Breakdown of Ana pensaba ir al cine, pero está muy cansada.
muy
very
pero
but
estar
to be (location/state)
cansado
tired
el cine
the cinema
ir
to go
al
to the (m)
pensar
to plan to, to intend (+ infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Ana pensaba ir al cine, pero está muy cansada.
Why doesn't the sentence say pensaba en ir?
When pensar is followed directly by an infinitive like ir, it means "to plan" or "to intend" to do something. If it were pensaba en ir, it would simply mean she was "thinking about going" without necessarily having a firm plan.
Why is pensaba in the imperfect tense rather than the preterite (pensó)?
Why does the sentence shift from the past tense (pensaba) to the present tense (está)?
This reflects a natural shift in time. She had the plan in the past (pensaba), but her tiredness is happening right now at the moment of speaking (está), which explains why she is abandoning her original plan.
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