¿Pretérito o Imperfecto?

Confused by Spanish preterite vs imperfect? Master these past tenses with our clear guide and practice!

The Reasons Why Categorize the reasons for using the preterite vs. imperfect Preterite Completed Actions Arrivals(llegar) Departures(salir) Actions that just begun(empezar) Actions that just ended(terminar) Sequence of actions Actions at a specific moment in time what happened Imperfect Descriptions Age Time Feelings Weather Background Information "would" or "used to" Repeated Actions Continuous Actions what was happening States of being Mental Processes MATCHING - PRETERITE Match the reason for using the preterite with the correct example sentence. They opened the menus. Completed Action The food arrived at the table. Arrivals We left the restaurant at noon. Departures I started eating as soon as I got my food. Action that just began Did you finish your meal? Action that just ended She sat down at the table, opened the menu, and read it. Sequence of actions I ate at that restaurant one month ago. Action at a specific moment in time MATCHING - IMPERFECT Match the reason for using the imperfect with the correct example sentence. My french fries were too salty. Description When I was 8 years old... Age It was a little cloudy that day, but still pretty hot. Weather I felt so full after eating. Feeling It was 6 o'clock. Time My grandma would go to breakfast after church every Sunday. Repeated Action The chef was cooking the food. Continuous Action I went to a restaurant yesterday with my friends. preterite imperfect We were really hungry! preterite imperfect The restaurant was called "Los Comales" and it waslocated in Chicago. preterite imperfect We got to the restaurant at 6:30 pm. preterite imperfect We entered "Los Comales" and asked for a table for 4. preterite imperfect The hostess seated us right away. preterite imperfect We were waiting at the table for a while. preterite imperfect Finally, the waiter came to our table and took our order. preterite imperfect I ordered tacos, my one friend ordered a burrito, and my other friend ordered a torta. preterite imperfect The food arrived at our table and we started eating. preterite imperfect We were talking while we were eating. preterite imperfect The food was delicious and the service was fast. preterite imperfect We paid the bill and left a good tip. preterite imperfect The waiter was happy to get a big tip. preterite imperfect My friends and I left the restaurant and went home. preterite imperfect I was glad to spend time with my friends. preterite imperfect