El pretérito vs. el imperfecto. How tense can we get about these tenses?
Preterite vs. Imperfect. How tense can we get about these tenses?
Definitions:
The word “preterite” comes from a Greek word meaning “completed” action. In Spanish we see it as action completed in the past.
The word “Imperfect” merely means “incomplete.” So in Spanish it would deal mainly with incomplete action in the past. It is also used for several other things as well.
Uses of the Preterit.
(1) To express actions that are viewed by the speaker as completed.
I spoke to him yesterday. Le hablé a él ayer.
I went to the store on Monday. Fui a la tienda el lunes.
Luis broke his arm last week. Luis se quebró el brazo la semana pasada.
(2) Express the beginning or the ending of a past action.
La película empezó a las nueve. The picture began at nine o’clock. *Ayer terminé el proyecto para la clase de química.
(3) Narrate a series of past actions or events. La doctora me miró los oídos, me hizo unas preguntas, y escribió la receta. The doctor looked in my ears, asked me some questions and wrote the prescription.
Me di con la mesa me caí y me lastimé el pie. I bumped into the table, I fell and injured my foot.
(4) Talk about how may days, months, years you did something or how long you lived some place.
Viví en España por nueve años. I lived in Spain for nine years. Estudié por dos horas. I studied for two hours.
El Imperfecto. Use the imperfect to:
(1) Describe an ongoing past action with no reference to its beginning or its end.
Sandra esperaba al doctor. Sandra was waiting for the doctor.
El medico se preocupaba por sus pacientes. The doctor (habitually) worried about his patients.
(2) To express the English “used to” Yo jugaba al tenis hace años, pero ya no. I used to play tennis, but (I don’t) any more.
(3) To tell time in the past. Eran las seis cuando el teléfono sonó. It was six o’clock when the phone rang.
(4) To express the English past “would” Siempre que acampábamos, nos reuníamos, alrededor de la hoguera y cantábamos. When we went camping (repeated action over a period of time) we would always get together around the campfire and (would) sing.
(5) To express thoughts in the past that are preceded by adverbs, like “mientras” and and adverbial expressions like, “cada día, mes o año.”
Mientras Andrés leía el periodico, yo hacía mi tarea de algebra. (While Andrés read the news paper I did my Algebra homework.) Note: these sound like (in English) simple past tense but they are not. They actually express an ongoing action over a short period of time.
(6)To describe a person or “set the stage for an action” (Description) Mariela era una joven, alta, atleta, y tenía los ojos azules y el pelo moreno. Mariela was a young woman tall athletic and had blue eyes and black hair.
(Setting the stage) Era una noche horrible. Hacía frío, llovía, y el viento aullaba. It was a horrible night. It was cold, it was raining and the wind was howling.
(7) To express physical and/or mental states in the past. “Me sentía muy triste porque mi novio no venía a verme. Además me dolía la cabeza. I was very sad because my boyfriend wasn't coming over and furthermore my head was aching. (or ached)
This is all I can think of for the moment. If I can think of more, I will add them. If someone else has an addition, I will add it to this list. If you find typos (I make them all the time) please let me know. I want this to be a good addition to our grammar articles on SD.
Espero que esto les guste un poco. ¡Tengo sueño!
9 Answers
I would like to give this another "go," only two votes, but some nice comments--117 views.
¿Qué pasa, amyway?
There have been several questions regarding this lately, so I thought I would bump it up.
Margarita, one way, a trick I suppose, I learned for the “preterite vs imperfect” was to decide if it was a dot in time or a line (continuous or broken) in time. If it was a "dot" of time, you would use the preterite. If it was a "line" of time, you would use the imperfect.
Examples:
“When he was young…” That is a continuous line of time, so I would use the imperfect “era.”
“He travelled to London one day each week for two years.” That’s a broken line, so I’d use the imperfect “viajaba.”
“He ate a burger.” That is a dot in time. Maybe a big dot, if he took three hours to eat it, but a dot nonetheless. I’d use the preterite “comió.”
That may not work every single time, but it has helped me a lot.
Ayer pasé toda la noche en una fiesta.
La fiesta sigue pasando hoy en día.
Yesterday I spent all night at a party.
The party's still going on today.
I still get tense over these tenses!!! I am constantly questioning them, especially, for example when I say "When I was young" - "Cuando era joven". I feel it should be the preterite and not the imperfect - after all my youth has come and gone - over, finished kaput - so why not the preterite?
When my parents used to have their last (most recent) dog called 'Giggs', he was always very pleased (happy) to see me every time I visited them (my parents) and greeted me like a long lost friend!. I miss him sooooo much these days!
Cuando mis padres tenían su perro más reciente que se llama 'Giggs', siempre estaba muy feliz de verme cada vez que los visitaba y me daba la bienvenida (o me recibía) como si yo estuviera un amigo que había perdido de vista hacía mucho tiempo! ¡Le echo mucho de menos, hoy en día!
Corrijan mi español si es necesario, por favor 
I am still struggling with this , am I a lone struggler ?
Bumpingitagainmate.
Solia tener fe en algo , pero ahora no lo sé.
I used to have faith in something, but now I do not know
Lo siento mis amigos me olvidé de esto.
