Preterit vs Imperfect

Question 1

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT?

To talk about an action, event, or condition that is fully completed or took place at a given moment in the past

Answer 1

PRETERIT

Ex. Quando ela era jovem, ela era triste porque ela não cantava muito em público, mas em 2015 ela ganhou o prêmio no concurso de canto.

Question 2

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT?

To talk about an action, event, or condition in the past with a start and an ending.

Answer 2

PRETERIT

Ex. Ela namorou ele de 1970 a 1974.

Question 3

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT

To narrate a sequence of completed actions in the past.

Answer 3

PRETERIT

O jagador, parou, recebeu a bola e chutou.

(Because each verb is finished in the past when another one is done after).

Question 4

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT

To talk about constant or habitual actions, events, or conditions that happened in the past.

Answer 4

IMPERFECT

Ex. Todos os dias íamos à praia e jogávamos futebol com os nossos amigos.

Question 5

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT

To talk about ongoing event, action or condition in the past.

Answer 5

IMPERFECT

Nessa semana chovia muito (an ongoing event within that week = not preterit, which is a one time thing during that week), e todos estavam tristes.

Question 6

IMPERFECT or PRETERIT

To express 2 simultaneous actions in the past.

Answer 6

IMPERFECT

Ex. Rodrigo cantava a música e a Mariana tocava o piano.

Question 7

Sabia =

Soube =

Answer 7

Sabia = I didn’t know…
Ex. Eu não sabia que…
Ex. Eles não sabiam que…

Soube = I didn’t find out…
Ex. Eu não soube que…
Ex. Eles não souberam que…

Question 8

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT

In a story, to tell the reader what happened in general.

Answer 8

PRETERIT

Ex. Cinderela FICOU em casa, mas ela estava muito triste porque ela queria ir ao baile.

Question 9

PRETERIT or IMPERFECT

In a story, it is used to provide background information.

Answer 9

IMPERFECT

Ex. Cinderela ficou em casa, mas ela ESTAVA muito triste porque ela QUERIA ir ao baile.