7.10 Pretérito e Imperfecto (II)

Depending on how you combine the preterite and the imperfect, you are expressing a different meaning, because the tenses themselves have different relations to time.

In English, these distinctions are expressed with adverbs or prepositional phrases, but in Spanish, the choice of preterite or imperfect expresses not just that the action happened in the past, but also *how* the action happened.

1.  A combination of imperfect with imperfect:
When you want to convey that two actions were ongoing at the same time in the past, you use the imperfect tense. You will often see the words “mientras” (while) and “y” to show that these actions were in progress simultaneously.

Examples:

• • La banda tocaba música tradicional y mis tíos se sentían nostálgicos.
    (The band was playing traditional music and my aunt and uncle were feeling nostalgic.)
  • Mis hermanos y yo tomábamos refrescos mientras los adultos bebían champán.
    (My siblings and I had sodas while the adults drank champagne.)

2.  A combination of preterite with preterite:
When you want to convey a series of completed actions in the past, you use the preterite tense for each of them. It is very important to state the events in chronological order.

Examples:

• • Mi tía se levantó a bailar, el tacón de su zapato se rompió y ella se cayó.
    (My aunt got up to dance, the heel of her shoe broke off, and she fell.)
  • Mi tío la salvó antes de tocar el piso, la levantó y la hizo girar por un momento.
    (My uncle caught her before she touched the floor, he lifted her up and twirled her for a moment.)

3.  A combination of imperfect with preterite:
When you want to show that an action was in progress when another action began, you use the imperfect for the continuous action and the preterite for the interrupting action.

Examples:

• • Nuestra prima bailaba con mi hermano cuando su novio llegó a la fiesta.
    (Our cousin was dancing with my brother when her boyfriend arrived at the party.)
  • El novio se estaba poniendo celoso hasta que yo le expliqué la situación.
    (The boyfriend was getting jealous until I explained the situation.)