REG: Review Lesson - Preterit vs. Imperfect
Preterit vs. Imperfect
The preterit and imperfect are simple tenses of the indicative that refer to a past action or state. Sometimes they may have the same English translation, but they have different meanings or implications.
Note: the word preterit can be written two ways: preterit or preterite. Regardless of spelling, the words mean the same thing. This course uses preterit.
Preterit vs. Imperfect - Tense Comparison
| The Preterit Tense is Used... |
The Imperfect Tense is Used... |
- To describe something that happened once:
- Cantó una canción en la clase música. - He sang a song in music class.
- Comí una manzana. - I ate an apple.
- Me desperté tarde esta mañana. - I woke up late this morning.
- To describe something that happened more than once but had a specific end:
- Fui a la casa de mi amigo la semana pasada. - I went to my friend's house last week.
- De niño, fui a la playa cada verano. - As a child, I went to the beach every summer.
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- To describe habitual or repeated actions in the past:
- Siempre miraba películas los domingos. - I always watched movies on Sundays.
- To describe a condition or state of being in the past:
- Había dos tiendas aquí. - There used to be two stores here.
- To describe an action that occurred over an unspecified time:
- Hablábamos en la cafeteria. - We were talking in the cafeteria.
- To indicate time or age in the past:
- Tenía 16 años. - She was 16 years old.
- Eran las ocho y media de la noche. - It was 8:30 PM.
- To describe a person or place:
- Tenía el pelo corto y los ojos verdes. - She had short hair and green eyes.
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Use Context Clues
When reading or listening to Spanish, you can use context clues to figure out whether a verb phrase is in the preterite or imperfect tense. Certain temporal phrases are associated with either the preterite or the imperfect. You can also learn these phrases to help you express yourself better.
Preterit vs. Imperfect - Context Clues
| Phrases that hint toward the preterit |
Phrases that hint toward the imperfect |
- ayer - yesterday
- anoche - last night
- después - afterward
- durante dos semanas - for two weeks
- el mes pasado - last month
- el otro día - the other day
- en ese momento - at that moment
- entonces - then
- esta tarde - this afternoon
- hace dos días - two days ago
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- a menudo - often
- a veces - sometimes
- cada día - every day
- muchas veces - many times
- nunca - never
- siempre - always
- todos los días - every day
- todo el tiempo - all the time
- varias veces - several times
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Video Presentation
View the following presentation preterit vs. imperfect tenses. Take notes as you view the material as you will be responsible for the content. Be sure your speakers are turned up!
Practice Activity
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