EL PRÉTERITO O

EL IMPERFECTO

Simple, isolated action that is totally completed in the past (happened once)

Beginning or end of action Happened a specific number of times Happened at or during a specific time

Main action or event MOVED THE STORY FORWARD

USES OF THE PRETERITE

COMMON EXPRESSIONS USING PRETERITE

Entonces De momento Aquella semana Anteayer En febrero El lunes Una vez

Anoche La semana pasada

El 25 de julio De repente Por fin Una noche Durante

Preterite FormationIrregular verbs

(no “rules”, you must memorize them) ser/ir yo fui nosotros fuimos tú fuiste Ud. fue Uds. fueron él/ella ellos/ellas tener yo tuve nosotros tuvimos tú tuviste Ud. tuvo Uds. tuvieron él/ella ellos/ellas dormir yo dormí nosotros dormimos tú dormiste Ud. durmió Uds. durmieron él/ella ellos/ellas

Regular verbs cantar yo canté nosotros cantamos tú cantaste Ud. cantó Uds. cantaron él/ella ellos/ellas beber yo bebí nosotros bebimos tú bebiste Ud. bebió Uds. bebieron él/ella ellos/ellas vivir yo viví nosotros vivimos tú viviste Ud. vivió Uds. vivieron él/ella ellos/ellas

Repeated, habitual actions (“used to, was, would”)

Descriptions in the past Ongoing actions (you don’t know when they started or stopped)

Telling time in the past◦Eran las dos

USES OF THE IMPERFECT

Age in the past Mental or physical state of being in the past◦Verbs like: saber, conocer, querer, creer,

estar, and tener are usually imperfect Background information DOESN’T MOVE THE STORY FORWARD

MORE USES OF IMPERFECT

COMMON EXPRESSIONS WITH THE IMPERFECT

Generalmente Constantemente Siempre Frecuentemente Normalmente Todas las tardes Cada semana

De costumbre A menudo A veces Con frecuencia Por lo general Regularmente De vez en cuando

Imperfect FormationRegulares escuchar yo escuchaba nosotros escuchábamos tú escuchabas Ud. escuchaba Uds. escuchaban él/ella ellos/ellas vivir yo vivía nosotros vivíamos tú vivías Ud. vivía Uds. vivían él/ella ellos/ellas beber yo bebía nosotros bebíamos tú bebías Ud. bebías Uds. bebían él/ella ellos/ellas

Irregulares ir yo iba nosotros íbamos tú ibas Ud. iba Uds. iban él/ella ellos/ellas ser yo era nosotros éramos tú eras Ud. era Uds. eran él/ella ellos/ellas ver yo veía nosotros veíamos tú veías Ud. veía Uds. veían él/ella ellos/ellas

The Break Down (in English)

Well, it was Tuesday, and I was walking through the park. As I was following a path through the trees, I suddenly fell to the ground. I tripped over a rock. I laughed to myself because I was afraid someone would have seen me fall.

The Breakdown Continued

If we want to say… was ___ing or used to do ◦ We use the IMPERFECT

If we want to say… did once, aka talked (with the _____ed)◦ We will use the PRETERITE

Preterite v. Imperfect Something was happening, when an action

‘interrupted’ it. ◦ The ongoing action is imperfect, and the action

that ‘interrupts’ is preterite.

In a long narrative.◦ The part that seems to be descriptive,

background info is imperfect, while actions and specific events are preterite.

Practice

While I was walking in Florida, I saw a gator (el caimán).

Mientras caminaba en Florida, vi a un caimán.

(interruption of an ongoing action)

PracticeI left Florida, and

wentto Belize. It was

sunnywhen I arrived!

Salí de Florida, y fui a Belize. Hacía mucho sol cuando llegué.

(action, weather, action)

Verbs That Change in Meaning from Preterite to Imperfect Tenses A few Spanish verbs have different

meanings in the imperfect and the preterite tenses:

SABER CONOCER QUERER NO QUERER PODER

SABER Imperfect – “knew” ¿Sabías que el concierto empezaba tarde? Did you know that the concert began late?

Preterite – “found out, learned” Sí, supe ayer que empezaba tarde. Yes, I found out that it began late.

CONOCER

Imperfect – “knew (somebody)” Pedro conocía muy bien a esa actriz. Pedro knew that actress very well.

Preterite – “met (somebody) for the first time” Luis la conoció el año pasado. Luis met her last year.

QUERER Imperfect – “wanted to” Luis quería comprar las entradas hoy. Luis wanted to buy the tickets today.

Preterite – “tried to, attempted to” Yo quise comprarlas, pero me enfermé. I tried to buy them but I got sick.

NO QUERER Imperfect – “didn’t want to” No querían ver esa obra de teatro. They didn’t want to see that play.

Preterite – “refused to” No quisieron ver esa obra de teatro. They refused to see that play.

PODER Imperfect – “was able to, could” Ella podía aprender la letra de la canción. She was able to learn the letter of the

song.

Preterite – “managed to, succeeded in” Ella pudo aprender la letra de esa

canción. She succeeded in learning the letter of

that song.