English3d.com           Unit 4  Lesson eight
 

  

Our snug tiny island in the universe of language
         
     

 

 
     
       

             
 

- El otro día vine a la laguna y estabas desayunando   -Estaba comiendo un delicioso pescado   - Hace dos días vine y te estabas dando un banquete    -Sí...¡Estaba cominedo caviar!   ¿Por qué pasas todo el timpo comindo?   -Porque se acerca la Navidad...   -¿Y eso que significa?   -Chica...estoy engordando para complacer a mi dueña....¡Me prometió una gran sorpresa para Navidad!
  New words  Palabras nuevas
other: otra /o
pond: charco, laguna
banquet: banquete
kid: chica/ o
to put on weight: engordar, subir de peso
master: ama/o

'Se buen ave y come mucho antes de Navidad'

 		  

 

 The past continuous tense     El tiempo pasado progresivo

 

In general we use the past progressive to say that someone was in the middle of doing something at a certain time. For example we can say that: "This time last year, I was living in Italy"   En general usamos el pasado progresivo para decir que alguien estaba haciendo algo en un momento determinado.  Por ejemplo podemos decir que:  -El año pasado ,en esta fecha ,estaba viviendo en Italia.

 

How to form the past progressive: Como formar el pasado continuo:
We form this tense with the helping verb "to be" , in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):

 		   Formamos este tiempo verbal con el verbo auxiliar " to be", en el pasado simple y con el presente participio del verbo (con la terminación -ing)
 

 

Of course that you will run into the already traditional  affirmative, interrogative and negative forms with this tense. Por supuesto que te encontrarás con las ya "tradicionales" formas afirmativas, negativas e interrogativas en este tiempo verbal.

 

ENGLISH (positive form)

  

CASTELLANO (forma positiva)
Singular Plural Singular Plural
I was walking at ten yesterday we were walking Estaba caminando ayer a las diez Estábamos caminando
You were walking at 10.30 yesterday you were walking Estabas caminando ayer a las diez Estabais caminando
He/she/it was walking at 10.30 yesterday they were walking El/ ella/ estaba caminando ayer a las diez Estaban caminando

 

ENGLISH (negative form)   CASTELLANO (forma negativa)

To make the sentences negative use wasn't or weren't

Para hacer las oraciones negativas utiliza  wasn't o weren't
Singular Plural Singular Plural
I wasn't playing tennis at 11.00 we weren't playing No estaba jugando tenis a las once No estábamos jugando
You weren't drinking you weren't drinking No estabas bebiendo No estabais bebiendo
He/she/it wasn't eating they weren't eating él/ ella/ no estaba comiendo No estaban comiendo

 

ENGLISH ( interrogative form)-Short questions   CASTELLANO ( forma interrogativa)-Preguntas cortas

To make the sentences interrogative put was or were at the begining of the sentence:

Para hacer las oraciones interrogativas coloca was o were al comienzo de la oración:
Singular Plural Singular Plural
Was I  studying at eight? Were we  playing? ¿Estaba estudiando a las ocho? ¿Estábamos jugando?
 Were you drinking? Were you drinking? ¿Estabas bebiendo? ¿Estabais bebiendo?
Was he/she/it  eating? Were they  eating? ¿Estaba comiendo? ¿Estaban comiendo?

 

 

ENGLISH ( interrogative form) - Wh questions   CASTELLANO ( forma interrogativa) -Preguntas wh
Some useful examples of wh questions

Algunos ejemplos útiles de preguntas wh
       
What was she doing at eight yesterday?   ¿Que estaba haciendo a las ocho ayer?  
What was he doing when the phone rang?   ¿Que estaba haciendo cuando sonó el teléfono?  
Who were you playing chess with  at eleven last night?    ¿Con quien estabas jugando ajedrez a las once anoche?  

 

 

In practice, the past continuous is often used in sentences together with the simple past. Little by little you will have to learn to combine sentences!!!   En la práctica, el pasado continuo se utiliza a menudo en oraciones con el pasado simple. ¡¡¡Poco a poco tendrás que aprender a combinar oraciones!!!
       
Examples     Ejemplos
When I woke up this morning the dog was barking. Cuando me desperté esta mañana el perro estaba ladrando
When he got up the sun was shining Cuando se levantó el sol brillaba (estaba brillando)
What were you doing at eight p.m. yesterday? ¿Que estabas haciendo ayer a las ocho de noche ?

 

 

    For more uses of the past progressive read  lesson 9.                    Para más usos del pasado progresivo lee la lección 9

 

Activity:  Now try to complete these sentences.

 

 Actividad: Ahora trata de completar estas oraciones.

           The verbs are in brackets to help you.            Los verbos están entre paréntesis para servirte de ayuda.
 

Scorer Right  Scorer Wrong 

                                                                                                                                                                            
  Ann was    for me when I arrived. She was furious!   (wait)                               

   I was tv when someone knocked on the door... (watch)                           

  Yesterday at two, Miss Smith was us grammar....Her lessons are very boring! (teach)

       This time last year we were in Tahiti...  (relax)

    I was a coffee while she was in the kitchen. (have)

     Thomas was a bath when the telephone rang. (take)

What was he doing when you arrived? "He was  someone" (phone)

What was your cousin doing at eleven? "He was  to his iPod "(listen)

 He was when the fire started..In fact he was walking asleep... Tom is a night walker! (sleep)

They were   at the pub when the accident happened.(talk)

What was she doing at five? "She was the house "(clean)

At three o'clock yesterday, Linda was (study)

 What was this little pig doing at twelve? " It waslike a log" (sleep)

 What was Wingo doing yesterday afternoon?" He was a lot of noise" (make)

Who was the banjo at eight this morning? "Lucas was" (play)

What was she doing when he arrived? "She was the coffee " (prepare)

 

 

                 

 

          

 

 

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