El Pretérito o El Imperfecto

1. El Pretérito o El Imperfecto Which one should I use?

2. El Pretérito o El Imperfecto • both are used to express an action or to describe someone or something in the past tense

3. ACTION completed actions action that has a definite beginning/ending timed action action that occurred a specific # of times series/chain of events and then action that interrupted an ongoing action El Pretérito

4. DESCRIPTION on-going actions was/were + ___ing repeated or habitual actions in the past used to descriptions of weather, emotion, age, time, appearance, characteristic or background 2 simultaneous actions El Imperfecto

5. Time Expressions ayer – yesterday anoche – last night un día – one day de repente – suddenly cuando – when el ___ pasado – last __ una vez – one time Time Expressions siempre – always nunca – never cada ___ – each ___ todos ___ - every ___ mientras - while a veces – sometimes a menudo - often El Pretérito El Imperfecto

6. Unique Verbs conocer - met querer - tried no querer - refused saber – found out poder - succeeded no poder – failed to tener - received Unique Verbs conocer - knew querer - wanted no querer – didn’t want saber - knew poder – was able no poder – wasn’t able tener – used to have El Pretérito El Imperfecto

7. AR é amos aste asteis ó aron ER/IR í imos iste isteis ió ieron AR aba ábamos abas abais aba aban ER/IR ía íamos ías íais ía ían El Pretérito El Imperfecto

8. Irregulars fui, fui song cargarzar verbs slipper/sole/shoe i to y Irregulars ser – era ir – iba ver – veía El Pretérito El Imperfecto