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.

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

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.

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

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

What does "vivía" indicate in this sentence:

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

What does "recibió" indicate in this sentence?

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

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.

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 the completed action that was never repeated?

Fuimos a la playa porque hacía mucho calor.

Sometimes there are situations where the actions are simutaneous (or overlapping). What is this sentence indicating:

Cuando Elena era estudiante, trabajaba en la universidad.

Sometimes there are situations where the actions are simutaneous (or overlapping). Both of these verbs are stated in the:

Cuando Elena era estudiante, trabajaba en la universidad.

Sometimes two actions occur one after the other. They both occur in the preterite. They tend to be one time actions that are not ongoing or descriptive. Which of the following indicates that Enrique looked for a bathing suit and then made a call.

How would you indicate that Esteban was sleeping while (mientras) Carmen was brushing her teeth? Hint: this is background action that was ongoing.

Oscar de la Renta, a famous clothing designer, was born in 1932. How would you complete these sentence using the verb NACER (to be born)?

Oscar de la Renta __________ (NACER) en el año 1932.

Let's examine a scenario describing the life of your grandmother. In this case, an action in the preterite "interrupts" a description of an ongoing action using the imperfect:

Era el año 1955 cuando mi abuela decidió viajar a Italia.

What is the action that interrupts?

Which of the following is used to describe time in the past? (It was 1955, it was 5:00 pm, it was late in the afternoon, etc).

Place a check next to the best answer. In this sentence you are indicating that you were doing your homework but you lost your pencil.

(yo) ____________ mi tarea pero __________ mi lápiz.

Place a check next to the best answer. In this sentence you are indicating that while you were looking for your pencil, your dog suddenly (de repente) ate all of the homework pages.

Mientras (yo) ____________ mi lápiz, mi perro _______ todas las hojas de tarea de repente.

How would you indicate that it started to rain when you were speaking with your friend Rafael in the following example?

_________ a llover cuando (yo) _________ con Rafael.

Place a check mark next to the two ways that this sentence may be translated:

Felipe iba a la tienda.

Place a check mark next to the ONLY way that this sentence may be translated:

Felipe fue a la tienda.