Review: Preterite and Imperfect

• Examples:
  • Yo hablaba con mi madre todos los días. (I used to talk with my mother every day.)
  • Nosotros comíamos juntos los domingos. (We used to eat together on Sundays.)
  • Ellos vivían cerca del parque. (They used to live near the park.)

Here are the imperfect irregular verbs if you would like to review them:

•  Spanish Imperfect: Irregular Verbs

When to Use the Preterite vs. the Imperfect

Preterite:

• Use the preterite for actions that were completed at a specific point in time.
  • Example: Ayer, yo hablé con mi profesor. (Yesterday, I spoke with my teacher.)

Imperfect:

• Use the imperfect for ongoing, habitual actions, or to describe conditions or background details.
  • Example: Cuando era niño, yo hablaba con mis abuelos cada semana. (When I was a child, I used to talk with my grandparents every week.)

Conclusion

Understanding when and how to use the preterite and imperfect tenses is important for effectively communicating past actions in Spanish. By mastering the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in both tenses and knowing when to apply each one, you’ll be able to describe past events with clarity and precision. Keep practicing these tenses together to build your fluency and confidence!