Daily routine in past tense

Question

I need to describe my daily routine in the past tense. Do I use preterite or imperfect?

Welcome to SpanishDict. Please complete your profile as it relates to language. Thanks. - rac1, Sep 8, 2015

Answer 1

Normally I would describe my daily routine in the present as it is what I habitually do.

If I were to describe what I specifically did this morning in my routine it would be preterit- it is done and over. This would seem to me to be most likely what is being requested of you.

I am a little hard pressed to describe what circumstances would lead to imperfect to describe it- maybe something like- in the past I would always do this and then this and then this, but then something changed and now I do this and then this and then this. I still wonder if I would end up using solía as part of it though. I doubt this is what anyone is asking of you.

Hola, Bosque. ♥ - Daniela2041, Sep 8, 2015

Hola. :) - bosquederoble, Sep 8, 2015

Answer 2

If you would give us some examples in English of what you wish, we could help you better.

If you just want to say, I got up, I went to the bathroom, I took a shower, I brushed my teeth, and so forth. You would most likely use the preterit. If you are saying "I was brushing my teeth when the phone rang," you would use imperfect in the first part and preterit in the second part.

Or "I always used to get up, take a shower, brush my teeth..." (imperfect). - jtaniel, Sep 9, 2015

You can make it even easier by using "solía" plus a bunch of infinitives. - Daniela2041, Sep 9, 2015