Problem with (Pasado)

Question

Hey everyone

I used a lot of time trying to figure out how to make these sentences correct.

''Poner los verbos en su tiempo correcto'' (Pasado):

1. Hoy (haber) ... un concierto en la playa.
2. El mes pasado me (tocar) ... la lotería.
3. La ciencia (progresar) ... mucho en el presente siglo.
4. En España (haber) ... un gobierno republicano cuando (empezar) ... la Guerra Civil.
5. Nunca (yo, ver) ... esa película.

In the first sentence i wrote, ''había''. In the second, ''tocaba''. In the third, ''progresaba''.

But i doesn't feel like i am doing right. I also tried to read about it on the internet, but it did not help me at all.

Can someone explain me which ''times'' i have to use in the different sentences and why?

Welcome to SpanishDict. - rac1, Oct 16, 2014

Answer 1

Hoy ( clue, today, present) hay ..

El mes pasado ( well , in the past, did you win many times or just once? think!) me tocó la lotería.

La ciencia ha progresado ( it has come on a lot..).. ongoing..

As for the rest, keep trying and we will help.We love helping. (ongoing as well!)

Answer 2

Hoy había un concierto en la playa, pero se canceló. = There was going to be a concert but it was cancelled.

Hoy hubo un concierto en la playa y me gustó mucho. = There was a concert and I lked it a lot.

Would this help?

Edit: Would "there was a concert...but it was cancelled" be OK?

I understand that "there was to be a concert today but it was cancelled" is OK though.