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    Past Continuous Tense: Research Paper Submitted To The Department of English As

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    علي توفيق مشهد
    The document is a research paper on the past continuous tense submitted for an English language course. It defines the past continuous tense as referring to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past, formed by combining the past tense of "to be" with a verb's present participle. Examples are provided to illustrate how the past continuous can describe background events, interrupted actions, precise past times, and habitual past actions.

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    Past Continuous Tense: Research Paper Submitted To The Department of English As

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    علي توفيق مشهد
    33 views4 pages
    The document is a research paper on the past continuous tense submitted for an English language course. It defines the past continuous tense as referring to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past, formed by combining the past tense of "to be" with a verb's present participle. Examples are provided to illustrate how the past continuous can describe background events, interrupted actions, precise past times, and habitual past actions.

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    The document is a research paper on the past continuous tense submitted for an English language course. It defines the past continuous tense as referring to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past, formed by combining the past tense of "to be" with a verb's present participle. Examples are provided to illustrate how the past continuous can describe background events, interrupted actions, precise past times, and habitual past actions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    33 views4 pages

    Past Continuous Tense: Research Paper Submitted To The Department of English As

    Uploaded by

    علي توفيق مشهد
    The document is a research paper on the past continuous tense submitted for an English language course. It defines the past continuous tense as referring to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past, formed by combining the past tense of "to be" with a verb's present participle. Examples are provided to illustrate how the past continuous can describe background events, interrupted actions, precise past times, and habitual past actions.

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    Shatt Al-Arab University College

    Department of English
    Second Year

    Past Continuous Tense


    Research Paper submitted To The Department of English As
    Partial Fulfillment of Requirement in
    English Language

    Done By
    Hassan Abd-Alrutha levan

    Supervised BY
    Mr.Ahmad Hassan Khamat

    2020-2019
    The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense,
    refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point
    in the past. The past continuous tense is formed by combining the past
    tense of to be (i.e., was/were) with the verb’s present participle (-ing
    word).

    There are many situations in which this verb tense might be used in a
    sentence. For example, it is often used to describe conditions that
    existed in the past.

    Example: The sun was shining every day that summer.


    As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.
    It can also be used to describe something that was happening
    continuously in the past when another action interrupted it.

    Example: The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.
    I was making dinner when she arrived.
    The past continuous can shed light on what was happening at a precise
    time in the past.

    Example: At 6 o’clock, I was eating dinner.

    It can also refer to a habitual action in the past.

    Example: She was talking constantly in class in those days.


    Functions of the Past continuous
    The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began
    in the past and were still going on when another event occurr

    It is used:

    • Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e.g.
    "The sun was shining and the birds were singing as the elephant came out
    of the jungle. The other animals were relaxing in the shade of the trees, but
    the elephant moved very quickly. She was looking for her baby, and she
    didn't notice the hunter who was watching her through his binoculars. When
    the shot rang out, she was running towards the river..."
    • to describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by another event or
    action, e.g. "I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang."
    • to express a change of mind: e.g. "I was going to spend the day at the beach
    but I've decided to get my homework done instead."
    • with 'wonder', to make a very polite request: e.g. "I was wondering if you
    could baby-sit for me tonight."

    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.
    •

    • Note: with verbs not normally used in the continuous form, the simple past is used.
    • Note: with verbs not normally used in the continuous form, the simple past is used.
    • 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.

    Subject was/were base + ing

    They were watching

    Affirmative

    She was reading

    Negative

    She wasn't reading

    Interrogative

    Was she reading?

    Interrogative negative

    Wasn't she reading?

    Resource : https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/

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