Mastering Spanish Past Tenses: Preterite vs. Imperfect

This video tutorial explains the differences between the Spanish tenses 'imperfecto' and 'preterito'. It covers when to use each tense, with 'imperfecto' for ongoing or habitual actions in the past and 'preterito' for completed actions or specific events. The video provides tips for recognizing these tenses and includes examples to illustrate their usage. The tutorial concludes with a summary of key points.

What tense is used to describe ongoing past actions?

• Futuro

• Presente

• Imperfecto

• Preterito

What does the question '¿Qué pasaba?' typically ask for?

• A description of a specific past event

• A description of ongoing past actions

• A summary of future plans

• An explanation of a rule

What are the typical endings for verbs in the Imperfecto tense?

• amos, emos

• ar, er

• ado, ido

• aba, ía

What is the main use of the Imperfecto tense?

• To give commands

• To describe habitual actions

• To express wishes

• To indicate future intentions

Which tense would you use to describe a background setting in a story?

• Preterito

• Imperfecto

• Presente

• Futuro

Which tense is used to describe specific completed actions in the past?

• Imperfecto

• Preterito

• Pluscuamperfecto

• Presente perfecto

In which tense would you place the verb when asking '¿Qué pasó?'

• Condicional

• Preterito

• Imperfecto

• Subjuntivo

Which example correctly uses the Preterito tense?

• Yo comía cuando él llegó

• Nosotros íbamos al mercado cada día

• Ella escribía una carta

• Ellos vieron una película

How can both Imperfecto and Preterito be used in the same sentence?

• To describe two future actions

• To describe two actions in the future

• To describe two completed actions

• To describe an ongoing action and a specific event in the past

What is a key difference in the use of Imperfecto and Preterito?

• Imperfecto is used for repeated actions, Preterito for single events

• Imperfecto is used for future actions, Preterito for past actions

• There is no difference

• Preterito is used for habits, Imperfecto for single events