Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.
How do you know when to use imperfect or preterite?
The rule of thumb for determining which tense to use is that the preterite talks about what you did, and the imperfect talks about what you were doing or what you used to do.
When should I use imperfect?
The imperfect tense is used:
- to describe repeated or continuous actions in the past.
- to describe what something or someone was like in the past.
- to say what people used to do or what things used to be like.
