Spanish language Q&A Forum

When do i use este and when do i use esto? For example: Este camion es muy grande vs esto camion es muy grande

For the last sentence, can't we use 'llevar' to talk about time spent doing something? 

We are taught that El Pretérito Imperfecto is used for past actions that were ongoing with no clear end that describes what was happening or what things were like. Also El Pretérito Imperfecto is used for past habitual action, repeated / regularly occuring past actions, and actions that used to happen in the past. 

We are also taught El Pretérito Indefinido is used to describe past actions in a way that conveys the sense that were completed / finished, this can be one off actions / events, series of actions, actions that happened a specific number of times, actions that happened at a specific point in time, and actions that interrupt an ongoing past action.

However most of the time these two past tenses translate to the same in English which can cause us problems with which one to use.

So after studying these two tenses a lot, I think that I have a trick that helps me most of the time choose the right tense. (although with some verbs, I need to study the nuances just a little more)

So if I want to describe a past action, as in setting a scene or convey the action was ongoing without showing an ending etc. Then I use El Pretérito Imperfecto, Había, comía, hablaba, pensaba.

Now with El Pretérito Indefinido hubo, comió, habló, pensó, I have started to think of it as a fact (100%) to help me know that the action has happened and finished / completed. (or didn't happen if we use NO infront of the verb)

When it comes to había and hubo (from the verb Haber to exist in this use) they translate the same in English as '’there was'’ and our English thinking part of the brain doesn't know what to do with the word hubo.

Therefore to help with this, I asked myself '’is this a descriptive '’there was'’ (había) or is this a '’there was'’(hubo) that is stating a fact (100%)'’.

Había mucha comida en la fiesta. (descriptive)

Hubo mucha comida en la fiesta. (fact)

There was a lot of food at the party.

Había una reunión importante el sábado.  (descriptive)

Hubo una reunión importante el sábado.  (fact)

There was an important meeting on Saturday.

I hope I am on the right path of choosing the right tense when talking about the past, I think it's all down to what you want to convey to the listener, description or fact.

Hello, I don't understand, why "fascinar" always has to be conjugated in the 3rd person singular or plural, as you have written in the lesson. If I want to say instead of "I am fascinated by Hollywood actresses." the sentence "I am fascinated by you.", I think I have to say "Me fascinas tú." I think, that it's only always in the 3rd person, if it is followed by a verb. And it should be the same with gustar and encantar. Or did I understand something wrong?

Can you help me understand this, please.  In my answer, I used 'ayudaban' on the basis that the help given happened more than once. It was corrected to 'ayudaron'.  Don't we have to assume though that the help/assistance was ongoing?

Many thanks

Trefor

Hello, I’ve really struggled with this lesson. I’ve finally figured out that it is the verb itself that decides whether or not you use ‘a’ or ‘de’. It just wasn’t clicking. So first I will start learning which preposition follows specific verbs, then I will come back to this. Your lesson is about learning that ‘a+el’ is ‘al’ and ‘de+el’ is ‘del’. And I understand that completely. I don’t recall if there is a lesson about correct propositions after verbs. Please let me know if there is. Thank you!