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English - The Past Continuous

The document discusses the past continuous tense in English. It provides examples of using the past continuous tense in affirmative and interrogative sentences. It explains that the past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. It contrasts the past continuous tense with the past simple tense and provides examples of when each would be used.

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Subha Jayan
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144 views9 pages

English - The Past Continuous

The document discusses the past continuous tense in English. It provides examples of using the past continuous tense in affirmative and interrogative sentences. It explains that the past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past. It contrasts the past continuous tense with the past simple tense and provides examples of when each would be used.

Uploaded by

Subha Jayan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Past continuous tense

The farmer was working at 6 oclock yesterday evening

Past continuous tense


AFFIRMATIVE: Play

I You We They He She It

was playing

were

was

Past continuous tense

Was the teacher explaining grammar at school last Monday? No, she wasnt. She was explaining Geography.

Past continuous tense


INTERROGATIVE: Play NEGATIVE: Play

was

I you we they
he she it

Was not Wasnt

were

You were not We werent playing? playing They He She It was not wasnt

was

Uses of the past continuous


1-We use the past continuous tense to describe a past action over a period of time

"What were they doing yesterday at 8 0clock?" "They were working all day.

2-We use the past continuous to say that somebody was in the middle of doing something at a certain time.

This time yesterday the hairdresser was working

3-Past simple and past continuous are used together when something happened in the middle of something else

The policeman broke his ankle while he was running after the dog

Compare the past continuous (I was doing) and past simple (I did):
Past continuous (in the middle of an action) I was walking home when I met Dave. (in the middle of walking home) Ann was watching television when the phone rang. Past simple (complete action) I walked home after the party last night. Ann watched televison a lot when she was ill last year

Past continuous tense


Time expressions: While, as, when.

While the band was playing a mobile phone rang

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