"Hizo calor" or "Hacia calor"?

Question

When discussing the weather in the past do you use imperfect or preterite. "Hizo calor" or "Hacia calor"? Or does it depend on the context?

Answer 1

It depends on the context, marian

Ayer hizo calor.

Cuando estuve en Turquía hizo un calor espantoso.

Ayer hacía mucho calor, yo estaba en casa, los niños se bañaban en el río.....

Subíamos por la escalera, hacía cada vez más calor......

Narrative: imperfect

Answer 2

I think it has similar meaning.

Ayer hizo calor.

Ayer hacía calor, yo estaba en casa, los niños se bañaban en el río...

You are narrating several facts that happened yesterday. You can use imperfecto. But, I think it is possible to use pretérito perfecto simple. Imagine you are on the court and someone asks you what you did yesterday: ayer hizo calor, estuve en casa, los niños se bañaron en el río... It depends on the situation. With the imperfect you makes the sentence more descriptive.

As well, you can use "imperfect" to make the situation longer, more descriptive.

Ayer hizo calor (todo el día). (Pretérito perfecto)

Ayer hacía calor. (Pretérito imperfecto)

In these two sentences, you are explaining that it was hot along all day. But, in the first one, you need to say that this fact happened for all the day. However, with the imperfect you don't need it because it makes the action longer by itself.

What I mean is that with "ayer hacía calor" you don't need to say "todo el día" becuase it makes it redundant. - nila45, Sep 17, 2009

Answer 3

Hacia calor is used more often, although both are correct.