A question about the Preterite v. Imperfect

Question

I want to say...

I swept the floor. // Barrí el suelo

Since this is a past action, but not all that long ago (the recent past); I think I should use the preterite. However, I'm still having trouble deciphering when to use the preterite and when to use imperfect.

Would this be correct?

Answer 1

In broad terms, the preterite describes an action in the past and the imperfect describes a situation. There are many times when many tenes could be used to describe te same situation in either Spanish or English.

I had been walking for 15 minutes when I fell and broke my leg.
I had walked for 15 minutes before I fell and broke my leg.
I walked for 15 minutes, then I fell and broke my leg.

All of these (and many more possibilities) describe exactly the same situation. Each could be literally translated into Spanish, but to me a different version sounds more natural:

Caminaba hacía 15 minutos cuando me caí y se rompió la pierna.

This may not directly address your question, but I hope it leads you to looking at the meaning of a sentence rather than translating it.

Answer 2

Barrí el suelo/I swept the floor. ? The action is viewed as completed or initiated with reference to some specific point in the past.

Barría el suelo/I was sweeping the floor/I used to/would sweep the floor. ? Describes an action that was unfolding or occurring in relation to the same temporal reference point (or at various intervals in time in the past).

Here are some examples of the imperfect and preterit in action:

?Barría el piso cuando sonó el teléfono — I was sweeping the floor when the phone rang.

The imperfect is used with the verb "barrer" because the act of sweeping has already been "unfolding" when we reach our temporal reference point. On the other hand, the verb "sonar" calls for the preterit because the event/action of the phone ringing is initiated at this same reference point.

?Barrí el suelo el viernes — I swept the floor on Friday.

Here the temporal reference "point" is Friday, and we are describing an action that can be viewed as completed at this specific point in time. For that reason, the preterit would be the proper choice.

?Cuando era niño barría el piso los viernes—When I was a boy I used to/would sweep the floor on Fridays.

Here both "ser" and "barrer" call for the imperfect but for slightly different reasons. The expression "when I was a boy" refers to a span of time in the past with no clearly defined end or beginning; whereas, the expression "I used to/would sweep the floors" refers to an action that can be viewed as habitual or occurring at intervals over time in the past.

?Ya barrí el piso—I already swept the floor

Here, the action is viewed as completed in the past (with reference to a specific though unstated temporal reference point) and requires the preterit.

In each of these examples, the imperfect describes a situation and the preterite an event. Once you see that, you won't need to think about rules. - lorenzo9, Mar 11, 2011

And what you are saying determines whether something is a situation or an event more than what it was that happened. - lorenzo9, Mar 11, 2011

In fact, the same thing can be described in both the imperfect and the preterite within a single paragraph. - lorenzo9, Mar 11, 2011

Jeje...I think that the "rules" that I am using are the same as what you are describing except that we are using different terminology.... - Izanoni1, Mar 11, 2011

...whereas you describe it as situation vs. event, I am describing it as an action unfolding vs. an action initiating or terminating. - Izanoni1, Mar 11, 2011

Personally, I don't necessarily think about any specific rules (which would be far too cumbersome/slow when speaking), but I do often have a sort of mental picture in regards to the temporal aspect of what I am trying to say.... - Izanoni1, Mar 11, 2011

In any case, yours is an interesting way of looking at it and seems (at first glance, anyway) to be a reasonable way of looking at the difference between the two....I suppose maybe its just a matter of different strokes for different folks, eh? - Izanoni1, Mar 11, 2011

I agree that we are talking about the same thing, but the words I use are easier for me to use when I'm talking, and having the same thing explained in different ways is often helpful. - lorenzo9, Mar 11, 2011

I agree completely :) - Izanoni1, Mar 11, 2011

Answer 3

I use a trick as a guide line. When you can say in english "was doing" something then you can use the imperative. Like

I was going to the room - Iba al cuarto (imperative)

I went to a concert once - Fui a un concierto una vez (preterite)

I was kicking the ball around the field - estaba pateando una pelota ....etc. (imperative)

I kicked the ball through the window - tiré la pelota por la ventana (preterite)

Imperative? - Sabor, Mar 11, 2011

Answer 4

How long ago something was has nothing to do with preterit vs. imperfect. You swept the floor. Since you finished doing it, use preterit. If you have been sweeping the floor every day for 5 years or even just all week, you can use imperfect. Use imperfect if you were sweeping the floor when the dog walked across it with muddy paws. (Use preterit for the dog here