Gramática › Past Continuous Tense
Past continuous: preguntas con wh-
490 ejercicios de huecos, 49 tests de diez
Palabra interrogativa, después was o were, después el sujeto, después la forma en -ing.
Practica esta forma
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Preparando tu primera pregunta.
El orden habitual
Cuatro huecos: palabra interrogativa — was o were — sujeto — la forma en -ing.
Where were you staying?
La pregunta clásica
What were you doing at the time? es la manera estándar de preguntar qué estaba haciendo alguien, y, en otro contexto, la pregunta estándar de una investigación.
La respuesta va en continuous; el suceso que la interrumpió, en simple:
I was walking the dog when I heard the alarm.
Cuando who es el sujeto
No hay intercambio, porque no hay con qué intercambiar:
- Who was making that noise?
- What was happening outside?
Estas llevan was incluso cuando la respuesta resulta ser plural.
How long con un periodo cerrado
How long were you waiting? pregunta por un tramo que ya terminó. Si la espera sigue, la pregunta pasa al present perfect continuous: How long have you been waiting?
Dónde se tuerce para un hispanohablante
«¿Qué estabas haciendo?» se calca como What you were doing? y falta el intercambio.
Y conviene separar How long were you waiting? de How long have you been waiting?: el español usa «llevabas esperando» y «llevas esperando», y la diferencia es la misma — si la espera terminó o sigue.
Todas las formas
| Palabra interrogativa | Ejemplo | Pregunta por |
|---|---|---|
| What | What were you doing? | la actividad |
| Where | Where was she going? | el destino |
| Why | Why were they shouting? | el motivo |
| How long | How long were you waiting? | la duración |
| Who | Who was driving? | la persona — ver abajo |
Ejemplos
Tomados de las 490 frases de este ejercicio. La respuesta va resaltada.
- What were you doing in the park when it started raining?
- Who was she working with in the garden yesterday morning?
- Who were they playing with in the park when it started raining?
- How were you feeling when they told you the surprise?
- Where was he waiting when they arrived at the airport?
- How long was he driving before she realized her mistake?
- Where were they going at that time?
- How were you walking when you got caught in the rain?
- Who were they dancing with after the party last night?
- Where were you waiting when they came to pick you up?
- How was he feeling when you got the surprise?
- Where were they sitting during the lecture?
Errores que evitar
Incorrecto: What you were doing? correcto: What were you doing?
El auxiliar va delante del sujeto.
Incorrecto: Who was he driving the car? correcto: Who was driving the car?
Cuando who es quien conduce, no hay un segundo sujeto.