USOS DEL IMPERFECTO Y EL PRETÉRITO

IMPERFECTO

1. Sets the scene (description) ● Establishes the ​ time​ of the action ● Describes the ​ setting ● Describes the ​ age​ of the participants ● Describes the ​ date ​ an event took place ● Describes the ​ appearance​ and c​ onditions​ of people, places and things. ● Describes ​ mental states.​ Examples:

Eran​ las dos de la noche, cuando me dormí. Hacía​ mal tiempo.

Era​ el seis de julio. María​ tenía​ los ojos azules.

2. Describes ​ habitual​ past actions (customary or repetitious) ● Describes what “used to” happen Examples:

De niño, yo ​ visitaba​ a mis abuelos a menudo. Ella ​ trabajaba​ en un restaurante.

3. Expresses actions or states that were ​ in progress/ongoing​ at a focused point in the past

● Describes what someone “was doing”

Examples:

Mientras el bebé ​ dormía,​ yo ​ preparaba​ la cena. Yo ​ leía c​ uando mi hermano entró.

4. Expresses the ​ intention or plan​ to do something in the past (without regard for whether or not the action took place.) Examples:

Tenía que hacer mi tarea. Íbamos a ver una película.

PRETÉRITO 1. Expresses a completed action in the past ● A single event or series of events that happened once ● An action or event that occurred for a specific number of times or for a specific amount of time Examples:

Yo abrí la puerta, entré, y me senté. Él contó su dinero cinco veces. Sara trabajó en el hospital por 10 años.

2. Indicates the beginning or ending of an action, event, or condition Examples:

Empezó​ a llover.

Terminamos​ el examen. Se enfermaron​ .

EJEMPLOS As a child, I played with my friends every Saturday.

De niño, yo ​ jugaba​ con mis amigos cada sábado.

Last night, I read a short book.

Anoche, l​ eí​ un libro corto. ​

For one hour, my friends talked on the phone.

Por una hora, mis amigos h​ ablaron​ por teléfono.

My mother was cooking while my siblings were cleaning the house.

Mi madre ​ cocinaba​ mientras mis hermanos ​ limpiaban​ la casa.

I was walking when all the sudden candy fell from the sky.

Yo ​ caminaba​ cuando de repente dulces ​ se cayeron​ del cielo.