Purchase Solution

Meaning Changes: Preterite vs. Imperfect

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Please translate the following, using the preterite or imperfect form of the verb as needed.
Verbs used: conocer, saber, querer, poder

1. Did you meet someone famous last year?

2. She didn't know how to cook well.

3. He tried to fix the car.

4. He failed to determine the problem.

5. Unfortunately, my mother found out.

6. I used to know him.

7. The little girl refused to eat.

8. He succeeded in solving the problem.

9. The little boy didn't want to go to school.

10. He wanted to stay home.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

With certain verbs in Spanish, meaning changes according to whether the verb is conjugated in the preterite or the imperfect tense. This solution gives specific examples of these rules, the reasons behind them, and provides practice for those seeking to understand this function of Spanish grammar or just wanting extra practice.

Solution Preview

The issues at play here are meaning changes. For certain verbs, meaning changes according to whether they are expressed in the imperfect or the preterite.

1. ¿Conociste a alguien famoso el año pasado?
?In the preterite, 'conocer' means 'to meet for the first time rather' than 'to be familiar with.'

2. (Ella) No sabía cocinar bien.
?In the imperfect, 'saber' means to 'know as a fact/how to do ...

Purchase this Solution
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Uses and contrast of Preterite and Imperfect in Spanish.

    Uses of Preterite and Imperfect 1.An action that was repeated a certain number of times: PRETERITE 2.A habitual action in the past: IMPERFECT 3.A situation, or background information in the past: IMPERFECT 4.The beginning or end of an action or a

  • Spanish irregular preterite examples

    Examples of sentences and different verbs (regular and irregular) using the preterite tense.

  • Defining the Perfect Capital Market

    form of price changes in securities to offset this potential lack of (or unavailability) of information; 3) Strong, meaning that there is a great deal of information unavailable to the investing public, and to the financial community, which can result

  • Ser and Ir Preterito

    Understanding the Spanish past tense preterite form. Conjugations provided and irregular verbs ser and ir discussed. Web resources provided for additional information and practice questions.

  • Consumer Price Index

    What identifies these characteristics and if the CPI is imperfect, do we need to use it? As you can see from the information provided, CPI uses a base year to track the changes in a specific basket of goods for a specific group of people.

  • debate between Plato and Aristotle in terms of their philosophical worldviews

    Plato disapproved of art because it was an imperfect copy of an imperfect copy. (When I refer to object, it also includes ideas like justice, love, happiness etc .)

  • Wage flexibility as substitute for exchange rate flexibility

    If an economic shock leads to domestic imbalances between supply and demand, a change in the exchange rate can bring about the necessary changes in prices and wages to reestablish competitiveness.

  • Create a Pivot Table of Management Level vs. Gender

    Interpret the meaning of the r-squared. Interpret your findings. What changes would you make to the model, given the results? The solution files are attached. The solution creates a pivot table of management level vs. gender.

  • Elastic demand

    Relatively inelastic demand occurs when buyers can choose from among a small number of imperfect substitutes-in-consumption.

View More Related Solutions