Past ContinuousPast Continuous

Grammar GuideGrammar Guide

mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas PWSZ KoninPWSZ Konin

Verb Form – Verb Form – AffirmativesAffirmatives We form the We form the PAST CONTINUOUSPAST CONTINUOUS with with

the past of the verb the past of the verb bebe (auxiliary) (auxiliary) and the present participle of the main and the present participle of the main

verb: verb:

was / were was / were + + v-ingv-ing

I I was ridingwas riding my bike all day yesterday. my bike all day yesterday. They They were studyingwere studying when she called. when she called.

Verb Form – NegativesVerb Form – Negatives

We form the negatives with the auxiliary We form the negatives with the auxiliary waswas

++ notnot ++ v-ingv-ingwerewere

We usually use the contracted forms We usually use the contracted forms wasn’twasn’t andand weren’tweren’t in speech and informal writing: in speech and informal writing:I I wasn’t workingwasn’t working all day yesterday. all day yesterday.They They weren’t drivingweren’t driving..

Verb Form –Verb Form – QuestionsQuestions

We form the questions with We form the questions with waswas

(question word)(question word) + subject + + subject + v-ingv-ing

werewere

What were you doing at eight o’clock What were you doing at eight o’clock yesterday evening?yesterday evening?

Was she running?Was she running?

Verb Form – PracticeVerb Form – Practice

Jennifer was playing tennis at 4Jennifer was playing tennis at 4.30 .30 yesterday.yesterday.

y/n? y/n?

wh-?wh-?

Verb Form – PracticeVerb Form – Practice

Jennifer was playing tennis at 4.30 yesterday.Jennifer was playing tennis at 4.30 yesterday.

Jennifer wasn’t playing tennis at 4.30 Jennifer wasn’t playing tennis at 4.30 yesterday.yesterday.

y/n? y/n? WasWas Jennifer playing tennis at 4.30 yesterday?Jennifer playing tennis at 4.30 yesterday?

Yes, she was.Yes, she was.

No, she wasn’t.No, she wasn’t.

wh-?wh-? What was she playing at 4.30 yesterday?What was she playing at 4.30 yesterday?

What time was she playing tennis yesterday?What time was she playing tennis yesterday?

Verb Form – PracticeVerb Form – Practice

They were painThey were paintting ing the room the room all day all day yesterday.yesterday.

y/n? y/n?

wh-?wh-?

Verb Form – PracticeVerb Form – Practice They were painThey were paintting ing the room the room all day all day

yesterday.yesterday.

They weren’t painThey weren’t paintting ing the room the room all day all day yesterday.yesterday.

y/n? y/n? Were they painWere they paintting ing the room the room all day all day yesterday?yesterday?

Yes, they were.Yes, they were.

No, they weren’t.No, they weren’t.

wh-?wh-? What were they doing all dayWhat were they doing all day yesterday?yesterday?

What were they What were they paintingpainting all day all day yesterday?yesterday?

Use: Action in progressUse: Action in progress

The past continuous describes The past continuous describes an action in an action in progress at a point of time in the pastprogress at a point of time in the past, i.e. , i.e. the action began before this point of time the action began before this point of time and continued after itand continued after it::

We didn’t hear the intruder because we We didn’t hear the intruder because we were sleepingwere sleeping on the top floor that night. on the top floor that night.

At the time of our arrival the city At the time of our arrival the city was goingwas going through a period of rapid expansion.through a period of rapid expansion.

Use: Action in progressUse: Action in progress

We can use the past continuous for We can use the past continuous for twotwo actions in progress at the same timeactions in progress at the same time::

Ron Ron was makingwas making dinner while his dinner while his roommates roommates were cleaningwere cleaning the apartment. the apartment.

What What werewere you you doingdoing while you while you were were waitingwaiting??

Use: Temporary actionUse: Temporary action

We often use the past continuous to show We often use the past continuous to show that a that a past action was temporarypast action was temporary, or , or was was changingchanging or or developingdeveloping::

During my training I During my training I was earningwas earning a lot less a lot less than my wife.than my wife.

It happened while I It happened while I was livingwas living in in Eastbourne last year.Eastbourne last year.

Use: Background information in Use: Background information in narrativenarrative

In a story, the actual events are in the past In a story, the actual events are in the past simple, whereas the description and simple, whereas the description and background background are often in the are often in the past continuouspast continuous. . This provides a dramatic effect. This provides a dramatic effect.

