Preterite vs. Imperfect

Spanish has 2 past tenses:

• preterite and past

• preterite and past perfect

• imperfect and past

• preterite and imperfect

Preterite tense is used for actions in the past that are seen as...

• ongoing

• never ending

• completed

• having a definite beginning and definite ending

The imperfect tense is used for...

• actions in that past that are not seen as completed

• actions that do not have a specific beginning or ending

• expressing the date in the past

• expressing age in the past

What is the correct preterite conjugation: hablar/yo

• hablo

• hablí

• hablé

• hablaba

What is the correct imperfect conjugation: los chicos/necesitar

• necesitó

• necesitaron

• necesitaba

• necesitaban

What is the correct preterite conjugation: ellos/estudiar

• estudiaron

• estudiaban

• estudió

• estudaron

What is the correct preterite conjugation: La Sra. McGill/cantar

• cantaron

• cantaban

• cantaba

• cantó

What is the correct imperfect conjugation: tú/trabajar

• trabajabas

• trabajaste

• trabajasteis

• trabajabais

What is the correct imperfect conjugation: ustedes/comprar

• comparon

• compraron

• compraban

• compraba

What is the correct preterite conjugation: usted/necesitar

• necesitó

• necesitaba

• necesitió

• necesitaron