G A M E - Preterite vs Imperfect
Objective: practice in the use of the past tenses, preterite & imperfect
The rules:-----------------------------
-
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
-
state whether you used the preterite or the imperfect and give a short explanation as to why you used it
- and finally
-
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
I was winning the game when the lights went out.
Ganaba el juego cuando se apagaron las luces.
Ganaba= imperfect b/c it has no definite start and is an action that was happening when it was interrupted by another action.
Apagaron (also, it's a passive/unexpected event)= preterite because it is a one-time action with a distinct start and end and interrupts another event.
New sentence: I used to go to class every Monday from four to six p.m.
Sentence Given:
I realized that, in fact, I have only spent eleven days on the river since I moved here.
"Me di cuenta de que, en realidad, solamente he pasado once días en el río desde que me mudé aquí.
I used the perfect tense because it appears that there is no clear timeframe of when this event occurred as well as there is no "interrupting" past tense phrase. (took a shot at an explanation). 
New Sentence:
I figured out which soccer field my son's practice was on this afternoon just in time.
I used to be very happy when my daughter was only interested in toys; lately I realized she became interested in boys too.
Yo era muy contento cuando mi hija se era interesado sólo juguetes. Recientemente ya supe que ella se volvía interesado en chicos también.
Lots of reflexive going on. I'm sure I made a lot of mistakes :( Any corrections welcome.
New Sentence:
I used to hate going to school when I was a teenager, but now I am glad that I went to college.
Given sentence I used to mind being interrupted when I work, but then I learnt how to ignore them.
As recommended by Gekkosan, a more natural translation is: Antes me molestaba que me interrumpieran mientras trabajo, pero luego aprendí a ignorarlo.
Imperfect because past action done repeatedly second preterit because luego gives a time. However, you can't mark the date on the calendar, but the action is complete. So I will to with past tense events that occur into the present.
New Sentence When I was young, my father was in the Navy. We moved over twenty times. My parents left kids on each coast after they graduated from high school.
please delete my duplicate post
Sentence Given:
We went to the beach.
Fuimos a la playa.
Preterite = action in the past
It was hot outside today.
Is there a new sentence for translation?
How did work go? Did you get everything that you wanted to?
¿Cómo fue el trabajo más? ¿Recibiste todas las cosas que quisieras?
Preterite: the sentence indicates a past incident.
New sentence: what did you do when John arrived?
The tie he tried on was very expensive.
La corbata que se probó era muy cara.
probó preterit: single completed action. era imperfect: describes a characteristic.
New: After returning from a trip while waiting at the airport it was there that I first met the woman of my dreams.
¿Recuerdas al hombre que se llamaba Pablo y quien llevaba anteojos? Pues, se enfermó y casi se murió.
WAS called and WORE = imp, because they are background info, description, etc. GOT sick and DIED = 1 time Completed Past Actions.
New sentence: During the Inquisition, Isabel and Ferdinand were feared by many of theri subjects.
Maria's other Old Sentence: (I need help!!) 
Mary tried to buy the house but John didn't want her to buy it.
Mary intentó de comprar la casa, pero John no le quería comprarlo.
Past for the first part of the sentence and imperfect for the second part of the sentence. (1st--already happened, 2nd--undetermine amount of time that John didn't want to buy the house---probably forever!!)
New Sentence #2:
I bought a house 4 years ago and have fixed it up. (true story)
La viajeta sentaba meciéndose junto al fuego, cuando de repente, eschuchó que golpeaban fuertemente la puerta.
Imperfect was used for sentaba because the woman was doing something and then preterite for eschuchó because the knock interrupted what she was doing.
New sentence. I was driving home and it began to rain.
Given:
They were deadly exhausted and tried to evade it but it was too late and the boat stranded.
Translated:
Estaban mortalmente agotados y trataron de evadirlo, pero era demasiado tarde, y el barco encalló.
Reasons:
estaban atogados - estar in the imperfect to describe conditions in the past
trataron - preterite single completed action
era demasiado tarde - ser in the imperfect to describe time in the past
encalló - stranded, single completed action
New sentence:
I used up the last of the milk, where do you usually buy it?
There were dark clouds and the wind blew last night so we thought that we were going to get a storm.
Había unas nubes negras y el viento soplaba anoche, así que pensamos que ibamos a tener una tormenta.
==Imperfect for a description in the past and Preterite for single actions in the past
New sentence:
The area seemed deserted and unhabited, but they kept on walking and came across a small cottage.
I thought I understood how the preterite and imperfect tenses worked, but apparently, I was wrong!
¡Pensé que comprendía cómo los tiempos de pretérito e imperfecto pero aparentemente me equivoqué.
Pensé, and equivoqué are preterit - completed past action, comprendía, is imperfect because ongoing. The thinking and being wrong are in the past and completed, but the understanding is on going past action
I thought all this practice would help, but tell me when will we figure this out?
