Past Continuous Tense Form of Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense

Form of Past Continuous Tense: Positive Sentence Subject + “BE” + main verb +(V+ing) I was listening to music. You, We, They were dancing happily. He, She, It was reading books. modifier.

Form of Past Continuous Tense: Negative Sentence Subject + I You, We, They He, She, It “BE” + NOT + main verb (V+ing) + modifier. was not wasn't were not weren't was not wasn't listening to music. dancing happily. reading books.

Form of Past Continuous Tense: Yes-No Question “BE” main verb Subject + + +(V+ing) Was I you, we, Were they Was he, she, it modifier ? listening to music? World’s Cup last watching night? being lazy?

Form of Past Continuous Tense: Wh-Question word Who Where Who BE + Subject main verb + +(V+ing) modifier ? to when the was I talking phone rang? you, we, World’s Cup were watching they last night? he, she, at 11 o’clock was doing it last night?

Use of Past Continuous Tense 1. We use the past continuous to say that an action was in progress at a specific time in the past. The action had already started at this time, but had not finished. • At 5 pm yesterday, it was raining. • I was having dinner at 6 pm last night. • Last night at 11 PM, my sister and I (we) were watching TV. • At midnight, we were still driving through the desert. • What were you doing at midnight last night?

Use of Past Continuous Tense 2. We use the past continuous to say that an action was in progress at every moment during a period of time. 8: 00 am working 12: 00 pm working 4: 00 pm working • Yesterday she was sitting at her desk at work all day. • You were working all day yesterday. • Yesterday they were not playing football at 9 am. • What were you doing at 10 pm last night? • Jimmy was working at 10 pm last night.

Use of Past Continuous Tense 3. We use the past continuous together with the past simple. The past continuous refers to a "longer" or "background" action that was in progress to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted; The past simple refers to a “shorter” action that interrupted the longer action, or happened in the middle of it. John’s daughter was sleeping when he called her at 8 pm.

Jimmy was taking a bath when the phone rang. A: What were you doing when you broke your leg? B: I was snowboarding.

Use of Past Continuous Tense 4. We use the past continuous to say that an action the past was temporary. Sarah was waiting for her friend for 20 minutes yesterday. You were working in the Sales Department last month. They were living in Paris for a year.

Past Continuous Tense & Past Simple Tense We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense. We use the past continuous tense to express a long action. And we use the past simple tense to express a short action that happens in the middle of the long action.

Past Continuous Tense & Past Simple Tense I was watching TV when Jim knocked the door. Long action = (watching TV), expressed with past continuous tense Short action = (knocked), expressed with simple past tense

‘when’ + short action (past simple tense) ‘while’ + long action (past continuous tense) I was watching TV when Jim knocked the door. I was watching TV Jim knocked the When door Jim knocked the door While I was watching TV Jim knocked the when door. , I was watching TV while I was watching TV , Jim knocked the door

Choose the correct tense, past simple or past continuous 1. A nun was sitting (sit) in a church when Roger opened the door. was explaining 2. While Miss King …………………. . (explain) the lesson, the principle came. arrived 3. Father ……………. . (arrive) home as mother was cooking. screamed 4. A woman ……………(scream) while her husband was driving. was dancing 5. While her friends……. . ………. (dance), Amanda took a photograph. was sleeping 6. Andrew………. …. (sleep) when his son threw a ball to him.

was reading. 7 While we ………………(read) books, someone switched off the light. . 8 The kite ………………. (fall) as we were playing in was falling the field. flying. 9 As the birds were …………. . (fly)in the sky, the boy shot one of them. having. 10 As we were ……………. (have) breakfast, Sue walked into the kitchen. rushed. 11 Mother …………. (rush) to the baby while the baby was crying. . 12 When I…………. . (hit) a dog, I was driving to work. hit were having. 13 It rained while we…………………(have) a test. were watching. 14 The Whites………………. . (watch) football match when the phone rang.

. 15 When Jason and I arrived home, our parents were sitting …………. . (sit) in the living – room. was dressing. 16 While Jane………………(dress)in her bedroom, her mother called her. . 17 David…………. (see) the President while he was saw riding a bicycle. was sailing. 18 While we……………. . (sail) a boat, we saw a dolphin. visiting. 19 I saw an accident as I was ……………(visit) my relations. were doing. 20 What …………you…………, when I phoned you? . 21 As father…………………. (walk) through the gate, was walking he saw a snake crawling?

heard. 22 I …………(hear) Julia’s noise while I was reading in a library. was sitting. 23 While Roger…………. . (sit) on the bus, he met Kevin. rushed. 24 The bus ……………(rush) towards the crowd while I was waiting for a bus. were sailing. 25 We………………. (sail) the boat when there was … a storm. was shopping. 26 As I…………………(shop), I saw a beautiful woman. looking at (look at) was. 27 I…………. amazed while I was …………. the picture on the wall.

. 28 As Henry was walking home, somebody hit … (hit) him at the back. was waiting. 29 Everybody ……………(wait) for David when he walked (walk) into the room. …………. . was looking at. 30 While I ……………. . (look for) my ring in a room, somebody locked the door.