Examples for the past continuous tense. Past long tense

The past tense in English can be different. There is not always enough time for Past Simple to explain a situation from the past or talk about some event. Here more complex forms of the past tense come to our aid, one of which is the Past Continuous.

In this article, we will look at what the Past Continuous is, when it is used and how this past tense is formed, its basic rules and examples of use in sentences, and how it differs from other past tenses in English.

What is Past Continuous?

Past Continuous is the past continuous tense that indicates an event or process that lasted for a certain period of time in the past.

Moreover, this moment in the past must be indicated. It can be either a specific time (at 5 o’clock), or an indication of a point in time (when) or, in extreme cases, it should be implied from the context.

I was dancing all night long

When she called I was taking a shower - When she called, I took a shower (we are talking about some point in time in the past (when), although the exact time is not indicated)

The Past Continuous can often be heard in the everyday speech of native speakers. It can be used to talk about long-term actions in the past.

The difference between Past Continuous and other tenses

Carefully study the Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect Continuous tenses separately. The main difference between these three tenses is as follows:

Past Simple (simple past tense) is used when we are simply talking about the fact of an action that has taken place in the past.

We use Past Continuous (past long tense) when we know the exact time when the action was performed (it was “in progress”) in the past or we mean it.

We use Past Perfect Continuous (past completed long tense) if we are talking about an action that began and ended in the past, that is, it continued for an exact length of time and had already ended by the time of speech.

Compare:

I talked to him - I talked to him (Past Simple)

I was talking to him for 3 hours - I talked to him for three hours (Past Continuous)

I had been talking to him for 3 hours before he saw the right road - I talked to him for three hours until he saw the right road (Past Perfect Continuous)

How is the Past Continuous formed?

The Past Continuous is formed using the past tense auxiliary verb to be (was for the singular and were for the plural) and the first form of the verb ending in -ing (simple present participle).

Was is used with subjects I / He / She / It

Were is used with subjects You / We / They

I was crying - I was crying

She was sleeping - She was sleeping

We were dancing - We were dancing

You were eating - You ate

When forming a participle (Ving), one must remember in which case the consonant or vowel at the end is doubled when the vowel at the end is replaced by another, and other rules.

• If the letter -e at the end is not pronounced, then it is omitted before the ending -ing, if pronounced - just added -ing ..

to write → writing (to write)

to free → freeing

• The ending -ie changes to -y to lie → lying (to lie)
• The ending -y always stays in place to play → playing to try → trying
• A consonant at the end is doubled if it is preceded by a stressed vowel. The consonant is not doubled if the stressed vowel is elsewhere or the consonant is preceded by a long vowel

to get → getting

to remember → remembering (remember)

to cool → cooling

• Trailing w and x before -ing are not doubled

to mix → mixing (mix)

to show → showing

Statement

Affirmative sentences are formed according to the formula using the auxiliary verbs was / were (depending on the number) and the first form of the verb.

I / He / She / It / You / We / They + was / were + Ving

I was cooking the dinner - I was cooking dinner

She was painting a new picture - She was painting a new picture

They were watching the Star Wars - They watched Star Wars

The doctor was sitting in his office - The doctor was sitting in his office

Negation

Negative Past Continuous sentences are formed by adding the particle not after the auxiliary verb was / were but before the semantic verb.

I / He / She / It / You / We / They + was/were + not + Ving

I was not drinking coffee - I did not drink coffee

She was not singing a song - She did not sing a song

They were not watching Harry Potter - They were not watching Harry Potter

was not = wasn't

were not = weren't

Mary wasn't reading the book - Mary did not read the book

You weren't taking a shower - You didn't take a shower

Question

Interrogative sentences in the Past Continuous are formed by moving the auxiliary verb was / were to the beginning of the sentence.

Was / were + I / He / She / It / You / We / They + Ving

Was I drinking tea? - Did I drink tea?

Were we driving the main road? - We were driving on the main road?

Was Arnold reading the book? - Did Arnold read the book?

