The Past Continuous Tense I was watching TV when he called. What is important? • The action was in progress (I was watching TV ); • Another action broke the first one (he called and I had to answer him, so I had stopped watching). • The first case when we use this tense is when we want to express an action which was broken by another particular action or which happened at a particular time. I was taking a shower at 7 o’clock. We were driving home when the engine suddenly stopped. Another case • An action continued in the past and the period in the past is mentioned in a sentence. Jessy was studying Spanish in summer. The last case • Two continuous actions were happening in the past simultaneously (while/and) I was writing a letter to my friend while my wife was cooking a dinner. How to build the form of this tense? • The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb: • Someone was/were cooking; driving; studying; writing; taking a shower; watching… Past continuous tense in interrogative and negative sentences • Interrogative sentences • Negative sentences • Were you(we; they) sleeping when I called? You sounded drowsy. • Was he(I; she; it) working when we came? • We were not(weren’t) playing chess when you called. • In the morning our elevator wasn’t(was not) working. Non-continuous Verbs • feeling: hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish • senses: appear, feel, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste • communication: agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise • thinking: believe, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, understand • other states: be, belong, concern, depend, involve, matter, need, owe, own, possess Conclusion • When do we use this tense? • How to build the form of this tense? • Give your own examples of usage of this tense Now let’s practice a little! • When I phoned my friends, they (play) monopoly. • Yesterday at six I (prepare) dinner. • The kids (play) in the garden when it suddenly began to rain. • I (practise) the guitar when he came home. • We (not / cycle) all day. • While Aaron (work) in his room, his friends (swim) in the pool. • I tried to tell them the truth but they (listen / not) . • Most of the time we (sit) in the park.
