How Do I Know When To Use Preterit & When To Use Imperfect?
(Go through these lessons & videos, then see my summary at the bottom)
(Go through these lessons & videos, then see my summary at the bottom)
You Tube video on Preterit & Imperfect (Parte 1) from Señor Jordan
You Tube Video on Preterit & Imperfect (Parte 2) from Señor Jordan
You Tube Video on Preterit & Imperfect from Esaudio
Suggestions for the video below: Watch with a piece of paper with two columns (preterit & Imperfect). Pause the video at each verb (there are subtitles at each verb so it's obvious) & write that verb in the appropriate column, with the reason that it's in that particular tense. (If possible, put your preterit verbs in red & your imperfect verbs in green. If not, it's okay.) For example, the first verb is "se bajó." That is preterit because it is a completed action, bound by time. (You could abbreviate "CA.") The video gives you these answers in subtitles but it would be helpful to see all verbs on paper at the same time at the end. Also, you remember more what you write down than what you just see.
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Mrs. Jennings' Summary:
Basically, you use the Preterit * when what you are talking about was A.C.P.A: A Completed Past Action. (It must be an action & it must have been completed at a specific time, or at least a specific number of times.) Generally (USUALLY), this is like the tense in English where we add "--ed" to the verb.
You use the Imperfect * for everything else in the past. It is when you are giving background information. In English, this is OFTEN where we use "was ____ing" or "used to _____." For example:
*The red is used to indicate action STOPPED at a specific time. The green is used to indicate onGOing action or circumstances.
Basically, you use the Preterit * when what you are talking about was A.C.P.A: A Completed Past Action. (It must be an action & it must have been completed at a specific time, or at least a specific number of times.) Generally (USUALLY), this is like the tense in English where we add "--ed" to the verb.
You use the Imperfect * for everything else in the past. It is when you are giving background information. In English, this is OFTEN where we use "was ____ing" or "used to _____." For example:
- Repeated/ongoing action (I used to play with blocks a lot.),
- descriptions, (The boy was tall. The bird was blue.)
- telling time & date, (It was 11:00. It was May 18.)
- age, (She was 3 years old. She had 3 years.)
- weather, (It was raining.)
- attitudes/feelings, (We were happy.)
- and anything else that isn't bound by a time frame.
*The red is used to indicate action STOPPED at a specific time. The green is used to indicate onGOing action or circumstances.