PRETERITO vs IMPERFECTO

To talk about past actions that are complete, which tense do you use?

• Preterite
• Imperfect

When you are listing a sequence of events in the past, which tense(s) do you use? (Ex: I went to art class, I sat in my chair, and I painted a portrait.)

• Imperfect
• Preterite
• It depends

Generalmente, mis padres (VISITAR) los museos los fines de semana. 

• visitaban
• visitaron

(SER) las dos de la tarde cuando ellos (LLEGAR) a la clase. 

• eran, llegaban
• fueron, llegaron
• eran, llegaron
• fueron, llegaban

When one action is interrupted by another action in the past, which tense(s) do you use? (Ex: I was doing my homework when the power went out.)

• Both verbs = Imp
• Both verbs = pret
• 1st = pret; 2nd = imp
• 1st = imp; 2nd = pret

Cuando yo (SER) joven, tenia muchos animales. 

• era
• fui

To talk about repeated actions in the past, which tense do you use?

• Imperfect
• Preterite

Mientras el profesor (ENSEÑAR) los estudiantes (TOMAR) apuntes. 

• enseñaba, tomaban
• enseñó, tomaron
• enseñaba, tomaron
• enseñó, tomaban

When two actions are happening simultaneously in the past, which tense(s) do you use? (Ex: While the artist was painting, he was listening to music.)

• both verbs = imp
• both verbs = pret 
• 1st = imp; 2nd = pret
• 1st = pret; 2nd = imp

Todos los años nuestra tía nos (LLEVAR) a su casa en la playa. 

• llevaba
• llevó