# 2. Was Paco spending too much money? (question formation)

## Caso práctico

Imagen de Michael Caven en Flickr. Licencia CC

Find in the text a couple of examples of interrogative sentences in the Past Progressive.

ING01-02-04-audio02.mp3

Was Paco spending too much money? Yes, he was. He was buying some presents for his family and his close friends. Paco was considering the idea of going back home after visiting Liverpool and before traveling to Scotland, so that he could take all the presents with him.

Was Paco taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of going back to Spain and then taking a plane to Edinburgh? No, he wasn't.

After thinking about this for a long time, Paco finally decided to send the presents to Spain by mail, and to go to Scotland by train. In doing so, he could appreciate the English and Scottish landscape better.

### Retroalimentación

1) Was Paco spending too much money? Yes, he was.
2) Was Paco taking into account the advantages ...? No, he wasn't.

## Ejercicio Resuelto

Past continuous in interrogative: yes / no questions

> Write questions in the Past Progressive.

> 1) The children / play / basketball / in the garden

> 2) Paco / work / on his computer / all day

> 3) My cousins / swim / in the pool / with their parents

> 4) Antonio / make / dinner / for Isabel and Sonia

> 5) Alex / study / at university / last week

### Retroalimentación

> 1) Were the children playing basketball in the garden?

> 2) Was Paco working on his computer all day?

> 3) Were my cousins swimming in the pool with their parents?

> 4) Was Antonio making dinner for Isabel and Sonia?

> 5) Was Alex studying at university last week?

## Comprueba lo aprendido

### Pregunta

Choose the correct questions in Past Continuous to the following statements. Notice that the three questions can be answered with yes or no.
1) Paco was spending too much money in London.

#### Respuestas

Opción 1

a) Were Paco spending too much money in London?

Opción 2

b) Was Paco spending too much money in London?

#### Retroalimentación

Wrong. Were can't be used with a third person singular. Was is used for both first and third persons singular.
Correct. The interrogative pattern is properly used: past to be + subject + verb in -ing + complements

#### Solución

1. Incorrecto (Retroalimentación)
2. Opción correcta (Retroalimentación)

### Pregunta

2) Alex and Andrés were playing tennis in the morning.

#### Respuestas

Opción 1

a) Were Alex and Andrés playing tennis in the morning?

Opción 2

b) Was Alex and Andrés playing tennis in the morning?

#### Retroalimentación

Correct. The interrogative pattern is properly used: past to be + subject + verb in -ing + complements
Wrong. Was can't be used with a plural subject. Were is used for you (singular and plural) /we / they.

#### Solución

1. Opción correcta (Retroalimentación)
2. Incorrecto (Retroalimentación)

### Pregunta

3) Sonia was helping her friend Ana with her English.

#### Respuestas

Opción 1

a) Was Sonia helping her friend Ana with her English?

Opción 2

b) Was Sonia help her friend Ana with her English?

#### Retroalimentación

Correct. The interrogative pattern is properly used: past to be + subject + verb in -ing + complements
Wrong. There is no verb in the sentence taking -ing (helping).

#### Solución

1. Opción correcta (Retroalimentación)
2. Incorrecto (Retroalimentación)

## Ejercicio Resuelto

Past Continuous in interrogative: Wh- questions.

> Ask for the information in the bold part of the sentence.

> 1) Paco was living in Spain last month.

> 2) Isabel and her family were having lunch at two o'clock.

> 3) The doctor was driving home when I saw him.

> 4) The children were playing football in the park.

> 5) The teacher was explaining the lesson for one hour.

### Retroalimentación

> 1) Where was Paco living last year?

> 2) When were Isabel and her family having lunch?

> 3) Who was driving home when you saw him?

> 4) What were the children doing in the park?

> 5) How long was the teacher explaining the lesson?

## Comprueba lo aprendido

Ask for the information in the bold part of the sentence.

1) The History teacher was correcting our exams. Rellenar huecos (1): JXUwMDBmJXUwMDNmJXUwMDA3 was correcting our exams?

2) The children were playing in the garden quietly. Rellenar huecos (2): JXUwMDEwJXUwMDI3JXUwMDE4 were the children playing in the garden?

3) Paco and Sonia were speaking on the phone an hour ago. Rellenar huecos (3): JXUwMDBmJXUwMDNmJXUwMDBkJXUwMDBi were Paco and Sonia speaking?

4) Antonio was sitting in the living room reading a book. Rellenar huecos (4): JXUwMDBmJXUwMDNmJXUwMDBkJXUwMDE3JXUwMDE3 was Antonio sitting reading a book?

5) I was doing my final exams at university. Rellenar huecos (5): JXUwMDBmJXUwMDNmJXUwMDA5JXUwMDE1 were you doing at university?

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## Curiosidad

Liverpool and Everton: two teams in the same city

Imagen de wonker en Flickr. Licencia CC

Liverpool is home to two Premier League football clubs–Liverpool F.C. and Everton. Liverpool is the only English city to have staged top division football every single season since the formation of the Football League in 1888, and both of the city's clubs play in high-capacity stadiums.

Liverpool F.C. are the most successful team in English football, having won 18 league titles, seven FA Cups, seven League Cups, five European Cups and three UEFA Cups. They formed in 1892 and have spent their entire history at the Anfield stadium which they occupied on their formation; it had previously been home to Everton.

Imagen de BiloBlueen Wikimedia Licencia CC

Everton are the older of Liverpool's two professional football clubs. They were founded in 1878 and have played at Goodison Park since 1892, when they relocated from the Anfield stadium that was taken over by the new Liverpool club. Everton have been league champions nine times, FA Cup winners five times and European Cup Winners' Cup winners once.

Liverpool have played at Anfield since 1892, when the club was formed to occupy the stadium following Everton's departure due to a dispute with their landlord. Liverpool are still playing there 116 years later, although the ground has been completely rebuilt since the 1970s and only the Main Stand survives from before 1992. The Spion Kop (rebuilt as an all-seater stand in 1994/1995) was the most famous part of the ground, gaining cult status across the world due to the songs and celebrations of the many fans who packed onto its terraces. Anfield is classified as a 4 Star UEFA Elite Stadium with capacity for 45,000 spectators in comfort, and is a distinctive landmark in an area filled with smaller and older buildings. Liverpool club also has a multi-million dollar youth training facility called The Academy.

Everton moved to Goodison Park after they were evicted from Anfield in 1892. The ground is situated at the far side of Stanley Park to Anfield. Goodison Park was the first major football stadium built in England.

From Wikipedia.

## Para saber más

About form and uses of the Past Progressive, including the interrogative form.

Click here for lots of examples in English and some exercises as well.

One question, two questions, three questions. "Question" is a countable noun. That is what we will study next. Come and learn.