are these the correct verb tense and conjugations? i have to use either preterite or imperfect.

Question

1. they were looking - buscaban
2. they talked - hablaban
3. they thought - piensaron
4. they liked - gustaron
5. they needed - necesitaron
6. they asked - pidieron
7. they were ready - fueron listos
8. they met - reunieron
9. they began - empiezaron
10. they arrived - lleguaron
11. they told - dijaron
12. it was - era
13. they had - divertian
14. he was - era
15. he told - dijo

Answer 1

2. they talked could be the primary meaning of the Preterit OR the terciary meaning of the Imperfect.
Preterit = they talkED, they DID talk
Imperfect = they WERE talkING, they USED TO talk, they talkED
Therefore I would be more comfortable with the Preterit = hablaron.
Sometimes ONLY the speaker can decide, depending upon the context, but there is no context here.

3. they thought, yes the Preterit but only a few -ir verbs have a single vowel change in the Preterit and pensar is not one = pensaron.
(pedir = pidieron = e--->i only in the 3rd person, singular and plural)

4. they liked. With gustar you would have to know what pleased them. This verb usually is the 3rd person singular or plural. Examples: They liked the book = Les gustó el libro. BUT They liked the books = Les gustaron los libros. The subject is actually the THING(S) liked. Literally: the book did please them (ws pleaning TO THEM) or the books did please them = but the verb gustar takes an indirect-object pronoun to say to WHOM it pleased.

7. they were ready = I would say this is NOT action (Preterit) BUT description (Imperfect) = estaban listos This would be estar and not ser.

8. they met could also be encontraron because reunir is usually reflexive = se reunieron CON (someone)

9. they began = yes, Preterit but this is NOT an -ir verb (like #3 but an -ar verb) = empezaron OR commenzaron or even se pusieron a + infinitive

10. they arrived = spelling is off = llegaron

11. they told = spelling is off (-er verb with a special stem (dij) using unstressed Preterit endings and after the letter "j" (or ñ or ll) the "i" disappears.

12. it was = this depends upon the context, but with out a context, I like your choice

13. they had (tener not divertirse = to have fun) = tuvieron (Preterit)

14. he was = just like #12

The rest are fine!

Sra