Past continuous

Past continuous

We use past continuous

- for actions that lasted for some time in the past: I was playing with my sister all

afternoon

- for actions that were happening at the same time in the past: While I was

reading, my mother was cooking

-for actions that were interrupted in the past: As I was jogging, someone stopped

me to ask for directions

-when describing something that happened in the past, or telling a story: When the

teacher walked into the classroom some of the pupils were chasing each other and

some others were drawing on the board!

To form the past continuous tense:

Positives:

-We use was/were + verb infinitive + -ing (visit/was visiting, frown/was frowning,

warn/was warning, punish/was punishing)

Negatives:

-We use was not/were not + verb infinitive + -ing (visit/was not visiting,

frown/was not frowning, warn/was not warning, punish/was not punishing)

In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.

Examples:

Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner. I STARTED EATING AT 6 PM.

Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner. I STARTED EARLIER; AND AT 6 PM, I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF EATING DINNER.

-If a verb ends in –e, we replace it with the ending –ing (giggle/giggling,

gaze/gazing, move/moving, smile/smiling, bake/baking)

-If a verb ends in –y, we just add the ending –ing (cry/crying, fry/frying,

try/trying, carry/carrying, play/playing)

Sometimes, if the verb ends in a consonant, we must double it before adding the

ending -ing

(travel/travelling, stop/stopping, sob/sobbing, admit/admitting)

Key Words:

while as when

Forming questions:

WAS/WERE +

Subject +

Verb (continuous form)

e.g. he, she, a dog, etc. e.g. walking, going, taking, etc.

-Was she shopping when she lost her purse?

-Was it raining when you were jogging?

-Were they playing all afternoon?

Forming negatives:

Subject +

WASN'T / WEREN'T +

Verb (continuous form)

e.g. he, she, a dog, etc.

e.g. walking, going, taking, etc.

-They weren’t looking while they crossed the street.

-The student wasn’t listening while the teacher was speaking.

-She wasn’t running when she fell.

Sleep

Past Continuous Positive

I __was sleeping______ We___were sleeping____

You _____________________ They___________________

He/she/it_________________

Past Continuous Negative

I __wasn’t sleeping____ We__weren’t sleeping____

You _____________________ They_____________________

He/she/it_________________

Do the same with the verbs:

eat

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

pray

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________,

love

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

travel

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Homework

Put the verbs into the correct form (past continuous)

Exercise 1.

1. When I phoned my friends, they (play) w ere playing

monopoly.

2. Yesterday at six I (prepare) dinner.

3. The kids (play) in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.

4. I (practice) the guitar when he came home.

5. We (not / cycle) all day.

6. While Aaron (work) in his room, his friends (swim) in the

pool.

7. I tried to tell them the truth but they (listen / not) .

8. What (you / do) yesterday?

9. Yesterday morning we (sit) in the park.

Put the verbs into the correct form (past continuous).

Exercise 2

I. letters all day yesterday. (write)

2 . You very slow about it. (be)

3. You on the phone for hours and hours. (talk)

4. They much business before lunch. (do NEGATIVE)

5. She to me all week. Silly cow. (speak NEGATIVE)

6. It for long. (rain NEGATIVE)

7. What you when I phoned yesterday? (do)

8. you TV when it happened? (watch)

9. What you at the party? (wear)

10. He horrible to everyone, the nasty pig! (be)