IndefineeeDAY vs ImperfecTAHbah

Question 1

Indefinido vs Imperfecto

Hablé / Hablaba
Comí / Comía

Answer 1

IndefineeeDAY
El pretérito indefinido se usa para hablar de cosas acabadas en el pasado.
The simple past is used to express actions completed in the past.
It is used to describe specific events that have finished
It is used to describe completed events.
It is used to describe single completed acts that took place at a specific point in time in the past.

It was a lovely day
fue un día precioso!

ImperfecTAHbah
The Imperfecto is used to describe people, things and habits from the past.
It is used to describe how things were in the past.
He was very tall
Era muy alto

Question 2

I studied at university

I studied every day

Answer 2

estudié en la universidad

Estudiaba todos los días

Question 3

The imperfect tense is used when there isn’t a definite beginning or end to an action in the past, and this action is repeated or continuous, eg siempre jugaba en el parque (I always played in the park).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zryhgwx/revision/4

Answer 3

The preterite tense tells us that the action took place at a specific point in time and is completed, eg ayer jugué en el parque (yesterday I played in the park).

Question 4

The sentence veía la tele cuando llegó mi amigo (I was watching television when my friend arrived) is a good example of the difference between the two tenses. The imperfect is used to describe something that was happening at the time (veía la tele) and the preterite is used to talk about a single completed event (llegó mi amigo) that happened during the longer action.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zryhgwx/revision/4

Answer 4

Use the imperfecto if you can replace the English verb form with: (1) ….ing; (2) was … (3) used to/would

Question 5

Nosotros hicimos un viaje a Barcelona el mes pasado (We made a journey to Barcelona last month). Here, the preterite is used to show a completed action in the past.

Antes, mi barrio tenía más espacios verdes (Before, my area used to have more green spaces). Here, the imperfect is used to describe what something was like in the past.

La casa de mis abuelos era grande (My grandparents’ house was big). Here, the imperfect is used to describe what something was like in the past.

Answer 5

Durante mis vacaciones el año pasado, vi muchos monumentos (During my holidays last year, I saw lots of monuments). Here, the preterite is used to show a completed action in the past.

Siempre iba al colegio a pie (I always used to go to school on foot). Here, the imperfect is used to describe a repeated action in the past.

Mis padres vivían en Londres (My parents used to live in London). Here, the imperfect is used to describe a continuous action in the past.

Question 6

We went to Madrid last week.

They went to Madrid every week

Answer 6

Fuimos a Madrid la semana pasada
(The preteríto indefinido used to describe a completed action in the past).

Iban a Madrid todas las semanas
(The imperfecto used to descibe a repeated action in the past)

Question 7

My parents house was quite large.

Answer 7

La casa de mis padres era bastante grande.

(The imperfecto used to describe what something was like in the past.)

Question 8

My brother used to live in The United States.

Answer 8

Mi hermano vivía en los Estados Unidos.

(The imperfecto used to describe a continuous action in the past.)

Question 9

Use the imperfecto if you can sensibly replace the English verb form with: (1)was…ing; (2) used to/would

I talked to my friend

I was talking to my friend

I used to talk to my friend.

I would talk to my friend every time I went to the town.

Answer 9

Hablé con mi amigo

Hablaba con mi amigo
(Also - Estaba hablando con mi amigo)

Hablaba con mi amigo
(Also: Solía hablar con mi amigo)

Hablaba con mi amigo cada vez que iba a la ciudad.

Question 10

I talked to my friend on the phone last Tuesday.

Answer 10

Hablé con mi amigo por teléfono el martes pasado.

Question 11

I was talking to my friend yesterday morning

Answer 11

Hablaba con mi amigo ayer por la mañana
(Also - Estaba hablando con mi amigo ayer por la mañana)

Question 12

I would talk to my friend every time I went to the city.

Answer 12

Hablaba con mi amigo cada vez que iba a la ciudad.

Question 13

I used to talk to my friend every day

Answer 13

Hablaba con mi amigo todos los días
(Also: Solía hablar con mi amigo todos los días)