Данная видо-временная форма употребляется при сообщении:

1. о действиях, имевших место в прошлом и никак не связанных с настоящим моментом

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.

«Did you read the contract?» «Yes, and I sent it back to the legal department.'

2. о действиях, произошедших в определённый момент в прошлом. Не left yesterday.

I read the book long ago.

We met last week.

I spoke to them an hour ago.

Ted Turner launched CNN in 1980.

The standard of living in Europe went up during the 1960s. Did you discuss the problem at last week's meeting?

3. о последовательности действий в прошлом.

I got up at nine o'clock yesterday, had a cold shower, dressed and made a cup of tea and some sandwiches. I had breakfast, read a paper and at about ten o'clock went to the office.

4. о действие, которое длилось некоторый период времени в прошлом и теперь закончено. Для обозначения периода времени обычно используются фразы с предлогами for и during. Yesterday I walked in the park for two hours.

He studied hard for six years to become a doctor.

We met a lot of interesting people during the voyage.

Something unusual happened during the performance.

5 об обычных, повторяющихся действиях, происходивших в прошлом.

Every Sunday she visited her relatives and helped them about the house.

He attended all the lectures regularly last year.

NB: Для выражения повторяющихся действий в прошлом используется также конструкция used to + инфинитив («иметь обыкновение что-то делать»). My mother and I used to discuss all our problems. Last year I used to walk out my dog every morning.

Вопросительная и отрицательная формы конструкции образуются при помощи вспомогательных глаголов did, didn't.

Не used to smoke when he was young. Did he use to smoke when he was young? He didn't use to smoke when he was young. Или: He never smoked when he was young.

PAST CONTINUOUS

(

Указатели времени:

at 7 o'clock yesterday, at that time (moment), from till, then, when,

while, all day long, the whole week (month).

Вопросительные конструкции:
Общий вопрос	Альтернативный вопрос	Разделительный вопрос	Специальный вопрос
Was she reading a book?	Was she reading a book or a newspaper?	She was reading a book, wasn't she?	What was she reading?
Were they playing tennis?	Were they playing tennis or football?	They were playing tennis, weren't they?	What were they doing at that time?

ПРОШЕДШЕЕ ДЛИТЕЛЬНОЕ ВРЕМЯ)

Утвердительная форма
I She Не		was V- ing		I was going (walking) She was going (walking)
We You They		were V-ing		We were going (walking) You were going (walking)
Отрицательная форма
I She He	was not (wasn't)		V-ing		I was not going She wasn't not going
We You They	were not (weren 't)		V-ing		We were not going