Were you eating breakfast? - Did you eat breakfast?

Special clarifying questions are formed in the Past Continuous time by putting question words (question words) at the beginning of the sentence. Such as where (where), when (when) and others. The further word order in the construction repeats the above interrogative form.

QW + was / were + I / He / She / It / You / We / They + Ving

What were you singing at the karaoke bar this time last Friday? What were you singing at the karaoke bar this time last Friday?

Where were you staying when you went to Paris? - Where did you stay when you went to Paris?

When is the Past Continuous used?

There are several cases when the Past Continuous is used in a sentence:

• Continuous actions at a specific moment in the past

This is usually indicated by special time markers. For example, at 7 a.m. (at seven in the morning), this morning at 4:18 (this morning at 4:18), at midnight (at midnight) and others.

In addition to the exact time, a simple period in the past when a certain action lasted can be indicated. This is done using the expressions all day (all day), this afternoon (this afternoon) or simply during some time (during some time), etc.

Yesterday at 5 p.m. I was drinking tea with mom - Yesterday at five in the evening I drank tea with mom

This time three months ago we were flying to Prague

What were you doing during your honeymoon? We were traveling across Japan - What did you do during your honeymoon trip? We traveled around Japan.

• Simultaneous actions in the past

If several actions in the past occurred at the same time, then the Past Continuous is used.

We were eating pizza while we were watching a new TV series - We ate pizza while we were watching a new series on TV

• Disapproval

The Past Continuous construction can be used in speech to express dissatisfaction or disapproval of past actions. Usually used with the words often (often), always (always) or constantly (constantly).

He was always losing our keys while on holiday - He constantly lost our keys on vacation

I were often waiting for her by her door when we were dating - I often waited for her at the door when we met

• Temporary situation

Past Continuous is used when talking about a temporary situation in the past that did not last long. In this case, the specific interval must be indicated in the proposal.

They were living in Norway for 4 months - They lived in Norway for four months

The difference in the use of Past Continuous and Past Simple tenses in sentences

Sometimes several past tenses can be used in one sentence at the same time and we find it difficult to choose which one is better - Past Simple or Past Continuous. There are three cases to remember:

If the actions are one-time and occur one after another - use Past Simple.

I woke up and opened the door - I woke up and opened the door

If two actions in the past occurred simultaneously (in parallel) to each other, then we use the Past Continuous.

Tommy was playing a video game while I was doing my homework - Tommy was playing a video game while I was doing my homework

If one of the actions is long, and it is interrupted by a shorter action in the past, then for a long action it is expressed in Past Continuous, and a short one in Past Simple.

They were playing basketball in the playground when it started to rain - They were playing basketball on the playground when it started to rain

Important: after the word while in a sentence, the Past Continuous tense is always used. After the word when, both Past Continuous and Past Simple can be used.

Time Markers Past Continuous

You can find out the Past Continuous time by special marker words found in the sentence. They usually answer the question "When did this happen?".

• at the moment (at that moment)
• when (when)
• while (while)
• as (since)
• all night (long)
• all morning (all morning)
• all day (long) (all day)
• last Sunday (last Sunday)
• last month (last month)
• last year (last year)
• from Monday to Wednesday (from Monday to Wednesday)
• at 3:15 p.m.
• at 6 yesterday

Example sentences with Past Continuous

affirmative sentences:

I was writing a letter to my granny from 4 to 4:30 pm on Sunday - I wrote a letter to my grandmother from four to

four thirty on sunday

Yesterday they were playing tennis when the rain started - Yesterday they were playing tennis when it started to rain

Jane was sitting on the bench and was waiting for somebody - Jane was sitting on the bench and waiting for someone

At midnight I was driving home - At midnight I was driving home

They were often being late because of their dog - They were often late because of their dog

Negative suggestions:

I wasn’t drinking coffee when you called - I didn’t drink coffee when you called

My sister wasn't washing her clothes last weekend - My sister didn't wash her clothes last weekend

If it were not raining, we would have a BBQ - If it wasn't raining, we would have a barbecue

They weren't living in Thailand last winter - They didn't live in Thailand last winter

Interrogative sentences:

Was she cooking Christmas dinner at this time last year? Did she cook Christmas dinner at the same time last year?

