A. Choose between the preterite or the imperfect.

We wanted to buy the car.
QuisimosQuer�amos comprar el auto.


The man refused to speak.
El hombre no quisono quer�a hablar.


They found out the news yesterday.
SupieronSab�an las noticias ayer.


The boy knew she was coming.
El chico suposab�a que ella ven�a.

We succeeded in lifting the piano.
PudimosPod�amos levantar el piano.


I met Juan five years ago.
Hace cinco a�os que conoc�conoc�a a Juan.


I received a letter from my sister.
TuveTen�a una carta de mi hermana.


Carmen used to have a house in Acapulco.
Carmen tuvoten�a una casa en Acapulco.


Arturo tried to leave.
Arturo quisoquer�a salir.


Maria tried to eat.
Mar�a quisoquer�a comer.


The girls were able to go to the party.
Las chicas pudieronpod�an ir a la fiesta.


The brothers received a message from their father.
Los hermanos tuvieronten�an un mensaje de su padre.


The drunk refused to leave.
El borracho no quisono quer�a salir.


I knew him well.
Le Conoc�Conoc�a bien.


Jorge met a charming young lady.
Jorge conoci�conoc�a a una simp�tica se�orita.


At that time we knew the city very well.
En aquella �poca conocimosconoc�amos muy bien la ciudad.


Alberto succeeded in reading the whole book.
Alberto pudopod�a leer el libro entero.


I wasn't able to remember his name.
No pudepod�a recordar su nombre.


Last night Juan found out the truth.
Anoche Juan suposab�a la verdad.


The young ladies did not want to leave.
Las se�oritas no quisieronno quer�an salir.



ANSWERS:
1. Queríamos comprar el auto.
2. El hombre no quiso hablar.
3. Supieron las noticias ayer.
4. El chico sabía que ella venía.
5. Pudimos levantar el piano.
6. Hace cinco años que conocí a Juan.
7. Tuve una carta de mi hermana.
8. Carmen tenía una casa en Acapulco.
9. Arturo quiso salir.
10. María quiso comer.
11. Las chicas pudieron ir a la fiesta.
12. Los hermanos tuvieron un mensaje de su padre.
13. El borracho no quiso salir.
14. Le conocía bien.
15. Jorge conoció a una simpática señorita.
16. En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad.
17. Alberto pudo leer el libro entero.
18. No pude recordar su nombre.
19. Anoche Juan supo la verdad.
20. Las señoritas no querían salir.

I'll send this to SraJMcGin.

Please put the answer with each item. These weary eyes do not scan up and down well. Or, at least, number the ones above.

Did I correct this one before? It looks so familiar.

Perfect with one question. #18 would depend upon what the speaker wished to convey. I wasn't able = usually a cue for the imperfect vs no pude = I didn't manage to...

Sra

1. We wanted to buy the car. (Queríamos comprar el auto.)

2. The man refused to speak. (El hombre no quiso hablar.)
3. They found out the news yesterday. (Supieron las noticias ayer.)
4. The boy knew she was coming. (El chico sabía que ella venía.)
5. We succeeded in lifting the piano. (Pudimos levantar el piano.)
6. I met Juan five years ago. (Hace cinco años que conocí a Juan.)
7. I received a letter from my sister. (Tuve una carta de mi hermana.)
8. Carmen used to have a house in Acapulco. (Carmen tenía una casa en Acapulco.)
9. Arturo tried to leave. (Arturo quiso salir.)
10. Maria tried to eat. (María quiso comer.)
11. The girls were able to go to the party. (Las chicas pudieron ir a la fiesta.)
12. The brothers received a message from their father. (Los hermanos tuvieron un mensaje de su padre.)
13. The drunk refused to leave. (El borracho no quiso salir.)
14. I knew him well. (Le conocía bien.)
15. Jorge met a charming young lady. (Jorge conoció a una simpática señorita.)
16. At that time we knew the city very well. (En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad.)
17. Alberto succeeded in reading the whole book. (Alberto pudo leer el libro entero.)
18. I wasn't able to remember his name. (No pude recordar su nombre.)
19. Last night Juan found out the truth. (Anoche Juan supo la verdad.)
20. The young ladies did not want to leave. (Las señoritas no querían salir.)

To choose between the preterite or the imperfect tense, you need to consider the context and the specific meaning you want to convey in each sentence.

1. We wanted to buy the car.
- Use the imperfect tense: Queríamos comprar el auto. (Conveys the ongoing desire to buy the car in the past.)

2. The man refused to speak.
- Use the preterite tense: El hombre no quiso hablar. (Conveys a specific action of refusing to speak in the past.)

3. They found out the news yesterday.
- Use the preterite tense: Supieron las noticias ayer. (Conveys a specific action of finding out the news in the past.)

4. The boy knew she was coming.
- Use the imperfect tense: El chico sabía que ella venía. (Conveys the ongoing knowledge or awareness of her arrival in the past.)

5. We succeeded in lifting the piano.
- Use the preterite tense: Pudimos levantar el piano. (Conveys a specific action of successfully lifting the piano in the past.)

6. I met Juan five years ago.
- Use the preterite tense: Hace cinco años que conocí a Juan. (Conveys a specific action of meeting Juan five years ago.)

7. I received a letter from my sister.
- Use the preterite tense: Tuve una carta de mi hermana. (Conveys a specific action of receiving the letter in the past.)

8. Carmen used to have a house in Acapulco.
- Use the imperfect tense: Carmen tenía una casa en Acapulco. (Conveys a past habitual action of Carmen having a house in Acapulco.)

9. Arturo tried to leave.
- Use the preterite tense: Arturo quiso salir. (Conveys a specific action of Arturo trying to leave in the past.)

10. Maria tried to eat.
- Use the preterite tense: María quiso comer. (Conveys a specific action of María trying to eat in the past.)

11. The girls were able to go to the party.
- Use the imperfect tense: Las chicas podían ir a la fiesta. (Conveys the ability to go to the party in the past.)

12. The brothers received a message from their father.
- Use the imperfect tense: Los hermanos tenían un mensaje de su padre. (Conveys the possession of a message from their father in the past.)

13. The drunk refused to leave.
- Use the preterite tense: El borracho no quiso salir. (Conveys a specific action of the drunk refusing to leave in the past.)

14. I knew him well.
- Use the imperfect tense: Le conocía bien. (Conveys the ongoing knowledge or familiarity with him in the past.)

15. Jorge met a charming young lady.
- Use the preterite tense: Jorge conoció a una simpática señorita. (Conveys a specific action of Jorge meeting a charming young lady in the past.)

16. At that time, we knew the city very well.
- Use the imperfect tense: En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad. (Conveys the ongoing knowledge or familiarity with the city in the past.)

17. Alberto succeeded in reading the whole book.
- Use the preterite tense: Alberto pudo leer el libro entero. (Conveys a specific action of Alberto successfully reading the whole book in the past.)

18. I wasn't able to remember his name.
- Use the imperfect tense: No podía recordar su nombre. (Conveys the ongoing inability to remember his name in the past.)

19. Last night, Juan found out the truth.
- Use the preterite tense: Anoche Juan supo la verdad. (Conveys a specific action of Juan finding out the truth last night.)

20. The young ladies did not want to leave.
- Use the imperfect tense: Las señoritas no querían salir. (Conveys the ongoing refusal or desire not to leave in the past.)