what is the imperfect tense
what is the imperfect tense used for 
2 Answers
Here is a useful link that describes the imperfect tense in Spanish.
The usual order in which the verb tenses is studieed is to start with the present indicative, then learn the preterite forms followed by the imperfect.
As you are asking about the imperfect, one way to answer your question is to compare the preterite and the imperfect and look at the differences between them.
| Preterit – Pretérito (Past - Completed) | ? | Imperfect – Imperfecto (Past - Continuous) |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ? | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| This tense expresses an action in the past that was completed at some time in the past. The specific past actions will have been performed (1)- at a fixed point in time (2)- a specific number of times in the past (3)- during a specific amount of time in the past | ? | This tense expresses an action or a state of being in the past that was ongoing or continuous in the past. The action(s) in the past will have these qualities (1)- they took place repeatedly in the past (2)- they were ongoing or continuous in the past (3)- they occurred over an extended period of unspecified time in the past |
| ? |
This is a basic comparison. There is certainly more detail and in particular, regarding the imperfect. For the additional more detailed information and examples, see Paralee Whitmire's Reference Pages by following these links
For the preterit ----> El Pretérito , and
For the Imperfect ----> El Imperfecto
You will also find that our teacher Paralee Whitmire explains the Preterite and the Imprefect in her lesson 2.10, found here ----> Preterite & Imperfect