Were they flying over the volcano during their last flight? - Did they fly over the volcano during their last flight?

Was Anna teaching English at the school last autumn? - Anna taught English at school last fall?

What were you doing at 8 p.m. last Wednesday? What were you doing at 8 pm last Wednesday?

Forms Past Continuous (Past Progressive) formed with the help to be in the shape of ( were, were) and the present participle of the semantic verb: I was smiling. When adding endings to verbs - ing sometimes there are changes in their spelling, for example have/hav ing. Additionally about.

Abbreviated forms:

wasn't= was not
weren't= were not

Use of Past Continuous

1. A long-term action that began before a certain moment in the past, and is still taking place at this moment. A moment can be indicated by time notation ( at that moment - at this moment, at that time - at this time, at 3 o'clock - at 3 o'clock, at midnight - at midnight) or subordinate clauses with a verb-predicate in Past Simple.

Examples: I was writing a letter. - I wrote a letter. (I was still writing a letter)
At 10 o'clock last night I was watching TV. I was watching TV at 10 o'clock last night.
I was looking at myself in the mirror when she Came in. I was looking at myself in the mirror when she came in.

2. A prolonged action that took place in an elapsed period of time, although it could be interrupted during this entire period of time.

Examples: I was reading a magazine during 2 hours. I have been reading the newspaper for 2 hours.

Note.Pay attention to the peculiarities of using Past Continuous (Past Progressive) and Past Simple.

3. Past Continuous (Past Progressive), like Past Simple, is used with the following notation of time ( all day yesterday - all day yesterday, all day long - all day, all the time - all the time, the whole evening - the whole evening, from two till three - from two to three).

4. If we are talking about a long-term action (about a process), the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) form is used, and if the author states the fact of an action, the Past Simple form is used.

5. When two long actions are performed at the same time, they are both expressed either using the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) or using the Past Simple. If the speaker wants to focus on the action as a process, the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) is used, and if the speaker is stating a fact, the Past Simple is used.

Examples: while you were sleeping, I was playing tennis. - While you were sleeping, I played tennis. (Process)
while you slept, I played tennis. - While you were sleeping, I played tennis. (fact)

The Past Progressive Tense, its second name is The Past Continuous, denotes long or incomplete actions in the past. We can use this tense to describe what happened at a particular point in time in the past.
In Russian, we pronounce [paste continius / progressive] - English transcription. In this article, we will get to know and learn when the Past Continuous is used, as well as rules and examples in the Past Continuous.

Read the introductory text and try to retell it. Pay attention to the highlighted words.

When I arrived at the station, my boyfriend Luke was waiting for me. He was wearing a nice black suit, and he was holding red roses in his left hand. When I got off the train, he ran up to me and kissed me passionately. It was raining and thundering. I told Luke to go to a café so that we could talk, but he insisted on going to another place. While he was driving, I was listening to the radio. The weather was awful but at the same time beautiful. Luke was smiling, but he looked worried. We stopped on the top of a hill with fantastic views. He came up to me; he kneeled in front of me and took a ring out of his pocket. “Jessica, will you…” he said. “Listen, Luke I want to split up with you”, I interrupted him.

Education Rules in Past Continuous Tense

Now we will look at how the Past Continuous is formed in English.

The past continuous tense is formed using the auxiliary (auxiliary verb) and the present participle (Present Participle -ing form) of the semantic verb.

Past Continuous Formation Formula:

— For pronouns I/he/she/it was + ing form
— For pronouns you/we/they were + ing form

example:

— My boyfriend Luke was waiting for me - My boyfriend Luke was waiting for me.
— We were listening to the radio - We listened to the radio.

