when do you use estaba and when do you use estuve

Question

Which is correct? Yo estaba en el cine ayer o Yo estuve en el cine ayer.

Answer 1

If that it all that is in the sentence, then "Estuve en el cine ayer" is right because of the time frame, as was already stated.

I think it could be "Yo estaba en el cine ayer..." if there was more to the sentence like...

Yo estaba en el cine ayer cuando las luces se apagaron.

Answer 2

estuve is correct because there is a time frame in the sentence

Answer 3

Estuve es correct, because there was a particular point in time- ayer- that you were in el cine.

You would use estaba to say you used to go to el cine.