Final answer:
The preterite tense describes actions with a clear beginning or end, while the imperfect tense describes past characteristics or ongoing situations without definite boundaries. Thus, for the beginning or ending of an action, use preterite, and for characteristics of people, use imperfect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves choosing between the preterite or imperfect past tenses in Spanish. The preterite tense is used to describe actions that have a definite beginning or end, making it suitable for the first scenario mentioned: 'beginning or ending of an action'.
For example, comenzó la clase (the class began) implies a specific starting point in the past. In contrast, the imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing past situations or characteristics that do not have a specifically indicated beginning or end.
This makes it suitable for the second scenario: 'characteristics of people'. An example would be ella era alta (she was tall), which describes a characteristic without focusing on the beginning or end of the trait.
In English, the preterite tense is used to describe the beginning or ending of an action. It represents a completed action in the past. For example: I began my homework last night.
The imperfect tense, on the other hand, is used to describe characteristics of people or ongoing actions in the past. It represents an action that was happening repeatedly or continuously in the past. For example: When I was younger, I used to go to the park every day.