New past continuous tense

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

USAMOS PAST CONTINUOUS

+ SIMPLE PAST

PARA DIZER QUE ALGUMA COISA ACONTECEU NO MEIO DE ALGUMA OUTRA COISA:

(AÇÃO INTERROMPIDA)

IWAS WALKING HOME WHEN I MET DAVE

I was watching TV when she called.

While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.

When the phone rang, he was writing a letter

A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?

B: I was snowboarding

While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.

While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car

He was sleeping Someone

stole

DUAS AÇÕES QUE ESTÃO ACONTECENDO AO MESMO TEMPO

NO PASSADO:

SIMULTANEAMENTE

Past Continuous +

Past Continuous

I was studying while he was making dinner.

Was studying/ was making dinner

Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.

While Ellen was playng, Tim was listening to the radio.

A DOG WAS BARKING IN THE DISTANCE WHILE I WAS WALKING ON THE STREET

SHE WAS WALKING

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Sujeito +

To be (past)

+

Verb(principal)

+ing

I WASYOU WERE

HE WASSHE WAS

IT WASWE WERE

THEY WERE

TO BE (PAST TENSE)

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses.

Instead of using Past Continuous with these verbs, you must use

Simple Past.

(1)Non-Continuous Verbs

These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody doing.

These verbs are rarely used in continuous tenses.

Non-Continuous Verbs

2Normal Verbs

to run, to walk, to eat, to fly, to go, to drive, to touch, to listen,

to wake up, etc.

Abstract Verbsto be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to

contain, to exist, to think, to understand...

Possession Verbsto possess, to own, to

belong...

Some Non- continuous verbs

Emotion Verbsto like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to

mind

He was needing help . Not Correct

He needed help . Correct

He was wanting a drink . Not Correct

He wanted a drink . Correct

These verbs have more than one meaning. Some

meanings behave like "Non-Continuous Verbs," while other meanings behave like

"Normal Verbs."

3Mixed Verbs

to appear, to feel, to taste, to think, to have, to hear, to look, to see, to weigh...

Donna appeared confused. Non-Continuous Verb(Donna seems confused.)

My favorite singer was appearing at the jazz club yesterday. Normal Verb(My favorite singer is giving a performance at the jazz club tonight.)

to appear

She heard the music. Non-Continuous Verb(She hears the music with her ears.)

She was hearing voices. Normal VerbShe hears something others cannot hear. She is hearing voices in her mind.

to hear:

Nancy looked tired. Non-Continuous Verb

(She seemed tired.)

Farah was looking at the pictures. Normal Verb

(She was looking with her eyes.)

to look

The coffee smells good. Non-Continuous Verb

(The coffee has a good smell.)

I was smelling the flowers. Normal Verb

(I am sniffing the flowers to see what their smell is like.)

to smell

The coffee tastes good. Non-Continuous Verb

(The coffee has a good taste.)

I was tasting the cake. Normal Verb

to taste:

He thought the test was easy. Non-Continuous Verb

(He considers the test to be easy.)

She is thinking about the question. Normal Verb

(She is pondering the question, going over it in her mind. )

to think:

The table weighs a lot. Non-Continuous Verb

The table is heavy.

She was weighing herself. Normal Verb

She is determining her weight.

to weigh

Joe is American. Non-Continuous Verb

Joe was being very rude. Normal Verb

(Joe is behaving very rudely. Usually he is not rude.)

to be:

Only rarely is "to be" used in a continuous form. This is most

commonly done when a person is temporarily behaving badly or

stereotypically. It can also be used when someone's behavior

is noticeably different.

NOTICE

When you talk about things in the past, "when" is most often

followed by the verb tense Simple Past

"while" is usually followed by Past Continuous.

When/ while

Examples: I was studying when she called.

While I was studying, she called

They have similar meanings, but they emphasize different parts of the sentence

It was a cold dark night. The wind____(blow) and the trees

__(move) from one side to another making a scary sound.

Chris____(walk) home after a long day at work

EXERCISE1.FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF THE VERBS IN

PARENTHESES.

He_____(not run), but he_____(go) very fast. Suddenly he had a strange feeling that

someone___(watch) him. And in fact, his girlfriend____(hide)

behind a wall.

Just as he ____(turn) a corner, she jumped, gabbed him. He was very frightened at first but then she said “Happy Birthday, dear.” He then

smiled and gave her a kiss.

Using the words in parentheses, complete the

text below with the appropriate tenses.

1. A: What ------------(you, do) when the accident occurred? B: I ----------(try) to change a

light bulb that had burnt out.

Verb Tense Exercise 2Simple Past / Past Continuous

2. After I----------- (find) the wallet full of money,

I------------- (go, immediately) to the police and -------------(turn) it in.

3. The doctor_______ (say) that Tom________ (be) too sick to go to work and

that he________ (need) to stay at home for a couple

of days.

4. Sebastian_________ (arrive) at Susan's house a little

before 9:00 PM, but she_________ (be, not) there. She____________ (study, at the

library) for her final examination in French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television.

At this time yesterday, she___________ (watch, also)

television. That's all she ever does!

.

6. A: I_______ (call) you last night after dinner, but you_________ (be, not)

there. Where were you? B: I__________ (work) out at

the fitness center

7. When I____________ (walk) into the busy office, the

secretary________ (talk) on the phone with a customer,

several clerks________________ (work, busily) at their desks, and two managers___________ (discuss, quietly) methods to improve customer service.

8. I _______________(watch) a mystery movie on TV

when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie

ends.

9. Sharon_____________ (be) in the room when John

told me what happened, but she didn't hear

anything because she (listen, not) .

10. It's strange that you___________ (call) because I____________

(think, just) about you.

11. The Titanic___________ (cross)

the Atlantic when it____________ (strike) an

iceberg.