Question 1

Why is intentó in the preterite here instead of the imperfect (intentaba)?

Accepted Answer

We use the preterite intentó because it refers to a specific, completed attempt in the past. He made a move to flirt, and that event is now over. If you used intentaba, it would set the background scene, meaning he was in the process of trying to flirt when something else happened.

Question 2

Is coquetear the most common way to say to flirt in Latin America?

Accepted Answer

While coquetear is widely understood and perfectly natural for playful flirting, you will also frequently hear the verb ligar. In many countries, like Mexico, ligar is used for flirting or trying to pick someone up, though it can sometimes imply a more direct romantic goal than just playful banter.

Question 3

What is the subject of desconcertó at the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

The subject is su pregunta (his question). The verb desconcertar (to bewilder or disconcert) is conjugated in the third-person singular preterite to match the question itself. The object pronoun me goes before the conjugated verb to show that you are the person receiving the bewilderment.

Question 4

Since this lesson is about indirect questions, how would I expand this sentence to report what he asked?

Accepted Answer

You could add an indirect question right after by saying me preguntó si quería bailar (he asked me if I wanted to dance). Because you are reporting a past conversation, a yes/no question is reported using si followed by the imperfect tense (quería) to backshift from his original present-tense question (¿quieres bailar?).

Él intentó coquetear, pero su pregunta me desconcertó.

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