Preterite -v- Imperfect
1
vote
My Pimsleur language course cd uses the Imperfect to say "it was lost" i.e. "estaba perdido". Surely the Preterite should be used?
962 views
updated Jan 8, 2013
posted by ukali
Welcome to the forum! - rac1, Jan 8, 2013
2 Answers
1
vote
If you dropped something over the side of the ship and lost it, you would use the preterite because it happened at a specific time.
El collar se me cayó en el mar y estuvo perdido.
But if you went looking for your gloves from last winter, and couldn´t find them, even though you looked two or three times over the course of a week, then the imperfect would be more appropriate.
Busqué mis guantes pero estaban perdidos.
updated Jan 8, 2013
edited by Lrtward
posted by Lrtward
0
votes
I was lost
updated Jan 8, 2013
posted by lliones
