THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

The Past Continuous Tense is used to express:

• An action which was in progress at a particular/specific past time.

Example: I was having dinner at 8 o’clock last night. (meaning: I began to have dinner before 8, I was having dinner at 8 and maybe continued after that)

• Two actions which happened in the past, but one action began earlier and was still in progress when the other action happened.

Example: She was watching TV when we came.

• When two actions happened simultaneously, we can use Past Continuous in both clauses.

Example: Last year, while Sisca was celebrating her graduation, we were lying on the beach.

FORMS:

• Affirmative (Subject + was/were + Verb1 + ing)

Example: We were dancing when he saw us.

• Negative ( Subject + was/were not + V1 + ing)

Example: We were not dancing when he saw us.

• Question (Was/Were + subject + V1 + ing)

Example: Were we dancing when he saw us?

Adverbs of time:

when/as, while, at …. (yesterday, last week, last month)

Note: all verbs which cannot be used in the Continuous Tense, cannot also be used in this tense.

DOWNLOAD LESSON

DOWNLOAD EXERCISE