What is the difference between the past tenses?

In Spanish, there are 3 main past tenses.
Imperfect: Used when something happened over a long period of time, or when something used to happen habitually, or when someone "was doing" somethingeg - vivía en Inglaterra = I used to live in Englandcomía la cena cuando sonó el teléfono = I was eating dinner when the phone rang
Perfect: Used when something "has ____ed", and is formed from the present tense of haber and the past participle. eg - ya he ido al supermercado hoy = I have already gone to the supermarket today
Preterite: Used for a one-time or definitive action, and completed actions in the past. eg - fui al cine con mis amigos anteayer = the day before yesterday, I went to the cinema with my friends.

SI
Answered by Sophie I. Spanish tutor

1913 Views

See similar Spanish GCSE tutors

Related Spanish GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How can I memorise my presentation for the oral exam?


How do I form the future tense of a verb?


How can I improve my Spanish/language learning outside of the session?


Read brief descriptions of all of the characters and use the table to align the description paragraph letter to the correct name.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning