Preterite vs. Imperfect Story

Question

Will someone please help me make sure I used the preterite and imperfect tense correctly? Thanks!

"Rosa estaba leyendo un libro cuando Juan la llamó por teléfono. Juan la invitó a ir a un restaurante esa noche. Rosa tenía much tarea que hacer, pero aceptaba la invitación de Juan.

Juan llegó a las ocho y ellos salieron. Hacía buen tiempo y ellos decidieron caminar al restaurante. Mientras caminaban por la calle, se hablaban cariñosamente. Entonces, Juan sacaron un regalo pequeño de su chaqueta y se lo dio a Rosa. Rosa abrió el regalo rápidamente. Iba un reloj. La semena pasada Rosa perdió su reloj y por eso necesitaba un reloj nuevo.

Rosa le dijo "muchas gracias" a Juan y ellos se abrazaron y se besaron allí en la calle. Entonces, iban al restuarante y comieron una cena excelente."

Typo: Juan y ella ( not ellos) se abrazaron. - annierats, Apr 2, 2014

Answer 1

3 hints to start: aceptaba (one time action), iba (first be careful with the use of ser / ir as the conjugations are similar, and the the imperfect is not needed here) , iban (One time action). Rememember these are hints- change at least these three verbs. ; ) : )

and sacaron ;) (wrong person) - Kiwi-Girl, Apr 2, 2014

Juan sacaron? But he is a man of many! Nice! There may be another ! Now that we are past 3 hints, would you use necesitaba? - jphip, Apr 2, 2014

Correct these five and you should be well on your way! : ) - jphip, Apr 2, 2014

Jphip, If I have understood your comments correctly, how can iban be a one time action? Iban is in the imperfect indicative ! - FELIZ77, Apr 3, 2014

iban = They were going / they used to go. (habitual; behaviour) Fueron = they went! (one time action) - - FELIZ77, Apr 3, 2014

Exacactly! Iban has to be changed because it is not a one time action- fueron should be used. (Remember these were hints.) I listed the verb to be changed and gave the hint why in ( ). - jphip, Apr 3, 2014

If I were explained it in more detail the example for iban it would be like this:"Iban has to be changed becasue this requires the preterite due to being a one time action (Fueron)." the other verbs listed follow the same pattern. Sorry 4 any confusion - jphip, Apr 3, 2014

Answer 2

I would like to add this mistake:

Iba un reloj. HABÍA un reloj (There was a watch)

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Answer 3

It seems very good to me.

In my opinion, you do not need to use the personal pronouns in these sentences as it would be understood in the context that, for example, salieron would refer to they left and decidieron would also refer to they decided.(not, you decided)

However, you need to indicate from where they left Salir is not like irse I think that you still have to mention the place they left eg Salieron de la casa = They left the house contrast with Tenemos que irnos = We have to leave.(No destination needs to be mentioned nor the place from which they left!)

sacaron is not correct, as Kiwi girl rightly says. This means they took out a present You need sacó = He took out etc...

For the last lineI would say: fueron al restaurante y comieron una cena excelente.

They only went to the restaurant once on this occasion where they ate an excellent meal This is a once completed action requiring the preterite /simple past! I appreciate that the imperfect sets the scene in stories, but 1 You have already started the story with the imperfect: Rosa estaba leyenda = Rosa was reading etc... and 2 the imperfect seems wrong here for the reason I have already mentioned above!

I hope this helps