Pasado continuo

Aquí encontrarás toda la información sobre el pasado continuo, su estructura, formas afirmativas, negativas, interrogativas y algunos ejemplos.

Funciones del pasado continuo

El pasado continuo describe acciones o acontecimientos situados en un tiempo anterior al presente, cuyo comienzo está en el pasado y que aún no han concluido ahora. En otras palabras, expresa una acción incompleta o inacabada en el pasado.

El pasado continuo de cualquier verbo consta de dos partes: el pasado del verbo to be + el verbo principal en -ing.

Para formar el verbo en -ing: raíz+ing, por ejemplo: caminar, correr, nadar, venir.

Por ejemplo:

  • He was waiting for you.
  • They were reading a book.
  • You were traveling to Quito.

Se utiliza el pasado continuo:

El pasado continuo se utiliza para una acción que tiene lugar en el pasado cuando es interrumpida por otra acción.

La acción que la interrumpe está en pasado simple. Cuando y mientras indican el uso del pasado simple y continuo. En general, usamos el pasado simple directamente después de when y el pasado continuo después de while.

  • You were playing online when someone called you.
  • The car broke down while they were driving.
  • She was walking in the park when she saw some birds.

El pasado continuo se utiliza para hablar de acciones en un momento concreto del pasado.

  • You were working in the US in 2012.
  • He was living abroad in 2001.
  • They were holding Martha’s birthday yesterday.

El pasado continuo se utiliza para dos acciones que ocurrían al mismo tiempo en el pasado.

  • You were cooking while you were singing.
  • He was driving a bus while he was telling us a story. 
  • We were teaching English while we were studying for the exam.

Forma afirmativa

Estructura de las oraciones afirmativas

Aquí usamos el verbo to be en pasado simple + la forma en -ing del verbo.

For example:

  • He was going to the school when it started to rain.
  • We were spending some money when I saw a beautiful house.
  • They were drinking some beer while they were talking about the university.

Forma negativa

Estructura de las oraciones negativas

Aquí usamos el verbo to be en pasado simple + not + la forma en -ing del verbo.

For example:

  • I was not building a house in 2020.
  • He wasn’t listening to me when I told him.
  • They weren’t running in the park last month.

Preguntas

Estructura de las preguntas

Cuando queremos hacer preguntas, utilizamos la misma estructura para las frases afirmativas. Sólo añadimos el verbo to be al principio de las frases y el verbo en forma -ing. Además, añadimos un signo de interrogación al final de la frase.

For example:

  • Was he driving a new car?
    Yes, he was.
  • Were you doing the dishes?
    No, I was not.
  • Where was the cat sleeping?
    The cat was sleeping on the roof.

Verbos que no suelen utilizar la forma progresiva.

Los verbos de la siguiente lista suelen utilizar la forma simple porque se refieren a estados, más que a acciones o procesos.

En resumen

Aquí podemos ver un resumen de todas las estructuras del pasado continuo.

Ejemplos

Forma afirmativa

  • She was walking to school when it started raining.
  • They were playing soccer while the coach was watching.
  • He was reading the newspaper when the phone rang.
  • The cat was sleeping on the couch when we got home.
  • I was eating breakfast when the doorbell rang.
  • The sun was setting as we drove home.
  • She was writing a letter when the power went out.
  • We were cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
  • The dog was barking at strangers while we were outside.
  • He was driving to work when he heard the news.
  • The store was closing when we arrived.
  • My mom was making cookies when the phone rang.
  • They were studying for their exams while it was snowing outside.
  • She was teaching math when the principal visited.
  • We were visiting our grandparents when they told us the news.
  • He was working at the bank when he got the promotion.
  • The teacher was explaining the lesson when the students arrived.
  • I was watching TV when the lights went out.
  • The flowers were blooming in the garden as spring approached.
  • She was cleaning the house when the guests called.
  • We were exercising at the gym while the rain poured outside.
  • The baby was crying when I came home.
  • He was enjoying playing the guitar while relaxing in his room.
  • They were singing in the choir when the audience arrived.
  • She was painting landscapes while listening to music.
  • I was learning new words while doing my homework.
  • The clock was ticking loudly while everyone was studying.
  • We were celebrating birthdays when the cake was served.
  • The chef was preparing the meal when the customers arrived.
  • He was attending meetings when he received the promotion.
  • The children were playing in the park while their parents watched.
  • She was buying groceries when she ran into an old friend.
  • We were taking a walk while the sun was setting.
  • The train was arriving at the station when we got there.
  • He was speaking at the conference while the audience listened.
  • They were writing emails when the system crashed.
  • She was enjoying reading novels when she discovered a new author.
  • I was drinking coffee while working on my project.
  • The birds were singing in the trees as dawn broke.
  • We were taking photos during our vacation.
  • He was liking swimming in the pool while the weather was warm.
  • The bus was stopping at every corner while we were waiting.
  • She was knitting sweaters while watching TV.
  • We were traveling to different countries while exploring new cultures.
  • The kids were doing their homework when the power went out.
  • He was playing the piano while his friends listened.
  • The lights were shining brightly as we walked down the street.
  • She was cooking dinner while the family chatted.
  • We were enjoying outdoor activities as summer approached.
  • The cat was chasing the laser pointer while we laughed.

