Narrative tenses (PS, PC, PP, PPC) en relatos
Los narrative tenses son los tiempos verbales que usamos para contar historias en pasado. Combinan Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect y Past Perfect Continuous para dar ritmo y claridad.
1) Mapa rápido de tiempos narrativos
Idea visual:
Fondo (PC) ────────✦─────────
Acción clave (PS) ↑
Causa anterior (PP/PPC) ──●
Ejemplo:
It was raining (PC) and people were waiting (PC) at the bus stop when a car crashed (PS). The driver had fallen asleep (PP) because he had been driving (PPC) all night.
Piensa: ¿qué estaba pasando? (PC), ¿qué ocurrió? (PS), ¿qué ya había pasado antes? (PP/PPC).
2) Repaso rápido de cada tiempo en narraciones
| Tiempo | Forma | Función en el relato | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Simple (PS) | V2 / ed | Acciones principales, una detrás de otra. | He arrived, sat down and ordered a coffee. |
| Past Continuous (PC) | was/were + -ing | Acciones en progreso (fondo), acción larga interrumpida. | He was reading when the phone rang. |
| Past Perfect (PP) | had + past participle | Acción completada antes de otro pasado. | He was nervous because he had failed the test before. |
| Past Perfect Continuous (PPC) | had been + -ing | Duración/actividad continua anterior; causa de un estado. | He was exhausted because he had been working all day. |
3) Estructura típica de un relato con narrative tenses
A) Background (fondo) + evento principal
Usa Past Continuous para el fondo y Past Simple para la acción clave:
It was getting dark and it was raining (PC). I was walking home alone (PC), when suddenly I heard a strange noise (PS).
Conectores típicos: when, while, just as, as.
- When + PS → introduce la acción que interrumpe.
I was cooking when he arrived. - While + PC → dos acciones en progreso a la vez.
While I was cooking, he was setting the table.
B) Background anterior (PP / PPC)
Antes de la escena principal puedes dar contexto con Past Perfect o Past Perfect Continuous:
I had never travelled alone before (PP), so I was feeling a bit nervous (PC) as the plane took off (PS).
We had been driving for hours (PPC) when we finally found a hotel (PS).
4) Texto modelo anotado
Observa cómo se combinan los tiempos en este relato corto:
Background anterior (PP / PPC)
I had been studying all day (PPC) because I had failed my last exam (PP).
Escena de fondo (PC)
That evening, it was raining heavily (PC) and I was feeling really tired (PC).
Acción principal (PS) que interrumpe
I decided (PS) to take a short break and I went (PS) to make some coffee.
Acción inesperada (PS) + causa anterior (PP)
Suddenly, the lights went out (PS). I had forgotten (PP) to pay the electricity bill!
Resultado + duración (PPC)
I had been thinking (PPC) about the exam so much that I didn’t notice (PS) the date on the bill.
Cuando leas historias, intenta subrayar qué tiempo es cada verbo y por qué se usa.
5) Errores comunes con narrative tenses
| Incorrecto | Correcto | Por qué |
|---|---|---|
| *I was going to the shop and I bought some milk.* | I was going to the shop when I bought some milk. | Mejor separar fondo (PC) + acción principal (PS) con when si quieres contraste. |
| *When I was arrived, they were leaving.* | When I arrived, they were leaving. | was arrived no existe; es Past Simple activo: arrived. |
| *When I arrived, they had leaving.* | When I arrived, they had left. | Past Perfect = had + past participle (left), no had + -ing. |
| *I had been know him for years when I met his sister.* | I had known him for years when I met his sister. | know (verbo de estado) suele ir en forma simple, no continua. |
| *While I cooked, he watched TV.* | While I was cooking, he was watching TV. | Con while es más natural usar dos acciones en progreso. |
6) Mini-práctica de narrative tenses
- Completa con el tiempo correcto (PS, PC, PP o PPC) del verbo entre paréntesis:
a) It ______ (rain) and people ______ (wait) at the bus stop when the accident ______ (happen).
b) She was nervous because she ______ never ______ (fly) before.
c) We ______ (drive) for two hours when we ______ (realise) we ______ (take) the wrong road.
d) While I ______ (walk) home, I ______ (remember) that I ______ (leave) my keys at work.
e) By the time we ______ (get) to the cinema, the film ______ already ______ (start). - Elige la opción correcta:
a) I (was reading / read) when someone (knocked / was knocking) at the door.
b) They (had finished / had been finishing) dinner when we arrived.
c) She was dirty because she (had worked / had been working) in the garden.
d) When I got home, I realised I (had left / left) my wallet on the bus. - Reescribe el texto usando tiempos narrativos naturales (PS, PC, PP, PPC):
Yesterday I go to a concert. It rains and everybody is waiting in the queue. I arrive late because I work all day. When I arrive, the band start and my friends already go inside.
→ Escribe una versión mejor en pasado, combinando al menos 3 tiempos distintos. - Ordena y completa con conectores adecuados (when, while, after, before, by the time):
a) I had finished my homework ______ I went out with my friends.
b) ______ we were having dinner, the phone rang.
c) ______ we arrived at the station, the train had left.
d) I had never seen snow ______ I travelled to Canada. - (Producción guiada) Escribe un mini-relato (4–6 frases) sobre:
• un viaje complicado, un día de mala suerte o una anécdota graciosa.
Usa:
– Past Simple para la acción principal.
– Past Continuous para el fondo.
– Past Perfect y/o Past Perfect Continuous para el contexto anterior o la causa.
Respuestas ejemplo (orientativas):
1) a) was raining (PC) / were waiting (PC) / happened (PS)
b) had never flown (PP)
c) had been driving (PPC) / realised (PS) / had taken (PP)
d) was walking (PC) / remembered (PS) / had left (PP)
e) got (PS) / had already started (PP)
2) a) was reading / knocked · b) had finished · c) had been working · d) had left
3) Ejemplo de reescritura:
Yesterday I went to a concert. It was raining and everybody was waiting in the queue. I was late because I had been working all day. When I arrived, the band had already started and my friends had gone inside.
4) a) before · b) While · c) By the time · d) before
5) Respuesta abierta: lo importante es combinar al menos 3 tiempos y respetar la lógica temporal.
7) Próximo paso
Continúa con Future Continuous (acción en progreso en el futuro), para hablar de acciones que estarán ocurriendo en un momento específico del futuro.