imperfect · "was / used to" · Past · Level A
Something was going on, or used to happen. It is a stretch on the line, not a dot: what things were like, what you used to do, what was happening when something else happened.
Examples
Antes tenía que trabajar los sábados.
I used to have to work on Saturdays.
Cuando era niño, me gustaba el fútbol.
When I was a kid, I liked soccer.
Quería un café, pero no había.
I wanted a coffee, but there wasn't any.
Careful
English hides this slot: 'I wanted' can be 1a or 1b. Ask yourself whether you are reporting an event (1a) or describing how things were (1b). Time words help: antes, siempre, cuando era niño point at 1b.
On the site
Pick an opener like antes or siempre and the Engine moves to 1b: quiero becomes quería, tengo que becomes tenía que.
Practice 1b in Build