Forma negativa

  • She was not walking to school when it started raining.
  • They were not playing soccer while the coach was watching.
  • He was not reading the newspaper when the phone rang.
  • The cat was not sleeping on the couch when we got home.
  • I was not eating breakfast when the doorbell rang.
  • The sun was not setting as we drove home.
  • She was not writing a letter when the power went out.
  • We were not cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
  • The dog was not barking at strangers while we were outside.
  • He was not driving to work when he heard the news.
  • The store was not closing when we arrived.
  • My mom was not making cookies when the phone rang.
  • They were not studying for their exams while it was snowing outside.
  • She was not teaching math when the principal visited.
  • We were not visiting our grandparents when they told us the news.
  • He was not working at the bank when he got the promotion.
  • The teacher was not explaining the lesson when the students arrived.
  • I was not watching TV when the lights went out.
  • The flowers were not blooming in the garden as spring approached.
  • She was not cleaning the house when the guests called.
  • We were not exercising at the gym while the rain poured outside.
  • The baby was not crying when I came home.
  • He was not enjoying playing the guitar while relaxing in his room.
  • They were not singing in the choir when the audience arrived.
  • She was not painting landscapes while listening to music.
  • I was not learning new words while doing my homework.
  • The clock was not ticking loudly while everyone was studying.
  • We were not celebrating birthdays when the cake was served.
  • The chef was not preparing the meal when the customers arrived.
  • He was not attending meetings when he received the promotion.
  • The children were not playing in the park while their parents watched.
  • She was not buying groceries when she ran into an old friend.
  • We were not taking a walk while the sun was setting.
  • The train was not arriving at the station when we got there.
  • He was not speaking at the conference while the audience listened.
  • They were not writing emails when the system crashed.
  • She was not enjoying reading novels when she discovered a new author.
  • I was not drinking coffee while working on my project.
  • The birds were not singing in the trees as dawn broke.
  • We were not taking photos during our vacation.
  • He was not liking swimming in the pool while the weather was warm.
  • The bus was not stopping at every corner while we were waiting.
  • She was not knitting sweaters while watching TV.
  • We were not traveling to different countries while exploring new cultures.
  • The kids were not doing their homework when the power went out.
  • He was not playing the piano while his friends listened.
  • The lights were not shining brightly as we walked down the street.
  • She was not cooking dinner while the family chatted.
  • We were not enjoying outdoor activities as summer approached.
  • The cat was not chasing the laser pointer while we laughed.

Preguntas Afirmativas

  1. Were you watching TV when I called?
  2. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  3. Was she studying when you arrived?
  4. Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
  5. Were they playing soccer at 5 PM?
  6. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
  7. Was he working late last night?
  8. Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
  9. Were you listening to music while studying?
  10. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  11. Were they sleeping when the alarm went off?
  12. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
  13. Was she cooking dinner when you came home?
  14. Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
  15. Were you driving when it started to rain?
  16. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  17. Was he reading a book at midnight?
  18. Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
  19. Were they traveling to the mountains last weekend?
  20. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
  21. Were you working on the project all day?
  22. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  23. Was she talking to you when I arrived?
  24. Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
  25. Were they playing video games last night?
  26. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
  27. Was he taking a shower when the phone rang?
  28. Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
  29. Were you waiting for the bus at 8 AM?
  30. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  31. Was she exercising when you saw her?
  32. Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
  33. Were they practicing for the concert all evening?
  34. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
  35. Was he working on his presentation all night?
  36. Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
  37. Were you talking to her when I walked in?
  38. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  39. Was she writing an email when the power went out?
  40. Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
  41. Were they arguing when you arrived?
  42. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
  43. Was he fixing the car when it started to snow?
  44. Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
  45. Were you cleaning the house all morning?
  46. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
  47. Was she taking a nap when you called?
  48. Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
  49. Were they dancing when you saw them?
  50. Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.

