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 sentence: I bought the shoes last year.
Translation: Compré los zapatos el año pasado.
Reason: Preterite because the event of buying shoes is completed in the past.
New sentence: I felt well until I finished dinner.
My given sentence
There was no given sentence so I am giving one because I really need to practice this thread.
When I was young I used to like to read, swim, and watch T.V.
Cuando era niña me gustaba leer, nadar, y ver la tele.. (I picked imperfect because of ongoing past action.)
New Sentence
I used to be a lifeguard.
Given:
The old camel who wore glasses, was blowing bubbles with his gum. But when I turned to look at him the bubble was gone!
Translated:
El viejo camello que llevaba gafas, hacía burbujas con el chicle. Pero cuando me volví a mirarlo, ¡la burbuja se había ido!
Reasons:
llevaba (imp) - ongoing action of wearing
hacía burbujas (imp) - ongoing action, setting the scene
me volví (pret) - action within the scene that's been set
se había ido - pluscuamperfecto for an action in the past that happened before another action in the past
(Sorry Laz I'm sure you hate this game with a passion and although, as you have often shown, the rules aren't infallible - I hope that the practice is of some use 
)
We are sorry to interupt this story with some urgent breaking news:
Habiendo escuchado las noticias sobre la desaparición y posible muerte de su amado creador Geckosan, el elefante temía lo peor. El pobrecito estaba tan descorazonado que se refugió en la casa del árbol de su infancia y lloró a moco tendido. Las lágrimas gigantes cayeron como lluvía sobre la tierra debajo y fuertes sollozos, gangueados y resoplidos resonaron en toda la selva.
Having heard the news about the disappearance and possible death of his beloved creator Geckosan, the elephant feared the worst. The poor thing was so heartbroken that he he took refuge in his boyhood treehouse and cried his eyes out. Gigantic tears rained down on the earth below and loud sobbing, snuffling and snorting reverberated throughout the jungle.
Given:
Alejo decided to test her out. Would she know who he was and more importantly would she find his jokes amusing?
Translated:
Alejo decidió ponerla a prueba. ¿Sabría quién era él? y más importantamente ¿Encontraría chistosas sus bromas?
Reasons: decidió - preterite / single completed action
I used the conditional for sabría and encontraría
also rather than 'era' for 'who he was' I used the present 'es' - is that right? or would I would the past?
New Sentence:
She certainly was beautiful and those eyes were mesmerising, Alejo nervously approached her.
Given:
The gypsy reached out her graceful hand and softly caressed his trunk in greeting. Her gentle touch filled him with a soothing warmth from the tip of his trunk, down to his toes and all the way to the end of his tail. And every note was kindness when she spoke, "So Alejo, you have come at last. For what purpose do you seek me?"
Translated:
La gitana estiró su mano elegante y suavamente acarició su trompa a modo de saludo. Su toque suave lo llenaba con un calor apaciguador de la punta de la trompa hasta sus pies y hasta la punta de la cola. Y cuando habló, cada nota era gentileza. "Entonces Alejo, por fin has llegado. ¿Con qué propósito me buscas?"
Edited - thanks Gekko
New Sentence:
Weak at the knees Alejo could barely speak. But he knew this was going to be his only chance.
Given Sentence: She certainly was beautiful and those eyes were mesmerising, Alejo nervously approached her.
Translation: De verdad era hermosa y esos ojos eran tan hechizantes. Alejo se acercó a ella con nerviosismo.
Explanation: era imperfect for ser because being beautiful is an ongoing quality.
eran imperfect for ser because her mesmerizing eyes were an ongoing quality
se acercó preterite for acercarse because he was approaching her in that moment, not ongoing.
New Sentence: The gypsy reached out her graceful hand and softly caressed his trunk in greeting. Her gentle touch filled him with a soothing warmth from the tip of his trunk, down to his toes and all the way to the end of his tail. And every note was kindness when she spoke, "So Alejo, you have come at last. For what purpose do you seek me?"
