Past Continuous
El Past Continuous describe acciones que estaban en progreso en un momento específico del pasado.
¿Cuándo usar el Past Continuous?
El Past Continuous se usa para hablar de acciones que estaban en progreso en un momento específico del pasado.
Formación:
| Forma | Estructura | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| Afirmativa | was/were + verb-ing | I was studying |
| Negativa | wasn't/weren't + verb-ing | I wasn't studying |
| Interrogativa | Was/Were + sujeto + verb-ing? | Was I studying? |
Usos principales:
Acciones en progreso
I was reading when you called
She was cooking dinner
They were playing football
Con expresiones de tiempo
at 5 o'clock (a las 5)
this time yesterday (a esta hora ayer)
all day (todo el día)
from 3 to 5 (de 3 a 5)
Past Continuous vs Past Simple:
Interrupciones en el pasado
I was watching TV when the phone rang
(Estaba viendo TV cuando sonó el teléfono)
She was cooking when I arrived
(Ella estaba cocinando cuando llegué)
Verbos que NO se usan en continuo:
Verbos de estado
❌ I was knowing
✅ I knew
❌ She was wanting
✅ She wanted
Verbos de percepción
❌ I was seeing
✅ I saw
❌ They were hearing
✅ They heard
Formas contraídas:
En lenguaje hablado
I wasn't sleeping = I was not sleeping
She wasn't working = She was not working
We weren't eating = We were not eating
Were you studying? = Were you studying?
Práctica: Forma oraciones en Past Continuous
1. I / read / when you called → I _____ _____ when you called.
2. She / cook / dinner at 6 PM → She _____ _____ dinner at 6 PM.
3. They / not / play / football → They _____ _____ football.
4. What / you / do / yesterday? → _____ _____ _____ yesterday?
5. We / watch / TV / when it happened → We _____ _____ TV when it happened.
💡 Consejos importantes
- Se forma con was/were + verb-ing
- Describe acciones en progreso en el pasado
- Se usa con expresiones de tiempo específico
- No se usa con verbos de estado (know, want, like, etc.)
🎯 Regla clave
El Past Continuous pinta una "foto" de una acción en progreso en un momento específico del pasado. Es especialmente útil para describir el contexto de interrupciones.