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Gramática A2Past ContinuousLectura: 14 min12 Ejercicios

Past Continuous: Was/Were + ing + Ejercicios Prácticos

Introduce el Past Continuous en inglés nivel A2 para describir acciones en progreso en el pasado. Aprende la formación con was/were + ing, usos principales y cómo aplicarlo en situaciones empresariales para narrar experiencias profesionales.

Objetivos de Aprendizaje

  • Formar Past Continuous correctamente
  • Distinguir usos principales del tiempo verbal
  • Combinar con Past Simple apropiadamente
  • Aplicar en narrativas empresariales

¿Qué es el Past Continuous?

El Past Continuous (también llamado Past Progressive) es un tiempo verbal que describe acciones que estaban en progreso en un momento específico del pasado. A diferencia del Past Simple, que muestra acciones completadas, el Past Continuous enfatiza la duración y continuidad de la acción.

Concepto Visual del Past Continuous

Imagina una línea de tiempo:

Pasado
Presente
█ Acción en progreso | | Momento específico/Interrupción

Past Simple:

"I worked yesterday" (acción completa)

Past Continuous:

"I was working at 3 PM" (acción en progreso)

Formación del Past Continuous

Estructura Básica

Fórmula:

WAS/WERE + VERB + ING

WAS (I, he, she, it):

  • • I was working
  • • He was reading
  • • She was presenting
  • • It was raining

WERE (you, we, they):

  • • You were studying
  • • We were discussing
  • • They were analyzing

💡 Reglas para -ING:

  • • Regla normal: work → working, read → reading
  • • Termina en -e: write → writing, make → making
  • • Una consonante + vocal + consonante: stop → stopping, run → running
  • • Termina en -ie: lie → lying, die → dying

Formas Afirmativa, Negativa e Interrogativa

FormaEstructuraEjemplo
AfirmativaSubject + was/were + verb-ing"I was working in my office"
NegativaSubject + was/were + not + verb-ing"I wasn't working at home"
InterrogativaWas/Were + subject + verb-ing?"Were you working yesterday?"
Wh- QuestionsWh- + was/were + subject + verb-ing?"What were you doing at 5 PM?"

Contracciones comunes:

  • • I was → I wasn't (I was not)
  • • You were → You weren't (You were not)
  • • He was → He wasn't
  • • We were → We weren't
  • • They were → They weren't
  • • It was → It wasn't

Usos Principales del Past Continuous

1. Acciones en Progreso en Momento Específico

Describe lo que estaba ocurriendo en un momento específico del pasado.

Ejemplos empresariales:

  • • "At 9 AM, I was attending a conference call"
  • • "Yesterday at 3 PM, the team was reviewing the proposal"
  • • "Last Monday morning, she was preparing the presentation"
  • • "At that time, we were negotiating the contract"

Expresiones de tiempo:

  • • At [specific time]: at 2 PM, at noon
  • • Yesterday at: yesterday at 5 o'clock
  • • Last [day] at: last Friday at 10 AM
  • • At that time: en ese momento
  • • At that moment: en ese instante

💼 Situación empresarial típica:

"During the quarterly review meeting, I noticed several interesting trends.At 10:30 AM, the sales team was presenting their results,while the marketing team was analyzing customer feedback data."

2. Acciones Interrumpidas (Past Continuous + Past Simple)

Una acción larga en progreso es interrumpida por una acción corta y completa.

Estructura común:

Past Continuous + WHEN +Past Simple

Ejemplos profesionales:

  • • "I was writing the report when my manager called"
  • • "We were having lunch when the client arrived"
  • • "She was giving a presentation when the power went out"
  • • "The team was brainstorming when the CEO joined the meeting"

También con WHILE:

  • • "While I was reviewing the budget, he sent an urgent email"
  • • "The phone rang while we were discussing the strategy"
  • • "While she was presenting, I took detailed notes"

3. Acciones Paralelas o Simultáneas

Dos o más acciones que ocurrían al mismo tiempo en el pasado.

Con WHILE:

  • • "While I was preparing the slides, she was researching the data"
  • • "While the IT team was fixing the server, we were working on backup plans"
  • • "He was taking notes while I was explaining the procedure"

Con conectores:

  • • "I was answering emails and she was updating the database"
  • • "The marketing team was creating content while sales was contacting leads"

4. Descripción de Ambiente y Contexto

Para describir la situación o ambiente que rodeaba un evento principal.

