Pretérito vs. Imperfecto

What do you use to describe simple or isolated events that occurred once in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to describe habitual or repeated actions in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to describe how things were in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to talk about actions that occurred at a specific time in the past (last night, yesterday, on October 23, etc.)?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to talk about completed actions in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to talk about non completed actions (was/were + -ing) in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to give the background information of a main action or event such as time, weather, & age?

• pretértio

• imperfecto

What do you use to talk about main actions and events that took place in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

What do you use to talk about actions that occurred over an extended period of time in the past?

• pretérito

• imperfecto

Mi familia (pasear) en bicicleta todos los fines de semana.

• paseaba

• paseaban

• paseó

• pasearon