The Preterite Is Used to Describe an Action or Event

Decide whether you would use the preterite or the imperfect in the following situations. Explain when to use the preterite and when to use the imperfect.

Spanish Interactive Notebook Activity Preterite Vs Imperfect Spanish Interactive Notebook Interactive Notebook Activities Interactive Notebooks

Siempre iba al colegio a pie I always used to go to school on foot.

. The situations or conditions to use a simple past tense is to. When to Use Preterite vs. Used to express repeated or habitual actions.

Used to express a series of events in the past. Is used to describe an ongoing past action with no reference to its beginning or end. The preterite is used to describe a completed action in the past with a clear beginning and end.

Had done is the past of have donehave done. To form the preterite in Spanish with regular verbs remove the. On the other hand the imperfect is use for indefinite lengths of time.

Whereas Past Simple refers to a specific event with a given point in time used to refers to actions that regularly happened in the past. Used to describe an action that was in progress. Describe an action event or condition that occurred in the past or at a specified time.

1The preterite is used for actions that can be viewed as single events. We arrived home before dark. Generally the preterit is used for actions considered completed actions that have definite beginning and end points.

To describe completed actions. 3The preterite is used for actions that were part of a chain of events. The simple past tense is used to indicate or describe something that happened or existed in the past.

Here are some great examples. Its over and finished and is not connected to the present. For example ayer fui al cine translates to yesterday I went to the movies This is an action that occurred once instead of many times over a period of time.

Here the imperfect is used to describe a repeated action. Roxana regresó anoche a las nueve. When we talk about something that happened several times.

I was eating when the phone rang. To express ongoing actions. 2The preterite is used for actions that were repeated a specific number of times or occurred during a specific period of time.

1 A completed action or event. The preterite and the imperfect. Is used to describe an action done a specific number of times.

Past events and situations. It is frequently used for describing general past states not specific events. Past simple arrived is the starting point of the story.

Used to express an action that happened at a specific moment in. Is used to describe an action or event in progress at a specific time in the past. By the time the train arrived Susan had managed to push her way to the front of the crowd.

It describes an event or state that happened in the past but have already finished. The event or action may have happened once many times or never happened. The preterite is also used to talk about past events or actions on specific days or dates at specific times and during specific time periods.

Refer or describe an action that has been completed and there is no time mentioned. De 1989 a 2014 vivi en esa casa grande. I went to the store.

The preterite is most often used to talk about actions and events in the past. In Spanish there are two simple past tenses. 2 A series of completed actions or events.

One day I got up to use the restroom. We use the past simple to talk about. Is used to describe a finished action or event in the past.

Something that was true for some time in the past. The Spanish preterite tense is one of five forms used to describe actions or events that occurred in the past. Is used for an action that took place before another action or event in the past.

Is used for an action in the past that was in progress before another past action or event. El medico se preocupada por sus pacientes. Don Francisco was waiting for Javier Example.

Used for an action done a. Spanish verbs come in three categories -ar -ir and -er and change conjugate according to who performed it and when the action occurred. Don Francisco esperaba a Javier.

Everybody worked hard through the winter. Another past action or event. Something that happened once in the past.

4The preterite is used to state the beginning or the end of an action. These can be actions that can be viewed as single events actions that were part of a chain of events actions that were repeated a very specific number of times or actions that specifically state the beginning and end of an action. Describe a background action that is interrupted by another one Comía cuando sonó el teléfono.

Used to talk about a repeated continuous or habitual action in the past. The film started at seven thirty. Past before past The past perfect is used to describe a past event which took place before another past event.

Refer or describe an action that has been completed and there is no time mentioned. We use the past simple to describe a completed action in the past. Definite period of time.

Used to describe something that lasted for an unspecified period of time. Describe and narrate events in the past. Roxana came back last night at nine Roberto y Manuel vivieron en Costa Rica por cuatro meses.

The preterite is also used for activities that lasted for a precise length of time with a definite beginning and end. Used to express age. The preterite is used to describe actions which have been completed.

Past simple past continuous past perfect past perfect continuous 1. In very general terms the preterite tense is used to refer to a single event that happened at a specific point of time or had a specific duration in the past while the imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing events or events without a specific time period in the past. Un día me levanté a usar el baño.

We stayed with our friends in London. Click here to learn how to form the past simple Past simple tense use 1. If the phrase and then can be used in front of the action.

Here the preterite is used to show a completed action in the past. Learn more about conjugating the preterite tense. Describe an action event or condition that occurred in the past or at a specified time.

Use imperfect for standard infinitive meaning of certain verbs in the past.

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