SECOND LEARNING OUTCOME MATERIAL

Empleo habilidades lingusticas en mi entorno empresarial

Past Continuous: The past continuous express the time that an action takes place
in the past without specifying that it was completed. For example:

It was snowing at 4:30

yesterday (Estaba nevando a
las cuatro y media de ayer).

I was staying in that hotel (Estuve

quedndome en ese hotel).

Tips for using the past continuous

Simultaneous actions: If the actions are consecutives the verbs should be used in
simple past form.

- When I saw her I left the room (cuando la vi dej la habitacin).

- When both, simple past and past continuous tense are used, the last one
emphasize the duration of the action.

- While I was watching TV the telephone rang

(Mientras estaba viendo la tele,

son el telfono).

- If two actions take place in the same period of time. The use of the past continuous
would be present in both sentences.

While I was having dinner,

(Mientras estaba cenando,

she was watching TV

ella estaba viendo la tv).

When you talk about habitual

situations in the past it is
common to use the simple past
form. For example:
She visited her parents every
day.

However, we can use the past continuous in order to emphasize that the action
occurred in a place temporarily.

When I was ill he was visiting me twice a day

(Cuando estaba enfermo me
veces al da).

estaba visitando dos

(You can also use the simple past form in

both sentences).

The use of the past continuous helps to describe and to set an action in a story.

- He was walking
quickly.

- He was not
wearing his glasses.

- Suddenly he fell...

With verbs that express a state of mind in past, the verb should be in simple past,
provided that these verbs dont have a special meaning like the differences between
simple present and past continuous.

- I loved him.
Le amaba (verbo estado pasado).

Courtesy rules
The courtesy expressions are used to ask someone to do something for us like a
favor. Some polite expressions are:

Would you give me the salt, please?

(Te importara pasarme la sal, por
favor?)
Would you mind to close the window?
(Te importara cerrar la ventana?)

Also we can ask someone not to do something likewise. Take into account this
formula:

Would you mind + ing form of verb

Would you mind + not + ing form of verb

Would you mind passing me the report? Te importara pasarme el

reporte?
Would you mind not smoking?
Would you mind not shouting?

Te importara no fumar?
Te importara no gritar?

In order to make questions politely, we can use:

Would you (please) + base form

Could you + base form of the verb + (please)
Could I ask you to (please) + base form of the verb

Would you pass me

the salt?
Could you talk more
quietly, please?
Could I ask you to
help me?

When we want someone not to do something, we can use:

Would you (please) + not + base form

Could you (please) + not + base form
Could I ask you to (please) + not + base form

Podras por favor no gritar?

Would you please not shout?
Could you please not smoke here?
Could I ask you to not make so much noise?

Podras por favor no fumar

aqu?
Podra pedirle que por favor
no haga tanto ruido?

References

Ministerio de educacin nacional de Colombia (2007). Revista digital al

tablero. Artculo web. COLOMBIA BILINGE. Consultado el 12 de octubre
de 2013, en: http://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1621/article-97495.html

Esol. (Sin fecha) The present simple tense. Consultado el 12 de octubre

en:http://www.esolcourses.com/content/grammar/presentsimple/presentsimpl
eg2.html
CONTROL DEL DOCUMENTO

Autores

Nombre
Csar Augusto
Marn Jaramillo

Cargo

Dependencia

Fecha

Instructor
ingls

Centro de
Automatizacin
Industrial
Regional Caldas

Octubre 26
de 2013

Expertos
temticos
Juan David
Mendieta
Muoz
John Jairo
Alvarado
Gonzlez

Instructor
ingls

Carolina
Chaparro

Octubre 30
de 2013

Guionista

Revisin
Andrs Felipe
Valencia Pimienta

Octubre 30
de 2013

Lder lnea
de
produccin
Instructor
ingls

Centro de Diseo e
Innovacin
Tecnolgica Industrial
Regional Risaralda.

Octubre 30
de 2013

Octubre 30
de 2013

Apoyo
Pavel Morales

Instructor
ingls

Octubre 30
de 2013