Cases of using Past Continuous

Past Continuous is a very common tense in English, you must understand it and know it well. The following are rules and examples of sentences in the Past Continuous that will help you quickly deal with the difficulties of using the past continuous.

1. Usually Past Progressive is used

When we talk about actions or states that lasted at a certain point in the past. This tense emphasizes that the action continued for a certain period in the past:

example:

— Peter was reading a book at 5 pm yesterday Peter was reading a book yesterday at 5 pm. (Specific action - 5 o'clock yesterday).
— I was sleeping at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon - I was sleeping yesterday at 3 pm.
— We were still discussing the plan at midnight We were still discussing the plan at midnight.

2. Often the Past Continuous is used with

That is, one action interrupts another. Past Continuous is a long action, Past Simple is a short action.

example:

— While I was washing the dishes the bell range- When I was washing the dishes, the bell rang. (Long action - washing the dishes; short action - the bell rang).
— I was cycling to work when I fell off the bike - I was cycling to work and fell off my bike. (A past action in the process was interrupted by another action).
— As I was washing the dog my husband called me – When I was washing the dog, my husband called me. (Washing is a long action, my husband called me and interrupted this action).

3. Two or more simultaneous actions in the past (two actions that happened at the same time)

example:

— Paul was reading out the data while Sarah was writing it down - Paul read the data aloud and Sarah wrote it down.
— While Alan was smoking in his room, his friends were swimming in the pool - While Alan was smoking in his room, his friends were swimming in the pool.
— Alex was making lunch; Mary was laying the table - Alex cooked dinner, Mary set the table.

4. Descriptions of events in history

We often use the Past Progressive at the beginning of a story to describe a situation.

example:

— I was walking, the birds were singing and the kids were crying— I walked, the birds sang, and the children cried.
—It was raining the wind was blowing. I was sitting next to the fireplace. Jim was playing the guitar, and the kids were dancing- It was raining. The wind blew. I was sitting by the fireplace. Jim played the guitar and the kids danced.
—It was getting dark, and I was walking fast to the bar. Abruptly... - It was getting dark and I quickly walked to the bar. Suddenly…

5. From the lesson, we know that adverbs constantly, always, forever are used to express irritation

In the same way, we can use the Past Continuous, only to express past repetitive actions. Consider sentences in the past progressive with these adverbs.

example:

Luis was forever smoking in my room! Louis was always smoking in my room!
— He was constantly sleeping on duty! - He was constantly sleeping on duty!
— She was always losing her wallet - She always lost her wallet.

6. With verbs that show change or growth

example:

— New buildings were going up everywhere - New buildings were erected everywhere.
— My dog was growing up quickly - My dog ​​grew up quickly.
—HisChinese was improving– His Chinese was improving.

7. The past continuous (past continuous) is also used in conditional sentences

But this time is rare. Most often we see in stories or hear in dialogues.

example:

— If Sam was playing, they would probably win - If Sam played, they would probably win.
— If she was trying to find a job, she could make a fortune - If she tried to find a job, she could make a fortune.

Although it is in the Past Continuous, type 2 conditionals refer to the future or present.

8. Past forms are used when we talk about the present in a few polite expressions.

example:

— Excuse me, I was wondering if this was the bus for Manchester – Excuse me, I would like to know if this bus was to Manchester?

9. When is the past continuous used in indirect speech?

Simple, and most importantly understandable examples will easily answer you this question.

example:

— “I'm not looking forward to going back to university,” Clara said - Clara said: “I'm not going back to university.” (Direct speech).
— Clara said she was not looking forward to going back to university - Clara said that she was not going to go back to university. (Indirect speech).

As you can see from the first example, in direct speech the verb is in, and in indirect speech, we already see that the retold words are in the Past Continuous.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that if the verb is in direct speech in the present continuous, then in the indirect it will already be in the past cont.

How all tenses change in indirect speech, we told in the article Direct and indirect speech.

