Imperfect Tense and Contrasting It With the Preterite
The imperfect tense covers regular -aba/-ía endings, the only three irregulars ser, ir and ver, and its contrast with the preterite. The imperfect is used for descriptions in the past, habitual or repeated past actions, and background actions that were interrupted by another event. The examiner is testing whether a student can build the imperfect accurately and, more importantly, choose the right tense in context: the imperfect for the ongoing scene or habit, and the preterite for the single completed event that changes the story forward, including the mientras + imperfect / preterite interruption pattern.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn the imperfect endings: -ar verbs take -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban; -er/-ir verbs take -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían - -er and -ir verbs share identical imperfect endings.
- Memorise the only three irregular verbs in the imperfect: ser (era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran), ir (iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban) and ver (veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían).
- Use the imperfect for descriptions in the past (physical appearance, weather, age, feelings): hacía sol, tenía diez años, estaba nerviosa.
- Use the imperfect for habitual or repeated past actions, often signalled by siempre, todos los días, normalmente or los sábados: íbamos a la playa todos los veranos.
- Use the imperfect for an action already in progress when another action interrupted it, with mientras + imperfect for the ongoing action and the preterite for the interruption: mientras veía la televisión, sonó el teléfono.
- Use the preterite for the single, completed event - something that happened once, started and finished, or moves the story forward.
- In extended writing, combine both tenses naturally within one narrative: use the imperfect to set the scene and the preterite to say what then happened, rather than choosing one tense for an entire paragraph.
- Watch for signal words that point to one tense over the other: ayer, de repente, un día and de pronto usually signal the preterite; mientras, siempre and cada día usually signal the imperfect.
Worked example
Choose the correct tense (preterite or imperfect) for each verb in brackets: Cuando yo (ser) pequeño, (vivir) en un pueblo pequeño con mis padres. Todos los domingos (ir - nosotros) a visitar a mis abuelos. Un domingo, mientras (comer - nosotros), mi abuelo nos (contar) una historia increíble sobre su juventud.
- ser describes an ongoing state (being young) rather than a single event, so it needs the imperfect: era.
- vivir also describes a background situation that lasted a period of time, so it takes the imperfect: vivía.
- ir - nosotros describes a repeated, habitual action signalled by todos los domingos, so it needs the imperfect: íbamos.
- comer - nosotros describes the action already in progress (background) when the interruption happened, so it is imperfect: comíamos.
- contar describes the single event that interrupted the ongoing action, so it needs the preterite: contó.
- Full answer: Cuando yo era pequeño, vivía en un pueblo pequeño con mis padres. Todos los domingos íbamos a visitar a mis abuelos. Un domingo, mientras comíamos, mi abuelo nos contó una historia increíble sobre su juventud.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Give the yo form of ser in the imperfect.Show answer
Answer: Era.
Q2Which tense would you use for 'It was raining' as a background description?Show answer
Answer: The imperfect - llovía.
Q3Complete: Cuando (nosotros) ___ (llegar - preterite) a casa, mi madre ___ (cocinar - imperfect).Show answer
Answer: Llegamos; cocinaba.
Q4Translate: 'I used to play the piano every day when I was young.'Show answer
Answer: Tocaba el piano todos los días cuando era joven.
Q5Explain the difference in meaning between 'hablaba con ella' and 'hablé con ella'.Show answer
Answer: Hablaba means 'I was talking / used to talk to her' (ongoing or habitual); hablé means 'I spoke to her' (a single, completed event).
Q6Give the nosotros form of ir in the imperfect.Show answer
Answer: Íbamos.
Q7Correct the error: 'Ayer, mientras yo estudiaba, mi hermano entró y me interrumpía.'Show answer
Answer: The interrupting action needs the preterite, not the imperfect: me interrumpió, so: Ayer, mientras yo estudiaba, mi hermano entró y me interrumpió.
Q8Complete with the correct tense: De repente, el perro ___ (empezar) a ladrar.Show answer
Answer: Empezó (a single sudden event, signalled by de repente).
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Spanish exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate into Spanish: 1) When I was a child, I used to live in a small village. 2) Every summer, my family went to the coast. 3) One day, while we were walking on the beach, we saw a dolphin. 4) It was a really exciting moment. 5) After that, we always talked about that day.
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Lee el texto y contesta en inglés. Texto: Cuando tenía doce años, mi familia y yo vivíamos en Barcelona. Todos los fines de semana íbamos a la playa y jugábamos al voleibol con nuestros vecinos. Un sábado, mientras jugábamos, empezó a llover muchísimo y todos corrimos a refugiarnos bajo un puente. Nos reímos muchísimo porque estábamos completamente empapados. Fue uno de los mejores recuerdos de mi infancia, aunque en aquel momento no lo parecía. (a) Where did the writer live when they were twelve, and who with? (b) What did they usually do at weekends? (c) What single event happened one Saturday while they were playing? (d) How did they react, and why? (e) How does the writer describe this memory now?
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
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See real GCSE Spanish past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
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