"Y ella estaba aqui mientras que él estaba afuera."

Question

And she was here while he was outside. That's all well and good, but I thought it should be more properly "Y ella estuvo aqui mientras que él estuvo afuera." I thought this because it seemed a particular time and place was being referred to. Isn't the imperfect more for a time that has an unknown time of completion? Though I can see where the imperfect could be used if this were some narrator's voice over, telling some story placed in an indefinite time. Is this the proper way to think about this verb tense?

Answer 1

If you just want to state facts, "estuvo" will get it. However in a description the imperfect does the job. If you notice, this is how story tellers and novelists set their scenes, then when the action begins, the preterite is employed.

:) - rac1, Jul 10, 2016

Very nice answer. Got it! - RolloMartins, Jul 11, 2016