LOS USOS DEL

IMPERFECTO Y DEL

PRETÉRITO

Los usos del imperfectoen general

“was doing something” “used to do something”

“did something” – long term

1. Habitual / customary actions

• Nosotros siempre íbamos a la escuela.

• We always went to school.

2. Time / weather in the past

•Eran las tres de la mañana. / Hacía mucho frío.

• It was three o’clock./It was very cold.

3. Age in the past

•Mi hermano tenía tres años.

• My brother was three years old.

4. Action in progress / Continuing action

•Ellos hablaban mucho.

• They were talking a lot.

5. Actions interrupted by other actions

• Nosotros corríamos cuando nos llamó la maestra.

• We were running when the teacher called us.

preterit

6. Descriptions of ongoing situations

• Había muchos cuadernos en el pupitre.

• There were a lot of workbooks on the student desk.

7. Description of physical state

•Tú tenías dolor de cabeza.

• You had a headache.

8. Description of mental / emotional state

•Yo estaba muy nerviosa.

• I was very nervous.

9. Description of background information

• Mis amigos estaban en la sala durante la presentación.

• My friends were in the classroom during the presentation.

Expressions that signal the use of the imperfect tense

a menudo (often)generalmente (usually)a veces (sometimes)muchas veces (many times)cada día* (every day)siempre (always)cada año (every year)todo el tiempo (all the time)

de vez en cuando (from time to time)varias veces (several times) al mismo tiempo (at the same time) con frecuencia (with frequency) en aquella época (during that time) frecuentemente (frequently) mientras (while) mucho

(much, a lot) poco (little) nunca (never) por un rato (for a while)

Los usos del pretérito

“específico”

1. Actions at a fixed point in time

•Llamé a la 1:00.• I called at 1 o’clock.

2. Actions that take place a specific number

of times•Te llamé dos veces por teléfono.

• I called you two times on the phone.

3. Beginning of an action

•La clase empezó pronto.

• The class started promptly.

4. Ending of an action

•Terminaron la tarea en la clase.

• They finished the work in class.

5. Single events in the past

•Jugué al fútbol.• I played soccer.

6. Sudden changes of mood, opinion, or state

•De repente, me asusté.

• Suddenly, I got scared.

7. Chain of events

•Compré un sombrero, me senté en un banco y me dormí.

• I bought a hat, I sat on a bench, and I fell asleep.

8. Actions taking place at a specific, enclosed

period of time

•Ella vivió allí por cinco años.

• She lived there for five years.

Expressions that signal the use of the preterit tense

A la una = at one o’clockAnteanoche = the night before lastAnoche = last nightAnteayer = the day before lastAyer = yesterdayAyer por la mañana = yesterday

morningDe repente = suddenlyEl año pasado = last yearEl lunes= (on) Monday

El otro día = the other dayEn ese momento = at that momentEntonces = then, therefore…Esta mañana = this morningFinalmente = finallyHace dos días = two days agoPor fin = in the end, finallyPor tres horas = for three hours(Por) la primera vez = (for) the first

timeUn día = one dayUna vez =one timeYa= already