Is "un día" a key phrase for the preterite?
Hi everyone! Well, I have a test on the preterite and imperfect this friday and I'm still trying to clear up a few issues I have. In class we learned that there were certain words that signify you should use the preterite or the imperfect and one of the words on the sheet we got for the preterite keywords was "un día". However, when I asked the community about a question I had on a worksheet (http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/181321/another-preterite-vs-imperfect-question) everyone told me that I should use quería instead of quiso even though "un día" was in the sentence. So is this a keyword for the preterite? I can't find any other website besides the sheet we got that says it is so I'm really not sure! Thanks!
Rachel
5 Answers
The short answer is no, it is not a key phrase for preterite. Take this phrase, for example: "Un día voy a ser doctor." ("One day I'm going to be a doctor."). "Un día" thus can be used to discuss events in the future.
Gfreed's answer makes sense to me. But I'm new, so it looks like I can't give him my vote yet.
I do not believe that there are any phrases that specifically indicate using the preterite or the imperfect past tenses (compared to phrases that trigger the subjunctive mood).
Where the phrase un día would come in is in applying rules like this one:
The preterite is used for actions that were repeated a specific number of times, or occurred during a specific period of time.
From discussions here that we have had with natives on using the preterite or imperfect tenses these can only be seen a general guidelines with numerous exceptions. The fact that definite time durations like "yesterday" or "this morning" are in the sentence does not dictate the use of the preterite or the imperfect past tense.
Lazarus posted a discussion here asking for examples debunking most of these "rules" for when to use either the imperfect or preterite past tense given in online grammar articles. It left me wondering how natives know which to use or if it is just a matter of learning the individual situations where one would use one or the other. (like using the imperfect with past "ages" cuando era niño, etc. or time in the past..eran las ocho de la noche.)
Here is the answer I usually give to questions about the Preterite and Imperfect past tenses. Toward the bottom of the answer and after the comparison table you will find links to our reference pages. Within each of those reference pages are these headings:
"Useful Phrases that Indicate Specific Moments in the Past" where the preterite may be indicated, and
"Useful Phrases that Trigger the Imperfect"
These may be some help to you.
| 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
Rather than long lists of rules and "triggers", it is easier to have a simple rule for each of the traditional sticking points for English speakers learning Spanish:
preterite vs. imperfect: the preterite is used for events in the past, the imperfect is used for situations.
subjunctive vs. indicative: if you can declare it, it is in the indicative, otherwise it is subjunctive.
ser vs. estar: if it is a characteristic, use ser; if it is how something is different from its usual state, use estar.
Now you just have to learn what a situation is and what an event is; what you can declare and what you can't; and what is a characteristic and what isn't.
Here is a flashcard set for words that are used in the preteritWords used with the preteritt
