I have used imperfect but should I use preterite?

Question

Prefería ir en coche puesto que me importa la independencia. Me molestaba la gente en el metro, sobre todo por la noche. Tenía miedo a veces.

Have I used the tenses correctly?

This is stating my opinion on transport and is said in general terms.

Could you tell us: Was it a single journey, or did you do it often? If it is something you used to do, more than once I think you have done well! - annierats, Mar 18, 2012

It was soemthing I did often - sinthu, Mar 18, 2012

Sinthu, we are learning both English and Spanish on our forum here and proper grammer and punctuation is a main goal. I´ve edited your title for spelling. Welcome to Spanishdict.com! - bandit51jd, Mar 18, 2012

Sorry for the typing errors. I will try to be more careful. - sinthu, Mar 18, 2012

Answer 1

Are you talking about something that happened just once? I mean, that sounds like a part of a short story.

To avoid such interpretation I would say:

• Prefiero ir en coche... or
• He preferido ir en coche...

Even though all of your sentences are correct and understandable.

No it's my experience. So it is how i felt whenever I travelled by train. - sinthu, Mar 18, 2012

Hola caefuego! When you have time would you mind filling in your language levels of proficiency. Your willingness to share is is wonderful. Muchas gracias! - bandit51jd, Mar 18, 2012

OK. I'll try it. Thanks for your suggest bandit51jd. In fact what I want is to improve my English. - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012

Answer 2

I agree with Annie. Because you did this many times and not one specific beginning and end the imperfect tense is best here.

I liked how Caefuego showed you a couple of options for tenses. Are you ready for the imperfect tenses? This is why we ask for more information on levels of proficiency. It gives us an idea of how much learning you´ve had in the past.

Sus preguntas son detalladas y proporcionar el contexto! Excelente trabajo!

I am at GCSE level and know how to sue the imperfect tense but often get confused. - sinthu, Mar 18, 2012