Preterite or Imperfect?: He was a good student.

Question

This is bugging me.

I'm listening to Pimsleur III, lesson 23 and I'm thinking this can't be right!

Pablo acaba de terminar sus estudios. Ya no estudia. Ahora busca trabajo. Quiere enseñar. Fue buen estudiante.

Ok, why fue there and not era? Is it because he just finished? Even so, I can't fathom that the preterite would be the preferred form here.

Can someone enlighten me?

Answer 1

"Era un buen estudiante" recalls the past from within, disregarding any specific time frame: back in the past, someone thought: "he is a good student". The context will determine whether he is still a student or not, but this sentence does not discard the possibility that he is still a good student if such information is not available.

"Fue un buen estudiante" encompasses the whole time frame during which he/she was a good student, making it clear that such period did reach an end.

In this case, both alternatives will be used frequently, depending on how the perspective that the speaker prefers to use: imperfect takes you back to that moment, so it is more likely to want to recall those "sweet days" for a few moments, while with preterite you remain in the present moment, and look back at the whole finished event and what followed after it, so it is more thorough, more comprehensive.

Fascinating. I really wanted to say that Pimsleur was using a less than optimal word choice here for some practical reason. I't nice to know that that is not the case. - Goyo, Jul 24, 2011

Thanks, Lazarus. This gets me one notch closer to "getting a feel" for this. - webdunce, Jul 24, 2011

Answer 2

I am sometimes amazed anyone can express anything. Did anyone realize how many decisions we are making when we speak? Sometimes there are very subtle nuances in meaning and we frequently just naturally pick the correct one almost instantly (in our mother tongue, at least). Sometimes there are several equivalent phrases and we must pick one (the fact that we can quickly choose one amazes me). From context and experience, we know when to add extra details and to leave out information that can be inferred. The list goes on.

I say all this because there is a nuanced difference between fue and era that I do not yet understand, but natives fully feel the difference between the two and instantly pick the one that makes the most sense... - webdunce, Jul 24, 2011

...and there are cases where fue and era are essentially equal...and still they are able to pick one. - webdunce, Jul 24, 2011

lol I feel your pain! :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 24, 2011

Answer 3

I think "fue" is used in this case emphasize the difference between 2 distinct time periods in Pablo's life - him being a student and him joining the workforce. You would use "era" if you didn't care so much about the distinction, like if you were describing a person's life and what they were like as a student when they were young- or a million other scenarios. The imperfect is used with the progression of an action in the past that has no focus on beginning or end.

Answer 4

Greg, did you get an answer? If you haven't seen this, check out Lazarus post on a similar question here

Answer 5

"Era un buen estudiante" means that he was a good student, but not anymore. Now he is a poor student.

"Fue un buen estudiante" means that he was a good student when he was a student. Now he is no longer a student.

Thanks but I don't think you're right about that. - Goyo, Jul 24, 2011

Answer 6

I think it is the way Pablo is being described, a very defined period of Pablos life. Fue feels right in this situation. I think that since they are describing something in the near past, era would not be as appropriate as fue, even though it would not be incorrect.

Answer 7

I think it is because the whole series of sentences is emphasizing that he is not a student anymore and the use of the preterite continues this.

Answer 8

Thanks for your answers, guys. I'm going to bump this up in hopes that a native speaker can see it and weight in.