Given sentence:
He was once again a very young elephant with a hide that had not yet been toughened, waiting with big, hopeful eyes, at the doorstep of a reknowned healer woman.
Translated:
Él era una vez más un elefante muy joven con una piel que no había sido endurecido, esperando con los ojos grandes, llenos de esperanza, en el umbral de una curandera famosa.
Suggested Translation by Gekko Era nuevamente un elefante joven, cuya piel aún no se había endurecido, aguardando con sus grandes ojos esperanzados en el umbral de una famosa curandera
Reason:
Well, I'm not even going to try to explain but I'm just trying out a little tactic that was recently suggested to me - if I've applied it correctly and it works and anyone would like to know how it works - please feel free to PM me
New Sentence:
But rather hearing than the sound of a rocking chair and knitting needles he heard the sound of a young woman singing. It was a sweet melancholy sound and he twitched his ears in response.
Given Sentence: I wanted to study yesterday, but I had to visit my mother when she got sick.
Translation: Yo quería estudiar ayer, pero tuve que visitar a mi madre cuando se enfermó.
Reason: I used imperfect for querer because it was setting the scene for an action that was interupted by the mom becoming sick and having to visit. Therefore tener and enfermarse are in the preterite.
New Sentence: The old lady yelled "I don't want any!" "Slam!" and walked one, two, three, four, back across the floor, sat down in her chair and started knitting again; And the rocker went "creeeeeak! creeeeeeak!" and the knitting needles went "clik, clak, clik, clak, clik, clak, clik, clak....."
This new sentence involves some Onomatopeya or onomatopeia in English. This link may or may not be helpful. Onomatopeya
Given Sentence: For the Nth time in that fateful night, the elephant refused to believe his ears and eyes. The feeling of déjà vu transported him 30 years back in a flash.
Translation: Por la enésima vez en esa noche fatídica, el elefante se negó a creer sus propios oídos y ojos. La sensación de déjà vu lo transportó 30 años atrás en un instante.
Reason: Both negarse and transportar are completed actions that happened in a moment's time, so they are both preterite.
New Sentence: He was once again a very young elephant with a hide that had not yet been toughened, waiting with big, hopeful eyes, at the doorstep of a reknowned healer woman.
Fine, sorry... 
Given:He couldn't believe his eyes: sitting comfortably in the easy chair by the corner, with a wry smile in his face, was none other than his old nemesis, M. VIveculotte. In his hand he held a steaming gourd of maté.
Translation:"No podía creer sus ojos: sentado cómodamente en la poltrona de la esquina, con una sonrisa burlona en el rostro, se encontraba nada menos que su antiguo némesis, M. Viveculotte. En su mano sostenía un mate humeante.
Explanation:Podía, encontraba, sostenía: all are in imperfect tense. The action is continued through the past.
New Sentence: The elephant reflected on the irony that after all the years of vain search and dead ends, they had to meet precisely today, and here.
Given: The man refused to speak
Answer: El hombre se negó hablar
Reason: Time and action has fnished. Pretérito indefinido
New sentence: This week I walked for four hours everyday
The Elephant looked aghast. "I always thought you were a man!!", he said.
El elefante parecía espantado. "Siempre pensé que eras un hombre!", dijo.
==Imperfect for description in the past and Preterite for past finished actions
New sentence:
They thought they solved the problems by moving to another city, but nothing was what it seemed.
Sentence Given:
Maria and Juan were walking down the street when it began to rain.
Maria y Juan caminaban por la calle cuando empezó a llover.
I used the imperfect because it was an event that set the scene (fueron) and used the preterite because it interrupted the scene (empezó).
New Sentence:
I was going to the market to buy some food when I realized I didn't have any money.
Sentence
Because no sentence was given, I made this one.
Translation
Porque ninguna oración se le dio, he hecho este.
Como no había una oración, escribí ésta. (¡Gracias!, Gekkosan)
Reason
I used preterite because the given sentence would have been given and completed in the past.
New sentence
I was going to write a difficult sentence, but this one should be easy.
