El Pretérito vs. El El Pretérito vs. El ImperfectoImperfecto

A question of HOW LONG?A question of HOW LONG?

Let’s REMEMBER….Let’s REMEMBER….•Preterit tells us when something is DONE.

– It’s essentially the –ed tense.

• Imperfect tells us that something used to happen, or happened for some time in the past, but we don’t know for how long… it may even still be going on.– The key words are USED TO and WAS …-ING.

The Preterit is a COMPLETED The Preterit is a COMPLETED past past actionaction that is DONE! that is DONE!

* POOF! ** POOF! *

The Imperfect is an ONGOING The Imperfect is an ONGOING past action that past action that we don’t we don’t know for how long it has know for how long it has

happenedhappened, or if it is still going , or if it is still going on?!?on?!?

Use the PRETERIT in sentences Use the PRETERIT in sentences that have indicated a SPECIFIC that have indicated a SPECIFIC

time, like one day, last Saturday, time, like one day, last Saturday, July 4July 4thth, etc., etc.

Last nightLast night I ate chicken soup. I ate chicken soup.

AnocheAnoche comí sopa de pollo. comí sopa de pollo.

On SaturdayOn Saturday I went to the hockey I went to the hockey game.game.

El sábadoEl sábado fui al partido del hockey. fui al partido del hockey.

Here is the list of key words that Here is the list of key words that indicate SPECIFIC TIME, indicate SPECIFIC TIME,

PRETERIT… put them in your PRETERIT… put them in your notes!notes!

• AnocheAnoche last nightlast night

• AyerAyer yesterdayyesterday

• El martes El martes (lunes, etc.)(lunes, etc.) on Tuesdayon Tuesday

• El 5 de octubre El 5 de octubre (any date)(any date) October 5October 5thth

• El año pasadoEl año pasado last yearlast year

• El mes pasadoEl mes pasado last monthlast month

• La semana pasadaLa semana pasada last weeklast week

• El fin de semanaEl fin de semana the weekendthe weekend

Use the IMPERFECT in sentences Use the IMPERFECT in sentences that you don’t know for how long that you don’t know for how long

the action occurred. the action occurred. A GENERAL time like always, on A GENERAL time like always, on

Saturdays, sometimes, etc.Saturdays, sometimes, etc.

I ate I ate shrimpshrimp from time to timefrom time to time. . Comía Comía gambasgambas de vez en de vez en

cuandocuando..

I used to study I used to study all the timeall the time..Estudiaba Estudiaba todo el tiempotodo el tiempo..

Here is the list of key words Here is the list of key words that indicate a that indicate a GENERAL TIMEGENERAL TIME……IMPERFECTIMPERFECT…put them in your …put them in your

notes!notes!• SiempreSiempre alwaysalways

• A vecesA veces sometimessometimes

• De vez en cuandoDe vez en cuando from time to timefrom time to time

• Los sábados Los sábados (martes, etc.)(martes, etc.) on Saturdayson Saturdays

• Todo el tiempoTodo el tiempo all the timeall the time

• Cada día Cada día (lunes, mes, etc.)(lunes, mes, etc.) every dayevery day

• GeneralmenteGeneralmente generallygenerally

• FrecuentementeFrecuentemente frequently frequently

SO… In SUMMARY:SO… In SUMMARY:•Preterit means –ED, and is POOF

done! It is a completed past action.

• Imperfect means USED TO, and WAS –ING! We don’t know for HOW LONG it happened in the past…. It may still be going on. WHO KNOWS? Only the speaker.

Try this. Would you choose Try this. Would you choose preterit or imperfect for the preterit or imperfect for the

following sentences?following sentences?I went to the store yesterday.

a. preterit b. imperfectI saw Adela there.

a. preterit b. imperfectShe was wearing a gray t-shirt.

a. preterit b. imperfectShe and her friend were buying

toothpaste.a. preterit b. imperfect

I bought a new CD.a. preterit b. imperfect

You must get them all right.

The last correct

answer will allow you to move on!

¡ Sí !¡ Sí !It’s preterit because It’s preterit because

there is a specific time there is a specific time indicated and you know indicated and you know that it is POOF, done! that it is POOF, done!

¡Buen trabajo!¡Buen trabajo!

Back Back

No… mira otra vezNo… mira otra vez

There must be a specific time There must be a specific time indicated. That’s why you indicated. That’s why you choose choose preteritpreterit! It could also ! It could also be that it’s just DONE…POOF!be that it’s just DONE…POOF!

