Breakdown of La investigación duró tres meses.
tres
three
el mes
the month
la investigación
the investigation, the research
Questions & Answers about La investigación duró tres meses.
Why is duró in the preterite instead of the imperfect here?
We use the preterite duró because the action has a clearly defined beginning and end. Even though lasting three months implies a continuous stretch of time, stating the exact duration (tres meses) turns it into a single, completed timeframe in the past.
How would this sentence change if I used reported speech, like "They said the investigation lasted three months"?
Because the reporting verb is in the past (They said / Ellos dijeron), the preterite duró steps one level further back into the past perfect. You would say: Ellos dijeron que la investigación había durado tres meses (They said that the investigation had lasted three months).
Does investigación always mean a police investigation?
Not necessarily! While it perfectly translates to a criminal or formal "investigation," it is also the standard Spanish word for academic or scientific "research."
Could I use the verb tomar or tardar here instead of durar?
Yes, you could say tomó tres meses or tardó tres meses to mean "it took three months." However, durar is the exact equivalent of "to last," focusing on the actual lifespan of the event rather than the time required to complete a goal.
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