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ANTE TODO The preterite and the imperfect are not interchangeable.

ANTE TODO The preterite and the imperfect are not interchangeable. In Spanish, the choice between these two tenses depends on the context and on the point of view of the speaker. COMPARE & CONTRAST. COMPARE & CONTRAST. COMPARE & CONTRAST.

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ANTE TODO The preterite and the imperfect are not interchangeable.

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  1. ANTE TODO • The preterite and the imperfect are not interchangeable. • In Spanish, the choice between these two tenses depends on the context and on the point of view of the speaker.

  2. COMPARE & CONTRAST

  3. COMPARE & CONTRAST

  4. COMPARE & CONTRAST

  5. The preterite and the imperfect often appear in the same sentence. In such cases the imperfect describes what was happening, while the preterite describes the action that “interrupted” the ongoing activity. Miraba la tele cuando sonó el teléfono. I was watching TV when the phone rang. Maite leía el periódico cuando llegó Álex. Maite was reading the newspaper when Álex arrived.

  6. You will also see the preterite and the imperfect together in narratives such as fiction, news, and retelling of events. • In these cases the imperfect provides all of the background information, such as time, weather, and location, while the preterite indicates the specific events that occurred to advance the plot. • These words and expressions are commonly associated with the preterite: ayer, anteayer, una vez, dos veces, el año pasado, de repente • These words and expressions are commonly associated with the imperfect: de niño/a, todos los días, mientras, siempre, con frecuencia, todas las semanas

  7. Here are some examples: Eran las dos de la mañana y el detective ya no podía mantenerse despierto. Se bajó lentamente del coche, estiró las piernas y levantó los brazos hacia el cielo oscuro. It was two in the morning, and the detective could no longer stay awake. He slowly stepped out of the car, stretched his legs, and raised his arms toward the dark sky. La luna estaba llena y no había en el cielo ni una sola nube. De repente, el detective escuchó un grito espeluznante proveniente del parque. The moon was full and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Suddenly, the detective heard a piercing scream coming from the park.

  8. ¡INTÉNTALO!Elige el pretérito o el imperfecto para completar la historia. Explica por qué se usa ese tiempo verbal en cada ocasión. 1. (Fueron/Eran) las doce. 2. (Hubo/Había) mucha gente en la calle. 3. A las doce y media, Tomás y yo (entramos/entrábamos) en el Restaurante Tárcoles. 4. Todos los días yo (almorcé/almorzaba) con Tomás al mediodía. 5. El camarero (llegó/llegaba) inmediatamente, para darnos el menú. 6. Nosotros (empezamos/empezábamos) a leerlo. 7. Yo (pedí/pedía) el pescado. 1 of 2

  9. ¡INTÉNTALO!Elige el pretérito o el imperfecto para completar la historia. Explica por qué se usa ese tiempo verbal en cada ocasión. 8. De repente, el camarero (volvió/volvía) a nuestra mesa. 9. Y nos (dio/daba) una mala noticia. 10. Desafortunadamente, no (tuvieron/tenían) más pescado. 11. Por eso Tomás y yo (decidimos/decidíamos) comer en otro lugar. 12. (Llovió/Llovía) muy fuerte cuando (salimos/salíamos) del café. 13. Así que (regresamos/regresábamos) al Restaurante Tárcoles. 14. Esta vez, (pedí/pedía) el arroz con pollo. 2 of 2

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