Setting the scene

hacía · había · estaba

how things were· tap a form for the whole table

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Why it works

The imperfect paints the scene: the weather, the place, the mood.

Nothing happens yet — you are describing how things were.

The events that happen inside that scene take the preterite.

Why not hizo

ayer hizo mucho calor

yesterday it was very hot

Not wrong, but it closes the heat into one finished block. Hacía leaves it open as the scene.

In a full sentence

Yo estaba en casa durante el despliegue.
I was at home during the deployment.
Imperfect describes where I was in the background.
Mi jefe era muy tranquilo en las reuniones.
My boss was very calm in meetings.
Imperfect describes a person’s usual quality.
El piso tenía poca luz por la mañana.
The flat had little light in the morning.
Imperfect describes a continuing feature of the flat.
Hacía mucho calor en Madrid ese verano.
It was very hot in Madrid that summer.
Imperfect sets the weather in the background.

5 gaps to fill, then 3 sentences from the English · say or type each one