El pretérito vs. el imperfecto Pretérito: – Completed actions – é, aste, ó, etc.. í, iste, ió, etc. – Narrates story, pushes it forward – Describes main action on a stage – Can put a stop watch on it. – Interrupts another action “I walked the dog for two hours yesterday.” “Yo caminé con el perro por dos horas ayer.” Imperfecto: – Ongoing actions – Translates to “used to…” – Background on a stage – Describes: age, time (hour), date, physical descriptions, emotions, physical conditions. Action which is happening continuously when another action interrupts it. Repeated actions in past – Can’t put a stop watch on it. “I used to walk the dog.” “Yo caminaba con el perro.”

El pretérito vs. el imperfecto: -AR: -é -amos -aste -asteis -ó -aron -ER/-IR: -í -imos -iste -isteis -ió -ieron -AR: -aba -ábamos -abas -abais -aba -aban -ER/-IR: -ía -íamos -ías -íais -ía -ían

El imperfecto: LAVAR=to wash lavaba lavábamos lavabas lavabais lavaba lavaban Ella lavaba los platos mucho. She used to wash/would wash the dishes often. ESCRIBIR=to write escribía escribíamos escribías escribíais escribía escribían Durante la guerra, el muchacho escribía muchas cartas a casa. During the war, the boy used to write/would write many letters home.

Imperfecto irregular: SER= to be eraéramos eraserais eraeran IR= to go ibaíbamos ibasibais ibaiban VER= to see veíaveíamos veíasveíais veíaveían *VER is irregular because the stem is “ve” instead of just “v.”

Use the imperfect to: Describe actions that were in progress. Mi madre estaba hablando por teléfono. My mom was talking on the phone. Describe repeated actions in the past. Nosotros comíamos en el restaurante cerca de nuestra casa. We used to eat at the restaurant near our house.

Use the imperfect to: Describe the physical conditions in which another action takes place. El sol brillaba y los pájaros cantaban. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. Tell the time or date in the past. Era el 13 de septiembre, el día de mi cumpleaños. It was September 13 th, the day of my birthday. Eran las once y media. It was eleven-thirty.

Use the imperfect to: Describe mental or emotional states in the past. Mis parientes estaban muy felices conmigo. My relatives were very happy with me. Describe physical states in the past. Me dolían mucho las piernas después de correr diez miles. My legs would hurt me a lot after running ten miles.

Preterit interrupts imperfect: ESTAR=to be estabaestábamos estabasestabais estabaestaban *Use the imperfect of ESTAR to talk about the past progressive (-ando/ -iendo)—what you were doing. Yo estaba tocando el piano cuando sonó el teléfono. I was playing the piano when the phone rang. *The ringing of the phone (preterit) interrupted the ongoing action of playing the piano (imperfect). *Notice that the word cuando signals this interruption.