BackBack

¡Buenísimo!¡Buenísimo!

A general time, or no indication A general time, or no indication

of how long the action occurred of how long the action occurred

is the IMPERFECT tense! Yeah!!!is the IMPERFECT tense! Yeah!!!

BackBack

Uh-oh… piensa un Uh-oh… piensa un poco…poco…

• There must NOT be a specific time There must NOT be a specific time indicated. That’s why you choose indicated. That’s why you choose imperfect. imperfect.

• Go back and read the sentence and Go back and read the sentence and ask yourself… “For how long has this ask yourself… “For how long has this action occurred? Could it still be action occurred? Could it still be going?”going?”

•If you cannot answer those If you cannot answer those questions… it’s IMPERFECT!questions… it’s IMPERFECT!

backback

You’re doing ¡FANTÁSTICO!You’re doing ¡FANTÁSTICO!

Now… lets try it in Spanish!Now… lets try it in Spanish!

Choose A or B to fill in the blank.Choose A or B to fill in the blank.El año pasado mi madre _______

un carro nuevo.

a. compró b. compraba

¡Buen Trabajo! ¡Buen Trabajo!

• She She boughtbought it… it…

that’s a completed past action.that’s a completed past action.

• Plus we know the specific time… Plus we know the specific time…

last year.last year.

¡Ay! No… sigue tratando.¡Ay! No… sigue tratando.

• Is there a specific time? USE PRETERIT!Is there a specific time? USE PRETERIT!

• Is there a general time? USE Is there a general time? USE IMPERFECT!IMPERFECT!

Try one more:Try one more:

_________ libros de misterio todo el _________ libros de misterio todo el tiempo.tiempo.

a. Leía. Leí b. Leíab. Leía

¡MUY BIEN!¡MUY BIEN!

• I used to read… all of the time.I used to read… all of the time.

All the time is a general time All the time is a general time indicating imperfect!indicating imperfect!

Bien hecho.Bien hecho.

¡Ay! No… sigue tratando.¡Ay! No… sigue tratando.

• Is there a specific time? USE PRETERIT!Is there a specific time? USE PRETERIT!

• Is there a general time? USE Is there a general time? USE IMPERFECT!IMPERFECT!

¡Ay! No… sigue tratando.¡Ay! No… sigue tratando.

• Is there a specific time? USE PRETERIT!Is there a specific time? USE PRETERIT!

• Is there a general time? USE Is there a general time? USE IMPERFECT!IMPERFECT!

Let’s try a couple more…Let’s try a couple more…

•Anoche ___________ la televisión Anoche ___________ la televisión por dos horas.por dos horas.

a. miréa. miré b. mirabab. miraba

•El sábado pasado yo ___________ El sábado pasado yo ___________ al centro comercial.al centro comercial.

a. fuia. fui b. ibab. iba

Increíble…Increíble…

•Last night I watched television for two hours.– LAST NIGHT is the specific time that

tells you to use preterit!¡¡¡Buen trabajo!!!

¡Tú eres la BOMBA!¡Tú eres la BOMBA!

•Last Saturday I went to the mall… POOF, it’s done… I went on the specific time of last Saturday… which indiactes preterit.

¡Muy bien!¡Muy bien!

Alright… let’s see what ya got?

Now pick the correct form of the verb, AND Now pick the correct form of the verb, AND the reason WHY! Yikes! Think clearly! the reason WHY! Yikes! Think clearly! Look for the key words!Look for the key words!

Siempre ____________ a la escuela. a. conducía/ I drove b. conduje/ siempre is a key word for

the preterit tense c. conducía/ siempre is a key word for

the imperfect tense d. conduje/ I poof drove, that one time

Bzzzttt… incorrect!Bzzzttt… incorrect!

• Wrong tense, wrong reason…Wrong tense, wrong reason…

Do you know why?Do you know why?

Right tense…Right tense…

Wrong reason…Wrong reason…

Mira otra vez…Mira otra vez…

FANTÁSTICOFANTÁSTICO

Muy bien… YOU GOT IT! Muy bien… YOU GOT IT!

Siempre IS a general time and we now Siempre IS a general time and we now know that means… IMPERFECT! know that means… IMPERFECT!

Keep up the good work and clear Keep up the good work and clear thinking!thinking!