Do You Use Preterite for Age?

Chloe Bennett
Chloe Bennett
• • 2 min read

To Talk About Ages or the Time in the Past: Whenever You Want to Refer to Someone's Age in the Past or Tell What Was the Time When Something Happened, Also Use...

Do You Use Preterite for Age?

To Talk About Ages Or The Time In The Past:
Whenever you want to refer to someone's age in the past or tell what was the time when something happened, also use the imperfect tense
imperfect tense
The imperfect (abbreviated IMPERF) is a verb form that combines past tense (reference to a past time) and imperfective aspect (reference to a continuing or repeated event or state). ... "Imperfect" comes from the Latin imperfectus "unfinished", because the imperfect expresses an ongoing, uncompleted action.
› wiki › Imperfect
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When should preterite be used?

The preterite is used when referring to actions that were completed in the past. When you use the preterite, it also implies that the action had a definite beginning and a definite end.

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When can I not use preterite?

The preterite tense is NOT used to describe people in the past or to describe or set a scene. It is NOT used to describe repeated or continuous actions in the past with no specific beginning or end.

Chloe Bennett

Chloe Bennett

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Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.