Beginning

Middle

End

Beginning & End

I started to work at three.

When I entered, both were speaking about their classes.

I stopped work at four in the afternoon.

I worked from three to four.

(I don’t know when they began speaking; they were in the process of speaking when I entered.)

Ways of thinking about past events:

The term "perfect" comes from the Latin perfectum,

meaning "completed", from the verb perficio. The word

refers to the completed aspect of the action.

The Rules: Preterite vs. Imperfect

• When identifying whether you should use the preterite or the imperfect, there are some specific rules that will help you remember when to use each.

• Color codes:– Blue = preterite– Red = imperfect

122.

inished One-Time Action

nterrupting Action

ime/Date

abitual Actions

motional states/feelings, mental conditions

etting

ngoing Actions

ge & Description

hysical States

umber of times

eries of events

122

umming it up

inished One-Time Action

nterrupting Action

umber of times

eries of events

This is what we have talked about so far, the specific point that an event began or

ended in the past.

Key Words:

primero, entonces, luego(or just a series of actions)

vez, veces

cuando

Terminar, empezar, etc.(or meaning =

it was a one-time event)

umming it up assessment of an event or activity (without background info)

ime/Date

abitual Actions

motional states/feelings, mental conditions

etting

ngoing Actions

ge & Description

hysical States

Key Words/Ideas:

la una, las dos, lunes, etc.(hour, day, month, etc.)

siempre, normalmente, los lunes(anything that suggests a regular habit)

feliz, triste, enojado, loco, etc.(feeling words, used with estar usually)

background/environmental desc.(anything that paints a picture for the listener)

“was doing” something(middle)

adjectives, age, etc.(tener w/age, describing people or things)

enfermo, cansado, etc.(similar to emotions, used with estar usually)

This is what we have talked about so far, the middle of an event, while it is in

progress.

inished Action

nterrupting Action

umber of times

eries of events

ime/Date

abitual Actions

motional states/feelings, mental conditions

etting

ngoing Actions

ge & Description

hysical States

umming it up