Preterit versus Imperfect(El pretérito versus el imperfecto)

In Spanish, the use of the preterit and the imperfect reflects the way the speaker views

the action or event being expressed. The uses of these two tenses are compared on the

following slides.

Criteria for the use of the preterit1. An action that the speaker views as

terminated or completed.

Alfredo salió para España ayer.

Me casé en 1981.

Berta compró un coche nuevo el año pasado.

V•

I got married in 1981.

Alfredo left for Spain yesterday.

Berta bought a new car last year.

2. An action or state that occupies a limited period of time.

Lorena estudió por dos horas.

Estuvimos en Oaxaca todo el mes de julio.

Los niños pasaron todo el día en el parque.

Lorena studied for two hours.

The children spent the whole day in the park.

We were in Oaxaca the entire month of July.

Criteria for the use of the preterit

3. A past action with a specific and indicated beginning or ending.

El concierto comenzó a las siete.

Cesó de llover a eso de las cinco de la tarde.

Empecé a trabajar en el proyecto esta mañana.

The concert began at seven.

I began to work on the project this morning.

It stopped raining around five in the afternoon.

•

•

Criteria for the use of the preterit

Criteria for the use of the preterit

4. Completed events that occurred in a series.

Carlos entró en la farmacia, vio a su ex-novia y salió inmediatamente.

V•

Carlos entered the Pharmacy, saw his ex-girlfriend, and left immediately.

V• V•

Criteria for the use of the preterit

5. Changes in mental, physical, and emotional conditions or states in the past.

Alejandra se puso furiosa cuando vio el cuarto en desorden.

Alejandra became furious when she saw the messy room.

Estuve nerviosa durante la entrevista.I was nervous during the interview (but now I’m

not).

Criteria for the use of the preterit

6. Weather and scenes as events or within specific time parameters.

Ayer fue un día horrible. Llovió e hizo mucho viento.

Yesterday was a horrible day. It rained and was very windy.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect

1. Description of what was happening in the past, usually in relation to another event or at a given time, with no reference to the beginning or end of an action.

Rosa hablaba mientras miraba sus compras.Rosa was talking while she was looking at her

purchases.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect2. Habitual actions or events in the past.

Pedro comía en ese restaurante todos los sábados.

Pedro used to eat at that restaurant every Saturday.

Ana iba de compras todo el tiempo.Ana used to go shopping all the time.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect3. Time of day and age in the past.

Eran las once de la noche.It was eleven o’clock at night.

Paco tenía diez años cuando aprendió a nadar.

Paco was ten years old when he learned to swim.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect4. Mental, physical, and emotional conditions or states in

the past.

Alicia estaba contenta durante el concierto.Alicia was happy during the concert.

Nos sentíamos mal después de comer allí.We felt sick after eating there.

Juan pensaba que necesitaba más dinero del que tenía para el viaje.

Juan thought that he needed more money than he had for the trip.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect5. Sets the scene (weather, activities in progress, etc.) for

other actions and events that take place.

Hacía muy mal tiempo y llovía. Yo leía en mi cuarto y esperaba la llamada.

The weather was bad and it was raining. I was reading in my room and waiting for the call.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect

6. Indirect statements.

Juan dijo que su hermano vendía su coche.Juan said that his brother was selling his car.

Teodoro afirmó que su hermano decía la verdad.

Teodoro stated that his brother was telling the truth.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect

7. Anticipated/planned past actions.

Alicia dijo que salía el viernes próximo para EuropaAlicia said that she was leaving next Friday for Europe.

Jorge iba a llamar a su novia, pero se olvidó.

Jorge was going to call his girlfriend, but he forgot.

Note that the formula ir + a + infinitive can be used in the imperfect to express “was going to” in the past.

Criteria for the use of the imperfect

Conversábamos con el dependiente cuando Lourdes entró en la joyería.

We were talking with the clerk when Lourdes entered the jewelry store.

The preterit and the imperfect tenses are often used together. In the following examples, the imperfect describes what was happening or in progress when another action (in the preterit) interrupted and took place.

Las chicas salían de la tienda cuando Jorge las vio.

The girls were leaving the store when Jorge saw them.

P. 276: Study Tips

1. Ask yourself, does the verb describe the way things were, or does it tell what happened? Use the imperfect to describe and the preterit to tell what happened.

Era de noche cuando volvieron a casa.

Era: describes → It was nighttime.volvieron: tells what happened → They returned

2. In many instances, both tenses produce a grammatically correct sentence. Your choice will depend on the message you are communicating.

Así fue. That’s how it happened.

Así era. That’s how it used to be.

Ayer fue un día horrible. Yesterday was a horrible day. (This is the point – it’s not background info).

Era un día horrible. It was a difficult day. (This is background info for actions that will be narrated)

Temporal Expressions

3. P. 276 lists some temporal (time) expressions that are frequently (BUT NOT ALWAYS) associated with the imperfect and preterit.

Note that the ones that require imperfect generally imply repetition or habit, and those that use the preterit refer to specific points in time.

For TESTING PURPOSES, these expressions will be very useful triggers for either preterit or imperfect.

