Find word making it imperfect or preterite.

Question

Can someone help me identify what words makes it imperfect or preterite? I know which verb it it but not which specific word is making it. Look at example below as difficult to explain. 

Modelo

Luego llegó el uniforme y con él nació oficialmente el Club Independiente Cazucá.
p luego

1. Lo primero fue el fútbol

2. ...la puntualidad con que llegaban a la cita de los sábados

3. Desde que comenzó a operar como una escuela de fútbol en Altos de Cazucá, Tiempo de Juego adoptó una metodología de fútbol con valores...

4. ...para ocupar de forma productiva y entretenida las largas horas en las que el vicio solía acompañar al ocio.

5. En fin, de ser un programa informal y de crecimiento espontáneo, se pasó a constituir una Fundación con una visión muy sencilla...

Answer 1

Hi Bob, I am not sure I fully understand your question - are you trying to provide reasoning for why the verbs in the sentences are either imperfect or preterit?

In #1, for example, you have the verb IR in preterit ("fue") because the sentence begins with "Lo primero", which means "first". This is simply stating a fact, listing the order of events, therefore you want the preterit tense (simple past).

For #2, I would need to see the full sentence in order to have more context.

#3 has two preterit verbs - "comenzo" and "adoptó". Generally speaking, we use the preterit tense when narrating simple, completed actions. That reasoning fits the use of these two verbs. There is no description of environment or other ongoing action in the past that would require the imperfect.

In #4, by contrast, we are now reading about something that *used to* happen ("el vicio solía acompañar al ocio" - the bad habit/vice *used to* go hand in hand with spare time). Since we do not have a specific timeframe or moment of completed action, we can consider this a narrative that is depicting something that occurred in the past, on several, unspecified occasions (over a period of time). That is why we need imperfect.

#5 is now a completed action - the informal program with spontaneous growth *became* a Foundation with a very simple vision. The acting of becoming ("se pasó a constituir") in this case is a fact, a finished event in the past. In other words, one thing (the program) became another (the foundation).

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

Good answers on here already specifically answering the question. I would like to add that teaching and/or learning the difference between the preterite and imperfect by trying to focus on special trigger words is a novice method of learning. It's popular, but novice. Multiple "trigger words" that are traditionally taught to indicate let's say the imperfect can most certainly be used to indicate the preterite. The real difference has to do with the "present of the past". Tense has to do with time. In fact "tense" in Spanish is "tiempo", which is, "time". If you can understand what the PRESENT TENSE really is, that is, its TIME or WHEN it is happening, then you can understand what the IMPERFECT past tense is. Only expert teachers can explain this simply, and few even attempt to do so.