|
 Imperfect | Stating a continuing on-going action in the past ("I was going..." or "We were going...") |
| Imperfect | Repeated action in the past ("I used to...") |
| Imperfect | Descriptions of the past (i.e.: age, time, weather, mental, emotional, possession, location, physical, etc.) |
| Imperfect | Used with words such as: todos los días, a menudo, siempre, de vez en cuando, a veces, cada año, los sábados, generalmente, muchas veces, frecuentemente |
| Preterite | When stating a particular, specific, or isolated event |
| Preterite | When something occurs at a specific point in time |
| Preterite | Beginning of an action |
| Preterite | Conclusion of an action |
| Preterite | Any sort of interruption in a sentence that involves a starting or ending action (Something that happened ONCE.) |
| Preterite | Used with words such as: ayer, anoche, anteayer, el lunes pasado, el fin de semana pasado, un día, una vez, esta mañana |
| conocer | Preterite form - I met, you met, s/he met, we met, they met |
| conocer | Imperfect form - I didn't know, you didn't know, s/he didn't know, we didn't know, they didn't know |
| pensar | Preterite form - It dawned on me, It dawned on you, It dawned on her/him, It dawned on us, It dawned on them (Or... I JUST remembered, You JUST remembered... etc.) |
| pensar | Imperfect form - I thought, you thought, s/he thought, we thought, they thought (Regarding an ongoing opinion or thought) |
| poder | Preterite form - I managed to, You managed to, S/He managed to, we managed to, they managed to (The infinitive verb after the preterite tense verb is an ACTION... i.e: "Pude dormir en mi cama.") |
| poder | Imperfect form - I was able to, you were able to, s/he was able to, we were able to, they were able to (Had the ability to ... States NO ACTION but DESCRIBES a period of time in which one had the ability to do an action) |
| no querer | Preterite form - I refused, you refused, s/he refused, we refused, they refused |
| no querer | Imperfect form - I didn't want to, you didn't want to, s/he didn't want to, we didn't want to, they didn't want to (Describing a mental condition) |
| querer | Preterite form - I tried, you tried, s/he tried, we tried, they tried |
| querer | Imperfect form - I wanted, you wanted, s/he wanted, we wanted, they wanted |
| saber | Preterite form - I found out, you found out, s/he found out, we found out, they found out (Discovering new information... An ACTION) |
| saber | Imperfect form - I knew, you knew, s/he knew, we knew, they knew (Describing an awareness level) |
| tener | Preterite form - I recieved, you recieved, s/he recieved, they recieved, we recieved (ONE TIME action) |
| tener | Imperfect form - I had, you had, s/he had, we had, they had (DESCRIBING a situation in which one lived in a condition OVER/DURING A PERIOD OF TIME... i.e.: "Tenía varios amigos..") |
| tener que | Preterite form - I had to, you had to, s/he had to, we had to, they had to (Mentioning a condition in which one had to do something and one DOES IT... One time action) |
| tener que | Imperfect form - I was supposed to, you were supposed to, s/he was supposed to, we were supposed to, they were supposed to (DESCRIBING a period of mental state and condition when one had to do something but NO ACTION was taken place) |