Uses of the Preterite and Imperfect Tenses

1. Un repaso de las formas

Let’s first review the forms for the preterite and the imperfect. This will also serve as a handy reference as you go through this lesson and practice using both tenses.

Please note that there are three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense, and many more in the preterite tense, so be sure to go back and review the individual lessons on each tense if necessary. (Introduction to the Preterite Tense is Lesson 2 in Unit 2, Challenge 1; Introduction to the Imperfect Tense is Lesson 2 in Unit 3, Challenge 1.)

1a. Las formas del pretérito

Here are the endings that regular -ar verbs take in the preterite. Below the table that shows the endings, you will see the preterite conjugation for the regular verb hablar.

Hablar (to speak):

Here are the endings that regular -er and -ir verbs take in the preterite. Below the table that shows the endings, you will see the preterite conjugations for the regular verbs comer and vivir.

Comer (to eat):

Vivir (to live):

In a previous lesson, you learned adverbs of time that are often used with the preterite. Here they are again for reference.

1b. Las formas del imperfecto

Here are the endings that regular -ar verbs take in the imperfect. Below the table that shows the endings, you will see the imperfect conjugation for the regular verb hablar.

Hablar (to speak):

Here are the endings that regular -er and -ir verbs take in the imperfect. Below the table that shows the endings, you will see the imperfect conjugation for the regular verb comer.

Comer (to eat):

In a previous lesson, you also learned adverbs that are commonly used with the imperfect. Here they are again for reference:

Another reason to use the imperfect that you have learned already is to discuss actions that were in progress. An adverb that you will see quite often with this usage is mientras (while).

2. Usos del pretérito y del imperfecto

Now that you have reviewed the preterite and imperfect forms, watch the video to learn about their uses:

You have already learned how the preterite tense and the imperfect tense are used when expressing actions in the past. In this section, you will also learn how they differ when expressing conditions. You will then learn some additional uses for the imperfect, along with a few tricks to help you remember them.

2a. Actions

In Spanish, the preterite tense is used to refer to single completed events or actions. The focus is on a single occurrence. You can envision the preterite as a point in time, with the point representing a completed action. The dots shown below represent single completed actions or events.

As you read the preterite verbs in the examples below, make a fist and tap that hand against your other hand to represent the completed one-time event.

Did you notice that each sentence above in English only has one verb? You use the simple past tense in English to narrate single completed events or actions. This correlates to the Spanish use of the preterite tense.

In contrast, when referring to actions, the imperfect tense is used to express repeated, habitual, or usual actions in the past (recurrent actions), as well as to express actions that were in progress in the past (but not yet completed). You can envision the imperfect as a line through time where there is no reference to a starting point or an ending point. The focus is on the repetition of the action, or the fact that the action was in progress.

As you read the imperfect verbs in the examples below, spread your arms out wide to represent the ongoing or repeated action.

Did you notice that each sentence above in English has two verbs? In English, you often (but not always) utilize “used to” or “would” with an infinitive to express actions that are habitual or repeated. You use a helping verb (a form of “to be”) plus a participle (ending in “-ing”) in English to express actions that were in progress but not completed at the point of telling. These correlate to the Spanish use of the imperfect tense when expressing past actions or events.

try it

Conjugate each verb appropriately. Use context to help you decide between the preterite and the imperfect. Click on the plus sign to see the answer.

1. Ayer mi recepcionista _____ (mandar) un correo electrónico muy importante.

Answer: Ayer mi recepcionista mandó un correo electrónico muy importante.

2. Todos los lunes del año pasado yo _____ (trabajar) en la oficina con Julia.

Answer: Todos los lunes del año pasado yo trabajaba en la oficina con Julia.

3. De niña, yo _____ (tocar) el piano, pero ahora no tengo tiempo para tocarlo.

Answer: De niña, yo tocaba el piano, pero ahora no tengo tiempo para tocarlo.

4. El fin de semana pasado los muchachos _____ (jugar) al vóleibol en la playa.

Answer: El fin de semana pasado los muchachos jugaron al vóleibol en la playa.

5. Mi amiga y yo _____ (comer) en su casa anoche.

Answer: Mi amiga y yo comimos en su casa anoche.

6. ¿_____ (recibir) tú un mensaje de texto de Alejandro ayer?

Answer: ¿Recibiste tú un mensaje de texto de Alejandro ayer?

7. En la escuela primaria ellos siempre _____ (celebrar) los cumpleaños con pastelitos.

Answer: En la escuela primaria ellos siempre celebraban los cumpleaños con pastelitos.

8. ¿_____ (ir) tú al parque con Mariana ayer por la mañana?

Answer: ¿Fuiste tú al parque con Mariana ayer por la mañana?

2b. Conditions

The preterite tense is used to express the start of a condition in the past. Think of the dot as representing the beginning of the condition. In English, you often use “got” or “became” to express the start of a condition in the past.

In contrast, when referring to ongoing conditions, the imperfect tense is used.

2c. Other Reasons to Use the Imperfect

There are several other reasons that have not yet been mentioned to use the imperfect. The acronym WAITERS will help you remember these new uses, as well as some of the uses that you have already learned:

• Weather
• Age
• In progress
• Time
• Emotions (ongoing)
• Repetitive actions
• State of being

There are certain verbs that lend themselves more naturally to the imperfect tense because they are used to indicate a state of being:

• ser
• estar
• tener
• gustar

Now practice building some sentences yourself using the preterite and imperfect tenses. Remember to look for context clues, such as adverbs, to determine which tense to use.

