El pasado continuo

El pasado continuo

Aqui vamos a contrastar el pasado continuo con el pasado simple al final encontrarás ejercicios con las respuestas para practicar.

Se usa el pasado continuo:

• Para hablar sobre una acción no terminada en un punto del pasadoHe was playing football at half past four yesterday. (El estaba jugando fútbol a las cuatro y media ayer).
• Para hablar de 2 acciones -una siendo más larga que la otra que interumpe la acción anteriorI was cooking when the doorbell rang. (Estaba cocinando cuando alguien llamó a la puerta).

Hay que recordar que se puede usar when + pasado simple para hablar de 2 acciones consecutivas en el pasado:
I bought my ticket when the train arrived. (Compré mi billete cuando el tren llego).

Cuando se usa la palabra while (mientras) normalmente se usa el pasado continuo.
I listened to the news while I was driving. (Escuché las noticias mientras estaba conduciendo).


Important:

There are some verbs that can´t be used in the continuous form in English. Here´s a short list:

• believe
• hear
• see
• sound
• understand
• want
• like

Como se forma el pasado continuo

Pasado continuo afirmativo:
Subject + was/were + present participle (verbo+ing)I+ was + reading. (Estaba leyendo)

Pasado continuo negativo:
Subject + wasn´t/weren´t + present participle
I wasn´t reading. (No estaba leyendo).
Pasado continuo interrogativo

Questions was/were + subject + present participle
Were you reading? (¿Estabas leyendo?)

Spelling Tips

• To make the present participle add ‘ing’ : Finish --> finishing
• If the verb ends in one vowel and one consonant you need to double the consonant:
  Stop --> stopping
• If the verb ends in ‘e’ remove the ‘e’ before adding ‘ing’ : Take --> taking

Ejercicios

• Practise making the present participle with these infinitives: cut, think, wash, wear, break, come, go, do, sit - click here for the correct answers
• Have a go at this exercise to practise using the past simple and continuous then click here for the correct answers

1. I ................(read) a magazine when it ................(start) to rain.
2. Some friends ……………..(arrive) while we …………….(watch) television.
3. He …………….(cook) dinner when he ………….. (receive) a text message from his girlfriend.
4. They …………….(play) football when the storm …………….(begin).
5. What ……………………..(you/do) yesterday at 3 pm?
6. ………………(you/study) when I ………………..(ring) you last night?
7. He …………….(can) sleep because the baby …………..(cry).
8. She……………(arrive) as the train was ……………….(leave) the station.
9. The children ………..(listen) while the teacher ………..(explain) the answers.
10. I…………….(listen) to the radio when I…………..(receive) your email.

solucion:

1. I was reading a magazine when it started to rain.
2. Some friends arrived while we were watching television.
3. He was cooking dinner when he received a text message from his girlfriend.
4. They were playing football when the storm began.
5. What were you doing at 3 pm yesterday?
6. Were you studying when I rang you last night?
7. He couldn´t sleep because the baby was crying.
8. She arrived as the train was leaving the station.
9. The children listened while the teacher was explaining the answers.
10. I was listening to the radio when I received your email.