Imperfect Tense???

Question

So, I am finding it exceedingly difficult to tell the difference between Preterit and Inperfect tenses. I've repeatedly asked my teacher and she gives my increasingly cryptic answers. Can anyone help me? Please!

Hi bandit, I'll expalin it with some detail, just give me a few minutes to type it :-) - BradyLabuda, Apr 10, 2012

Answer 1

Good question, Bandit.

The Preterit and Imperfect is one of the hardest things to learn in Spanish, in fact I myself still struggle with it at times. I'm sure your aware of the guidelines of when to use them, but I wouldn't be so focused on when to apply guidelines rather than actually understanding the difference.

The best way I like to describe it is to think of a timeline.

/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx\

^ So this is our timeline that we're going to use to demonstrate uses of the past tense. The 0 will represent a point on the timeline.

PRETERIT General uses of the preterit include

1. Completed actions (one and done)

2. Actions completed a specific amount of times.

3. Beginning or ending of an action.

Here's where the timeline comes into play. Think of a past action. If you can fit that action on the timeline with a single point, use the preterit.

For example:

/xxxxxxxxxxxxx0xxxxxxxxxx0xxxxxx\

Mi mama me dijo que compró un perro. (My mom told me that she bought a dog.)

Dijo and compró are in the preterit because they can be fit with a single point on the timeline. They are "one and done."

---

Imperfect Uses of the Imperfect include

1. Actions that were going on when you think of them (was...ing)

2. Actions happening over unspecified time.

3. Age, time weather, descriptions, emotions

   1. habitual actions (used to)

Think of our timeline again. Imagine a past experience that wouldn't really fit with a sing point. This is where the imperfect comes into play.

/xxxxxxxx0000000xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx\

Me despertaba a las seis cada mañana. (I would wake up at 6 every morning)

Despertaba cannot simply go on the timeline with one point, since it didn't happen just once and then end right there. It happened repeatedly, over unspecified amounts of time.

It's also wise to remember the clue words that signify when the preterit or imperfect is used, but when no context is given, stick to the timeline rule and remember how the concepts work. Preterit is more for describing actual actions, the imperfect more for situations.

Anyway, hope this helped at least a little bit

Im taking a spanish 102 course i found this answer really helpful thanks! - kenpg67, Feb 24, 2013

Answer 2

You might read the article at http://www.spanishdict.com/topics/show/64. To answer fully is a fairly complex topic, but I usually think of the preterite as a "dot" in the past. Something that begins and ends at specific points. The imperfect I think of as more of a line, something that goes on over time without a specific beginning or end. This is implied by the English terms "was/were ...ing" or "used to...".

Answer 3

Try this link it may help you. the preterite is a simple past,an act completed the imperfect can be a longer past a bit less defined as the article indicates.

preterite versus imperfect