CONTENT
The past continuous tense, also known as past progressive, is used to talk about continuing or incomplete actions in the past. This tense describes something that was in progress at a specific moment in time.
Signal words that can help you identify the past continuous tense are as long as and while.
Example
Explanation
While I was drinking my coffee, she was making breakfast for us.
The past continuous tense describes actions that took place at a specific moment in the past.
Conjugation
Rule 1: To conjugate the past continuous tense, we use use the past tense form of the auxiliary verb be and the main verb in its -ing form.
Here is an overview of the conjugation of the past continuous tense in positive, negative and interrogative sentences:
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / he / she / it | I was saying | He was not saying | Was she saying? |
| you / we / they | You were saying | We were not saying | Were they saying? |
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / he / she / it | I was saying | He was not saying | Was she saying? |
| you / we / they | You were saying | We were not saying | Were they saying? |
Usage
Rule 2: We can use the past continuous tense to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
Example
Explanation
I was eating my lunch at 12am yesterday.
The past continuous is used to describe an action that was in progress at 12am yesterday.
Rule 3: We can use the past continuous tense to describe two actions that were taking place at the same time.
Example
Explanation
While my mother was sewing, my father was reading a newspaper.
The past continuous tense is used to describe two different actions one's parents were doing at the same time.
Rule 4: We can use the past continuous tense to describe a past action that was interrupted by a second past action.
Example
Explanation
My father was reading a newspaper when my mother walked into the room.
The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was taking place in the past (was reading) when another past action (walked into) interrupted it.
Quiz
1/4
Complete the sentence. We ___ (watch) a film when our parents came home.
0
correct answers.