Preguntas Wh

  1. What were you doing when I called you?
    I was studying for my final exams.

  2. Where were you going when I saw you?
    I was going to the grocery store.

  3. When were you planning to visit your grandparents?
    I was planning to visit them last weekend.

  4. Why were you laughing during the meeting?
    I was laughing because someone told a funny joke.

  5. Who were you talking to at the party?
    I was talking to my old college friends.

  6. How were you feeling yesterday?
    I was feeling a bit under the weather.

  7. What were you wearing at the wedding?
    I was wearing a blue dress.

  8. Where were you when the storm started?
    I was at home when the storm started.

  9. When were you watching that movie?
    I was watching that movie last night.

  10. Why were you taking notes during the lecture?
    I was taking notes to help me remember the important points.

  11. Who were you meeting with last week?
    I was meeting with my project team.

  12. How were you spending your summer vacation?
    I was spending my summer vacation traveling abroad.

  13. What were you thinking about during the class?
    I was thinking about my upcoming exam.

  14. Where were you eating dinner last night?
    I was eating dinner at my favorite restaurant.

  15. When were you practicing your speech?
    I was practicing my speech the night before the presentation.

  16. Why were you crying in the movie?
    I was crying because the scene was very emotional.

  17. Who were you listening to on the radio?
    I was listening to my favorite music station.

  18. How were you getting to work last week?
    I was getting to work by bus.

  19. What were you doing when the fire alarm rang?
    I was cooking dinner when the fire alarm rang.

  20. Where were you going on vacation last summer?
    I was going to the beach for vacation.

  21. When were you studying for your exams?
    I was studying every evening leading up to the exams.

  22. Why were you smiling during the meeting?
    I was smiling because I received good news.

  23. Who were you helping with their project?
    I was helping my friend with her project.

  24. How were you managing your time back then?
    I was managing my time by using a planner.

  25. What were you looking for in the store?
    I was looking for a new pair of shoes.

  26. Where were you living before you moved here?
    I was living in another city before I moved here.

  27. When were you hoping to finish your book?
    I was hoping to finish my book by the end of the month.

  28. Why were you taking the train instead of driving?
    I was taking the train because it was more convenient.

  29. Who were you chatting with online last night?
    I was chatting with my cousin.

  30. How were you enjoying the concert?
    I was enjoying the concert a lot!

  31. What were you doing at this time yesterday?
    I was working on my presentation.

  32. Where were you going when I last saw you?
    I was going to the library.

  33. When were you feeling most inspired?
    I was feeling most inspired during my morning walks.

  34. Why were you working late last week?
    I was working late to meet a deadline.

  35. Who were you watching the game with?
    I was watching the game with my friends.

  36. How were you handling the stressful situation?
    I was handling it by staying calm and focused.

  37. What were you doing while waiting for your friend?
    I was reading a book while waiting for her.

  38. Where were you spending the holidays?
    I was spending the holidays with my family.

  39. When were you feeling down last month?
    I was feeling down during the first week of the month.

  40. Why were you avoiding that conversation?
    I was avoiding it because I didn’t want to argue.

  41. Who were you going to call for help?
    I was going to call my brother for help.

  42. How were you preparing for the big day?
    I was preparing by making lists and organizing everything.

  43. What were you hoping to accomplish this year?
    I was hoping to accomplish several personal goals.

  44. Where were you storing your summer clothes?
    I was storing my summer clothes in the attic.

  45. When were you feeling most productive?
    I was feeling most productive in the early morning.

  46. Why were you studying late at night?
    I was studying late at night to avoid distractions.

  47. Who were you seeing off at the airport?
    I was seeing off my friend at the airport.

  48. How were you planning to celebrate your birthday?
    I was planning to celebrate with a party.

  49. What were you hoping to find at the flea market?
    I was hoping to find some unique antiques.

  50. Where were you working before you started your current job?
    I was working at a marketing firm before I started here.

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