After learning the conjugations for the preterite and imperfect tenses, students should focus on understanding the different applications of each. In this activity, students will create a T chart that illustrates examples of when the preterite and imperfect tenses are used.
Since there is some overlap among categories on each side, you may want to clarify which ones you would like students to target. For example, specifying a defined time-frame for preterite, or a routine action for imperfect. The example storyboard describes the broadest categories, and can be used as a reference.
Alternate activity 1: Students create a storyboard to focus solely on preterite
Alternate activity 2: Students create a storyboard to focus solely on imperfect
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a T Chart that illustrates different uses of the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish. Remember, the preterite deals with completed and incomplete actions, where the imperfect deals with interrupting and interrupted actions, repeated/habitual Actions, and descriptions.
Guide learners in selecting the correct tense when narrating events. Help students develop a strong sense of when to use preterite for completed actions and imperfect for ongoing or descriptive details in storytelling.
Share a simple story that alternates between preterite and imperfect. Read aloud or display a brief narrative, emphasizing how you use preterite for single, finished events and imperfect for background, habits, or descriptions.
List common time expressions that cue each tense. Point out words like 'ayer', 'una vez', and 'el año pasado' for preterite, and 'siempre', 'mientras', and 'de niño' for imperfect, so students recognize clues in context.
Give students sentence starters that require them to decide which tense fits best. Encourage them to explain their choices, helping reinforce their understanding of the differences between the two tenses.
Invite students to share their sentences and reasoning. Facilitate a class discussion to address confusion and clarify tense usage, ensuring all students have a chance to participate.
The preterite tense in Spanish is used for actions that are completed or happened at a specific moment, while the imperfect tense describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past. Choosing the correct tense depends on whether the action had a clear beginning or end, or was repetitive or descriptive.
Use a T chart to visually compare examples: list completed actions with specific time frames under preterite, and ongoing, repeated, or descriptive actions under imperfect. Linking each tense to keywords like "yesterday" (preterite) or "always" (imperfect) also helps students remember.
Try activities like making a T chart with example sentences, creating storyboards for each tense, or role-playing scenarios where students choose the correct past tense. These interactive exercises reinforce understanding through practice and visualization.
Use the preterite tense for actions that are completed, have a clear start and finish, or happened once at a defined time. For example: "Ayer comí pizza" (Yesterday I ate pizza). Avoid it for background descriptions or ongoing actions.
Sure! Preterite example: "El año pasado viajé a México." (Last year I traveled to Mexico). Imperfect example: "Cuando era niño, jugaba con mis amigos todos los días." (When I was a child, I used to play with my friends every day).