Transcript Preterite vs. Imperfect

Preterite vs. Imperfect
More Practice
For the first set of
sentences, decide if the
sentence is preterite or
imperfect. These
sentences are in English.
Hold up the correct card.

When I lived in Florida,
the summers were so
hot.
IMPERFECT

I went to Flagstaff last
weekend.
PRETERITE

When she was young,
Marisol used to sleep
with a teddy bear.
IMPERFECT

The students were
studying for a test.
IMPERFECT

She set the table after
she made dinner.
PRETERITE

We went to the lake a
lot when I was a kid.
IMPERFECT
They were talking
outside of the
restaurant.
IMPERFECT

He dusted while she
cleaned the floors.
IMPERFECT

Did you get the mail?
PRETERITE

Mary read the
newspaper to her niece
every night.
IMPERFECT

I wore a sweater when
the temperature
dropped below 60
degrees.
IMPERFECT

Mercedes was
beautiful.
IMPERFECT

Last summer we
painted our living room.
PRETERITE
For the second set of
sentences, decide which verb
you would use to complete
the sentence - preterite or
imperfect. These sentences
are in Spanish. Hold up the
correct card.

(Nevó/Nevaba) mucho
cuando estaba en
Minnesota.
Nevaba

John (jugó/jugaba)
Monopoly con Sabrina
cuando lo llamaste.
Jugaba

Cuando estaba Paris,
(vi/veía) La Mona Lisa.
Vi

Yo (estuve/estaba) en
la oficina del director
frecuentamente.
Estaba

Oí que tú
(escribiste/escribías) tu
madre cada semana.
Escribía

¿Adónde (fuiste/ibas)
antes de clase hoy?
Fuiste

(Dijeron/Decían) que la
casa era embrujada
(haunted).
Decían

Me (gustó/gustaba) ver
la tele mucho.
Gustaba

Cuando la vio, la
(besó/besaba).
Besó

Nunca
(entregó/entregaba) su
tarea a tiempo.
Entregaba

Mi profesor
(gritó/gritaba) durante
la clase hoy.
Gritó
This set of sentences has two
verbs each. Decide if each is
a preterite/preterite, an
imperfect/imperfect or a
preterite/imperfect sentence.
The sentences are in English.
When he was a young
man, he never paid his
bills on time.
Was- Imperfect

 Paid-
Imperfect
The mother kissed her
son on the forehead
and sent him to school.
Kissed- Preterite
Sent- Preterite

There was a loud
explosion and someone
screamed.
There was- Preterite
Screamed- Preterite

When the fight broke
out, I was in the parking
lot.
Broke- Preterite

 WAS
- Imperfect
I didn’t walk to school
yesterday because it
rained.
Walk- PRETERITE

Rained-
PRETERITE
The gift I gave her put
a smile on her face.
Gave- Preterite
Put- Preterite

He was turning the
corner on his
motorcycle when he hit
the pole.
Was turning- Imperfect
Hit - Preterite

I tripped while I was
running.
Tripped- Preterite
Was running- Imperfect

Did you call your
grandmother and thank
her for the socks?
Call - Preterite
Thank - Preterite

The house at the end
of the drive had tall
trees and was really
old.
Had- Imperfect

 Was
- Imperfect
For this last set of
sentences, you will choose
between preterite and
imperfect and write the
correct form of the verb on
a scratch sheet of paper.
 Yo
no _____ (SABER)
nada sobre Chile hasta
_____ (LEER) este libro.
 Sabía
 Leí
 Cuando
mi hermano
_____ (SER) niño, _____
(QUERER) ser doctor.
 Era
 Quería
 El
día ______ (SER) bonito
y _____ (HACER) buen
tiempo.
 Era
 Hacía
 Yo
_____ (ESTAR)
cortando el pastel cuando
me _____ (CORTAR).
 Estaba
 Corte (should have an accent)
 Ellos
_____ (TRAER) las
bebidas y nosotros _____
(PREPARAR) la comida.
 Trajeron
 Preparamos
 Yo
_____ (IR) de compras
y _____ (BUSCAR) una
blusa nueva.
 Fui
 Busque (should have an accent)