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Ellos paseaban por el centro de la ciudad cuando empezó a llover.

Ellos paseaban por el centro de la ciudad cuando empezó a llover.
They were strolling through the city center when it started to rain.
From Lesson 151:Imperfect versus preterite·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Ellos paseaban por el centro de la ciudad cuando empezó a llover.

Why is paseaban in the imperfect and empezó in the preterite (indefinido)?
This sentence is a perfect example of a background setting interrupted by a new event. Paseaban (were strolling) is in the imperfect because it describes an action that was already in progress. Empezó (started) is in the preterite because it is a sudden, completed action that interrupted their walk.
Why do we use por instead of para in por el centro?
In Spanish, por is used to talk about movement through, around, or along an area. Since they are walking around or through the city center, we use por. You would use para if the city center was their final destination.
Why is there an a between empezó and llover?
The verb empezar (to start) requires the preposition a when it is followed by an infinitive verb (the base form of a verb, like llover). The structure is always empezar a + infinitive.
Why does paseaban translate to 'were strolling' instead of 'strolled'?
The imperfect tense often translates to 'was/were doing something' when it sets the scene for another event. While paseaban can sometimes mean 'used to stroll' or 'strolled', the English 'were strolling' best captures the feeling of an ongoing action that gets interrupted by the rain.

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