Words - markers (time indicators) Past Continuous Tense

Auxiliary words will help you determine what tense is used in a sentence.

Each time has its own clue words. Of course, it happens that the same keyword is used with other tenses, so you need to remember not only the signal words, but also the rules for using each of them.

While, at midday, at lunchtime, all morning, all day, when, at 5 o'clock, from 5 till 6 yesterday, the whole evening, as, during, this afternoon, at this time yesterday etc.

Examples of sentences in the past continuous with words as companions:

— Mila was digging in the garden when she hurt her foot - Mila was digging in the garden and injured her leg.
— While I was painting the fence, Din was resting on the couch - While I was painting the fence, Dean was resting on the couch.
— I was baking cakes all day I have been baking cakes all day.
— My half-brother was skiing from 10 till 7 yesterday My half-brother went skiing from 4 to 7 yesterday.
— Oliver was wrapping the gift at this time yesterday Oliver was packing a present at this time yesterday.

Sentence forms in Past Continuous

It is always important to know how to build sentences in English, as there is a strict sequence of words. If we violate the rules for constructing sentences, then native speakers may not understand us. Therefore, we suggest that you consider all three forms of the past continuous in the form of tables, where rules and examples are presented.

Affirmative sentences Past Continuous (Affirmative sentences)

The affirmative form of sentences is built according to the formula:

Knowledge of English is almost a vital necessity in our time. Children are introduced to its basics from a very early age, and a diligent high school student is completely able to speak English fluently. Like any other language, it has its own characteristics, which should be given a lot of attention.

According to those who started learning already in adulthood, one of the most difficult features of this language is tenses. English speech involves the division of all situations according to the time when they occurred, are occurring or will occur relative to this moment. It can sometimes be difficult for beginners to master this topic right away, but diligence, attention to theory and active practice will help you quickly adapt.

One of the most curious tenses is Past Continuous Tense

It is past tense, but continuous. That is, they use it, not just wanting to put the listener in front of a fact (for example, “Olya cooked dinner yesterday”), but aiming to describe it, indicate its duration (for example, “Olya cooked dinner yesterday: she baked a turkey and cooked a cake "). But - how to build such sentences in English?

How is the Past Continuous Formed?

Was and Were in Past Continuous

In order to create a sentence using this tense, you need to use the second form of the verb "to be" ("to be"), that is - was(if it is singular) or - were(if there are several subjects of conversation). In addition, the verb used in speech acquires the ending "ing"

The sentence itself, depending on its form, will be built as follows:

• Affirmative: singular (I/ he/ she/ it) + was…;

plural (we/ you/ they) + were…

• Negative: (I/he/she/it) + was not (wasn’t)…;

(we/you/they) + were not (weren’t)…

• Interrogative: was I/he/she/it… ?

were we/you/they… ?

In negative sentences, both the full form was not and were not, and the abbreviated form can be used. The second, by the way, is more common, while the full one is used extremely rarely, mainly in official speech.

When to use the Past Continuous

There are three main cases when in the process of narration it is necessary to refer to this particular time..

• If the described continuous action took place over a certain, unknown period of time, at some point in the past. That is, there is no clear data on how many minutes or hours the action lasted, but the very fact of its duration is important for the further course of the conversation.

I was walking at 18:00 yesterday.

• If it lasted at the time when some other action took place. That is, one of the events described was already going on for a certain moment, but suddenly another event began, inextricably linked with the first one.

When Jenny came home, Kate was sleeping.

• If several actions in the past occurred at the same time interval. It is not known whether they started at the same time, or whether the second connected at some point to the first. The fact is that both of them are equal and have the same meaning in a conversation.

While Tony was cooking, Ann was reading a book.

Remarkably, in the latter case, the words while or when are always used, which will be discussed in more detail below.

But there is another type of situation when you have to resort to the Past Continuous. These are discussions about plans for the future that took place in the past.

In order to say, for example, that Amy imagined how she would read a book on the beach, you need to make a construction like: Amy was planning how she would be reading a book on the beach.

