Preterite vs. Imperfect

To emphasize the start or completion of a past action, even, or state (physical or mental)

Preterite

To narrate past actions that occurred within a delimited time period or that were repeated a number of times

Preterite

To narrate a sequence of completed past actions (implying that one action or even finishes before the next begins)

Preterite

To summarize opinions, attitudes, and beliefs about past physical and mental states, actions, and events

Preterite

To provide background information, such as weather and time, in which events or actions evolved or occurred in the past

Imperfect

To describe actions in progress in the past without emphasis on when they started or ended

Imperfect

To express repetitive or habitual actions in the past (what one used to do)

Imperfect

To describe things or people (emotions, opinions, attitudes, or beliefs)

Imperfect

To anticipate what was going to happen with "ir a + infinitive"

Imperfect

To describe one's age

Imperfect

"I started to look for work a week ago"

Preterite

"I had my first interview yesterday and they offered me a job"

Preterite

"I stopped looking for work after accepting the job"

Preterite

"I lived in San Antonio for two years"

Preterite

"I visited my family in Monterrey many times"

Preterite

"We boarded the train very early and traveled many hours until we arrived in California"

Preterite

"The trip seemed very long to me"

Preterite

"To emigrate was an important decision"

Preterite

"It was ten o'clock in the morning. It was very hot that day. There wasn't anybody in the airport."

Imperfect

"We were all waiting patiently to board the plane"

Imperfect

"Rosa used to go to El Paso a lot to visit her daughter who was living there"

Imperfect

"When I was young, out house was small, but my sister and I thought that it was pretty"

Imperfect

"Our family was going to emigrate to the United States in 1998"

Imperfect

"In 1998, I was fifteen years old"

Imperfect