Imperfect Part III: Test #1

A. Try substituting was/were ...ing, used to ..., would (meaning used to) ... for the verb in order to determine whether the tense should be imperfect or preterite.

1. He wore a white shirt to the party.

llevó
llevaba

2. Carmen prepared dinner when the doorbell rang.

preparó
preparaba

3. Juan ran most mornings.

corrió
corría

B. Choose the correct tense for the following general mental states and physical sensations.

4. I waited in the rain for the taxi.

esperé
esperaba

5. They were very tired.

estuvieron
estaban

6. They wanted more food.

quisieron
querían

7. He thought about the day they met.

pensó
pensaba

C. The following sentences all describe how things were, or what things were like. Which is appropriate, imperfect or preterite?

8. The sky was cloudy.

estuvo
estaba

9. The bag was heavy.

estuvo
estaba

10. The answers were all wrong.

estuvieron
estaban