Preterite versus Imperfect Flashcards
Talks about actions that happened at specific times. What’s important in these cases is that the action happened at a specific moment in the
past and is considered complete.
ex When I arrived at the dorm, I
prepared lunch.
preterite
Expresses the beginning or end of a past
action.
ex Class started at 8 in the morning.
preterite
Narrates a series of consecutive
actions in the past.
ex He came in, took off his shoes quickly, and went to sleep without
eating.
preterite
Describes a state, an action, or event with no specific beginning or end mentioned. What’s important is the action itself, not when it happened or when it started or
stopped.
ex The father held the little girl up over the water as the waves
gently kissed her little feet.
imperfect
Refers to repeated or habitual actions
in the past.
ex Professor Mendel always brought
interesting videos and links to class.
imperfect
Describes emotions or characteristics
in the past.
ex I felt bad. Tears were rolling down
my cheeks.
imperfect
sequence of times
ex i came, i saw
preterite
interruption
ex i was watching tv when she called
preterite
beginning and end of an event
ex the game ended at 8:30
preterite
Complete action
ex I went to the mall yesterday
preterite
duration of time
ex: I studied for 2 hrs
preterite
action verbs
ex correr, empezar, caminar, levantarse, peintarse
preterite
description
ex Mi hermana era baja
imperfect
age
imperfect
emotions and physical states
imperfect
