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Past Continuous

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past, formed with 'was/were' + verb + (-ing). It is utilized for actions in progress, simultaneous actions, actions interrupted by another, and setting the scene in narratives. The document also covers negative forms, question formation, common mistakes, and includes practice exercises.

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7 views

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past, formed with 'was/were' + verb + (-ing). It is utilized for actions in progress, simultaneous actions, actions interrupted by another, and setting the scene in narratives. The document also covers negative forms, question formation, common mistakes, and includes practice exercises.

Uploaded by

Alaa Atta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Past Continuous Tense – Detailed Explanation

The past continuous tense is used to talk about actions that were happening at a certain time in
the past.

1. How to Form the Past Continuous

The past continuous is formed using:

🔹 was/were + verb + (-ing)

Subject was/were Verb + -ing Example


I was watching I was watching TV at 8 PM.
He/She/It was reading She was reading a book.
We/You/They were playing They were playing football.

2. When to Use the Past Continuous

(A) Actions happening at a specific time in the past

📌 Used when something was in progress at a certain moment in the past.

Examples:

 At 7 PM yesterday, I was studying.


 She was cooking dinner at that time.

⏰ Time expressions used:

 At 5 o’clock yesterday
 At this time last night
 Yesterday at noon

(B) Two actions happening at the same time in the past

📌 Used to show two actions happening at the same time.

Examples:

 I was reading while my sister was writing.


 They were dancing while we were singing.
⏳ Common connectors:

 While
 As
 when

(C) An action interrupted by another action

📌 Used when a long action is interrupted by a short action.

Structure:
✅ Past Continuous + when + Past Simple
✅ While + Past Continuous, Past Simple

Examples:

 I was walking home when it started to rain.


 He was talking on the phone when the power went out.
 While I was sleeping, my phone rang.

(D) Describing the background of a story

📌 Used to set the scene in a story.

Examples:

 The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the children were playing in the park.
 The wind was blowing, and it was raining heavily.

3. Negative Form of Past Continuous

To make the past continuous negative, add "not" after "was/were".

✅ was not (wasn’t) / were not (weren’t) + verb (-ing)

📌 Examples:

 I was not (wasn’t) sleeping at 10 PM.


 They were not (weren’t) listening to the teacher.
4. Questions in the Past Continuous

To ask a yes/no question, switch was/were with the subject:

✅ Was/Were + subject + verb (-ing)?

Question Example Answer


Was she cooking at 6 PM? Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Were they playing football? Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.

To ask a WH- question, add What/Where/Why/Who/How before was/were:

✅ WH-word + was/were + subject + verb (-ing)?

Examples:

 What were you doing at 8 PM? → I was studying.


 Where was she going? → She was going to the mall.

5. Common Mistakes in Past Continuous


🚫 Incorrect: He were watching TV.
✅ Correct: He was watching TV.

🚫 Incorrect: We was playing football.


✅ Correct: We were playing football.

🚫 Incorrect: When I arrived, they was eating.


✅ Correct: When I arrived, they were eating.

6. Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Use the correct form of the past continuous.

1. She __________ (watch) a movie when I called.


2. They __________ (play) football at 4 PM.
3. I __________ (not sleep) when the phone rang.
4. We __________ (study) while she __________ (cook).
5. __________ you __________ (write) an email at 6 PM?

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

1. I __________ (was/were) eating dinner when he arrived.


2. They __________ (was/were) not listening to the teacher.
3. __________ (Was/Were) you watching TV at 9 PM?
4. She __________ (was/were) reading while I was writing.
5. The baby __________ (was/were) crying when we entered the room.

Exercise 3: Correct the mistakes

Find and correct the mistakes in these sentences:

1. He were playing football at 5 PM. ❌


2. I was study when my friend called. ❌
3. We was watching a movie at 7 PM. ❌
4. They was playing while we was working. ❌
5. She weren’t sleeping when I arrived. ❌

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