Pon a prueba tus conocimientos con los siguientes ejercicios.
Domina sus diferencias, usos y conectores clave con ejemplos claros.
La principal diferencia es que el Pasado Simple se usa para acciones terminadas, mientras que el Pasado Continuo describe una acción que estaba en progreso en el pasado, a menudo sirviendo de fondo para otra acción.
Característica | Past Simple | Past Continuous |
---|---|---|
Función | Acción completada y terminada. | Acción en progreso en el pasado. |
Ejemplo clave | I read a book yesterday. (Empecé y terminé de leerlo). | I was reading when you called. (Estaba en mitad de la lectura). |
Uso con 'When' y 'While' | Normalmente para la acción corta que interrumpe. (When the phone rang...) | Normalmente para la acción larga de fondo. (While I was reading...) |
Al igual que en presente, los verbos que describen estados (saber, creer, querer, etc.) generalmente no se usan en Pasado Continuo, sino en Pasado Simple.
Incorrecto: I was wanting to go to the party.
Correcto: I wanted to go to the party.
Lo usamos para hablar de acciones que empezaron y terminaron en un momento específico del pasado.
Se forma usando el auxiliar did para negativas y preguntas, y la forma de pasado del verbo para afirmativas (regular: -ed; irregular: 2ª columna).
(+) Afirmativo: Sujeto + verbo en pasado (-ed o irregular)
(-) Negativo: Sujeto + did not (didn't) + verbo en infinitivo
(?) Interrogativo: Did + Sujeto + verbo en infinitivo?
I visited Rome last year. (Visité Roma el año pasado.)
She bought a new car yesterday. (Ella compró un coche nuevo ayer.)
He woke up, had a shower, and left for work. (Se despertó, se duchó y se fue al trabajo.)
Lo usamos para describir acciones que estaban en progreso en un momento del pasado.
Se forma con el pasado del verbo 'to be' (was, were) y el verbo principal en gerundio (-ing).
(+) Afirmativo: Sujeto + was/were + verbo-ing
(-) Negativo: Sujeto + was/were + not + verbo-ing
(?) Interrogativo: Was/Were + Sujeto + verbo-ing?
I was watching TV when the power went out. (Estaba viendo la tele cuando se fue la luz.)
While I was studying, my brother was playing video games. (Mientras yo estudiaba, mi hermano jugaba a videojuegos.)
Yesterday at 8 PM, we were having dinner. (Ayer a las 8 de la tarde, estábamos cenando.)
The sun was shining and the birds were singing... (El sol brillaba y los pájaros cantaban...)
Pronombre | Past Simple | Past Continuous |
---|---|---|
Afirmativa (+) | ||
I | I worked | I was working |
You | You worked | You were working |
He/She/It | He/She/It worked | He/She/It was working |
We | We worked | We were working |
They | They worked | They were working |
Negativa (-) | ||
I | I didn't work | I wasn't working |
You | You didn't work | You weren't working |
He/She/It | He/She/It didn't work | He/She/It wasn't working |
We | We didn't work | We weren't working |
They | They didn't work | They weren't working |
Interrogativa (?) | ||
I | Did I work? | Was I working? |
You | Did you work? | Were you working? |
He/She/It | Did he/she/it work? | Was he/she/it working? |
We | Did we work? | Were we working? |
They | Did they work? | Were they working? |