A2 Preterite vs Imperfect — the two past tenses

Spanish splits the past into two tenses. The hardest part for learners is choosing which.

Preterite — a completed action

A single, finished event with a clear start/end.

Ayer comí pizza.	Yesterday I ate pizza.
Llegaron a las ocho.	They arrived at eight.

Used to / was ...-ing — repeated or ongoing actions, descriptions, and setting the scene.

De niño jugaba al fútbol.	As a child I used to play football.
Hacía sol y todos estaban felices.	It was sunny and everyone was happy.

Practise both on the conjugator and in the exercises.