¿Preterito O Imperfecto?
En 1960, la edad adecuada para casarse para hombres ERA/FUE 22 años.
I don't know if I should use preterite or imperfect for this sentence?? Anyone know?
6 Answers
use preterite because you are saying in 1960. and since 1960 isnt occurring more than once its preterite an easy way I remember it is that preterite is more definite while imperfect is alot looser and can fit into more situations.
Buena Suerte!
That is not the reason jowens.... sorry.
Check this out.
Hasta1960, la edad adecuada para casarse para hombres ERA de 22 años, pero en 1961 FUE de 21 años, y del 62 para adelante FUE de 18.
What can you say about this, now?
:-D
Every one of you in this thread is more advanced in Spanish than I am, so I hesitate to form, much less express, an opinion, but I'm going to go ahead so that, if I'm wrong, perhaps someone will clear up my misconceptions.
If I had to make this choice without additional context and without the advice of a native Spanish speaker, I'd choose the imperfect. My reasoning is that we don't know when the marriageable age for men was set at 22 or how long it remained 22. The mere fact that the sentence contains the words "in 1960" doesn't limit the condition to that year, so doesn't supply us with a definite beginning and a definite end. Also, although we don't know for sure, it sounds as if the stage is being set for an event (a change in the age) that would be expressed in the preterite.
Chileno I agree with you if you use "until 1960" but the question posted was "in 1960" which is a point in time and fue is correct. If you expand the question, as you did, then era is correct in the comparison of the changes over time.
But "in 1960" is preterite.
As it is my usual way of answering, I will do it with a translation and see what happens. OK?
Until 1960, the age of getting married was of 22, but in 1961 was of 21 and from 62 on was of 18.
My question to you. Can you see the difference in English of how this "was" changes continuity in time?
Keep in mind that all of this is in the past now and it happened only once (each event)
;-D
Does it help?
I could've sworn I posted this already, but I don't see it. Oh well.
Hasta1960, la edad adecuada para casarse para hombres ERA de 22 años, pero en 1961 FUE de 21 años, y del 62 para adelante FUE de 18.
What's the difference in meaning this example between ERA and FUE? Does it significantly alter the meaning?
