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Past Continuous

The document discusses the past continuous tense, also called the past progressive tense. [1] It is used to describe an ongoing past action that was interrupted by another event or action in the past. [2] The past continuous is formed using was/were and the present participle of the verb. [3] Examples are provided to illustrate using the past continuous to describe simultaneous or interrupted ongoing past actions.

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Melannie Vera
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89 views3 pages

Past Continuous

The document discusses the past continuous tense, also called the past progressive tense. [1] It is used to describe an ongoing past action that was interrupted by another event or action in the past. [2] The past continuous is formed using was/were and the present participle of the verb. [3] Examples are provided to illustrate using the past continuous to describe simultaneous or interrupted ongoing past actions.

Uploaded by

Melannie Vera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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. Read on for detailed descriptions,
examples, and past continuous exercises.

Past Continuous Forms

The past continuous is formed using was/were + present participle. Questions are


indicated by inverting the subject and was/were. Negatives are made with not.

 Statement: You were studying when she called.


 Question: Were you studying when she called?
 Negative: You were not studying when she called.

Uses
1. The past continuous is used for an action in progress in the past and that was interrupted.
The action that caused the interruption is in the past simple. “When” and “while” signal the
use of the past simple and past continuous. In general, we use the past simple directly after
“when” and the past continuous after “while”.
Examples:
o Jose called while I was watching the news.
o He was walking to work when he fell.
o Was it raining when you left?
2. We use the past continuous to talk about actions or events that happened at a specific
time in the past.
Examples:
o Paula wasn’t living in Spain in 2005.
o We were still working at 10 o’clock last night.
3. The past continuous is used for two actions that were occurring simultaneously in the
past.
Examples:
o My son was reading while I was cooking.
o They were talking very loudly while we were trying
o to watch the movie.
Complete the sentences with the past continuous forms
1. We ____________________ (play) video games yesterday at 3 o'clock.
2. They _______________________ (not/do) their homework yesterday at 3 o'clock
3. What _______ he ______________ (watch) on television when you arrived?
4. Howard ________________________ (like) the movie.
5. My parents ________________________ (work) when I came home.
6. In 2010, we _________________ (live) in a small flat in London.
7. She ______________________ (listen) to music when I called.
8. ____________ it _______________ (rain) when you left?

Complete the sentences with the past continuous forms

1 John (read)  the magazine.

2 When my husband arrived I (light)   the candles.

3 I (talk)   to Peter on the phone.

4 The boy (draw)   all the afternoon.

5 We (work)   during the summer.

6 The sun (shine)   but it was warm.

7 The shop (close)   when he arrived.

8 She (watch)   a film during the flight.

9 Mary (drive)   home while I (make)   dinner.


10 We (do)   exercise before you arrived.

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