4th Edition Spanish Ch. 11 Flashcards
The preterite and the imperfect
The preterite and the imperfect
The preterite and the imperfect are not interchangeable. The choice between these two tenses depends on the context and on the point of view of the speaker.
True
Uses of the preterite
Uses of the preterite
Don Francisco estacionó el autobús.
Don Fransisco parked the bus.
Fueron a Valparaíso ayer.
They went to Valparaíso yesterday.
La película empezó a las nueve.
The movie began at nine o’clock.
Ayer terminé el proyecto
Yesterday I finished the project
Don Fransisco paró el autobús, abrió la ventanilla y saludó a doña Rita.
Don Fransisco stopped the bus, opened the window, and greeted Doña Rita.
Uses of the imperfect
Uses of the imperfect
Maite conducía muy rápido en Madrid.
Maite was driving very fast in Madrid.
Javier esperaba en el garaje.
Javier was waiting in the garage.
Cuando era joven, jugaba al tenis.
When I was young, I used to play tennis.
Álex siempre revisaba su correo electrónico a las tres.
Álex always checked his e-mail messages at three o’clock.
La chica quería descansar. Se sentía mal y tenía dolor de cabeza.
The girl wanted to rest. She felt ill and had a headache.
Ellos eran altos y tenían ojos verdes.
They were tall and had green eyes.
Estábamos felices de ver a la familia.
We were happy to see the family.
When the preterite and the imperfect appear in the same sentence, the imperfect describes what was happening, while the preterite describes the action the “interupted” the ongoing activity.
True
Navegaba en la red cuando sonó el teléfono.
I was surfing the Web when the phone rang.
Maite leía el periódico cuando llegó Álex.
Maite was reading the newspaper when Álex arrived.
The imperfect provides background information, such as time, weather, and location. The preterite indicates the specific events that occurred.
True
Eran las dos de la mañana y el detective ya no podía mantenerse despierto. Se bajó lentamente del coche, estiró las piernas y levantó los brazos hacía el cielo oscuro.
It was two in the morning, and the detective could no longer stay awake. He slowly stepped out of the car, stretched his legs, and raised his arms toward the dark sky.
La luna estaba llena y no habla en el cielo ni una sola nube. De repente, el detective escuchó un grito espeluznante proveniente del parque.
The moon was full and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Suddenly, the detective heard a terrifying scream, coming from the park.
Por and para
Por and para
Both por and para mean for, but they are not interchangeable.
True
