Preterite and imperfect

When I started learning the past tense in Spanish I was excited because I felt I was moving to the next level. I couldn't carry on a real conversation because it's hard to explain anything without using the past tense. At first I was excited and I was getting it...I thought. Then it started to get harder and I never knew which tense to use. Do I use the preterite, the imperfect I never knew.

I heard the definitions that generally the preterite refers to past actions that are seen as completed. The imperfect generally refers to actions that are not seen as being completed. Great, but that didn't clear everything up for me so I needed some hands on practice.

I took one verb at a time and really went over them until I had them down and could tell the difference.

Here are a couple examples using the verb volar - to fly.

Imperfect:
cuando yo era pequeño, yo volaba en avion mucho.
when I was small I flew in planes a lot.

This is the imperfect because it doesn't specify the action is completed. When I was learning this it sounded to me like the action was finished. "When I was small" sounds finished to me because I'm not small anymore. The imperfect tells us generally when the action happened. I then compared it to the preterite.


Preterite:
Yo volé a San Francisco la semana pasada.
I flew to San Francisco last week.

This one definitely has ended, it was last week. If you say last week, last night, last year, anything like that you will use the preterit tense. anything where the action is obviously complete. The preterite tells us specifically when an action happened.

Just grab a verb and the conjugation for both and just keep making up sentences using both so you will know the difference automatically. then grab another and another. Trust me, with a little practice and a few verbs under your belt you will have the difference down in no time.

buena suerte

Una palabra nueva

I have been learning one new Spanish word a day and it has been working well. I still use my flash cards but with only one word a day I really learn the word. I use it throughout the day whenever I have a few seconds. I will use it in different sentences, I will just think about the word many times throughout the day. Then the next morning when I get up I use that word in a sentence before I learn my new word.
I remember hearing that Monica Seles the tennis player from a few years ago did this when she came to the U.S. and started learning English. It seems like it would take forever only learning one new word a day but the words start adding up quickly and you really learn the word instead of trying to remember it. It certainly worked for Monica, her English is great.
So don't stop with your other lessons as you will learn other words and grammar with your current Spanish learning course but pick on word every day that is relevant to your life and really learn that word, you'll be amazed at quickly your Spanish vocabulary has grown.

nos vemos

Flash Cards

I bought a set of spanish flash cards once but didn't find it was worth the money. I recently started making my own. This is much cheaper and more practical for my learning. I can make up cards based on what I am currently learning. I find that making a few dozen cards a week is enough. Then every morning I take 5 or 6 with me and whenever I have a minute or 2 I will just pull one out and look at it. Sometimes in line at the store or the bank. If I'm put on hold on the phone. When I get in my car, before I go anywhere I just look at one. I've had a few looks when I pull one out at the bank or grocery store, but it works. I only use them for nouns or verbs, I don't put sentences on them. You would be amazed at how many minutes we have throughout the day that are wasted, so we might as well get a little Spanish learning in there.
I tried making them with paper but didn't work as well so I went to an office supply store and just bought plain card stock and cut them up into small cards.
Let me know if you have any other suggestions for using flash cards or if you have found some that you have purchased that have been helpful.

buena suerte

Lo siento pero he estado ocupado recientemente

I have been busy with trading and life in general lately but hope to get back to regular posting now.
I haven't been studying as much lately, but still manage to get in some here and there.
I just picked up Learning Spanish Like Crazy nivel dos. I liked the first one and will take a listen to level 2 and report back on it. As well I will be reviewing Rosetta Stone Spanish and a few other courses as well. I will also be giving tips I've learned and some more general lessons so we can all learn together.

nos vemos