Preterite VS Imperfect

Preterite vs Imperfect THE FINAL BATTLE

Okay then let's get started.

Preterite and Imperfect are seen as two tenses for conjugating verbs in Spanish. Each has it's own unique set of rules, and are used at different times to describe different situations.

Preterite actions describe actions in the  past and those that have been completed.
These can also be seen as ones that have a definite beginning and a definite end.

For example, if you wanted to say "He spoke for one hour", it is implied that he stopped speaking after that time period, therefore making it preterite.

The endings for preterite are as follows:

-AR Verbs
Yo-é
Tu-aste
El/Ella/Ud.-ó
Nos.-amos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.-aron

-ER/IR Verbs
Yo-í
Tu-iste
El/Ella/Ud.-ió
Nos.-imos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.-ieron

So "he spoke for one hour" would be conjugated as: El habló para una hora.

Imperfect actions follow a different set of rules.

Imperfect actions also describe the past, but are  NOT seen as completed.
Use imperfect tense when describing an event that does NOT have a definite beginning or a definite end.
For example, saying "They used to speak Spanish" does not have a clear or definite beginning or end, therefore it is an imperfect action.

When conjugating in the imperfect tense, follow these guidelines.

-AR Verbs

Yo-aba
Tu-abas
El/Ella/Ud.-aba
Nos.-ábamos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.-aban

-ER/IR Verbs

Yo-ía
Tu-ías
El/Ella/Ud.-ía
Nos.-íamos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.-ían

So for example, They used to speak Spanish would be conjugated as:"Ellos hablaban en Español."

Keep these guidelines in mind and you'll be conjugating the past like a boss in no time ;D