Imperfect Tense – Storytelling

Close-up of chef's hands chopping onions on a wooden cutting board in a kitchen setting.

The imperfect verb tense has two different Storytelling forms as well as a ‘used to’ form.

Storytelling Imperfect Form 1 – Background Details:
Example: The vendor weighed Sofia’s tomatoes.
In this sentence, the vendor’s action is part of the background of the story about Sofia, so it is expressed in the imperfect verb form.

Storytelling Imperfect Form 2 – Ongoing Action Being Recounted:
Example: I was reading in my bedroom.
This form infers that the action is being recounted as part of a story. It should not be confused with the simple past tense gerund form (estaba leyendo), which is more likely used to answer a direct question about what was happening at a specific moment.

Background Details

El mercado estaba lleno de gente. Los vendedores gritaban los precios mientras las familias caminaban entre los puestos. Sofía miraba los tomates en el mostrador cuando el vendedor los pesó y le dijo el precio. Sofía sacó dinero de su bolso, y el vendedor le dio una bolsa con los tomates. Mientras otros clientes hablaban, Sofía se fue a comprar más frutas.

The market was packed with people. Vendors shouted out prices as families walked between the stalls. Sofia looked at the tomatoes on the counter as the vendor weighed them and told her the price. Sofia took money out of her purse, and the vendor gave her a bag of tomatoes. While other customers talked, Sofia went off to buy more fruit.

Recounting

Estaba en mi cuarto, y leía un libro cuando escuché un ruido extraño en la ventana. Llovía mucho afuera, y el viento soplaba fuerte. Me sentía tranquila al principio, pero el ruido volvió. Me acerqué a la ventana y vi que una rama del árbol se había caído. Aunque parecía algo pequeño, ese ruido me asustó por un momento.

I was in my room, reading a book, when I heard a strange noise at the window. It was raining hard outside, and the wind was blowing hard. I felt calm at first, but the noise came back. I went to the window and saw that a branch of the tree had fallen. Although it seemed like something small, that noise scared me for a moment.

When to use imperfect vs past tense

“I was reading in my bedroom” can be:

  • Yo leía en mi cuarto (imperfect, recounting, above)
  • Estaba leyendo en mi cuarto (past tense, answering, below)

Answering a Question

Ayer, cuando me llamaste, estaba cocinando en la cocina. Estaba picando cebollas y preparando una sopa. Después, cuando el teléfono sonó otra vez, estaba lavando los platos. Por eso no contesté. Más tarde, estaba descansando en el sofá cuando vi tu mensaje.

Yesterday, when you called me, I was cooking in the kitchen. I was chopping onions and making soup. Then, when the phone rang again, I was washing the dishes. That’s why I didn’t answer. Later, I was relaxing on the couch when I saw your message.

The task: conjugate each into either preterite or imperfect.

Paragraph 1: Una tarde en el mercado

Ayer, mi mamá y yo (ir) al mercado del barrio. El sol (brillar) y muchas personas (caminar) por las calles. Mientras mi mamá (buscar) frutas frescas, yo (mirar) los juguetes en un puesto cercano. De repente, un perro (correr) entre la gente y (asustar) a una señora que (llevar) muchas bolsas.

Paragraph 2: La casa de mis abuelos

Cuando yo (ser) pequeño, (pasar) los veranos en la casa de mis abuelos. La casa (estar) en un pueblo tranquilo y (tener) un jardín enorme. Cada mañana, mi abuelo (preparar) café mientras yo (leer) cuentos en la sala. Un verano, mi prima (venir) a visitarnos y juntos (explorar) el bosque detrás de la casa.

There are contexts where the imperfect is just the way to say it, regardless of whether you’re telling a story or not.
Physical, emotional, or situational descriptions — you’re painting a picture, not telling an event.

Translate each sentence into Spanish using the imperfect tense, because you’re describing a physical or emotional state — not narrating an event.

  1. The house was small but cozy.
  2. She was really tired after work.
  3. It was a quiet neighborhood with lots of trees.
  4. His eyes were blue and he had a kind smile.
  5. The room was cold and smelled like old books.

What other sentences can you come up with that follow this structure?

Instructions:
In each of these sentences there is a preterite and an imperfect.

  1. Identify which verb should be preterite (done and dusted) and which should be imperfect (no clear beginning or end).
  2. Translate the sentence into Spanish using both tenses correctly.

Sentences:

  1. I used to walk to school every day, but one day it started raining and I got soaked.
  2. He always made coffee in the morning while she got ready for work.
  3. We were living in the city when we adopted our first dog.
  4. She was feeling sick, so she stayed in bed all day.
  5. They were arguing when the power went out.
  6. I often listened to the radio while I cleaned the kitchen.

Some verbs take on a different meaning depending on whether they’re used in the preterite or imperfect.

Your job is to:

  1. Decide if it should be preterite or imperfect in Spanish.
  2. Translate the sentence using the correct tense.
    You might need to imagine what the speaker probably means based on tone, intent, or context. You have to feel out what kind of “past” is being expressed — background? one-time event? intent? realization?

🔹 Conocer
Preterite: met
Imperfect: knew (was familiar with)

  1. I knew Ana for a long time.
  2. I met Ana at my cousin’s wedding.
  3. I knew about that place.
  4. I met him while we were waiting for the bus.
  5. We knew the family somehow.

🔹 Saber
Preterite: found out
Imperfect: didn’t know (or “knew” as background fact)

  1. I didn’t know she had a boyfriend.
  2. I found out she had a boyfriend last week.
  3. We knew what was going on, but we didn’t say anything.
  4. He didn’t know the results until the next day.
  5. She knew the answer but stayed quiet.

🔹 Querer
Preterite: I tried / I refused
Imperfect: I didn’t want to / he loved her

  1. I didn’t want to go, so I stayed home.
  2. I tried to go, but the bus never came.
  3. He refused to answer the phone.
  4. She wanted to help, but she didn’t know how.
  5. He loved her, but she didn’t feel the same.

🔹 Poder
Preterite: tried and it did or didn’t work
Imperfect: could / was able (no outcome)

  1. I couldn’t open the jar.
  2. I wasn’t able to open the jar.
  3. She could speak French.
  4. She managed to speak to the director.
  5. We couldn’t finish the project.

🔹 Tener
Preterite: got / received
Imperfect: had (possessed)

  1. I had a dog when I was a kid.
  2. I got a dog for my tenth birthday.
  3. We had a meeting every Friday.
  4. He got a lot of messages yesterday.
  5. I received a call during dinner.

🔹 Deber
Preterite: should have / shouldn’t have (but didn’t or did)
Imperfect: should / was supposed to (no outcome implied)

  1. We were supposed to call them, but we forgot.
  2. I should have brought dessert, but I didn’t.
  3. I had to work late every day.
  4. She was supposed to be here by now.
  5. He should have finished the report earlier.

The imperfect tense has two sides:

  • Simple imperfect sets the background (like a narrator).
  • Progressive imperfect brings an action into focus (like a camera zoom).

✍️ Exercise: Translate Each Sentence Two Ways

  • 🟢 Simple imperfect → background, storytelling
  • 🔵 Imperfect progressive → foreground, in-progress action

Eg: “I was reading in my bedroom” can be:
Estaba leyendo en mi cuarto OR
Yo leía en mi cuarto

1. I was studying when you called.
2. She was cooking dinner.
3. They were playing outside.
4. He was watching TV.
5. We were walking to the park.

pesar – to weigh

soplar – to blow

acercar – to bring closer or approach

caer – to fall

asustar – to scare, to frighten

picar – to chop, to sting or to nibble

contestar – to answer