Expressions that trigger Imperfect*:• a menudo

• con frecuencia

• de vez en cuando

• muchas veces

• frecuentemente

• siempre (when an event is repeated with no particular end point)

• mientras

• todos los lunes, martes, etc.

• todas las semanas, etc.

• todos los días, meses, etc

*For testing purposes – this is an over-simplification

Expressions that trigger Preterit*:• anoche

• anteayer

• ayer

• esta mañana

• una vez

• siempre (when an end point is obvious)

• el verano / invierno pasado, etc.

• el lunes / martes pasado, etc

• el año / mes pasado, etc.

• el fin de semana pasado

*For testing purposes – this is an over-simplification

Práctica

• Complete the sentences by choosing to conjugate the verb in either the preterit or imperfect tense.

• Then, state the reason that you chose that tense.

Modelo:

Yo _____ (ir) de compras todos los fines de semana.

iba

Imperfect – Habitual Action

1. El verano pasado, Marisol _______ (ir) de vacaciones a Quito.

2. Andrés miraba la televisión cuando Natalie ____________ (llamar).

fue

•Action in the past that the speaker views as completed.•For testing purposes, the phrase “El _______ pasado” is usually associated with preterit.

llamó

•The interrupting action (the phone call) should be in preterit.•Andrés was watching tv (ongoing action - imp) when Natalie called (interruption - pret).

(pret)

(pret)

3. Ayer mi esposo y yo ___________ (comprar) un coche nuevo.

4. Cuando Josefina ____________ (ser) joven, llevaba ropa de moda.

compramos (pret)

•Action in the past that the speaker views as completed. •For testing purposes, the key phrase "Ayer" is usually associated with the preterit.

era (imp)

•Habitual/ongoing actions or states in the past requires imperfect.•Describing one’s childhood is a classic case of the use of imperfect.

5. ____________ (ser) la una menos quince de la tarde.

6. María ____________ (estar) contenta después de la entrevista, pero ahora está nerviosa.

Era (imp)

•We always use imperfect to talk about time in the past.

estuvo (pret)

•Normally, we express past mental/physical/emotional conditions in the past with imperfect.•However, to express a CHANGE in mental, physical, or emotional conditions, we use preterit.•If the phrase was "María estaba muy contenta en Quito", we'd use imperfect because no change of emotional state is indicated.

7. Todos los días, los amigos _______ (beber) café en la librería.

8. Ayer Pilar ____________ (ir) al teatro.

bebían (imp)

•We use imperfect for habitual action in the past.•The phrase "todos los días" is usually associated with the imperfect because it implies habitual action.

fue (pret)

•Action in the past that the speaker views as completed. •For testing purposes, the key phrase "Ayer" is usually associated with the preterit.

Sentences with 2 verbs:3 possible combinations

1) Two or more simultaneous, ongoing actions

2) A series or sequence of completed actions

3) An action in progress and an interruption

1) Two or more ongoing actions

• When you have 2 or more simultaneous, ongoing actions, put both verbs in imperfect.

Modelo:

• Ella leía el periódico mientras yo cocinaba.

• She was reading the newspaper while I was cooking

2) Series of completed actions

• When you have a series or sequence of completed actions, conjugate verbs in the preterit tense.

Modelo:

• Después de leer el periódico, Ángela puso la televisión y miró las noticias. Luego, dio un paseo con su amigo y tomó un helado.

• After reading the newspaper, Ángela turned on the tv and watched the news. Then, she went on a walk with her friend and had an ice cream.

3) Action in progress/interruption

• When you have an action in progress interrupted by another event, put the ongoing action in the imperfect tense, and the interruption in preterit.

Modelo:

• Tom se duchaba cuando el teléfono sonó.

• Tom was taking a shower when the telephone rang.

  

3) Action in progress/interruption

More examples:

• Mientras Carmen besaba a su novio, su padre entró el cuarto.

• While Carmen was kissing her boyfriend, her father entered the room.

• Empezó a llover mientras nosotros hacíamos nuestro picnic.

• It started to rain while we were having our picnic.

Practice: Sentences with 2 verbs:

La Navidad. On the 23rd of December last year, the Sosa Family was very busy getting ready for Christmas. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb to describe their activities.

 

1: Ongoing actions. Use imperfect.

1. Dorotea cantaba villancicos (Christmas carols) mientras su hermana Juanita

___________________ (tocar) el piano.

2. Mientras Dorotea y Juanita cantaban, Albertico ___________________ (jugar)

con el perro.

tocaba

jugaba

2: Series of actions. Use preterit.

3. Papá envolvió (wrapped) los regalos y los ___________________ (poner) debajo del árbol (tree).

4. Abuelito preparó unas galletas y se las ___________________ (dar) a la familia.

puso

dio

3: Ongoing Action/Interruption. Use Imperfect/Preterit as needed

5. Mamá se quemó un dedo (burned a finger) mientras ___________________ (encender) la vela (she lit the candle).

6. Cuando Albertico jugaba con el perro, él ___________________ (romper) sus anteojos.

encendía

rompió

FIN