This document provides information on the differences between the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish. It explains that the imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions, mental states, and descriptions, while the preterite tense is used for single, definite past actions that interrupted the ongoing flow. Some examples provided include "I was writing an essay" using the imperfect and "My friend called" using the preterite to interrupt the ongoing action. The document emphasizes that the preterite "interrupts" the imperfect. It also provides a short example story using both tenses to illustrate this concept.

1. Pretérito v. Imperfecto
Escrito por Mayeken Kehr

2. Repeated Action, Imperfecto
1. When I was five years
old, I would always dress
like Belle.
2. Cuando tenía cinco años,
siempre me vestía como
Belle.

3. Mental Activity, Imperfecto
1. I was so angry, I thought
about leaving!
2. ¡Estaba tan enojado,
pensaba en salir!

4. In Process, Imperfecto
1. I was writing an essay.
2. Escribía un ensayo.
3. I was eating my ice
cream.
4. Comía mi helado.

5. Physical Descriptions, Imperfecto
1. It was sunny and windy.
2. Hacía sol y viento.
1. The mountains were huge!
2. ¡Las montañas eran
enormes!

6. Time in the past, Imperfecto
1. It was early in the
morning.
2. Era temprano por la
mañana.
3. It was five.
4. Eran las cinco.

7. ¡CAMBIA!

8. Single Event, Pretérito
1. One time, I ate this
delicious dessert.
2. Una vez, yo comí un
postre tan rico.
3. When I was five, I broke
my arm.
4. Cuando tenía cinco años,
me rompí el brazo.

9. Physical Action, Pretérito
1. She slept.
2. Ella durmió.
3. They got here, they ate,
and they left.
4. Ellos vinieron, comieron
y salieron.

10. Beginnings/endings, Pretérito
1. She began to cry.
2. Ella empezó a llorar.
3. Yesterday, we played
basketball and we won.
4. Ayer, nosotros jugamos y
ganamos.

11. ¡CAMBIA!

12. IMPERFECTO Y PRETÉRITO
 Imperfecto is the process or
ongoing action.
 Pretérito moves in like a
bulldozer to interrupt the
ongoing action.

13. Ongoing action & Interrupting action
1. I was reading when my
friend called.
2. Leía cuando mi amigo
llamó.

14. Ongoing action & Interrupting action
 I was reading . .
(ongoing action) =
IMPERFECTO
 Leía . . .

15. Ongoing action & Interrupting action
 when my friend called.
(interrupting action) =
PRETÉRITO
 . . . cuando mi amigo
llamó.

16. ¿Comprendes?
 Leía CUANDO mi amigo llamó.
 PRETERITE INTERRUPTS!!
 PRETERITE INTERRUPTS!!
 PRETERITE INTERRUPTS!!
Imperfect
¡Yo soy Señor Pretérito!
¡Voy a interrumpir el
imperfecto! JAJAJAJA

17. Ongoing action & Interrupting action
1. Ronaldo was running and
suddenly he fell.
2. Él corría y de repente se
cayó.
3. We were eating when the
bell rang.
4. Comíamos cuando la
campana tocó.
Dive = echarse/tirarse a la piscina

18. “Pacha y sus hijos” Un mito de creación
 ¨Pacha y sus hijos¨ is a myth that explains the origin
of people, culture, and language.
– Are there parts of the story of Pacha and his children
that remind you of stories you´ve heard in English?
– Why do you think they are similar? Or why not?

19. “Pacha y sus hijos” Vocabulario
 Quito, Ecuador (capital de Ecuador)
 La selva = jungle
 La montaña = mountain
 El guerrero = warrior (la guerra = war)
 Dejar de + verb = to stop
 El cuervo = crow
 Los idiomas = languages