Past continuous tense and when/while 4

Past continuous tense and

4
Note

when/while
4.1 The past continuous tense is formed by was/were + -ing form of the verb. We use
the past continuous tense to talk about:
• an action that was in progress at a certain time in the past

Where were you at noon

yesterday? We looked I was sleeping
everywhere for you! on the beach.

TO
I was sleeping on the beach.

now

I S
(a shorter action) R
• an action that was in progress (a longer action) when something else happened

A We use the simple

past tense for the
I was flying a shorter action.
kite when I saw
* UFO: unidentified the UFO*.
flying object

I was flying a kite.

I saw the UFO. now

Note
We do not use the past continuous tense for two past actions which happened one after
the other. Also, we do not use the past continuous tense for completed past actions.

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 4.2 We often use when and while with the past continuous tense and the simple past tense

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to talk about two actions that happened at the same time. Usually, we use:

O &
• while to talk about a longer action or an event that happened over a period of time,
which is described using the past continuous tense
easing
The phone rang while Jamie was playing mobile games.
-
t
*
-

---
While Lucas was watching TV, the lights went out.
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O &
• when to talk about a shorter action or an event that happened at a specific moment,
which is described using the simple past tense

-
Oliver was reading a book when Mike called him.
When Chloe saw Mike, he was jogging in the park.

Note
EF Chloe
ZE

O
We put a comma after a when-clause or a while-clause if we
use when/while at the beginning of a sentence.

4.3

I S T
We form negatives and questions in the past continuous this way:

R
I was not doing/wasn’t doing my homework when he called.
He was not cycling/wasn’t cycling when it began to rain.

A
They were not playing/weren’t playing football when it began to rain.

Was your sister cooking when she got the call?

Were you jogging when it started to rain?

A It is now 6.00 pm. Describe what the people in Tim’s home were doing at 4.30 pm. Use the given words.

1
watch/television/by herself
was watching television by herself
Tim’s grandmother .

34
 Past continuous tense and when/while 4
All answers
2 sit/on the floor

His brother was

sitting on the
floor .

play/with his toy

toy,
his
He was
playing with .

dist
3 cook/dinner

His Mum was in the kitchen. She was

looking
.

the
4 lie/under the table

living under the

O
were
His dogs .

sleep
~ T
They sleeping

S .
were

B
R I
You took the tram yesterday and you saw the following scene. Look at the picture and complete the
-
A
descriptions using the negative form of the given verb in the past continuous tense.

1 The woman was not wearing/wasn’t wearing (wear) any make-up, but she had a pair of

sunglasses on.

2 She was sitting by herself and

wasn't
trailing (travel) with a friend.
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 All answers
wasn't
3 She reading (read) any magazines or newspapers.

4 The man wasn't looking (look) at anyone.

wasn't
5 He playing (play) mobile games. He was reading his newspaper

instead.

6 The man and the woman

Tweren't
7 They til ret looking
(talk) to each other.
(look) at each other.

C Ask a question using the given words. Use either the simple past tense or the past continuous tense.
The first one has been done for you as an example. -
1 A: I met Mike in Causeway Bay yesterday afternoon.

B: Was he doing some shopping

TO (he/do/some shopping)?

2 A: I saw Uncle Jimmy in the park.

I
~ S
B: Was

R he

A Alie
jogging
3 A: Ella was on her phone when I went into her room.
(he/jog) when you saw him?

B: Was she
talking to (she/talk to/Alice)?

4 A: Tony was not home at that time. He was in the library.

hisfinal n
Was he
B: studying (he/study/his final exams)?

5 A: I saw Sam at a fast food restaurant yesterday afternoon.

B: Was he
having lunch (he/have/lunch)?

o co
6 A: My brother had a bad cold yesterday.
-

B: Was he
eig
=
doctor (he/see/a doctor)?

X
36 [Did he
see a
doctor ?
 Past continuous tense and when/while 4

D The following are the beginnings of some stories that appeared inE
recent
a recent issue of a school magazine.
All answers

Complete them with the correct forms of the given verbs, and write when or while for blanks marked
-
with an asterisk (*).
es was
unl has

1 I’ve lost my passport! arrived

I (a) (arrive) at the airport late.

I (b) kept (keep) checking my watch

while
(c)(*)
II (d) was waiting
- (wait)
E
in line to check in for my flight. Suddenly, someone at the
-

back (e) shouted

d.(shout), ‘I’ve lost my
passport!’

2
senTO
Mrs Lee has a grocery store in Fan Ling. Last night, she
(a)

I S (close) her store (b)(*)

R
a young girl (c) came
(come) up to her.

She (d) wantes (want) to know the way

A to the nearest MTR station.

3 Dr Lee (a) (get) ready to leave his

getting a
clinic (b)(*)
was ~he (c)
received
(receive) a phone call. An old man (d) tol
needed

had
(tell) him that he (e) (need) help

because his grandson (f) (have)

a high fever.

