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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Foreign Languages

Ready to Conquer the Spanish Past Progressive Tense?

Test your skills with Spanish continuous past tense exercises!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art scene featuring Spanish past progressive tense quiz title on golden yellow background

Ready to master the progressive past tense Spanish? Dive into our Ace the Progressive Past Tense Spanish Quiz to test your skills and discover exactly how to use past progressive in Spanish. Whether you're reviewing Spanish continuous past tense or tackling ejercicios de pasado progresivo en español, this quiz is your ticket to clarity and confidence. You'll also receive instant feedback and clear explanations to reinforce your learning and boost your confidence. Feel curious? You can brush up first with the imperfect tense quiz or compare forms in our preterite vs imperfect quiz . Jump in now and see how far you can go!

How do you say "I was eating" in Spanish?
Yo estuve comiendo
Yo estaba comiendo
Yo he comido
Yo comería
The past progressive tense in Spanish requires the imperfect of "estar" plus the gerund form of the main verb. In this case, "estaba" is the imperfect of "estar" and "comiendo" is the gerund of "comer." This form emphasizes that the action was ongoing in the past. SpanishDict: Spanish Progressive Tenses
Ellos ____ hablando con el profesor cuando llegamos.
estuvieron hablando
estaban hablando
hablaron
hablaban
To describe an action that was in progress when another event occurred, Spanish uses the imperfect of "estar" plus a gerund. "Estaban hablando" clearly shows the ongoing nature of their conversation at the moment of arrival. Other options either use a simple imperfect or preterite, which do not convey the same continuous meaning. StudySpanish: Imperfect Progressive
Choose the correct translation for "She was reading the book."
Ella leería el libro
Ella leía el libro
Ella leyó el libro
Ella estaba leyendo el libro
While "ella leía el libro" uses the imperfect tense, it does not use the progressive form. The past progressive requires the imperfect of "estar" plus the gerund, giving "estaba leyendo." This correctly emphasizes the ongoing action of reading at that moment. SpanishDict: Spanish Progressive Tenses
Mientras tú ____ trabajando, yo ____ descansando.
estabas / estaba
estuviste / estuviste
eras / era
estarás / estaré
This sentence describes two simultaneous actions that were ongoing in the past, so both verbs must be in the imperfect progressive. "Estabas trabajando" and "estaba descansando" use imperfect "estar" plus the gerund forms. The other options use either preterite or simple imperfect, which do not convey the continuous aspect. StudySpanish: Imperfect Progressive
Which sentence correctly uses the past progressive to describe an action interrupted by another?
Estuvimos viendo la película cuando sonaba el teléfono.
Veíamos la película cuando sonó el teléfono.
Vimos la película cuando sonaba el teléfono.
Estábamos viendo la película cuando sonó el teléfono.
To express that an ongoing action was interrupted by another, Spanish uses the imperfect progressive for the first action and preterite for the interrupting action. "Estábamos viendo" is the imperfect progressive, paired with "sonó." The other options mix tenses incorrectly or fail to use the gerund form. SpanishDict: Interrupted Actions
Identify the past progressive form of "We were writing."
Nosotros hubimos estado escribiendo
Nosotros estaríamos escribiendo
Nosotros escribíamos
Nosotros estábamos escribiendo
The correct past progressive uses the imperfect form of "estar" plus the gerund of the main verb. "Estábamos escribiendo" fits this pattern. "Escribíamos" is simple imperfect, while the other options misuse compound or conditional forms. SpanishDict: Progressive Forms
Transform into Spanish past progressive: "The children were sleeping."
Los niños durmieron
Los niños estaban durmiendo
Los niños dormían
Los niños estuvieron durmiendo
The past progressive requires "estar" in the imperfect plus the gerund of "dormir," which is "durmiendo." Thus, "estaban durmiendo" is correct. Options using simple preterite or imperfect do not convey the continuous nature of the action. StudySpanish: Imperfect Progressive
Choose the correct form to complete the question: ¿Qué ____ haciendo tú a las ocho anoche?
estabas
eras
estuviste
fuiste
Since the question asks about an ongoing action at a specific time in the past, it requires the imperfect of "estar." "Estabas haciendo" correctly asks what you were doing. The preterite forms do not express the continuous sense needed here. SpanishDict: Spanish Progressive Tenses
Identify the incorrect past progressive sentence.
Ellos estaban corriendo
Ella estaba bailando
Tú estabas estudiando
Yo había hablando
A correct past progressive must use the imperfect of "estar" plus a gerund. "Yo había hablando" incorrectly uses "haber" instead of "estar" and does not form a proper gerund. The other sentences correctly pair "estar" in the imperfect with a gerund. SpanishDict: Progressive Errors
Translate "I was dying of laughter" into the past progressive in Spanish.
Me estaba muriendo de risa
Me he estado muriendo de risa
Me morí de risa
Me moría de risa
While "me moría de risa" uses the simple imperfect, the past progressive specifically calls for "estar" in the imperfect plus the gerund "muriendo." "Me estaba muriendo de risa" correctly conveys an action that was in progress. The other options either use simple tenses or an awkward compound form. SpanishDict: Spanish Progressive Tenses
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Forms of the Progressive Past Tense -

    Distinguish the correct endings and auxiliary verb usage for the progressive past tense Spanish in various sentence structures.

  2. Form Spanish Continuous Past Tense Sentences -

    Construct and write sentences using the Spanish continuous past tense with accurate gerund forms and appropriate context.

  3. Apply Past Progressive Tense in Spanish Contexts -

    Utilize the past progressive tense in Spanish to describe ongoing actions in the past, reinforcing proper usage through instant-feedback quizzes.

  4. Detect and Correct Common Errors -

    Spot frequent mistakes in forming the past progressive tense in Spanish and learn strategies to avoid them in future communication.

  5. Translate Continuous Past Narratives -

    Convert English continuous past sentences into Spanish using the past progressive tense, enhancing translation accuracy and fluency.

  6. Practice with Ejercicios de Pasado Progresivo -

    Complete realistic ejercicios de pasado progresivo en español to reinforce correct structures and build confidence in using the tense.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Base del pasado progresivo en español -

    La construcción fundamental del progressive past tense Spanish combina el imperfecto de "estar" con el gerundio. Por ejemplo, "Él estaba escribiendo una carta" ilustra claramente el Spanish continuous past tense según la Real Academia Española.

  2. Formación del gerundio -

    Los verbos en - ar forman gerundio con - ando (hablar → hablando) y los de - er/ - ir con - iendo (comer → comiendo, vivir → viviendo). Ten en cuenta excepciones como leer → leyendo, siguiendo pautas del Cambridge University Press.

  3. Uso frente al pretérito e imperfecto -

    Se emplea el pasado progresivo para enfatizar acciones en curso en un momento específico, mientras que el pretérito señala eventos completados. En contraste, el imperfecto puro describe hábitos o contextos sin foco en la duración.

  4. Marcadores temporales clave -

    Palabras como "mientras", "en ese momento" o "durante" suelen acompañar al Spanish continuous past tense y ayudan a situar el evento. Un truco fácil: si puedes insertar "while" en la frase inglesa, probablemente uses pasado progresivo en español.

  5. Negación y preguntas -

    Para negar, coloca "no" antes del verbo "estar" (No estaba escuchando música). En preguntas, invierte el orden: "¿Estabas cenando cuando llamé?" según ejercicios de pasado progresivo en español en universidades como la Universidad de Navarra.

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