El Past Progressive
- Usamos el Past Progressive para describir acciones, actividades, procesos o cambios que estaban ocurriendo en un marco de tiempo específico en el pasado.
- Examinemos la siguiente oración: “That month, I was working on a new project” El marco de tiempo: ese mes. La actividad: trabajar en un nuevo proyecto. Incluso si el marco de tiempo no estuviera indicado en la oración (por ejemplo, “este mes”), se inferiría la existencia de uno, ya que es una estructura progresiva.
Usamos el Past Progressive para hablar de:
- Acciones que estaban ocurriendo en un marco de tiempo específico
- Enfocarse en una actividad en el pasado, describiendo qué pasó durante y alrededor de esa actividad
- Acciones simultáneas en el pasado que crean atmósfera para una historia en el pasado
- Procesos continuos o cambios en el pasado
- Cosas que siempre estaban ocurriendo con una connotación negativa
- Situaciones temporales en el pasado
- HABLAR SOBRE UNA ACCIÓN PROGRESIVA QUE FUE INTERRUMPIDA EN EL PASADO
| I was having\eating breakfast between 8:00-8:30, that's why I didn't answer the phone. (acciones en un marco de tiempo) | They were buying clothes for their party yesterday afternoon, that's why they couldn't meet us. (acciones en un marco de tiempo) |
| I was watching TV yesterday, the host was interviewing two politicians. They talked about the economic situation. (enfocarse en una actividad) | They were studying for their exam, it wasn't easy. They had many questions, but eventually they figured it out. (enfocarse en una actividad) |
| Auditorium - people were whispering, talking to each other about the important lecture. The ushers were showing people to their seats quietly. (acciones simultáneas en el pasado) | Call center - everywhere people were sitting looking depressed, the receptionist at the entrance was giving out numbers to people robotically, and three customers were shouting angrily at two representatives sitting at a desk. (acciones simultáneas en el pasado) |
| The weather was becoming colder and colder, we had to buy new clothes. (cambio progresivo en el pasado) | Our English was getting better by spending time talking in class. (cambio progresivo en el pasado) |
| She was always interrupting during class. (siempre estaba ocurriendo con connotación negativa) | They were always making a mess in perspective, they were sick of it! (siempre estaba ocurriendo con connotación negativa) |
| I was living with a friend until I could find my own place. (situación temporal en el pasado) | I was working part time as a receptionist until I could find work in my field. (situación temporal en el pasado) |
| I was walking down the street when suddenly I saw Fred; he came up to me and said hi. (acción progresiva interrumpida en el pasado) | I was reading the paper when, to my surprise, the doorbell rang, it was my neighbor Maya. (acción progresiva interrumpida en el pasado) |
Estractura del Past Progressive:
I:
I was studying at Bright English.
I was not studying at Bright English.
Was I studying at Bright English?
We:
Ben and I (we) were studying at Bright English.
We were not studying at Bright English.
Were we studying at Bright English?
You:
You were studying at Bright English.
You were not studying at Bright English.
Were you studying at Bright English?
They:
Ben and Maya (they) were studying at Bright English.
They were not studying at Bright English.
Were they studying at Bright English?
He:
Ben (he) was studying at Bright English.
He was not studying at Bright English.
Was he studying at Bright English?
She:
Maya (she) was studying at Bright English.
She was not studying at Bright English.
Was she studying at Bright English?
It:
It (the computer) was studying well.
It was not studying well.
Was it studying well?
Reglas del Past Progressive:
Sujeto + was\were + verbo.ing (I was doing)
- I, He, She, It = was
- We, You, They = were
- Usamos was/were + verbo.ing para formar el Past Progressive (I was eating\wasn’t eating\was I eating?).
- Wasn’t/weren’t + verb.ing = la forma negativa.
- Was/were + I, we, you, they, he, she, it = preguntas.
Expresiones de tiempo comunes en el Past Progressive.
Last Sunday\week\weekend\month\year. In 1992\3 etc. In the Nineteenth Century, in the 60’s, when I was a _____ ,always. Between X and Y. At ___
