Question

Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences: Alberto oyó la música de la fiesta y salió de casa. Alberto oía la música de la fiesta cuando salió de casa.

Answer 1

The first sentence means that Alberto heard the music of the party, and as a result, he left the house. The second sentence means that Alberto was hearing the music of the party at the moment he left the house. The first sentence implies a cause-and-effect relationship between hearing the music and leaving the house, while the second sentence simply states that he was hearing the music when he left.