9.4: Narrando en el pasado - Narrating in the past

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Thinking about the grammar

You now know two past tense forms, the preterit and the imperfect. These two forms are different aspects of the past tense. The preterit is used to show that an action is completed. The imperfect does not give such a firm idea of completion. It is used to refer to repeated actions, but it is also used for actions in progress in the past and for anything else that can be seen as background information.

Read on for more information.

Usos del pretérito

COMUNICAR QUE UN EVENTO OCURRIÓ EN UN MOMENTO EN EL PASADO	To communicate that an event took place at a particular moment in the past.
Ramón llegó temprano.	Ramón arrived on time.
Empecé a estudiar a las siete.	I began to study at seven.
¿Ustedes terminaron su tarea anoche?	Did you all finish your homework last night?
COMUNICAR QUE UN EVENTO ESTÁ LIMITADO EN TIEMPO.	To communicate that an event is limited in time
Leí cinco horas ayer.	I read five hours last night.
COMUNICAR UNA SERIES DE EVENTOS	To communicate a series of events.
Me levanté, desayuné, me cepillé los dientes y salí de la casa.	I got up, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, and left the house.
COMUNICAR UN EVENTO QUE OCURRIÓ MIENTRAS OTRO ESTABA EN PROGRESO	To communicate an event that took place while another was in progress.
Yo estudiaba cuando Emilia me llamó.	Yo estudiaba cuando Emilia me llamó.

Usos del imperfecto

•COMUNICAR ACCIONES HABITUALES EN EL PASADO Y DESCRIBIR CÓMO ERAN LAS COSAS	To communicate habitual actions in the past and describe how things used to be
Cuando era niño, me gustaban los sábados. Siempre miraba las caricaturas animadas, comía panqueques e iba al parque. Eran días muy divertidos.	When I was little, I liked Saturdays. I always watched cartoons, ate pancakes, and went to the park. They were very fun days.
COMUNICAR QUE DOS EVENTOS ESTABAN EN PROGRESO A LA VEZ	To communicate that two events were in progress at the same time.
¿Mirabas la televisión mientras estudiabas?	Did you watch TV while you were studying?
COMUNICAR INFORMACIÓN DE TRASFONDO (HORA, DÍA, FECHA, TIEMPO ATMOSFÉRICO, EDAD, CARACTERÍSTICAS MENTALES Y FÍSICAS)	To communicate background information (hour, day, date, weather, age, mental and physical characteristics)
Cuando me desperté, eran las siete de mañana. Hacía sol, los pájaros (birds) cantaban y yo estaba muy feliz.	When I woke up, it was seven in the morning. It was sunny, the birds were singing, and I was very happy.
COMUNICAR UN EVENTO QUE ESTABA EN PROGRESO CUANDO OTRO OCURRIÓ.	To communicate at event that was in progress when another ocurred.
Juan andaba en el parque cuando vio un camello caminando con su dueño.	Juan was walking in the park when he say a camel walking with its owner.