1. The imperfect tense: other uses
The imperfect tense may also be used:
To tell what time it was or what the weather was like when something happened.
Eran las cinco de la mañana y llovía mucho cuando el accidente occurrió.
It was five o’clock in the morning and it was raining when the accident happened.

2. To describe the physical, mental, and emotional states of a person or thing when something happened.
Muchas personas querían ayudar a la familia, pero no sabían qué hacer.
Many people wanted to help the family, but they didn’t know what to do.

3. Helpful Hints
These verbs are often used in the imperfect to describe states of being
Estar (triste, contento, cansado)
Parecer (cansado, mal)
Pensar
Querer
Sentirse (bien, enfermo)
Tener (calor, frío, hambre, sed, sueño)

4. Había and Hubo are forms of haber and both mean “there was, there were”.
Había is used to describe a situation that existed in the past, while hubo is used to say that an event took place.
Había mucho humo en el apartamento.
There was a lot of smoke in the apartment.
Hubo un terremoto ayer a las seis de la mañana.
There was an earthquake yesterday at six a.m.