Preterite for Events, Imper

Imagine you are watching a movie. The Preterite is the action. It is the explosion, the handshake, or the moment the hero says "I do." These are completed events with a clear start and finish. Now, imagine the set of that movie. The Imperfect is the lighting, the weather, and the clothes people were wearing. It describes the background. It tells us how things used to be or what was ongoing.

• Use Preterite for the "Plot Points."
• Use Imperfect for the "Atmosphere."

In a job interview, you might use the Preterite to say Trabajé en Google (I worked at Google). This is a completed fact. But you might use the Imperfect to describe your daily routine there: Llegaba a las nueve cada día (I used to arrive at nine every day). One is a specific event; the other is a habit. It is like a grammar traffic light. Preterite is the green light (go to the next action). Imperfect is the yellow light (pause and look around).

1. 1For the Preterite, change the endings of regular verbs. For -ar verbs: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. For -er and -ir verbs: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
2. 2For the Imperfect, the endings are much simpler. For -ar verbs: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. For -er and -ir verbs: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
3. 3Identify the "Trigger Words." Words like ayer (yesterday) or el año pasado (last year) usually trigger the Preterite. Words like siempre (always) or mientras (while) usually trigger the Imperfect.
4. 4Watch out for irregulars! The Preterite is full of them (like fui or tuve). The Imperfect only has three: ser, ir, and ver. Yes, only three! Think of the Imperfect as your new best friend because it is so predictable.

Use the Preterite when the action is a "one-and-done" deal. If you can put it on a calendar or a timeline with a dot, it is Preterite. Ayer compré una pizza (Yesterday I bought a pizza). You bought it, it’s over, and now you probably have a stomach ache.

Use the Imperfect for the "Three Ws": Weather, Was/Were, and When (Time/Age).

• Weather: Hacía sol (It was sunny).
• Was/Were: Yo estaba cansado (I was tired).
• When (Age): Tenía cinco años (I was five years old).

You also use the Imperfect for habits. If you did something regularly in the past, use the Imperfect. De niño, jugaba al fútbol (As a child, I used to play soccer). This wasn't a one-time thing. It was your life! Think of the Imperfect as a video that keeps looping. The Preterite is a single photo.

Do not use the Preterite to describe someone's personality in the past. If your teacher was mean, say Mi profesor era antipático. If you say fue antipático, it sounds like he was mean for exactly one second, which is probably not true.

Do not use the Imperfect for a sequence of events. If you are telling a story about your morning—"I woke up, I ate, I left"—these are all Preterite. Me desperté, comí, salí. Using the Imperfect here would make it sound like you were eternally waking up and eternally eating without ever actually finishing. It would be a very long and boring movie! Also, don't use Preterite for age. In Spanish, age is something you "had" in the background of your life. So, Tuve 10 años is a big no-no. It must be Tenía.

A very common trap is the "Interrupted Action." Imagine you were sleeping and the phone rang. Many people try to use the same tense for both. Wrong!

• Dormía (Imperfect) cuando el teléfono sonó (Preterite).

The sleeping was the background (Imperfect). The phone ringing was the sudden event that broke the peace (Preterite). Another mistake is using the wrong trigger words. Don't say Siempre fui al cine if you mean you went regularly. Say Siempre iba al cine. Using fui with siempre is like wearing a tuxedo to the beach—it just doesn't fit the vibe.

In English, we often use "used to" or "was -ing" to signal the Imperfect.

• "I used to run" = Yo corría.
• "I was running" = Yo corría.

English speakers often get stuck looking for a specific word for "used to." In Spanish, that meaning is built right into the verb ending! For the Preterite, English usually just adds "-ed."

• "I walked" = Caminé.

Think of it this way: Preterite is your "History Book" tense. It gives you the dates and the facts. Imperfect is your "Storybook" tense. It gives you the descriptions and the feelings. If you are ordering food and want to say how it *was*, use the Imperfect: La comida estaba deliciosa. If you want to say you *finished* it: Me la comí toda (Preterite).