Estaba + gerund works for imperfect?

Estaba + gerund works for imperfect?
 

The first language I have studied outside of English is Latin; therefore, many of my ideas in trying to study Spanish are rooted in my ideas about Latin, hence the following question:

Which of the following is correct, or are both of them acceptable?

Yo caminara en el calle.
I was walking on the street.

Yo estaba caminando en el calle.
I was walking on the street.

I know it's used to construct the "progressive tense," but I was just curious as to see if such a literal translation from English worked in Spanish.

Yo estaba caminando por la calle (femenin) :)

Gracias, me has ayudado mucho!

Asi que...
Cuando debe de usar "caminara?"
Yo estaba mirando a un table de "caminar" y lo dijo que "caminara" es imperfect; para Inglés, "imperfecto" = "was walking."

Porque no debe de usar "imperfecto" para "was (verb)-ing"?

Si estoy correcto, 'caminara' es subjuntivo, no es imperfecto.

Edit: Creo que 'caminaba' es el imperfecto, pero no traduce como 'was walking'. Imperfecto en Español es un acción que tenía lugar sobre un tiempo indefinido. Por ejemplo "Yo caminaba al escuela", o en ingles, "I walked to school" (As in something I use to do in the past).

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

Yo leí mal la tabla de "caminar"!!! Lo siento.

Asi que...

"Estaba caminando" = "yo caminaba"?

@satchrocks: Fazor está en lo cierto, "caminara" es subjuntivo. Quizás lo que quisiste decir en tu primer enunciado es "Yo caminaba en la calle". That would be correct.

Both things ;): imperfecto de subjuntivo.

You can use the imperfect of indicative: caminaba, instead "estaba caminando":

Yo estaba caminando por la calle cuando vi un coche que se acercaba a toda velocidad.
Yo caminaba por la calle cuando vi un coche que se acercaba a toda velocidad.

But it's most used the first sentence. Imperfect is most used when the action is repeated in the time:

Los lunes, al anochecer, caminaba solitario por la calle, sumido en sus propios pensamientos.

I didn't see your answers, I was writing.

Sorry, I edited my post like 3 times after I first posted it. :) Can someone check the edit and see how I did?

I'm sorry, I will do some bit corrections in your sentences, I hope this do not bothering you.




They are perfect translations into of the Spanish, I don't know anything more about your questions because I'm not teacher and never I liked the Spanish jijij, but I can give you some advices.

Crotalito, ¿tú caminarías "en el calle"? Are you sure? ;)

Aunque yo caminara toda la noche, no llegaría a Madrid, está muy lejos.
Yo caminaría por la calle si pudiera, pero no me dejan salir del trabajo.

:)

Yes, I should to take for the street, I can do it, in your country is not the same distance than my place, I'm sure, I do it, but it more comfortable to take my Cherokee and go wherever.

No. I grasp understand you, there is different if you walk in your country during the nigh because are there more danger for the delinquency.

@irmamar: es una variante regional. Nosotros decimos "caminar/andar en la calle".
"Caminar por la calle" es una expresión más propia, pero nadie la usa aquí (quizás en lenguaje escrito formal).

Sobre todo lo decía por el calle :)

I am still confused!!??

Are "estaba caminando" and "caminba" interchangeable or not? They both translate as "I was walking". What do you mean by "action repeated in the time?

"Estaba caminando" and "caminaba" are fairly interchangeable. They can both be translated as "was walking". The main difference is when you are talking about a habitual or repetitive action, there is a preference for "caminaba", thus:

Most natural:
Yo estaba caminando por la calle cuando vi un coche que se acercaba a toda velocidad.
Los lunes, al anochecer, caminaba solitario por la calle, sumido en sus propios pensamientos. (habitual action)

This is also fine, but perhaps not as common:
Yo caminaba por la calle cuando vi un coche que se acercaba a toda velocidad.
For a habitual action, you would only use "caminaba" and not "estaba caminando".

Note: When you use the imperfect to refer to habitual actions in the past, that would usually be translated to English as "used to + infinitive" instead of "was + present participle"

Los lunes, al anochecer, caminaba solitario por la calle...
On Mondays at nightfall I used to walk the streets alone... (not "I was walking")

Tomisimo has explained perfectly :)

Estaba caminando = caminaba.
Caminaba ≠ estaba caminando.

Yo estaba caminando/caminaba cuando algo pasó.
Yo caminaba siempre/a veces/ frecuentemente / de vez en cuando/ una vez por semana...

Thanks a lot Tomísimo and Irmamar. I think the problem is that in English it would be unusual to use "was ---ing" (instead of "used to + inf) for a habitual action. I think it would be a more usual speech habit from English speaking Asians (from the Indian subcontinent).

Well, we don't say was + -ing form for an habitual action, either:

I was walking when something happened.
Estaba paseando cuando algo pasó.

I used to walk on Mondays.
Acostumbraba a pasear los lunes.
Paseaba los lunes.
Solía pasear los lunes.

Interesting thread. One of the more complicated subtleties for English-speakers, I think.
Brute, interesting comment about Indian speakers of English - listening to Indian speakers can be very interesting to a language maven.

I just discovered these forums after being directed to the main page by a co-worker for definitions that are hard to find elsewhere. Sure enough, I found the one I was looking for. And these muy interesante forums! I'll definitely be back.