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    Past Continuous Tense

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    Liliana Gheorghe
    1. The document discusses the past continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. 2. It provides examples of how the past continuous is used to show actions that were happening before and after another past action, or actions that were ongoing at a specific past time. 3. The document also contrasts the past continuous with the past simple tense, explaining that the past simple is used for completed past actions while the past continuous emphasizes that an action was ongoing and in progress.

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    Past Continuous Tense

    Uploaded by

    Liliana Gheorghe
    311 views5 pages
    1. The document discusses the past continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. 2. It provides examples of how the past continuous is used to show actions that were happening before and after another past action, or actions that were ongoing at a specific past time. 3. The document also contrasts the past continuous with the past simple tense, explaining that the past simple is used for completed past actions while the past continuous emphasizes that an action was ongoing and in progress.

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    lectie pentru scenariul hibrid engleza

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    1. The document discusses the past continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. 2. It provides examples of how the past continuous is used to show actions that were happening before and after another past action, or actions that were ongoing at a specific past time. 3. The document also contrasts the past continuous with the past simple tense, explaining that the past simple is used for completed past actions while the past continuous emphasizes that an action was ongoing and in progress.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    311 views5 pages

    Past Continuous Tense

    Uploaded by

    Liliana Gheorghe
    1. The document discusses the past continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. 2. It provides examples of how the past continuous is used to show actions that were happening before and after another past action, or actions that were ongoing at a specific past time. 3. The document also contrasts the past continuous with the past simple tense, explaining that the past simple is used for completed past actions while the past continuous emphasizes that an action was ongoing and in progress.

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    Școala Gimnazială ”Gheorghe Banea” Măcin

    Catedra de limbă engleză


    1
    Clasa a VII-a A
    6th October 2020

    Functions of the Past continuous

     The Past Continuous (also called past progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show
    that an ongoing past action was happening at a specific moment of interruption, or that
    two ongoing actions were happening at the same time.

    We use the Past Continuous to talk about the past:


     for something which happened before and after another action:
    The children were doing their homework when I got home.
    This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:
    The other day I was waiting for a bus when …
    Last week, as I was driving to work, …

     for something that happened before and after a specific time:


    It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.

     to show that something continued for some time:


    My head was aching.
    Everyone was shouting.

     We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. We use the past simple
    instead:
    When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower.
    IMPORTANT
    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.
    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.

     Past Continuous Tips


    While vs. When

    When you talk about things in the past, "when" is most often followed by the verb tense simple
    past, whereas "while" is usually followed by past continuous. "While" expresses the idea of
    "during that time."
    I was studying when she called.
    While I was studying, she called.

    ____________________________________________________________________________________
    Școala Gimnazială ”Gheorghe Banea” Măcin
    Catedra de limbă engleză
    2
    Clasa a VII-a A
    6th October 2020
    Past Continuous Examples
    • They were waiting for the bus when the accident happened.
    • Caroline was skiing when she broke her leg.
    • When we arrived he was having a bath.
    • When the fire started I was watching television.

    Forming the Past continuous


    The past continuous of any verb is composed of two parts : the past tense of the verb "to be"
    (was/were), and the base of the main verb +ing.

    S + "to be" (was/were) + V + ing

     Past continuous and past simple


    Past simple
    The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present.
    1. Regular past simple verbs have -ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived).
    2. Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake →
    woke, break → broke, feel → felt).

    My parents called me yesterday.


    I woke up early this morning.
    Sam played basketball when he was at university.

    We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

    My parents didn't call me yesterday.


    I didn't wake up early this morning.

    We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

    Did you wake up early this morning?


    Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?

    Past continuous
    The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.

    What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.


    This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

    Past continuous and past simple

    When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the
    middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.

    While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

    We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

    ____________________________________________________________________________________
    Școala Gimnazială ”Gheorghe Banea” Măcin
    Catedra de limbă engleză
    3
    Clasa a VII-a A
    6th October 2020
    I broke my leg when I was skiing.
    As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.
    We were watching television when the power went off.

    Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

    When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.


    When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.
    In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it
    uses the past continuous.
    In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.

