wrong verb tense?

Question

I have to correct this sentence: " Yo nací a el dos de diciembre, pero era un nacimineto un poco complicado."

My spanish teacher says that "nací" and "era" are in the wrong verb tense, but I don't understand why or that it should be changed to. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Nací el dos de deciembre, pero fue un naciemiento....

You have to use the preterite because it was a single, completed action. You were only born once.

nací - Jack-OBrien, Nov 6, 2010

which you have corrected :-) - Jack-OBrien, Nov 6, 2010

I was just going back to fix it. My laptop wouldn't do the tilde if I backspaced..aarrgghh - Echoline, Nov 6, 2010

thank you :) - jennchilada, Nov 6, 2010

I've had that problem, too, and corrected it using the cut and paste function. - JoyceM, Nov 8, 2010

Answer 2

" Yo nací a el dos de diciembre, pero era un nacimineto un poco complicado."

And when was the other person born? And who is the other person?

You only use yo when you are going to make a contrast, as in "Yo... y ellos...", "Yo... pero él...". After reading your sentence, one feels like you are going to compare your date of birth with someone else's, but you don't.

Do not use personal pronouns if you don't intend to make a contrast!!

Answer 3

nací el and not era= but use fue

Answer 4

delete-already answered.

Yo nací el dos de diciembre del año XXXX. (preterite-completed in past, not ongoing nor reocurring). Mi cumpleaños es (recurring date) el dos de diciembre.

Fue un nacimiento un poco complicado. (also non-recurring or not ongoing in past)