Using the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish:
Mis primos vinieron a casa, pero yo estaba demasiado enfermo para jugar.
Overview of the sentence
Preterite Tense:
The preterite tense is used for actions that were completed in the past, often with a specific time frame.
In the given sentence, "vinieron" is in the preterite tense.
It indicates the specific action of your cousins coming to your house.
Imperfect Tense:
The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, as well as to set the scene or provide background information.
In the sentence, "estaba" is in the imperfect tense.
It describes your ongoing state of being too sick to play.