G A M E - Preterite vs Imperfect
Objective: practice in the use of the past tenses, preterite & imperfect
The rules:-----------------------------
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translate the English sentence given by the person above into Spanish using the correct preterite or imperfect verb conjugations
make sure you click on N E W E S T before you begin
Then
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state whether you used the preterite or the imperfect and give a short explanation as to why you used it
- and finally
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provide a new sentence in English which includes a verb used in the past
for the next person to translate.
Have fun! ¡Diviértanse!
A suggestion: please keep your sentences simple. This is tricky stuff, so let's concentrate on the tenses, ok? - Gekko.
PS: here's a great link showing how the preterite is for action in the past whereas the imperfect is an ongoing condition in the past: Imperfecto vs Preterito and another that I've put together that may be of some use too, Pret vs Imp.
A big thanks to Gekko who 'was' kindly correcting this thread - Gekko if you have a mo' please post a thread below introducing yourself or post empty thread for me to introduce you, thus allowing the grateful participants to vote for all your hard and much appreciated work here 
Edit - Sadly Gekko doesn't come round much anymore :( we'd love it if he did but in the meantime any corrections or suggestions are gratefully accepted and if someone would like to volunteer to help with moderation of this game, that'd be awesome, please just let us know so we can welcome you officially to the possie (as us antipodeans say (ie. position))
388 Answers
Given: I used to only eat cereal for breakfast but yesterday I ate scrambled eggs.
Translation: Solía soló comer cereal para el desayuno, pero ayer comí huevos revueltos.
Reason: "Used to only eat cereal" is spread over an indefinite amount of time, so I used the imperfect. "Yesterday I ate" is a specific event with a beginning and end so I used the preterite tense.
New sentence: Because I was fired from my job last week, I applied to several businesses downtown.
Given: I changed the channel after realizing that I wansn't watching the football game.
Cambié el canal después me di cuenta de yo no estaba viendo el partido de fútbol.
Reason: Camiar in preterite because one time event. Dar la cuenta, I changed realizing to realized and put in the preterite because again it happened once and in an instant. estaba viendo in the imperfect because i am not sure how long I was not watching the game.
New: When I was young I liked to fish when my family went on vacation.
Okay, I need this practice, so I'm going to take a stab at it (please be gentle 
).
Sentence given: We built our house two years ago and it still isn't finished.
Construimos nuestra casa hace dos años y todavía no lo está acabada.
A better construction as per Gekko: We started to build our house two years ago and it still isn't finished. - Comenzamos a construir nuestra casa hace dos años y todavía no lo está acabada.
Reason I used imperfect: Although this did happen at a specific time (2 years ago), it continues... and will continue to continue if I know anything about owning a home that needs work (and I do!). - And no surprise... I was wrong! (Told you I needed the practice! 
)
New sentence: My children were so sweet when they were babies that I never wanted them to grow up.
Given He ended up with two shirts that he didn't like. translation Terminó con dos camisas que no le gustaron. reason preterite ,something he did in the past . New sentence We built our house two years ago and it still isn't finished.
Another attempt ..
Given:
Your cousin's answer was close, but yours was even closer!
Translated:
La respuesta de tu primo estaba cerquita pero la tuya estaba aún más cerca.
Reason:
Location takes estar (even figurative location) and as it is a state it takes the imperfect.
New Sentence
After a long trip he arrived in a small town and he was very hungry.
Given. : After a long trip he arrived in a small town and he was very hungry.
Translated : Después de un largo viaje llagó a un pequeño pueblo y tenía mucho hambre.
**
Reason...
Imperfect verb tense, known as the past continuous, viajaba, estaba, he was hungry and still is .
Not really sure about this ,all I can say is This is my first attempt I tried.I think I need help.
Después de un largo viaje llegó en un pequeño pueblo y tenía mucho hambre.
llegó - arrived, completed action in past / preterite
tenía hambre - (had) was hungry, ongoing state in the past / imperfect
New sentence I knitted him a sweater and it fitted him.
Given:
I knitted him a sweater and it fitted him.
Translated:
Le tejí un suéter y le quedó perfecto.
Reason:
I'm referring to two completed actions in the past so I used the preterite for them both.
New Sentence:
I was scared when I saw the dog.
Given sentence:
While the rest were sleeping, Maria escaped.
Translated:
Mientras los demás estaban durmiendo, María se escapió.
Reason:
The sleeping of the rest sets the scene for the escaping. Therefore estar is imperfect and escaparse preterit.
New Sentence:
Yesterday was a bad day :(
Given: I always was nervous when i played basketball; i had never learned how to dribble the ball.
Siempre estaba nervioso cuando jugaba básquetbol porque nunca yo había aprendido cómo driblar la pelota.
Reasoning (Very Poor): Estaba and jugaba are in the imperfect because they are in the past, for a prolonged and indefinite period. Había aprendido is in the pluperfect indicative for the same reason. I argued with my self as to whether to use the reflexive aprenderse and decided not to.
New: When I left Mexico I was very sad and I continue to be so.
We thought (believed) that we were lost.
Creíamos que estábamos perdidos. (Correction according to Kiwi_Girl)
New: Before today I always thought I was smart.
Given: Thankfully he knew that they had good meds for that kind of thing.
Translated: Afortunadamente sabía que tenían buenas medicinas para cosas así.
New: So he considered what to do and came to the conclusion he would need to seek out the most highly skilled veterinarian in the city.
Given: So he considered what to do and came to the conclusion he would need to seek out the most highly skilled veterinarian in the city.
Translated: Así que consideraba qué hacer y concluyó que tendría que buscar el veterinario más cualificado de la cuidad.
Reason: Considerar in imperfect and concluir in preterit, because the considering was interrupted by the idea.
New: The phone rang - it was my girlfriend.
Given: Little did he know of her tendency to manic rage.
Translated: Poco sabía él sobre su tendencia a la furia maniática.
New Sentence: She always took her medication but she sometimes forgot to drink enough water for it to work.
Given: As he looked again his science training took over and he came to a new realization.
Translated: Al remiró su formación científica entró en acción y llegó a una nueva realización.
New Sentence: He felt like he was hallucinating so he put a paper bag on his head.
Given: He stumbled back in horror at what he saw!
Translation: El médico trastabilló retrociendo ante el horror.
New Sentence: The woman looked exactly like a young Marilyn Monroe but something seemed wrong.
