so we are learning the pred. v imperfect

but i don't know when to use which i sort of have an idea like habitual inturrupting etcetc but i get them all wrong

El lunes pasado yo _tuvé__ una discusión con un compañero de clase.
La discusión __comenzaba_ mientras el profesor _discutió__una clase sobre deportes.
Mi compañero siempre _decía__ durante la clase.
De modo que nos __dabamos__ que discutiéramos afuera.

those are the words i put but tehy are all wrong. and those are the verbs in the word bank.... please help me!

Multiple post = please see your later post, which I saw first!

Sra

When deciding between the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish, it's important to understand their uses and distinctions.

The preterite tense is typically used for actions that happened and ended in the past. It is often used for events with a specific time frame, completed actions, or actions that interrupt or change the course of ongoing events. On the other hand, the imperfect tense is used for actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past, or to provide background information such as time, weather, or descriptions.

Let's go through each sentence in your example and determine which tense to use:

1. El lunes pasado yo _tuvé__ una discusión con un compañero de clase.
Here, you want to express a specific event (una discusión) that happened and ended in the past. Therefore, the correct form would be "tuve" (preterite of the verb "tener").

2. La discusión __comenzaba_ mientras el profesor _discutió__ una clase sobre deportes.
In this sentence, there are two actions happening simultaneously (la discusión and el profesor discutió). Since the action of the professor interrupting the class is a completed action, we use the preterite tense "discutió." However, the ongoing action of the discussion should be in the imperfect tense, so the correct form is "comenzaba" (imperfect of the verb "comenzar").

3. Mi compañero siempre _decía_ durante la clase.
Since the statement describes a habitual action (always saying during class), it should be in the imperfect tense. Thus, it is correct as "decía" (imperfect of the verb "decir").

4. De modo que nos __dabamos__ que discutiéramos afuera.
In this sentence, you want to express a reciprocal action (nos dábamos) and then suggest or propose (que discutiéramos). Since both actions are ongoing or habitual, they should be in the imperfect tense. Therefore, the correct form is "dábamos" (imperfect of the verb "dar") and "discutiéramos" (imperfect subjunctive of the verb "discutir").

Remember that mastering the use of preterite and imperfect tenses takes practice, so keep practicing with different examples and contexts to become more confident in their usage.