Preterito vs imperfecto Repaso D Both the preterite

Preterito vs. imperfecto Repaso D

�Both the preterite and the imperfect are used to talk about things that happened in the past.

�The choice of which to use depends on if you are describing an completed action or a continuous, recurring action in the past.

�You use the preterit to express actions or events that began and ended at a specific time in the past. �Ejemplo: Anoche volví a casa. �Last night, I returned home.

�You use the imperfect to talk about a continuous or repeated action in the past. When the action began or ended is unimportant. �Ejemplo: Cada noche volvía a casa. �Every night, I returned home.

Dos acciones pasadas en la misma frase �Often a sentence may have two or more verbs in the past. The verbs may be in the same tense or in different tenses.

Dos acciones pasadas en la misma frase � 1) In the example, both verbs are in the preterite. Both describe simple actions that began and ended at a specific time in the past. �Laura llegó ayer y Pepe la vio. �Laura arrived yesterday, and Pepe saw her.

Dos acciones pasadas en la misma frase � 2) In the example, both verbs are in the imperfect because they describe habitual/continuous actions. When the actions began or ended is unimportant. �Durante el invierno, Adela iba a las montañas a esquiar, pero yo trabajaba. �During the winter, Adela went to the mountains to ski, but I worked.

Dos acciones pasadas en la misma frase � 3) In the example, the verb estudiaba is in the imperfect; it describes the background—what was going on. The verb entró is in the preterite; it describes the action or event that interrupted the ongoing action. �Yo estudiaba cuando Julia entró. �I was studying when Julia entered.