    –
    1. Look at Ann’s diary. What was she doing on Friday afternoon and evening? Pay
    attention to the example and change the possessive adjectives when necessary.
    4:00 p.m. – wash my hair
    5:30 p.m. – drink a cup of tea
    6:15 p.m. – speak to manager on the phone
    6:55 p.m. – put on my green coat
    7:20 p.m. – take a taxi
    7:45 p.m. – meet Joe at the restaurant

    e.g. At four o’clock she was washing her hair.

    a. (5:30 p.m.) __________________________________________________________


    b. (6:15 p.m.) __________________________________________________________
    c. (6:55 p.m.) __________________________________________________________
    d. (7:20 p.m.) __________________________________________________________
    e. (7:45 p.m.) __________________________________________________________

    2. Write sentences with while to link two simultaneous actions.

    e.g. Julie / smile / Tommy and Sally / talk to her


    Julie was smiling while Tommy and Sally were talking to her.

    a. She / get out of the cab / the taxi driver / hold door
    ____________________________________________________________________
    b. A man / clean windows / Julie speak to her husband
    ____________________________________________________________________
    c. The sun / shine / photographers / take photos
    ____________________________________________________________________
    d. Andy / talk about horses / his parents / watch TV
    ____________________________________________________________________

    e. My friends / sleep / I / do an exam


    ____________________________________________________________________

    ____________________________________________________________________________________
    Școala Gimnazială ”Gheorghe Banea” Măcin
    Catedra de limbă engleză
    4
    Clasa a VII-a A
    6th October 2020
    3. Write sentences using the past continuous.

    e.g. Joe / not play / computer games / at nine o’clock last night
    Joe wasn’t playing computer games at nine o’clock last night.

    a. Mike and Mandy / listen / to music at the party


    ____________________________________________________________________
    b. My parents / not have / supper / with me / at a quarter past seven yesterday
    ____________________________________________________________________

    c. you / watch / TV / at Nick’s house / on Saturday night?


    ____________________________________________________________________
    d. Yesterday morning / it / not rain / but / it / snow
    ____________________________________________________________________
    e. Sam / do / his homework / at five o’clock last Monday?
    ____________________________________________________________________

    4. Answer the following questions. More than one answer may be correct.

    e.g. What were you doing at seven o’clock yesterday evening?


    I was doing my homework. / I was watching TV.

    a. What were you doing at half past seven this morning?


    ____________________________________________________________________
    b. Was it raining yesterday afternoon?
    ____________________________________________________________________
    c. What were you and your classmates studying in class at 9 a.m. yesterday?
    ____________________________________________________________________
    d. Were your friends watching a film at 10 p.m. last Saturday night?
    ____________________________________________________________________

    e. Where were you going after school last Wednesday?


    ____________________________________________________________________

     Fill in the correct form of the past tense.


    E.g. My friend Harry _______________ off the ladder while he _______________ the ceiling of
    his room. (FALL, PAINT)
    My friend Harry fell off the ladder while he was painting the ceiling of his room.

    1) We _______________ the house in 2003. At that time it _______________ £ 150,000.


    (BUY, COST)
    2) My sister __________________ for me at the airport terminal when I _______________.
    (WAIT, ARRIVE)
    3) A few nights ago, I _______________ a book when suddenly I _______________ a
    noise outside. A few teenagers __________________ loud music. (READ, HEAR,
    PLAY)
    4) The fire ____________________ when the first firefighters _______________ at the
    scene. (STILL BURN, ARRIVE)

    ____________________________________________________________________________________
    Școala Gimnazială ”Gheorghe Banea” Măcin
    Catedra de limbă engleză
    5
    Clasa a VII-a A
    6th October 2020
    5) My brother _______________ for a job when he _______________ across an interesting
    ad in the newspaper. (LOOK, COME)
    6) My sister _______________ a bright summer dress when I _______________ her at the
    performance. (WEAR, SEE)
    7) I _______________ dinner at 4.pm and I _______________ still at it when my wife
    _______________ home. (PREPARE, COME)
    8) Our housekeeper _______________ the vase. As she _______________ up the pieces,
    she _______________ her middle finger. (BREAK, PICK, CUT)
    9) We suddenly _______________ that we _______________ in the wrong direction.
    (REALISE, DRIVE)
    10) I _______________ an old friend in town while I _______________ the shopping.
    (MEET, DO)

    11) The children _______________ with others my when husband and I _______________
    to have a cup of coffee. (PLAY, DECIDE)
    12) I _______________ my dog for a walk in the park when suddenly another dog
    _______________ him. (TAKE, ATTACK)
    13) When I _______________ back from town everyone was at home. Mum
    _______________ dinner, Dad _______________ the car and my sister Julia
    _______________ on her school project. (COME, COOK, WASH, WORK)

    ____________________________________________________________________________________

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