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Las clases comenzaron en septiembre.

Las clases comenzaron en septiembre.
The classes began in September.
From Lesson 296:Formal words for everyday ideas (comenzar, regresar, utilizar)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Las clases comenzaron en septiembre.

Why is comenzaron (preterite) used here instead of comenzaban (imperfect)?
We use the preterite (comenzaron) because the start of the classes is seen as a single, completed event that happened at a specific point in time. The imperfect (comenzaban) would imply a repeated action in the past, translating closer to "classes used to start in September."
Could I use empezaron instead of comenzaron?
Yes, absolutely. Both empezar and comenzar mean "to begin" or "to start." Empezar is slightly more common in everyday spoken Spanish, while comenzar is just a bit more formal, but they are completely interchangeable in this sentence.
Why is septiembre written with a lowercase letter?
Unlike in English, months of the year, days of the week, and languages are not capitalized in Spanish unless they appear at the very beginning of a sentence.
Do we always use just en before the month, without an article like el?
Yes. To say something happens in a certain month, you just use en plus the name of the month. You do not use a definite article. It is always en septiembre, never en el septiembre.

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