• When to use each one (cuándo usar cada uno)
  • Past simple: actions (acciones)
  • Past progressive: descriptions (descripciones)
  • Past simple + past progressive: an action interrupts a description
  • Past progressive + past progressive: simultaneous descriptions
• Summary table (cuadro resumen)
• There was / there were (había)
• Narration: last night (narración: ayer por la noche)

When to use each one (cuándo usar cada uno)

The past simple corresponds to the pretérito perfecto simple in Spanish. The past progressive corresponds to one of the uses of the pretérito imperfecto: describing what was happening at a moment in the past. The pretérito imperfecto has other uses (such as habitual actions) that are translated differently in English and that we will cover later.

🔹 El past simple se corresponde con el pretérito perfecto simple en español. El past progressive se corresponde con uno de los usos del pretérito imperfecto: describir lo que estaba pasando en un momento del pasado. El pretérito imperfecto tiene otros usos (como las acciones habituales) que se traducen de otra manera en inglés y que veremos más adelante.

Past simple: actions (acciones)

We use the past simple for actions that happened at a specific moment in the past.

🔹 Usamos el past simple para acciones que ocurrieron en un momento concreto del pasado.

I went to the gym. (Fui al gimnasio).

She called me. (Ella me llamó).

Past progressive: descriptions (descripciones)

We use the past progressive to describe what was happening at a moment in the past.

🔹 Usamos el past progressive para describir lo que estaba pasando en un momento del pasado.

It was raining. (Estaba lloviendo / Llovía).

She was singing. (Ella estaba cantando / Ella cantaba).

Past simple + past progressive: an action interrupts a description

When an action interrupts another action that was in progress, the long action goes in the past progressive and the interrupting action goes in the past simple. We use when to connect them.

🔹 Cuando una acción interrumpe otra que estaba en progreso, la acción larga va en past progressive y la acción que interrumpe va en past simple. Usamos when para unirlas.

I was sleeping when the phone rang. (Estaba durmiendo cuando sonó el teléfono).

Past progressive + past progressive: simultaneous descriptions

When two long actions are happening at the same time, both go in the past progressive. We use while to connect them.

🔹 Cuando dos acciones largas ocurren al mismo tiempo, las dos van en past progressive. Usamos while para unirlas.

I was reading while she was watching TV. (Yo leía mientras ella veía la televisión).

Summary table (cuadro resumen)

past simple => action (pretérito perfecto simple in Spanish)

past progressive => description (one of the uses of the pretérito imperfecto in Spanish)

past simple + past progressive => an action interrupts a description

past progressive + past progressive => two simultaneous descriptions

There was / there were (había)

The past equivalent of there is is there was (singular), and the past equivalent of there are is there were (plural).

🔹 El equivalente en pasado de there is es there was (singular), y el equivalente en pasado de there are es there were (plural).

There was a cat on the sofa. (Había un gato en el sofá).

There were many people at the beach. (Había muchas personas en la playa).

There wasn't any milk. (No había leche).

Were there many cars? (¿Había muchos coches?)

Narration: last night (narración: ayer por la noche)

Yesterday I arrived home at 7 pm. It was cold outside. My sister was cooking dinner in the kitchen. My dog was sleeping on the sofa. I watched TV for an hour. At 8:30 we ate dinner. After dinner, I was reading a book when my friend Pedro called me. He wanted to go to a bar. I went to the bar with Pedro. We had a very good time.

outside [aʊt'saɪd] - fuera, afuera

for an hour - durante una hora

have a good time - pasarlo bien