Question

Question
Explain how the imperfect is used to talk about the past.
(4 points)

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Answer 1

Give four main uses (one point each):

1) Habitual/repeated past actions — actions you used to do regularly.
Example: "When I was a child I played outside every day."

2) Background/setting the scene in the past — what was happening or the context.
Example: "It was raining and the streets were empty."

3) Ongoing action that was interrupted — an action in progress when another event occurred.
Example: "I was reading when the phone rang."

4) Descriptions, states, time, age, feelings in the past — to describe people, time, weather, mental/physical states.
Example: "She was tired, she was twenty, and it was late."