Preterit and Imperfect Past Tense Usage

Question

Hi,

Could someone explain to me how to determine when you should use preterit forms of verbs versus when you should use imperfect forms?

Thank you so much!! :D

Answer 1

I hope that this lesson might be useful - Pret vs Imp

Answer 2

There is more to this subject, but as a start:

The preterit is used for an action that has been completed at a specific moment in time. The imperfect is used in all other cases.

El sábado, pagué las cuentas.
Saturday, I paid the bills. (A specific day)

She paid her bills.
(Ella) Pagaba sus cuentas. (We don't know when she paid her bills)

Here is the link into our Spanish grammar section that has more information and practice.

Hey Bandit, good link, just a little point, I think you would more likely use the preterite for your second example to as you're referring to a one off completed action in the past. If however you said, she was paying her bills then you would use the imp - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 5, 2012

you don't always have to state when something happened to be able to use the preterite. But that's just my take, it can be rather tricky. - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 5, 2012

(ups 'too') - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 5, 2012