2d. Narrating With the Imperfect and the Preterite

You will notice that both the imperfect and the preterite are used when a story is told. In fact, you will sometimes see both tenses used within the same sentence. It is helpful to think of a play as an analogy for how these two tenses are used. The imperfect tense is used to “set the stage.” Through the use of the imperfect, you learn what the characters in the story are like, as well as other background information such as the setting and the time. The preterite is used to narrate the series of single completed actions in the play, while the imperfect is used to communicate how people felt about what happened.

You can envision each action as carrying a time stamp. If you were in charge of recording a video of the play, you would associate each action with a specific time marker. However, the things that are communicated by the imperfect do not have a specific time marker. They are in the background behind the specific one-time events. Compare the uses of the *preterite* and the imperfect in the brief story below. (You will also notice that while in English, commas and periods go inside the quotation marks, in Spanish, they go outside.)

Era muy tarde una noche cuando mi amiga Manuela *vino* a visitarme. Yo estudiaba para el examen de filosofía mientras escuchaba música clásica cuando, de repente, ella me *asustó* cuando *tocó* a la puerta. Ella *entró* y de inmediato *vi* que lloraba.

“¿Por qué estás tan triste?” le *pregunté.*

“Mi novio *rompió* conmigo”, me *contestó.*

Le *di* un pañuelo desechable. Yo le *dije*, "No te preocupes. Vas a encontrar otro hombre, aún mejor que Antonio". Pero según ella, Antonio era el hombre perfecto. Tenía veintitrés años, era alto, muy guapo, inteligente y simpático.

Le *respondí*, "No es tan inteligente como crees. Después de todo, ¡él *rompió* contigo! Bueno, ¿por qué no vamos a la playa este fin de semana? Necesitas relajarte. Creo que hay muchachos muy guapos allí".

In the translation below, you will see the reason for the use of each tense. As you practice this more and more, it will become natural, and you will not need to pause to deliberate the tense of each verb. Increasing your auditory input by listening to Spanish speakers (in person, in music, in film, in broadcasts or podcasts, etc.) will help develop your sense for when each tense should be used. Reading Spanish texts (of any length, fiction or nonfiction) is also a great idea for improving your grasp of when to use each tense.

Take a closer look at the sentence below from the story that you just read:

Yo estudiaba para el examen de filosofía mientras escuchaba música clásica cuando, de repente, ella me *asustó* cuando *tocó* a la puerta.

When the imperfect is used to denote an action in progress, you will sometimes see that something else is in progress at the same time: estudiaba … mientras escuchaba música. The narrator was studying and listening to music at the same time. When two or more events are simultaneous, and both are in progress, use the imperfect for both.

However, in that same sentence, something interrupted the events that were in progress: cuando, de repente, ella me *asustó* cuando *tocó* a la puerta. You might have one or two interrupting events. When an event interrupts another event in progress, the preterite is used for the interrupting event, and the imperfect is used for the event that was interrupted while in progress. There are also times when the imperfect is setting the stage and actions occur against that backdrop. In this case, what is expressed by the imperfect continues as actions occur against its backdrop. Consider the sentence below from the story:

Era muy tarde una noche cuando mi amiga Manuela *vino* a visitarme.

In the sentence above, Manuela came to visit late one night. It was late when she arrived, late during her visit, and later still when she left. She came for a visit against the backdrop of late night.

try it

Now you will select the correct tense of each verb to complete the continuation of the story you just read. Scroll below the lesson summary to see the correct answers.

El fin de semana pasado, Manuela y yo _____ (fuimos, íbamos) a la playa. Yo _____ (conduje, conducía) mi carro. Manuela no _____ (estuvo, estaba) de muy buen humor porque ella _____ (pensó, pensaba) en su ex-novio todo el tiempo mientras yo _____ (conduje, conducía). _____ (Eran, fueron) las siete de la tarde cuando _____ (llegamos, llegábamos). _____ (hizo, hacía) muy buen tiempo cada día. _____ (hizo, hacía) mucho sol. El sábado nosotros _____ (fuimos, íbamos) a la playa por la mañana. Mientras yo _____ (tomé, tomaba) el sol y _____ (dormí, dormía), Manuela _____ (leyó, leía) una novela. De repente, me _____ (desperté, despertaba) cuando una pelota de vóleibol me _____ (golpeó, golpeaba) en la pierna. Un muchacho muy guapo me _____ (pidió, pedía) perdón y nos _____ (invitó, invitaba) a jugar al vóleibol con él y sus amigos. _____ (Fue, Iba) un día muy bueno y nos _____ (divertimos, divertíamos) mucho. Cuando terminó el viaje, Manuela _____ (estuvo, estaba) relajada y contenta otra vez.

Answers for: Select the correct tense of each verb to continue the story you just read.

El fin de semana pasado, Manuela y yo fuimos a la playa. Yo conduje mi carro. Manuela no estaba de muy buen humor porque ella pensaba en su ex-novio todo el tiempo mientras yo conducía. Eran las siete de la tarde cuando llegamos. Hacía muy buen tiempo cada día. Hacía mucho sol. El sábado nosotros fuimos a la playa por la mañana. Mientras yo tomaba el sol y dormía, Manuela leía una novela. De repente, me desperté cuando una pelota de vóleibol me golpeó en la pierna. Un muchacho muy guapo me pidió perdón y nos invitó a jugar al vóleibol con él y sus amigos. Fue un día muy bueno y nos divertimos mucho. Cuando terminó el viaje, Manuela estaba relajada y contenta otra vez.