The beginning of the sentence is a familiar construction, compiled according to the rules of the Past Continuous, while the second part of it begins with the words “would be” (in the negative form - wouldn’t be), after which the verb necessarily follows with the ending “ing”.

Thus, connecting within one sentence, two tenses are able to recreate the picture in its entirety, taking into account all the nuances.

What is the difference between Past Continuous and Past Simple

In order to operate with proper ease with the forms of verbs, building a competent sentence, you need to have a clear understanding of the cases in which this or that tense is used.

• Past Simple is distinguished primarily by the completeness of thought.
• Past Continuous, on the other hand, emphasizes the duration of the action.

That is, if you need to notify about the fact, to inform the listener, Simple is involved, and when you need to tell more about the event, then Continuous. Here, for example, the sentence: "Mary did her homework yesterday." And - another, similar at first glance: "Mary did her homework yesterday."

But the first should be framed in Past Simple, and the second in Past Continuous, due to the specified duration of the action: “Mary was doing her homework yesterday”.

While and When in Past Continuous

It happens that you need to talk about two actions taking place in the past in parallel, that is, during one, common to them, period of time. To talk about an event that was unfolding while another event was happening, use the words "while" or "when". What is the difference between them?

When the form of conversation is formal, not allowing colloquial sentences, use while. If we are talking about a friendly conversation, colloquial when will be more appropriate.

For example: "Kate was singing, when I was eating my breakfast."

The when form is simpler, unobtrusive, and ideal for conversations in an informal setting, but it is absolutely not suitable for formal conversations. When communicating with native speakers, you need to carefully monitor this! Inappropriate use of words that are inappropriate in their form can cause misunderstandings and conflicts, which, by the way, could easily have been avoided.

Thus, knowing the rules for using time, as well as the signs of situations that should be described using it, you can significantly improve your level.

The main thing is not to neglect the study of the most important rules and not be lazy to apply the acquired information in practice, because it is it that helps to bring the application of knowledge to automatism, which, in fact, is the essence of free communication.

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In this article, we will look at the past long tense in English. We call all past tenses in English Past Tenses, the difference of which is only in their duration or quality: whether it will be simple past - Past Simple, long past - Past Continuous or past perfect - Past perfect. In this article, let's stop and look at Past Continuous Tense.

Past continuous is a tense that is used to describe a continuous action in the past. Basically, this is a process that lasted at a certain moment or period in the past. The moment of action must be clearly defined, or be understandable in the context of the proposal.

Formation of affirmative sentences in the Past Continuous

When I came to London, it was raining. When I arrived in London, it was raining. Martin was studying history from three till eight o'clock. From three to eight o'clock Martin taught history. Lisa was cooking the pancakes, when I entered the kitchen. Lisa was making pancakes when I entered the kitchen.

Examples of negative sentences in the past continuous tense

He wasn't sleeping all the night. He didn't sleep all night. They weren't having a class at this time yesterday We didn't have a class at this time yesterday. Last year she wasn't eating fat food as she was on diet. Last year she didn't eat fatty food because she was on a diet.

Examples of affirmative sentences in the past continuous tense

Was Kate listening to the professor at the lecture? Did Kate listen to the professor during the lecture? How long were they traveling round Russia? How long did they travel around Russia? What kind of music was George playing when I entered the room? What music was George playing when I entered the room? What were you doing at five o'clock? I was searching the web. What were you doing at five o'clock? Sat on the Internet.

Using the Past Continuous

Time Indicators (time indicators)

All the time all day long at seven o'clock yesterday the whole Friday during the film from three till eight o'clock

Examples of using sentences in the Past Continuous

I was reading an interesting article at 6 pm yesterday evening. I was reading an interesting article at 6 pm yesterday. My parents were staying in Rome for three months. My parents stayed in Rome for three months. We went to the country. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. We drove out of town. The sun was shining, the birds were singing.

Watch video on Past Continuous tense