English3d.com           Unit 4  Lesson nine
 

 

Our snug tiny island in the universe of language
         
     

 

 
     
 

             
 
 

-Ayer mi mami llamaba y llamaba pero nadie contestaba el teléfono...¿Que sucedía?   -Bueno...Soy un poco chico para contestar el teléfono. Mi mamá estaba mirando la televisión y comiendo chips.  -¿Y tu papá? ¿Qué estaba haciendo?   -Estaba mirando televisión y fumando...  -¿Y tu hermana?   -Estaba en su mundo mirando un DVD en su anticuada computadora .... -¡Que triste!...Parece que tienes una familia tipo los Simpson, Bartolo     -Es la vida...Margarita
  New words  Palabras nuevas
mom: mami
to happen: suceder
a Simpson-like family: una familia tipo Simpson
just: sólo
 

¿Puede alguien contestar el teléfono?
 

 

 

 

 

 The past continuous tense (part 2)     El tiempo pasado progresivo (parte2)

 

 

As we said in the previous lesson, the past continuous is often used in sentences together with the simple past. Little by little you will have to learn to combine sentences!!!   Como te mencionamos en la lección previa, 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 ?

 

 

            Here you have a summary of the uses of this tense                      Aquí tienes un resumen de los usos de este tiempo verbal

We can use it when an action in the past was interrupted. In this case the past continuous refers to a longer action an the simple past to a shorter one. It can be an interruption in time or a real interruption
 
Podemos utilizarlo cuando se interrumpe una acción en el pasado. En este caso el pasado continuo referirá a una acción más larga y el pasado simple a una más corta. Puede tratarse de una interrupción en el tiempo o una verdadera interrupción .

Examples:               

I was having a bath when the telephone rang.

Estaba tomando un baño cuando sonó el teléfono. 

She was listening to her iPod when you knocked on the door.

 Estaba escuchando su iPod cuando golpeaste la puerta.

 

You can also use a specific time as an interruption of what you were doing  (for example last night, yesterday morning etc) Puedes usar un tiempo específico como interrupción de lo que estabas haciendo (como por ejemplo anoche, ayer a la mañana etc)

Examples:                             

At midnight, I was having dinner.

 A la medianoche estaba tomando la cena.

            Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

 Ayer a esta hora, estaba sentado en mi escritorio en el trabajo.

 

If you use the past progressive with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. This implies that the actions are parallel. Si utilizas el pasado continuo con dos acciones en la misma oración, expresa la idea de que ambas acciones estaban sucediendo al mismo tiempo. Esto implica que las acciones son paralelas

Examples:                             

                  .I was studying while he was making dinner

Estaba estudiando mientras preparaba la cena.

                     Were you listening while he was talking?

¿Estabas escuchando mientras el hablaba?

                 What were you doing while you were waiting?

 ¿Que hacías mientras esperabas?

 

 

 

The word while is a conjuction and it introduces a time clause. It is usually used to say that two longer actions or situations go/ went on at the same time La palabra "while" es una conjunción e introduce una cláusula de tiempo. Se utiliza a menudo para indicar que dos situaciones o acciones suceden o sucedieron al mismo tiempo.

Examples:  

While I was having a bath, the telephone rang.... Mientras estaba tomando un baño sonó el teléfono.
While the plane was landing he was reading a magazine...                  

Mientras el avión estaba despegando el estaba leyendo una revista.

 

The difference between when and while will be explained in further units...Do not worry.     La diferencia entre "when" y "while" (cuando y mientras) se explicará en las próximas unidades...No te preocupes.

 

 

 

Activity:  Now try to complete the sentences below.

 

Actividad: Ahora trata de completar las oraciones de abajo.

           Use these verbs: clean, chase, listen, clean, daydream, talk, count, have, read , take, study, smoke, fish, tell, kiss, sleep.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Scorer Right  Scorer Wrong 

                                                                                                                                                                            
           Mrs Smith was     the house when a strange accident happened...      

         This time yesterday, they were   an important robber.          

    My cat was to the music when the salesman knocked.

 While I was having a bath Mr Steward was  the water closet!            

While the teacher was starting the lesson, Andrea was still .          

    We were when the bomb exploded.

'What were you doing at twelve last night?' 'This same hour yesterday I was sheep...'

While I was  fun my best friend Paul was drinking at the pub as usual....

 Linda was a magazine when the earthquake began.

 While I was a bath, Dunga was getting ready for supper....

While Tina was Laura was watching tv.

George was when suddenly, his cigar blew out....

  I was when this stupid bird landed on my rod...I hate animals!

 She was me something while I was reading.... I wasn't paying attention at all.

While they were the baby was crying.

He was when the telephone rang.

 

 

                 

 

 

          

 

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