Imperfecto progresivo
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The Spanish imperfect progressive is very similar to the English past progressive: "was + -ing". The imperfect progressive expresses an action that was in progress in the past when it was interrupted by another event.
Por ejemplo…
Estaba estudiando cuando llamaste. | I was studying when you called. | |
Lo vi cuando estábamos caminando. | I saw him when we were walking. | |
¿Estabas leyendo ahora mismo? | Were you reading just now? | |
Él estaba trabajando a las siete. | He was working at seven o’clock. |
The imperfect progressive is similar in usage to the imperfect, but with an emphasis on the fact that the action was in progress at the moment it was interrupted.
The Spanish imperfect progressive is formed with the imperfect of estar + gerund of the action verb.
For verbs other than estar that can be used to give a different nuance, see the variations in Present progressive.
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