I didn't go by train but by car.
Why is this in imperfect tense? Seems like completed action in the past
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John V.Kwiziq community member
Why is this in imperfect tense? Seems like completed action in the past
Yo no iba en tren sino en coche.
This question relates to:Spanish lesson "Conjugate ir in the imperfect tense in Spanish (El Pretérito Imperfecto)"
Asked 18 hours ago

Hola John V.
In this sentence there is no time marker (we don’t know when it started or ended), and the hint itself says “there is no specific beginning or end”.
Both of these are exactly the triggers for using the imperfect tense, it’s used for ongoing situations in the past with no clear limits. That’s why tenía is the natural choice here instead of tuvo.
Saludos
Silvia
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