Indicative Spanish Form help.?

Question

I don't normally ask for Spanish help but with this scenario, I had to make an exception. What I have to do is write two sentences using the Preterite past perfect form in Spanish. Which my book says the form would be "had [verb]ed." Now that makes sense, but what is the difference between the Preterite Past Perfect tense and the Imperfective Past Perfect Tense in Spanish? Here are the examples, but I don't understand how they changed it.

Preterite Past Perfect-"Sé que el niño hubo hablado."
Imperfective Past Perfect-"Sé que el niño había hablado."
(What's connfusing is that both sentences mean the same thing; "I know the child had spoken."

If you could teach me the differences between these past tenses I would appreciate it.

Answer 1

The preterite is used to express completed past actions. There is specific past time expression either stated or implied. In a story the preterite tells the action.
Marcos compró un coche nuevo ayer. Marcos bought a new car yesterday.
Yo escribí una carta a mi mamá anoche. I wrote a letter to my mother lastnight.
The imperfect is used to express actions that were going on for a period of time or what someone "used to do". In a story, the imperfect is the setting.
Cuando yo era joven, jugabamos en el parque. When I was young we used to play in the park. The reason why you would use imperfect for when I was young is that there is no indication of when youth ended.
Buscábamos un carro nuevo. We were looking for a new car. (no indication that one was found or when we stopped looking).

Answer 2

I'm a native Spanish speaker, and the first sentence that you wrote isn't used properly, the second one, does mean I know the child had spoken.

The preterite past perfect in Spanish would be: Sé que el niño ha hablado. - I know the kid has spoken.

The imperfective past perfect is: Sé que el niño había habaldo. - I know the kid had spoken.

That's the difference.....

Answer 3

I speak spanish as primary language, this is what it is:
Preterite Past Perfect-"Sé que el niño hubo hablado." this is past expl: this morning.

Imperfective Past Perfect-"Sé que el niño había hablado." This statement is imperfect but it has nospecification to what time in the past the child has spoken.

Answer 4

HI, I can definitely help you with one of them.

Imperfect past perfect ( habia hablado) is used when this action(habia hablado) occurs before another past action. For example, El nino habia hablado antes de que llego' su madre. The action of Hablar happened before another action in past : Llegar, that's why it is in imperfect past perfect form.

For the other one, the only thing I can tell you, is that it is almost no more used, it is an old form, so I do not know how and when to use it. If you are very interested, I can ask my professor and then let you know, try to communicate me, I do not know if you can or not, of not, give me your email address nad I 'll tell you after I talk to my professor.

Answer 5

I think the Preterite is used to describe a past event that happened once or twice, or at a specific time, or had a specific end to it.
Imperfect is used to describe past events that happened more than once, as a tradition or a habit.