Imperfect and Preterite

You have seen the imperfect tense used to portray an event as happening over a period of time, where the exact starting and ending points don't matter. Which one of the following expresses a concept in the imperfect?

• Javier era mi amigo cuando teníamos 10 años.

• Javier fue a Nueva York el año pasado.

• Javier estudió para su examen de español ayer.

Here is one way the preterite and imperfect tenses together can be visualized:

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The imperfect is the long horizontal line and the preterite is the red star in the middle. What does drawing show?

• The imperfect verb (line) portrays on ongoing action happening in the background.

• The preterite verb (star) portrays an action that "interrupts" it.

• The preterite verb (star) is something that is completed.

• The imperfect (line) is background action that may still be going on.

• All of the above.

In the following sentence, there is a background action happening and the preterite interrupts. Place a check next to the verb that interrupts.

Enrique buscaba un traje de baño en la tienda cuando Elena lo vio.

• buscaba

• cuando

• lo

• vio

The preterite shows when an action was completed. Which of the following expressions would indicate that an action was completed?

• todas las semanas

• ayer

• siempre

• casi nunca

The preterite shows an action that was completed. In the following sentence, use HABLAR to indicate that Enrique spoke with Elena at the store yesterday:

Enrique _____ (hablar) con Elena ayer en la tienda.

If an accent is needed, cut and paste from online sources.

á, é, í, ó, ú

The imperfect shows that an action was ongoing (when beginnings and endings are not important). In the following sentence, use the verb HABLAR to indicate that Enrique used to speak a lot with Elena when they were on vacation.

Enrique (HABLAR) con Elena cuando iban de vacaciones.

• hablaba

• habló

• habla

Place a check next to the verb that indicates ongoing action in the past based on this scenario:

Cuando Pilar vivía en Caracas, consiguió su primer trabajo en la universidad.

• vivía

• consiguió

What does "vivía" indicate in this sentence:

Cuando Pilar vivía en Caracas, consiguió su primer trabajo en la universidad.

• Pilar lived in Caracas (but doesn't any more)

• Pilar was living in Caracas

• Pilar lives in Caracas

• Pilar would live in Caracas

What does "consiguió" indicate in this sentence?

Cuando Pilar vivía en Caracas, consiguió su primer trabajo en la universidad.

• Pilar used to obtain work

• Pilar is looking for a job

• Pilar was seeking her first job

• Pilar obtained her first job

The imperfect and preterite can be used together in a sentence. The preterite shows "interruption," or something that happened while something in the background was going on. In the following scenario, what is happening in the background (imperfect)?

Fuimos a la playa porque hacía mucho calor.

• We wanted to go to the beach (desire)

• It was raining (weather).

• It was a very hot (weather).

• We went to the beach (completed action)