When To Use The Spanish Preterite

Use the Spanish preterit tense when the verb is ...

1. moving the action forward                         (Forward)
2. an action limited in time                             (Rate)
3. an act that begins or ends in the past          (Ends)
4. an emotional, physical, or mental change  (Emotional)

To remember the above, I just think of the word FREE because that is what I feel when I think of past (preterit) boyfriends.

Key Word	What It Means	Example English	Example Spanish
Forward	Moves the action forward	He lost his job. He wrecked his car. He yelled at my cat	Él perdió su trabajo. Él destrozó su coche. Él le gritó a mi gato.
Rate	An action limited in time or a rate	He called me 1,000 times.	Me llamó mil veces.
End	An act that ends or begins in the past	I began to see his weaknesses.	Yo comencé a ver sus debilidades.
Emotion	An emotional, physical, or mental change	Upon seeing his behavior, I became annoyed.	Al ver su comportamiento, me enojé.

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