Learn Spanish (Latin America): Iba a trabajar, pero la conexión falló. - I was going to work, but the connection failed.

We use the imperfect tense of ir (iba) followed by a and an infinitive verb (like trabajar) to talk about what someone intended to do in the past. If you said fui a trabajar (using the preterite tense), it would mean you actually went and did it. Iba a trabajar means "I was going to work" (but implies something stopped you).

Does iba only mean "I was going"? Could it refer to someone else?

Yes, it could! In the imperfect tense, the "yo" (I) and "él/ella/usted" (he/she/you formal) forms are identical. Iba a trabajar could mean "I was going to work," "he was going to work," or "she was going to work." Usually, the context of the conversation makes it clear. If it is ever confusing, you can just add the pronoun: Yo iba a trabajar.

Why does the sentence use the imperfect tense for iba but the preterite (simple past) for falló?

This sentence shows a classic mix of two past tenses. We use the imperfect (iba) to set the background or show an ongoing intention ("I was going to..."). Then, we use the preterite (falló) for the sudden event that interrupted that plan. The connection failing happened at a specific, completed moment in time.

Is there a rule for knowing that conexión uses the feminine word la?