or be prepared to show Sra. V. a screen shot of the activities when asked.

http://www.classzone.com/books/en_espanol_2/?state=WA



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¿Pretérito o imperfecto? There are two verb tenses used when discussing past events in Spanish