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Subject + Verb To Be (WAS/WERE) + Main Verb + - Ing: Form

The document discusses the past continuous tense and provides examples of its uses: 1) to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past, and 2) to describe a longer action that was interrupted by another past action or that occurred simultaneously with another past action. It then provides a scenario where the reader must ask other party guests what they were doing at the time of a famous actress's murder to determine the identity of the killer.

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Stefan Antic
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138 views

Subject + Verb To Be (WAS/WERE) + Main Verb + - Ing: Form

The document discusses the past continuous tense and provides examples of its uses: 1) to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past, and 2) to describe a longer action that was interrupted by another past action or that occurred simultaneously with another past action. It then provides a scenario where the reader must ask other party guests what they were doing at the time of a famous actress's murder to determine the identity of the killer.

Uploaded by

Stefan Antic
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Form: subject + verb to be (WAS/WERE) + main verb + -ing

Spelling
Most verbs take ing after the base form of the main verb

lift lifting, feel - feeling Verbs ending in e drop the e and take ing. wake waking, write - writing Verbs ending in vowel + constant and are stressed on the last syllable, double the constant and take ing. fit fitting, permit - permitting BUT Discover - discovering

USE We use the past continuous for: Action in progress at a particular time in the past He was playing football yesterday at six.
6 oclock now

A longer action interrupted by another one.


Helen was watching a film when he called her.

When he called Helen, she was watching a film.


called now

was watching

Two long actions happening at the same time Helen was watching a film while he was sleeping. He was sleeping while Helen was watching a film.
was sleeping now

was watching

Last Saturday at 7 oclock in the evening a famous actress was murdered in her mansion in Beverly Hills. Now you are at a party and you know that the murderer is here. The other people at the party were doing one of the things listed in the table below. Ask questions to the different people and try to guess who the murderer is. Start with: what were you doing last Saturday at 7 oclock.
Somebody was watching a film. Somebody was shopping Somebody was having a meal Somebody was studying French Somebody was playing a sport Somebody was having a dance class Somebody was driving somewhere Somebody was watching a play at the theatre

Somebody was practicing in a band Somebody was killing the actress

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