What is the imperfecto Simple?

Question

when asking to conjugate a verb in "imperfecto simple" what does that mean?

Answer 1

We have two past tenses plus the subjunctive past: Pretérito perfecto simple / Pretérito and Pretérito imperfecto / Copretérito and Pretérito imperfecto / Pretérito in past subjunctive.

If I were asked to use "imperfecto simple" I wouldn´t know how either. It doesn´t exist.

Answer 2

Simple just means non-compound so, although it isn't usually referred to as such, perhaps someone used the term to differentiate between the a) preterito imperfectivo and the b) imperfecto progresivo.

A). Hablaba. Vs. B). Estaba hablando.

Answer 3

One doesn´t usually use that term. In English, we often use the term simple past for non-perfect past tenses, i.e. those not requiring an auxiliary verb. The simple past of go, is ¨went¨, whereas the past perfect is ¨have gone¨.

Spanish has two ¨simple¨ (in English terms) past tenses. The preterito, and the imperfecto.

In this case, you can just ignore the simple part, and assume they mean the imperfecto.

hth