Ejemplos narrativos empresariales:

  • • "When I arrived at the office, everyone was working quietly. The phones were ringing constantly and people were rushing to meet the deadline."
  • • "During the conference, participants were networking actively. Speakers were presenting innovative ideas while attendees were taking notes."

✨ Tip para storytelling empresarial:

El Past Continuous hace que tus narrativas profesionales sean más vívidas y engaging. Úsalo para describir el contexto antes de introducir el punto principal de tu historia.

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

Diferencias Clave y Cuándo Usar Cada Uno

AspectoPast SimplePast Continuous
EnfoqueAcción completadaAcción en progreso
DuraciónNo especifica duraciónEnfatiza duración/proceso
Ejemplo"I wrote a report" (completé)"I was writing a report" (en proceso)
Uso típicoSecuencia de eventosContexto/ambiente

Ejemplo comparativo en contexto empresarial:

Past Simple (acciones completas):

"Yesterday I arrived at the office, checked my emails,attended three meetings, and finished the quarterly report."

Past Continuous (contexto/proceso):

"When I arrived at the office, my colleagues were discussing the new project. The phone was ringing and everyone was working intensely."

Aplicaciones Empresariales del Past Continuous

Reportar Actividades Pasadas

En reuniones de status:

  • • "Last week, our team was focusing on market research"
  • • "At the time of the last update, we were still testing the software"
  • • "During Q3, the department was implementing new procedures"

Explicar interrupciones:

  • • "I was working on the proposal when the client called with changes"
  • • "We were making good progress when the system crashed"
  • • "The team was finalizing the design when new requirements came in"

Describir Procesos y Proyectos

Narrativas de proyectos:

  • • "In the early stages, we were exploring different approaches"
  • • "While one team was developing the app, another was testing it"
  • • "The marketing team was preparing the launch campaign"

Describir situaciones pasadas:

  • • "The market was changing rapidly at that time"
  • • "Customers were demanding more sustainable options"
  • • "Competition was increasing in our sector"

Errores Comunes y Cómo Evitarlos

❌ Error 1: Confundir was/were

Incorrecto:

  • • "I were working" ❌
  • • "They was meeting" ❌
  • • "You was presenting" ❌

Correcto:

  • • "I was working" ✅
  • • "They were meeting" ✅
  • • "You were presenting" ✅

❌ Error 2: Olvidar -ING o formarlo incorrectamente

Incorrecto:

  • • "I was work" ❌
  • • "She was writting" ❌
  • • "They were runing" ❌

Correcto:

  • • "I was working" ✅
  • • "She was writing" ✅
  • • "They were running" ✅

❌ Error 3: Usar Past Continuous cuando no es apropiado

Incorrecto (acciones completas):

  • • "I was finishing the project yesterday" ❌
  • • "We were going to the conference last week" ❌

Correcto:

  • • "I finished the project yesterday" ✅
  • • "We went to the conference last week" ✅

Ejercicios Prácticos Interactivos

Ejercicio 1 de 12

Choose the correct form: "I _____ working when you called."

Progreso: 8% completado

Resumen y Próximos Pasos

🎯 Lo que has aprendido

Formación y estructura:

  • ✅ Fórmula: was/were + verb-ing
  • ✅ Was: I, he, she, it
  • ✅ Were: you, we, they
  • ✅ Negación: wasn't/weren't + verb-ing
  • ✅ Preguntas: was/were + subject + verb-ing

Usos principales:

  • ✅ Acciones en progreso en momento específico
  • ✅ Acciones interrumpidas (when + Past Simple)
  • ✅ Acciones paralelas/simultáneas
  • ✅ Descripción de contexto y ambiente
  • ✅ Narrativas empresariales vividas

🚀 Para seguir mejorando

Práctica diaria:

  • • Describe actividades pasadas
  • • Narra experiencias profesionales
  • • Combina con Past Simple

Siguiente nivel:

  • • Present Perfect
  • • Past Perfect
  • • Narrativas complejas

Recursos adicionales:

  • • Storytelling empresarial
  • • Reportes de proyecto
  • • Timeline descriptions
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