The -se form is considered the traditional form of the imperfect subjunctive, while the -ra is derived from an old Latin indicative form. Both are almost interchangeable in modern Spanish….Mode: Subjunctive.

The indicative mood is used to make factual statements, ask questions, or express opinions as if they were facts. Any verb tense may be deployed in the indicative mood. The following sentences are statements of fact or belief, so they are in the indicative mood: I saw something today that really annoyed me. [

In essence, any personal reaction to a situation is emotional. The focus is not on a factual observation of a situation, but how it makes the subject feel. Since how a person feels is always subjective, you use the subjunctive.

Another tense that has to do with the past is the ‘imperfect indicative’. Basically, this refers to an action that took place in the past, but was ongoing for a period of time and where the time of completion of the action is not specified.

The imperfect tense is one of the verb tenses used to talk about the past, especially in descriptions, and to say what was happening or used to happen, for example, It was sunny at the weekend; We were living in Spain at the time; I used to walk to school.

In very general terms, the preterite tense is used to refer to a single event that happened at a specific point of time or had a specific duration in the past, while the imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing events or events without a specific time period in the past.