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Unidad 1 · Narrative Tenses · Lección 1· 12 min

Narrative Tenses, Part 1 of 2

Use the past simple, past continuous and past perfect as one system: background, main events and earlier events, and stop translating the Spanish imperfect with -ing.

One story, three layers

A good story in English has three layers. The past simple moves the story forward: "I opened the door". The past continuous paints the background, what was in progress at that moment: "It was raining". The past perfect jumps back to something that happened earlier: "Someone had left the window open".

Think of a movie. The past simple is the action, the past continuous is the scenery, and the past perfect is a flashback. You can use all three in one sentence: "It was raining when I got home, and someone had left the window open".

You already know these forms from the Independence level. At the Upper Intermediate level the challenge is to choose between them quickly and naturally, especially when Spanish gives you a different signal.

It was raining when I got home.
Llovía cuando llegué a casa.
Someone had left the window open.
Alguien había dejado la ventana abierta.
I closed it and turned on the lights.
La cerré y encendí las luces.
The kids were playing in the yard when the storm started.
Los niños estaban jugando en el patio cuando empezó la tormenta.
By then, the neighbors had gone inside.
Para entonces, los vecinos ya habían entrado.

Comprobación rápida

1. "When I got to the party, Ana ___ , so I didn't see her." Which fits best?

2. Write the bold words in English.

Estaba lloviendo cuando salimos del cine.

It when we left the movie theater.

The imperfect is not always -ing

Spanish has two pasts, «indefinido» (fui) and «imperfecto» (iba), and they do not map neatly onto English. Many learners translate every «imperfecto» with "was + -ing". That works for an action in progress at one moment, but not for habits or states.

For repeated actions in the past, English uses the past simple, "used to" or "would": «iba al colegio en autobús todos los días» is "I went to school by bus every day" or "I used to go to school by bus every day". *I was going to school by bus every day sounds wrong to a native speaker.

For states, English uses the past simple: «vivía en Lima», «tenía un perro», «era muy tímido» become "I lived in Lima", "I had a dog", "I was very shy". Save the past continuous for an action that was unfinished at a specific moment: «a las ocho cenábamos» is "At eight we were having dinner".

I went to school by bus every day.
Iba al colegio en autobús todos los días.
I used to go to school by bus.
Antes iba al colegio en autobús.
We lived in a small apartment.
Vivíamos en un apartamento pequeño.
He was very shy as a child.
De niño era muy tímido.
At eight o'clock we were having dinner.
A las ocho estábamos cenando.
She always walked to work.
Siempre iba caminando al trabajo. (incorrecto: *She was always walking to work en este sentido)

Comprobación rápida

1. Translate into English.

“De pequeña, iba a la playa todos los veranos.”

2. Which sentence is natural English for «tenía un perro que se llamaba Max»?

Background and interruptions

The most typical story pattern is a longer action in progress (past continuous) interrupted by a short one (past simple): "I was cooking when the phone rang". Use "when" before the short action and "while" or "as" before the long one: "While I was cooking, the phone rang".

Two actions in progress at the same time both take the continuous: "While I was cooking, my husband was setting the table". Two actions one after the other both take the past simple: "When the phone rang, I answered it" (first it rang, then I answered).

Be careful: "When I arrived, they were having lunch" and "When I arrived, they had lunch" tell two different stories. In the first, lunch was already in progress; in the second, they started lunch because I arrived.

I was cooking when the phone rang.
Estaba cocinando cuando sonó el teléfono.
While I was cooking, my husband was setting the table.
Mientras yo cocinaba, mi marido ponía la mesa.
As we were leaving, it started to snow.
Justo cuando nos íbamos, empezó a nevar.
When the phone rang, I answered it.
Cuando sonó el teléfono, contesté.
When I arrived, they were having lunch.
Cuando llegué, estaban comiendo.
When I arrived, they had lunch.
Cuando llegué, comieron (empezaron a comer entonces).

Comprobación rápida

1. Translate into English.

“Estaba duchándome cuando se fue la luz.”

Going back: the past perfect

Use the past perfect when you are already telling a story in the past and need to mention something that happened before that point: "I didn't recognize him. He had changed a lot".

Spanish uses «había» + participle in the same way, so the form is easy. The problem is that Spanish speakers often skip it after "when" or "already": *When I arrived, the film already started should be "the film had already started".

If "before" or "after" already makes the order clear, the past simple is fine too: "After I finished my homework, I went out" and "After I had finished my homework, I went out" are both correct.

I didn't recognize him. He had changed a lot.
No lo reconocí. Había cambiado mucho.
When I arrived, the film had already started.
Cuando llegué, la película ya había empezado.
She was nervous because she had never flown before.
Estaba nerviosa porque nunca había volado.
After I finished my homework, I went out.
Después de terminar la tarea, salí.
We realized we had taken the wrong train.
Nos dimos cuenta de que habíamos tomado el tren equivocado.

Comprobación rápida

1. Translate into English.

“Cuando llegamos al cine, la película ya había empezado.”

Inténtalo tú

Escribe una o dos frases en inglés con lo que has aprendido en esta lección. No se corrige: es solo para ti y se guarda para que puedas volver a verlo.

Repaso final

0/16 respondidas en esta lección

1. Translate into English.

“Mientras yo leía, mi hermano veía la tele.”

2. Write the bold words in English.

Vivíamos en un pueblo pequeño cerca de la costa.

We in a small town near the coast.

3. Which sentence is correct?

4. Translate into English.

“No la reconocí porque se había cortado el pelo.”

5. Put the words in order.

Pista: “Justo cuando nos íbamos, empezó a nevar.”

Toca las palabras de abajo en orden

6. Write the bold words in English.

Cuando llegué a la oficina, mi jefe ya se había ido.

When I got to the office, my boss .

7. "When I arrived, they were having lunch." What does this mean?

8. Translate into English.

“De joven era muy tímido.”

9. What did you hear?

10. Escucha y grábate diciéndolo.

It was raining, and someone had left the window open.

Consejo: Contract "someone had" in fast speech: it sounds like "someone'd". The "had" is weak and short.

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