DELE B1 Preterite vs Imperfect: Practice Test & Review
The preterite and imperfect are the two past tenses in Spanish. Choosing between them is one of the most tested skills on the DELE B1 exam. They appear in reading passages, listening sections, and cloze exercises.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the contrast, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full explanation Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
The Rule
Spanish has two simple past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect. They are not interchangeable. The choice depends on how the action relates to time.
- Preterite: completed actions. Answers “what happened?”
- Imperfect: ongoing, habitual, or background actions. Answers “what was happening?” or “what used to happen?”
- Ayer fui al cine. — Yesterday I went to the cinema. (Completed)
- Cuando era niño, iba al cine todos los sábados. — When I was a child, I used to go to the cinema every Saturday. (Habitual)
Preterite: Completed Actions
Use the preterite for:
| Use | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Completed action in finished time | Ayer fui al cine. | Yesterday I went to the cinema. |
| Action with a specific beginning or end | Estudié por dos horas. | I studied for two hours. |
| Sequence of completed events | Abrí la puerta y entré. | I opened the door and went in. |
| Action with a specific count | Comí tres veces. | I ate three times. |
| Sudden change or reaction | De repente empezó a llover. | Suddenly it started to rain. |
Time markers that trigger preterite:
- ayer, anoche, anteayer
- el lunes, el mes pasado, el año pasado
- en 2020, en junio, aquella noche
- de repente, entonces
Imperfect: Ongoing, Habitual, Background
Use the imperfect for:
| Use | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual past actions | Iba al parque todos los días. | I used to go to the park every day. |
| Ongoing background action | Leía cuando sonó el teléfono. | I was reading when the phone rang. |
| Descriptions in the past | Era muy tímido. | I was very shy. |
| Simultaneous actions | Leía mientras cocinaba. | I was reading while she was cooking. |
| Time, age, weather in the past | Eran las tres. Tenía diez años. | It was three o’clock. I was ten years old. |
Time markers that trigger imperfect:
- siempre, todos los días, cada semana
- mientras, cuando era niño
- normalmente, generalmente, antes
- de niño, de joven
Preterite vs Imperfect in the Same Sentence
The contrast is most visible when both tenses appear together:
| Preterite (interruption) | Imperfect (background) |
|---|---|
| Sonó el teléfono. | Leía cuando sonó. |
| Llegó ella. | Dormía cuando llegó. |
| Empezó a llover. | Caminábamos cuando empezó. |
Rule: The imperfect sets the scene. The preterite interrupts it.
Meaning Changes with Certain Verbs
Some verbs change meaning depending on the tense:
| Verb | Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| saber | supe = found out | sabía = knew |
| conocer | conocí = met | conocía = knew (someone) |
| querer | quise = tried to | quería = wanted |
| poder | pude = managed to | podía = was able to |
| tener | tuve = got | tenía = had |
Examples:
- Ayer supe la noticia. — Yesterday I found out the news. (Preterite)
- Ya sabía la noticia. — I already knew the news. (Imperfect)
Common Mistakes
1. Using imperfect for completed actions.
✗ Ayer iba al cine.
✓ Ayer fui al cine.
Completed action in finished time → preterite.
2. Using preterite for habitual actions.
✗ Cuando era niño, fui al parque todos los días.
✓ Cuando era niño, iba al parque todos los días.
Habitual action → imperfect.
3. Using preterite for background descriptions.
✗ Fue un día bonito. Leyó cuando sonó el teléfono.
✓ Era un día bonito. Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.
Background description and ongoing action → imperfect.
4. Forgetting meaning changes.
✗ Ayer sabía la noticia. (means “I knew it yesterday” — not “I found out”)
✓ Ayer supe la noticia. (means “I found out”)
Saber changes meaning between tenses.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Completed action? | Yes | Preterite |
| Specific finished time? | Yesterday, last week, in 2020 | Preterite |
| Habitual action? | Used to, always, every day | Imperfect |
| Background description? | Was happening, was like | Imperfect |
| Interruption? | Suddenly, then, at that moment | Preterite |
| Ongoing state? | Was, had, knew | Imperfect |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Ayer fui al mercado y compré frutas.
Yesterday I went to the market and bought fruit.
- Two completed actions in sequence. Preterite.
Cuando era niño, iba al mercado con mi madre cada sábado.
When I was a child, I used to go to the market with my mother every Saturday.
- Habitual action in the past. Imperfect.