Little Red Riding Hood went out of the house to Little Red Riding Hood went out of the house to visit grandma. The sun visit grandma. The sun was shiningwas shining, the birds , the birds were singingwere singing, and the wind , and the wind was whispering was whispering in in the trees. She entered the forest and suddenly the trees. She entered the forest and suddenly saw something which saw something which was movingwas moving in the trees… in the trees…

Use: Interrupted action in the pastUse: Interrupted action in the past

We use the past continuous to contrast an We use the past continuous to contrast an ongoing action with a single event which interrupts ongoing action with a single event which interrupts itit. We use the . We use the past simple for the single eventpast simple for the single event::

P A S T

I I was watchingwas watching TV when she TV when she calledcalled. .

Use: Use: whilewhile vs. vs. whenwhen

We can join these two actions with We can join these two actions with whenwhen oror whilewhile::whenwhen + short action (simple past tense) + short action (simple past tense) whilewhile + long action (past continuous tense) + long action (past continuous tense)

There are four basic combinations:There are four basic combinations:I was walking past the car I was walking past the car whenwhen it exploded. it exploded. WhenWhen the car exploded I was walking past it. the car exploded I was walking past it. The car exploded The car exploded whilewhile I was walking past it.I was walking past it.WhileWhile I was walking past the car it exploded.I was walking past the car it exploded.

ExamplesExamples

While we While we were havingwere having the picnic, it the picnic, it startedstarted to to rain. rain.

What What were you doingwere you doing when the earthquake when the earthquake startedstarted? ?

I I was listeningwas listening to my iPod, so I to my iPod, so I didn't heardidn't hear the the fire alarm.fire alarm.

ExamplesExamples

You You weren’t listeningweren’t listening to me when I to me when I told youtold you to turn the oven off.to turn the oven off.

A: What A: What were you doingwere you doing when you when you brokebroke your your leg?leg?

B: I B: I was snowboardingwas snowboarding..

When the phone When the phone rangrang, she , she was writingwas writing a letter. a letter.

ExamplesExamples

While John While John was sleepingwas sleeping last night, someone last night, someone stolestole his car. his car.

Sammy Sammy was waitingwas waiting for us when we for us when we got offgot off the the plane. plane.

While I While I was writingwas writing the email, the computer the email, the computer suddenly suddenly wentwent off. off.

Were you listening Were you listening while I was while I was

talking?talking?

It was just after midnight on November 8th It was just after midnight on November 8th last year. Ian Sharplast year. Ian Sharpee was driving home from work. was driving home from work. The road was clear and he was driving carefully. The road was clear and he was driving carefully. Suddenly, a young girl stepped out in front of him. Suddenly, a young girl stepped out in front of him. She was wearing a light coloured raincoat and a She was wearing a light coloured raincoat and a red scarf. Ian tried to stop but it was too late. He red scarf. Ian tried to stop but it was too late. He got out and looked under the car but, to his got out and looked under the car but, to his surprise there was nothing there. While he was surprise there was nothing there. While he was looking under the car, he felt a cold wind on his looking under the car, he felt a cold wind on his face and he shivered. Everything felt strange. face and he shivered. Everything felt strange.

He was still looking under the car when a He was still looking under the car when a police car pulled up. The police officers weren’t police car pulled up. The police officers weren’t surprised when Ian told them his story. ‘A girl was surprised when Ian told them his story. ‘A girl was killed in a car crash on this road in November killed in a car crash on this road in November 1965. Since then several people have seen her 1965. Since then several people have seen her ghost here.’ghost here.’

At seven o’clock John was sleeping.At seven o’clock John was sleeping. At quarter past eight John was jogging.At quarter past eight John was jogging. At nine o’clock John was having breakfast.At nine o’clock John was having breakfast. At half past eleven John was working.At half past eleven John was working. At four o’clock John was watching TV.At four o’clock John was watching TV. At quarter past ten John was playing the At quarter past ten John was playing the

saxophone.saxophone.

What was John doing at … What was John doing at … yesterday?yesterday?

What were you doing at … What were you doing at … yesterday?yesterday?

BibliographyBibliography

1.1. Bourke K.: Bourke K.: Verbs and Tenses: Intermediate. Test it, Fix Verbs and Tenses: Intermediate. Test it, Fix it.it. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

2.2. Leech G., Cruickshank B., Ivanic R.Leech G., Cruickshank B., Ivanic R.:: An A-Z of English An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage.Grammar & Usage. Harlow: Longman, 2004. Harlow: Longman, 2004.

3.3. Murphy R.: Murphy R.: English Grammar in UseEnglish Grammar in Use. Cambridge: . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.Cambridge University Press, 2006.

4.4. Swan M.: Swan M.: Practical English UsagePractical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.University Press, 2005.

5.5. Thomas A. J., Martinet A. V.: Thomas A. J., Martinet A. V.: A practical English A practical English GrammarGrammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986.. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986.

6.6. Vince M.: Vince M.: Intermediate Language Practice (New Edition)Intermediate Language Practice (New Edition) . Oxford: Macmillan Education 2010. . Oxford: Macmillan Education 2010.