1. What is the Past Continuous Tense?
Form - (was / were + verb -ing)
e.g. was eating, were watching, was running, etc.
2. When to use the Past Continuous - Example Situation
We use the Past Continuous tense for:
i. an action happening at a time in the past
ii. usually used with the Past Simple to talk about 2 actions in the past
iii. temporary actions & situations in the past
3. How to use Past Continuous tense - Example Sentence
(1) I was walking to my grandma's house yesterday when it started to rain.
2. James was running down the street when he suddenly fell.
3. My dad was having breakfast in the kitchen when I left the house.
4. It started to rain while we were doing yoga.
5. This time last year Lisa was living in London.
6. Have you seen Joe lately? - Yeah, the last time I saw him, he was shopping for groceries with his wife.
7. What a wonderful evening! People were dancing and singing.
4. Compare Past Simple vs Past Continuous - What's the difference?
1. Past Simple (for past & completed action)
e.g. I started work at 6am yesterday.
2. Past Continuous (for past action in progress)
e.g. I was having dinner when the doorbell rang.
5. How to Form the Past Continuous Tense
- (was / were + verb-ing)
i. (Positive)
- was / were + verb -ing
e.g. learn > learning
- I was learning
- you /we / they were learning
- he / she / it was learning
ii. (Negative) + short form
- was / were + not + verb -ing
- I was not (wasn't) learning
- you / we / they were not (weren't) learning
- he / she / it was not (wasn't) learning
iii. Yes / No Question, Short Answers
- was / were + subject + verb-ing ...?
- Was I learning..?
- Were you /we / they learning..?
- Was he / she / it learning..?
iv. Short Answers (positive)
- Yes, I was.
- Yes, you /we / they were.
- Yes, he / she / it was.
v. Short Answers (positive) + short form
- No, I was not (wasn't).
- No, you /we / they were not (weren't).
- No, he / she / it was not (wasn't)
Tip#1! Better English Speaking Skills
Practise speaking using the short form for your conversations. You'll speak faster. And sound more natural.
5. Quick Recap!
- 3 ways to use the Past Continuous:
i. (an action happening at a time in the past)
e.g.
What were you doing at 7.00 pm last evening?
- I was making pasta in my kitchen (at 7pm last evening).
e.g.
Where were you around 8pm last evening?
- I was watching Netflix at home.
OR
- I was at home watching Netflix.
ii. usually used with the Past Simple to talk about 2 actions in the past:
a) an earlier action in progress (past continuous)
b) a shorter action that interrupted the earlier one (past simple)
e.g.
(Action 1) (Action 2)
- Linda was having her lunch when the hospital called yesterday.
(past continuous) (past simple)
(Action 1) (Action 2)
- I was queuing at the cashier's when someone called my name.
(past continuous) (past simple)
iii. (temporary actions & situations in the past)
e.g.
- I saw my boss and his wife when Louise and I were holidaying in Greece last year.
e.g.
- Beth and Robert met when they were working part-time at KFC as students.
6. Past Continuous Tense Practice - More Spoken Grammar Example
TIP!
Be creative. Make & practise as many sentences & times as you can. Use the sentence pattern to make your own sentences. Write them down in your notebook.
1. I was having dinner *when the doorbell rang.
OR
- The doorbell rang while I was having dinner.
2. Lisa was serving customers when I dropped by the cafe to see her.
Vocabulary Check!
*drop by / in (phrasal verb) = to visit somebody
e.g. Your friend dropped by earlier to pass you this book.
3. Notice the 3 different ways you can use:
i. They were chatting at the cafe when it started to rain.
or
ii. It started to rain when we were chatting at the cafe.
or
iii. While we were chatting at the cafe, it started to rain.
Note:
(*while/when - we use to refer to point / period in time)
4. Rina was jogging at the park at 6am this morning.
5. I was having beer with friends at the pub when my boss called me.
6. "Have you seen Ruth?"
- "Yeah. I saw her a few minutes ago. She was talking to Ian at the cafeteria."
7. Exercise 1 - The Past Continuous Tense
Look at the picture.
Last evening you called Emma to join you for drinks at the local pub. She said no.
What was she doing?
Make positive & negative sentences in the Past Continuous Tense.
e.g.
have / dinner / with friends - Emma wasn't having dinner with friends.
1. work / at office
2. have / good time / with Greg
3. have / a fondue / a restaurant / alone.
4. talk / on the phone
Compare & Note: Present Continuous vs Past Continuous Tense
Present Continuous Form Past Continuous Form
- (is /am /are + verb-ing) - (was/were + verb-ing)
8. Let's look at how the different tenses are used in the following example conversation:
The Present Simple,
Past Continuous,
Example Conversation A - At Home
Sarah has just come home from the office. Her husband Ted works from home.
Ted: Hi honey. How was your day?
Sarah: Not too bad. The office was quite busy *as usual. We didn't break for coffee.
Meg was eating biscuits at her desk.
I was having a chocolate bar when the boss came back from the sales meeting.
Ted: Does your boss still go to the gym at the mall? I haven't seen him for quite a **while.
Sarah: Yeah, he still does. But not last evening, though.
He was still working at his desk when I left the office. And you? Good day?
Ted: It was OK. Oh, the chair you ordered has arrived. It came while I was discussing the budget for the next project with my team mates.
Sarah: Oh. Thanks babe. It's finally here. I've waited for 3 weeks for this day...
Vocabulary Check!
(Word Meaning)
1. *as usual (idiom) = the way something often happens
e.g. As usual, the school bus arrived at 6.45 am.
2. **while (noun) = a length of time
**quite a while = for a long time
e.g. I was waiting at the station for quite a while.
TIP!
Spoken English Grammar
*Note the conversation between the 2 people.
Notice that we don't need to use the time expressions all the time in the sentences. Especially when a conversation is flowing.
It's understood between the speakers. They're talking about some past events.
9. Let's Test Your Memory.
Fill in the blanks with the correct tense.
Sarah has just come home from the office. Her husband Ted works from home.
Ted: Hi honey. How was your day?
Sarah: Not too bad. The office ............. (be) quite busy as usual.
We didn't break for coffee. Meg............. ............... (eat) biscuits at her desk. And I ............... ................ (have) a chocolate bar when the boss came back from the sales meeting.
Ted: Does your boss still go to the gym at the mall? I haven't seen him for a quite some time.
Sarah: Yeah, he still does. But not last evening though. He .......... still ................. (work) at his desk when I left the office. And you? Good day?
Ted: It was OK. Oh, the chair you ordered has arrived. It came while I ................. ..................... (discuss) the budget for the next project with my team mates.
Sarah: Oh. Thanks babe. It's finally here. I've waited for it for 3 weeks.
10. Let's recap!
Use the Past Continuous tense for these 3 example situations:
an action happening at a time in the past
usually used with the Past Simple to talk about 2 actions in the past
temporary actions & situations in the past
Check out the following tenses:
Thanks so much for reading & Happy speaking!
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