Can someone please check-over my answers to these Spanish questions?

Question

Subject: Preterit and Imperfect Tenses Used Together

Instructions: For each sentence, choose the most correct use of verb in parentheses. Write out your choices on the lines below each sentence. (My answers are in bold.)

1-2. Cuando Mamá (llegó, llegaba) a casa, los niños (durmieron, dormían).

llegó dormían

1. __________________ 2. _________________

 

3-4. Cuando yo (tuve, tenía) veinte años, (compré, compraba) un carro.

tuve compraba

3. __________________ 4. _________________

5-6. María y yo (leímos, leíamos) cuando (entró, entraba) José.

leímos entró

5. __________________ 6. _________________

7-8. Carlos y Adela (estudiaron, estudiaban) cuando (sonó, sonaba) el teléfono.

estudiaron sonaba

7. __________________ 8. _________________

 

9-10. Tú (cocinaste, cocinabas) cuando tu hermana (cerró, cerraba) la puerta. 

cocinaste cerraba

9. __________________ 10. _________________

 

Answer 1

I believe tenía is appropriate because you are describing or narrating an event that happened at that age.

Creo que es muy pertinente que usa el imperfecto del infinitivo tener para número tres; para número 4, por favor, usa compré. Debe usarlo porque era una acción completada.

Answer:

Para número cinco: debe usar leíamos porque un uso del imperfecto es narrando.

Usando números 7-8 para explicar más los conceptos de cambiar entre el pretérito y el perfecto

Basically, the imperfect is the thing/action that’s interrupted.

Or, explicitly, the preterite interrupts an action described in the past that was ongoing.

*Remember that the preterite describes completed actions.

The imperfect describes events in the past that were habitual or continuous-without a distinct end.

7-8. Carlos y Adela (estudiaron, estudiaban) cuando (sonó, sonaba) el teléfono.

estudiaron sonaba

7. __________________ 8. _________________

To answer your questions think about overall picture, objective or purpose of the given information.

Which sounds better:

Carlos and Adela studied when the phone was ringing?

or

Carlos and Adela were studying when the phone rang?

So, to follow the grammar rules of Spanish follow this guideline and it should translate to the following:

Answer:

Carlos y Adela (were) cuando (blank occurred)

Carlos y Adela estudiaban cuando el teléfono sonó.

9-10: You were (blank) when (blank) happened.

You cooked when your brother was opening the door?

Or, you were cooking when your brother opened the door?

Answer:

Tú cocinabas cuando tu hermano cerró la puerta.