“Comí” or “comía”
CEFR A2 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
“Por” or “para”Choosing between “por” and “para” for cause, purpose, destination, duration, exchange…“Lo”, “la”, “le” — and they go in frontReplacing an object with “lo”, “la”, “los”, “las”, “le” or “les”, and putting the…“Saber” or “conocer”Using “saber” for facts, information and skills, and “conocer” for being acquainted with…“Me duele la cabeza”, not “mi cabeza”Using the article instead of the possessive with parts of the body and clothes, because…“Voy a menudo”: where the adverb goesPlacing “siempre”, “nunca”, “ya”, “todavía”, “a menudo” and “casi” where Spanish puts…“Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Choosing between “ser” and “estar” in everyday sentences: who you are and what you are…The rule, in three lines
The preterite —comí, fui, hablé— tells you WHAT HAPPENED: a finished action, however long it lasted. The imperfect —comía, iba, hablaba— tells you what things WERE LIKE: the background, a habit, a description, an action in progress. In one story you normally need both: llovía (background) cuando salí (event).
The usual slip. Picking one of the two and telling the whole story with it, because English told the story with one tense.
Why it catches you out. “I ate” is one form in English and two in Spanish, so there is nothing to copy across. The question that works is not how long ago it was: it is whether you are telling what HAPPENED or what things WERE LIKE while it happened. “Used to” and “was doing” are your clues — both of them are the imperfect.