Reference Cards - Preterit and Imperfect
| Preterit Spanish | Preterit English | Imperfect Spanish | Imperfect English | |
| Actions viewed as complete | To describe an ongoing past action with no references to it's beginning or end. Habitual - in progress, Age, Background, Ending in -Ing event in progress, Time | |||
| Jim estacionó el autobús | Jim parked the bus | Jim conducía muy rápido en Bogotá | Maite was driving very fast in Madrid | |
| Fueron a Madrid ayer | They went to Madrid yesterday | Jim esperaba en el garaje | Jim was waiting in the garage | |
| Beginning or end of past action | To express habitual past actions | |||
| La película empezó a las nueve | The movie started at nine o'clock | Cuando eran joven, jugaba al tenis | When I was young I used to play tennis | |
| Ayer terminé el proyecto para la clase de química | Yesterday I finished the project for the chemistry class | Bob siempre revisaba su correo electrónico a las tres | Bob always checked his e-mail messages at three o'clock | |
| To narrate a series of past actions | To describe mental, physical and emotional states or conditions | |||
| Prendí la computadoras, leí mi correo electrónico y luego le escribí un mensaje a Marisol | I turned on the computer, read my email and wrote Marisol a message. | La chica quería descansar, Se sentía mal y tenía dolor de cabeza | The girl wanted to rest. She felt ill and had a headache | |
| Jim paró el autobús, abrió la ventanilla y saludó a doña Mercedes | Jim stopped the bus, open the window, and greeted doña Mercedes | Ellos eran altos y tenían los ojos verdes | They were tall and they had green eyes | |
| Estábamos felices de ver a la familia | We were happy to see the family |