Past Tenses

Past Continuous

B] Past Continuous

1. Form:

We use the past form of be and the -ing form to form the Past Continuous!

I was working we were working you were working you were working he/she/it was working they were working

- I wasn’t working. ? Was she working??- Weren’t they working?

2. Spelling:

See Present Continuous.

3. Use:

The Past Continuous is used a) for actions in

progress at a certain time in the past, b) for two actions happening at the same time in the past, c) in combination with the Past Simple, often with while or when:

a) What were you doing at 6 o’clock yesterday? I was listening to music.

b) While I was having breakfast, my mother was reading the paper.

c) We were talking when the phone rang. P.C.: describes the ongoing action/situation.

P.S.: describes the completed action that interrupts the ongoing action.

Ex.: Translate!• Was hast du gestern Abend gemacht. Ich habe ein

Buch gelesen (zwischen 19 und 21 Uhr).

What were you doing last night? I was reading a book.

• Während ich las, spielte mein Bruder mit meinem Neffen.

While I was reading, my brother was playing with my nephew.

• Ich war gerade am fernsehen, als das Telephon klingelte.

I was watching the television when the phone rang.