Question

How to know the correct translation-I'm in a Spanish class and we are supposed to translate sentences in their correct way. My question is, how do I know if I am supposed to translate a sentence in Preterite or in imperfect.

For example, how do I know if " Carlos tried to open the door, but it was locked." is preterite or imperfect?

Answer 1

Answer:

Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

Explanation:

For example: The sentence that you gave as an example is preterite, because it has a definite beginning and a definite end. (if that makes sense)

Hope that helped! :)