Preterit vs Imperfect
When should I use Preterit and when Imperfect? I know that Preterit is used what you know the time when the action was done and Imperfect when you do not know the time or the action USED TO be done. But when writing a story, which one should I use more often? When the story is on going and I say "Él me miró" is that correct? Or why is "No creí" incorrect and I should use "No creía"?
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Answers · 3
1
In the stories that I've read, the preterite is usually used to talk about the past (because in the book/story, the action has only occurred once so the phrase "Él me miró" is conjugated correctly).
0
"Yo no creí lo que ella dijo". It is OK in this context. ( She said something and you could not believe it ). "Yo no creía en el Viejito Pascuero, cuando era niño". In this case, you did not believe it during your entire childhood, a long period of time, not a specific action, as in the previous example. You see, both conjugations can be correct. You have to choose the most appopiate one, according to the case.
0
Preterit is the name for all the grammatical forms of past. There are different forms of past, I can't tell you which is the correct conjugation of each verb without knowing the context.
Sofía.
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