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El mono jugaba cuando de repente vio una araña.

El mono jugaba cuando de repente vio una araña.
The monkey was playing when suddenly it saw a spider.
From Lesson 113:Preterite vs. imperfect·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about El mono jugaba cuando de repente vio una araña.

Why do we use both the imperfect (jugaba) and the preterite (vio) in this sentence?
This is the classic interrupted action pattern! You use the imperfect (jugaba) for the ongoing background action ('was playing'), and the preterite (vio) for the sudden event that interrupts it ('saw').
Is de repente a clue for which past tense to use?
Yes! de repente means 'suddenly'. Because it introduces an action that happens quickly and at a specific moment, it is a huge hint that the following verb will be in the preterite tense, just like vio.
Why doesn't vio have an accent mark on the 'o' like other preterite verbs?
Regular preterite verbs for 'he/she/it' usually end in an accented vowel, like comió (ate) or habló (spoke). However, ver is slightly irregular. Because vio is just one syllable, Spanish spelling rules dictate that it does not get an accent mark.
Could we use jugó instead of jugaba here?
If you said el mono jugó, it would mean 'the monkey played' as a completed, standalone event. By using the imperfect jugaba, you create a continuous 'was playing' feeling, which sets the scene for the spider to interrupt.

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