To understand how to tell stories in Spanish, we need to learn about two special ways to talk about the past: the preterite tense and the imperfect tense.

1. Preterite Tense
The preterite tense is used for actions that are complete. It tells us about things that happened at specific times. You can think of it like taking a quick snapshot of the past.

Examples:

• Ayer, fui al mercado. (Yesterday, I went to the market.)
• Ella llegó a las 6 de la tarde. (She arrived at 6 PM.)
• Comimos en el restaurante nuevo. (We ate at the new restaurant.)

2. Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is for actions that were going on in the past or things that happened regularly. It helps create the background for a story.

Examples:

• Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque. (When I was a child, I played in the park.)
• Hacía frío y llovía. (It was cold and raining.)
• Siempre comíamos pasta los domingos. (We always ate pasta on Sundays.)

3. Key Differences

• Completed vs. Ongoing:

  • Use the preterite for actions that are finished.
  • Use the imperfect for actions that were still going on.

• Specific vs. General:

  • The preterite tells us about specific times.
  • The imperfect gives more general information or shows repeated actions.

4. Using Both Tenses Together
Sometimes, you might use both tenses in a story to show what happened and when.

Example:
Mientras ella leía, su hermano llegó. (While she was reading, her brother arrived.)

Knowing these differences helps you tell stories in Spanish even better!