Instruction: Spanish Past Progressive – Regular

Forming the Gerund:

• For -ar verbs: Add -ando to the stem.

  • Hablar → hablando (speaking)

• For -er and -ir verbs: Add -iendo to the stem.

  • Comer → comiendo (eating)
  • Vivir → viviendo (living)

2. Using the Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive tense is used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past. It can be used to describe an action that was happening when something else occurred, or to provide background information in a story.

Examples:

• Yo estaba hablando con María cuando sonó el teléfono.
  (I was talking to María when the phone rang.)

• Ellos estaban comiendo cuando empezó a llover.
  (They were eating when it started to rain.)

• Nosotros estábamos viviendo en Madrid durante ese tiempo.
  (We were living in Madrid during that time.)

3. Expressing Interrupted Actions

One of the key uses of the past progressive tense is to describe an action that was interrupted by another action. The ongoing action is expressed in the past progressive, while the interrupting action is often expressed in the preterite tense.

Example:

• Yo estaba estudiando cuando mi amigo me llamó.
  (I was studying when my friend called me.)

In this sentence, “estaba estudiando” (I was studying) is the ongoing action, and “me llamó” (called me) is the action that interrupted it.

4. Common Expressions with the Past Progressive

The past progressive is often used with time expressions to emphasize the duration or continuity of the action.

Examples:

• Todo el día: Yo estaba trabajando a las 7:00 am.
  (I was working at 7:00 am.)

• En ese momento: Ellos estaban cenando en ese momento.
  (They were having dinner at that moment.)

• Mientras: Nosotros estábamos hablando mientras ellos jugaban.
  (We were talking while they were playing.)

5. Practice Exercise

Complete the following sentences using the correct form of estar and the gerund of the verb in parentheses:

1. Yo __________ (leer) un libro cuando empezó a llover.
2. Tú __________ (cocinar) la cena cuando sonó el timbre.
3. Él __________ (caminar) por el parque cuando vio a su amigo.
4. Nosotros __________ (mirar) una película cuando se fue la luz.
5. Ellos __________ (trabajar) en el jardín cuando empezó a nevar.
6. Yo __________ (escribir) un ensayo todo el día.
7. En ese momento, tú __________ (hablar) con tu jefe.
8. Mientras ellos __________ (jugar) al fútbol, nosotros estábamos leyendo.

Answers:

1. Yo estaba leyendo un libro cuando empezó a llover. (I was reading a book when it started to rain.)
2. Tú estabas cocinando la cena cuando sonó el timbre. (You were cooking dinner when the doorbell rang.)
3. Él estaba caminando por el parque cuando vio a su amigo. (He was walking in the park when he saw his friend.)
4. Nosotros estábamos mirando una película cuando se fue la luz. (We were watching a movie when the power went out.)
5. Ellos estaban trabajando en el jardín cuando empezó a nevar. (They were working in the garden when it started to snow.)
6. Yo estaba escribiendo un ensayo todo el día. (I was writing an essay all day.)
7. En ese momento, tú estabas hablando con tu jefe. (At that moment, you were talking to your boss.)
8. Mientras ellos estaban jugando al fútbol, nosotros estábamos leyendo. (While they were playing soccer, we were reading.)

Conclusion

The past progressive tense is a helpful tool for describing actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. By mastering the conjugation of estar in the imperfect tense and forming the gerund of the main verb, you can accurately express these types of actions in Spanish. Keep practicing these forms to improve your fluency and ability to narrate past events effectively!