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 All answers

E Below is the beginning of a story. Complete it using the correct forms of the given verbs.

Mr Smith (1) was visiting (visit) Hong Kong with his family. After

"It
spending a whole day sightseeing, the children (2) wat (go)
&
to bed early. While the children (3) was
sleeping
(sleep) and his wife
(4) (as harii]na (have) a shower, Mr Smith (5) felt
,
(feel) hungry suddenly and he (6) was
deciding (decide) to go to the

restaurant downstairs for a quick snack.

X decided

started
In the lift he met another man. The lift (7)

O t (go) down

T
when the man in the lift (8) (start) to speak. ‘Excuse

I S
me,’ he said, ‘are you John Smith from New York?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ Mr Smith

replied. ‘You are …?’ ‘I’m Ted Hunter,’ the man said. ‘We went to university

R
together, don’t you remember?’ ‘Oh, yes, Ted. How is it going?’ Mr Smith said.

A
While they (9) were
chatting &
(chat), Mr Smith (10)
tooky
2
(take) a good look at the man. Yes, he looked like the man he used to know.
-

treached
When the lift (11) was reach (reach) the ground floor, Mr Smith

asked Ted to join him for a snack.

They sat in the restaurant in the hotel. While they (12) were
enting
(eat), the waitress (13) gave ~ (give) each of them a free drink.

‘It’s new. Try it!’ she said. They enjoyed it, so they each ordered a second one.

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 Past continuous tense and when/while 4
(was drinking
All answers

Their drinks arrived right away. While Mr Smith (14)

Fill
(drink) from the tall glass, he (15)
doe (choked) and
(16)

> wasfan a (faint). Ted did not know what to do. Just then,

he heard a voice behind him, ‘Don’t worry – I’m a doctor.’

F Complete the story using the correct form of the verbs given in brackets.

It was a sunny afternoon. John (1) _____ (listen) to music on his

-
(1) was listening

phone when someone (2) _____ (tap) him on the shoulder from (2)
tappe -
behind. He did not know the man.

TO
‘Hello,’ the man said, ‘I (3) _____ (want) to say thank you for what (3) want &
S
you did the other day.’ ‘I’m sorry,’ John said, surprised. ‘I don’t think

I
I (4) ____ (know) you.’ ‘Oh, you don’t know me,’ the man answered, (4) know

-
R
‘but you (5) ______ (save) my dog’s life last week.’

A
‘Oh, so you are the owner of that little dog?’ John asked. The man

⑧
nodded. ‘I (6) ______ (remember) it now,’ John said. ‘On Thursday
(5)

(6)
saved

ber

Crememembering X
-

a dog suddenly (7) _____ (run) out while I (8) _____ (walk) along the (7) ran
-

eugh
-
street. I (9) ______ (catch) it just before it ran in front of a car. Later (8) was
walking ,
a girl took the dog and put it back on its lead.’ have
itg‘That’s my daughter. She present
(9)

sti
i

of
______ (stand) in front of the florist’s
(10)

with her mother,’ the man said as he pointed

#
to a girl across the
(10)

street. She (11)

______ (hold) a woman’s hand. ‘We (12)
_______ (have) (11)
holder
have
some tea,’ the man said. ‘Would you like to join us? It will be our
t
(12)

Z
treat.’ ‘I’d love to join you but I’m afraid I have an appointment. are to have
going
Thanks very much for the offer,’ John said.

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 All answers

USING THE LANGUAGE

We use the past continuous tense to talk about past actions when they were in progress or had
not yet finished. We use it with when or while to talk about two actions that happened at the same
time. We can use this tense in, for example, a news article to describe a series of events. We can
also use it in a story to put the events in the correct order. Look at the examples below. Note the
uses of the past continuous tense, when and while in bold.

News article (excerpt)

A produce truck was crossing Stonecutter’s Bridge yesterday afternoon when it tipped over. The
driver fell asleep while he was driving and he lost control of the vehicle. When police arrived at
the scene thousands of oranges were rolling across the bridge.

O
Story (excerpt)

T
While Joey was preparing for work, his dog Sam was planning a day of secret fun. Immediately
after Joey had left, Sam turned on the TV. While he was watching an action movie, he began to feel

I S
thirsty. He went to the kitchen and opened the fridge while the movie was still playing. He was
drinking a big soda when his friend Sally the cat came by.

A R
Your teacher wants you to complete the following section of a story to practise using the past
continuous tense and when/while. Fill in the blanks using the correct forms of the verbs given in
brackets or insert when/while in blanks marked with an asterisk (*). Write the rest of the section in
your own words. Do not write more than 60 words.

(*) I (go) to school last week, I (see) an old

lady standing in front of a shop. She (look) up and (notice)

me (*) I (look) at her. I (be) scared. I

(try) to hurry past (*) she (grab) my arm

and (say),

Then …
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