In a Spanish sentance that tells a story, is it incorrect to start with the preterit and end with imperfect?

Question

For example:
El príncipe tuvo mucho miedo y por eso, empazaba a llorar.
versus
El príncipe tenía mucho miedo y por eso, empezó a llorar.
Which is correct and why or are both correct?
Is there a difference in what is being said?
Thanks

Answer 1

Hola larmac,

This is an interesting one.
First off, you can start a sentence with the preterit and end it with the imperfect (or viceversa):

El hombre llamó a su amigo mientras esperaba a la ambulancia. [or Mientras esperaba a la ambulancia, el hombre llamó a su amigo].
In English,
The man CALLED his friend while he WAS WAITING for the ambulance.

Now, in the example you have posted the correct sentence is:
El príncipe tenía mucho miedo y, por eso, empezó a llorar.
The prince was afraid and that is why he started to cry.
Why? Well, the ideas expressed in that sentence refer to actions that are COMPLETED in the past. Examples of this include sentences like:

Ella pintó el retrato ayer (she painted the portrait yesterday).
Ella trabajó de 1 a 7pm (she worked from 1 to 7).

Whereas
'ella pintaba' or 'ella trabajaba' indicate actions that were PART OF A ROUTINE IN THE PAST. That is the key thing. Examples:

ella se despertaba a ... (she used to wake up...)
ella empezaba a trabajar (she used to start work at...)
ella pintaba de 1 a 7 (she used to paint from 1 to...)

To sum up, use PRETERITE for for ACTIONS in the past that are COMPLETED. Use the IMPERFECT for actions that USED TO HAPPEN, often as part of a routine.

Click here for quizzes and more details:
http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/pretimp1.htm

Answer 2

The correct one is the second - El príncipe tenía mucho miedo y por eso, empezó a llorar.

The prince was very frightened - this isn't a one-off action, but a description of his state of mind - therefore the imperfect is appropriate. He started to cry - one-off action that was not continuous (i.e. 'started'), therefore the preterit tense.

Answer 3

There is a big difference. You have to say:
El príncipe tuvo mucho miedo y por eso, empezó a llorar.
In the other sentence, translated to English you say:
The prince was very afraid and he was starting crying.

Answer 4

On the first sentence, the tense used in the first clause is the simple past, when you use this, also the second clause should be in accord with the tense used in the first.
Therefore you should have it as this:
El princip tuvo mucho miedo, y por eso, empezo a llorar.

The error on the first sentence you used, is that on its second clause you are using the imperfect past tense, which directs to an action done in the past but without a delimited time of occurrence, it is equivalent to the english periphrasic expression of "I used to". If you wannna do the first second correct, all in the imperfect past tense, it should read as follows:

El principe tenia mucho miedo, y por eso, comenzaba a llorar.

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

The correct one would be

El príncipe tenía mucho miedo y por eso, empezó a llorar.

empezó a llorar = started to cry.

empezaba a llorar = was beginning to cry ......

Answer 6

you will not examine this in any grammar e book, yet one speedy thank you to tell if some thing belongs interior the imperfect or interior the preterite annoying is to ask your self in case you will locate the progression happening on your suggestions's eye once you're conversing approximately it. in case you may, this is preterite. If it is blurry--not a particular adventure yet greater a set of circumstances interior the previous, this is imperfect. enable me supply you an occasion: evaluate the English sentence: "I went to that church while i develop into youthful." enable's examine out the notice "went" interior the preterite and the imperfect. interior the preterite, "Fui a esa iglesia cuando era joven" could propose that once you have been youthful, you attended the church in some unspecified time interior the destiny in time. in case you're able to be able to desire to undergo in suggestions, you're able to see specifics: what you had on, how the climate develop into, the form you went...it develop into an adventure that got here approximately. you have have been given definitely belonged to a diverse church, yet at a given element in time, you walked for the time of the doorways of that church and sat by way of a provider. interior the imperfect, "Iba a esa iglesia cuando era joven" could propose that the church in question develop into the church you belonged to. you're actually not seeing a undeniable happening on your suggestions...you may have visited different church homes, you may have ignored one Sunday and long previous the subsequent, or you may have attended midweek centers besides to Sunday centers---you're actually not observing a particular time once you went, only on the undeniable fact that attending that church develop into some thing that went on on your lifestyles once you have been youthful. In different words, what you're observing is the undeniable fact which you in maximum situations attended this church--it "could circulate on" interior the previous, with out specific occassion under question.

Answer 7

the 2nd one! why..because the imperfect is used to show emotion (tenia) and the preterite is used for interruptions or things that were not on going (empezo) you only begain to cry once! :)