PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

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).

EXAMPLES

The sun was shining every day that summer.

As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.

The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.

I was making dinner when she arrived.

At 6 o'clock, I was eating dinner.

She was talking constantly in class in those days

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.

Past Continuous Uses

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the past continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the simple past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

• I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
• What were you doing when the earthquake started?
• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
  B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the past continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the simple past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

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.

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.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

• I was studying while he was making dinner.
• While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
• Were you listening while he was talking?
• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
• What were you doing while you were waiting?
• Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
• They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

USE 4 Atmosphere

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Example:

• When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each

Fill in the blanks with appropriate past continuous form of the verb given in the brackets.

1. I …………………….. TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

am watching

was watching

watched

2. I …………………… all day yesterday.

painted

was painting

have painted

3. They ………………………… the whole time they were together.

quarreled

are quarreling

were quarreling

4. As I …………………….. down the road, I saw Philip.

am walking

walked

was walking

5. The phone rang while I …………………………. dinner.

am having

had

was having

6. It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year.

lived

was living

am living

7. When I entered her room, she ………………………. the piano.

played

playing

was playing

8. When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….

shining

was shining

is shining

9. At the time when it happened, I ……………………… to the opera a lot.

Went

was going

am going

Answers

1. I was watching TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

2. I was painting all day yesterday.

3. They were quarreling the whole time they were together.

4. As I was walking down the road, I saw Philip.

5. The phone rang while I was having dinner.

6. It happened while I was living in Southampton last year.

7. When I entered her room, she was playing the piano.

8. When I got up this morning, the sun was shining.

9. At the time when it happened, I was going to the opera a lot.

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF THE VERB

1. Mary  (eat) when the bell rang.

2. Though it  (rain) we went to the cinema last night.

3. When he arrived, we (not/study) any longer.

4. The teacher (write) in the book he was reading.

5. Although my friend  (become) poor, he was still happy.

6. They (build) a new bridge to replace the one that had collapsed.

7. The teacher (punish) us because we cried a lot.

8. The parents  (teach) their children proper eating habits.

9. The dog (not/bark) when I went out last night.

10. While I  (sleep), John stole my pen.

ANSWERS

1.       Mary was eating  when the bell rang.

2.       2. Though it was raining we went to the cinema last night.

3.       3. When he arrived, we were not studying

4.       4. The teacher was writing in the book he was reading.

5.       5. Although my friend was becoming poor, he was still happy.

6.       They were building a new bridge to replace the one that had collapsed.

7.       The teacher was punishing us because we cried a lot.

8.       The parents were teaching their children proper eating habits.

9.       The dog was not barking when I went out last night.

10.    While I was sleeping, John stole my pen.     

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF A VERB

1.     I …………………… all day yesterday. ...

2.     They ………………………… the whole time they were together. ...

3.     As I …………………….. ...

4.     The phone rang while I …………………………. ...

5.     It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year. ...

6.     When I entered her room, she ………………………. ...

7.     When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….