The Grammatical Sentence of the Day / La Oración Gramatical del Día (2010-03-25)

Question

Grammar game: The Grammatical Sentence of the Day ..... Past ProgressiveContinous (Spanish)

Note: In many contexts, the English past continuous can also be translated as imperfect Spanish, so special attention should be paid to these uses.

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These are the rules:

• Everyday participants will be asked to write a sentence in the mood and tense specified.
• You must write your sentence in both Spanish and English.
• You can use any verb and any pronoun, but you must keep mode and tense
• You can post as many answers as you like

Everyday the most voted sentence (or more elaborated) will receive the prize to the best answer.

I can do it!...

Please, do not forget to be generous with your voting...Thanks

Thanks, Carlos, for posting these excercises...they are great! - --Mariana--, Mar 25, 2010

Thanks Marianne. I think we never finish our learning... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 1

Estaba trabajando cuando SpanishDict me llamó. Dijo, "Ven y juega con nosotros."

(I was working when SpanishDict called my name. It said "Come and play with us.)

...SpanishDict me llamó..... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Gracias! - --Mariana--, Mar 25, 2010

...and the winner is... - Carlos-F, Mar 26, 2010

Way to go! - h1deaway, Mar 26, 2010

Answer 2

No puedo recordar porque mientras él estaba hablando yo estaba fantaseando

I can't remember because while he was talking I was daydreaming.

daydreaming (soñando despierta) - 005faa61, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 3

Mi esposa estaba hablando mientras yo estuve tratando estudiar en SpanishDict.¡Que pesada!

My wife kept talking while I tried to study SpanishDict. What a pain!

Good phrase Goyo...but with a few corrections: - Carlos-F, Mar 26, 2010

My wife was talking..... - Carlos-F, Mar 26, 2010

Mi esposa hablaba mientras yo trataba de estudiar en SpanishDict. ¡Que pesada! - Carlos-F, Mar 26, 2010

Thanks, Carlos, but written your way doesn't use the present progressive tense. I thought that was necessary. - Goyo, Mar 26, 2010

Answer 4

Estaba caminando por los senderos de la montaña, cuando vi un ciervo frente de mi por solo un momento, antes de que se fuera corriendo.

I was walking along the mountain paths, when I saw a deer in front of me for just a moment, before it ran away.

Wow....very good. Just a little change: "....que se fuera..." instead "...que se fue..." - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Here you are using a lot of tenses... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Thanks. Could you please explain to me why: "...que se fuera..." ? Thanks again:) - luz_72, Mar 25, 2010

Are you asking me to explain the Spanish imperfect subjunctive? ... ¿Y ahora quien podrá defenderme? - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

...absolutamente nadie:) - luz_72, Mar 26, 2010

No entiendo tambien. ¿ Porque no 'se fue corriendo' ? - paulc, Mar 26, 2010

Answer 5

Estaba leyendo este hilo cuando de repente la pelota de Carlos me dijo, "Basta ya. No quiero brincar más."

I was reading this thread when suddenly Carlos' ball told me, "Enough already. I don't want to jump anymore."

Jajaja... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Carlos, your bouncing ball is the greatest! - 005faa61, Mar 25, 2010

No entiendo que significa en buen ingles. Diganme por favor ! - paulc, Mar 26, 2010

Answer 6

Este hombre estaba conduciendo en el lado equivocado de la carretera y casi me pega. ¡Loco!

This guy was driving on the wrong side of the road and almost hit me. Crazy!

... "conducía"... instead of "estaba conduciendo". - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

I was wondering about that......thanks Carlos - MattM, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 7

Example:

Estabas estudiando cuando el telefono sonó.

You were studying when the phone sounded rang.

"Sounded" is a perfect translation, but not common usage. "Rang" is common for phones. - 005faa61, Mar 25, 2010

Thanks Julian... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 8

Estaba mirando un video en vivo cuando mi computadora se estrelló.

I was watching a live video when my computer crashed.

Answer 9

They were returning from work when the snowstorm began. Regresaban del trabajo cuando empezó la tormenta de nieve

Meli, In Spanish we generally say: "Volvían o Regresaban..." instead of "Estaban volviendo"... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Tienes razón,la mala costumbre de la traducción literal. - melipiru, Mar 25, 2010

El frase ingles debe terminar con "began" en vez de "is begun". - Stobber, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 10

This is very interesting Carlos. Please could you give an example of when to use Past Progressive Continuos Spanish and when to use Imperfect Spanish as in your Header?

Many thanks

What a good question!... Let me think in a good example, Caza. - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Caza, I sent you a PM... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

PM received and replied, thank you. OF a good example is normally used. - caza, Mar 26, 2010

Thanks to you Caza... - Carlos-F, Mar 26, 2010

Answer 11

Estaba cocinando la cena cuando se me acabo del petróleo.

(I was cooking supper when I ran out of oil).

(Please, correct my español)

I ran out - "Se me acabó" or "se me agotó". Very good Maria... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

gracias Carlos. - Maria-Russell, Mar 26, 2010

Answer 12

"Mi hija estaba viendo televisión cuando yo llegué a casa del trabajo"

My daughter was watching television when I came home from work.

Excelente... - Carlos-F, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 13

"Estaba haciendo un reporte cuando el teléfono sonó"

I was doing a report when the telephone rang.

Answer 14

Estaba adorando a mi niño cuando se despertó.

I was adoring my son when he woke up.

Answer 15

¿Con quién estabas hablando anoche por teléfono?

With whom were you talking on the telephone last night?