Spanish Past Tenses: Preterite vs. Imperfect – Complete Study Notes

Overview of Spanish Past Tenses

• Spanish has two main simple past tenses that learners often confuse:

  • Pretérito (Preterite)

  • Imperfecto (Imperfect)

• Understanding the difference is key to accurate storytelling and description in Spanish.

  • Preterite = “snapshot” of a finished event

  • Imperfect = “moving picture” that shows ongoing, habitual, or background actions.

Pretérito (Preterite) – The “Snapshot” Tense

• Core Idea: Describes completed actions that occurred once or at a specific point in time and are now finished.

• Time-frame clarity: Action has a definite beginning and end, even if the exact time markers aren’t stated.

• Metaphor: Think of a single photo capturing a moment in the past.

• Examples from the lesson:

  • “Yesterday, I went to the movies.”

  • Indicates a one-time, finished action.

  • “Yesterday, I studied for 2 hours.”

  • Specifies a fixed duration (start and finish understood).

• Typical triggers/keywords (implied from context): ayer, anoche, la semana pasada, el año pasado, etc.

Imperfecto (Imperfect) – The “Moving Picture” Tense

• Core Idea: Describes ongoing, habitual, or repetitive actions in the past without a clear endpoint.

• Scene-setting: Provides background details, descriptions, or context for a story.

• Metaphor: A film reel that shows action unfolding over an undefined stretch of time.

• Examples from the lesson:

  • “When I was a child, I used to play in the park.”

  • Highlights a habit (repeated activity in childhood). No precise start/end.

  • “At university, I studied a lot.”

  • Implies a long-term habit during the university years, not a single session.

• Typical triggers/keywords (implied): mientras, siempre, a menudo, todos los días, de niño/a, etc.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Combining the Two Tenses in One Narrative

• Technique: Use Imperfect to set the scene ➔ switch to Preterite for specific one-time events.

• Example from the video:

  1. Imperfect scene-setting: “I was at the mall …”

  2. Preterite event: “… and I ran into my cousin.”

• Visualize a background canvas (imperfect) with bright single brush strokes (preterite) over it.

Practical Decision Checklist

1. Is the past action complete with a known start & end?

   • YES → Use Preterite.

2. Is it a habit, description, or ongoing background?

   • YES → Use Imperfect.

3. Telling a story?

   • Start with Imperfect for context, then insert Preterite for each concrete event.

Real-World Application & Study Advice

• Storytelling: Accurate tense choice makes narratives vivid and clear.

• Pairing with Time Expressions helps reinforce the correct tense.

• Practice Tip: Write mini-stories mixing both tenses to solidify usage.

• Further Learning: The speaker recommends visiting the blog (links in the original video description) for “full lessons” and deeper examples.

Ethical & Pedagogical Context

• Using clear examples (e.g., childhood habits vs. one-time events) supports ethical teaching by emphasizing comprehension over rote memorization.

• Encouraging learners to immerse via unlimited one-on-one classes with native speakers (as advertised) promotes authentic language exposure.