Usos del pretérito - ideas claves
- To refer to actions which took place and were completed at some point in the past. In this context it may be accompanied by time phrases such as ayer yesterday, el lunes pasado on last Monday, hace una semana a week ago, el verano pasado last summer, etc.
- In a narrative context, it is often used alongside the imperfect tense, with the preterite signaling a completed action or series of actions, and the imperfect providing a descriptive framework.
- Mis hijos miraban un programa mientras yo terminé la lección para mañana.
- To refer to an action which was completed before another one took place or to refer to one which was interrupted at some point in the past.
- Después que cenó, salió a dar un paseo. → After s/he had dinner, s/he went out for a walk.
- Trabajó allí hasta que se mudó. → She worked there until she moved.
- To refer to actions which took place over a prolonged period of time but ended in the past.
- Vivieron en Argentina durante quince años. → They lived in Argentina for fifteen years.
Usos del imperfecto - ideas claves
- To refer to an ongoing state or action in the past, whose beginning or end is not specified. In this context, English normally uses the simple past or a construction with used to.
- Miguel vivía en una casa grande. → Miguel used to live in a big house.
- In a narrative context and in conjunction with the preterite, the imperfect provides the background description for the actions expressed by the preterite, the foreground. In English, both correspond to the simple past.
- Mientras cargaba el carro, mi esposa vistió a nuestro hijos y les dio de comer. > While I loaded the car, my wife dressed our boys and gave them something to eat.
- To refer to past habitual actions.
- Mis clases empezaban a las diez. → My classes begun at 10:00AM. (would begin, used to begin)
- To refer to an action which was in progress in the past when something else happened.
- Dormíamos cuando sonó el teléfono. → We were sleeping when the phone rang.