- •Foreword
- •Grammar Check-in
- •Verb tenses
- •1.2.Present Progressive Tense
- •1.3. Present Perfect Tense.
- •1.4.Present Perfect Progressive Tense.
- •1.5. Past Simple Tense
- •Ved or irregular verbs.
- •1.6. Past Progressive Tense
- •1.7. Past Perfect Tense
- •1.8. Past Perfect Progressive Tense
- •2. Passive voice
- •3. Modal verbs
- •3.1. Can and be able to
- •3.2. Must, have to, should, ought to, need to, be to.
- •I have to do it. Does he have to do it? We do not have to do it.
- •I need to do it. Do we need to do it? They don't need to do it (needn't do it).
- •3.3. May, might, will, would, shall
- •3.5. Contrastive use of modal verbs.
- •4. Conditionals
- •5. Gerund and infinitive
- •6.1. Singular and Plural with Quantifiers:
- •7. Prepositions
- •8. Phrasal verbs
- •8.1. Phrasal verbs with idiomatic meaning.
- •9. Adjectives and adverbs
- •10. The sentence (reported speech, questions, sentence links, conjunctions, relative clauses).
- •11. Grammar Check-out
- •11.1. Verb Tenses
- •11.2. Passive Voice
- •11.3. Modal Verbs
- •11.4. Conditionals
- •11.5. Gerund and Infinitive
- •11.6. Noun
- •11.7. Prepositions
- •11.8. Phrasal Verbs
- •11.9. Adjectives and Adverbs
- •The Sentence
- •Answer Key
1.6. Past Progressive Tense
Was + Ving
E.g. I was doing … They were doing … Was he doing … ? We were not doing … ?
1.6.1. Study the list of meanings expressed with the help of Past Progressive and give your own examples.
1. Activity at a past moment |
She was sitting quietly knitting a sweater. |
2. Process in the past |
We were debating this question for quite a while. |
3. Two processes in the past |
While I was bending over backwards, you were lying on the beach. |
4. Interrupted past action |
The guests were having lunch when the police came. |
5. Past scene description |
The children were playing while the adults were talking. |
6. Past temporary activity |
I was taking a course in anthropology that autumn. |
7. Past changing situations |
It was becoming increasingly dangerous. |
1.6.2. Match grammar structures with their meaning.
1. The movement was gathering momentum. |
A/ Scene description B/ Developing situation C/ Process in the past |
2. The guests were singing and dancing. |
A/ Activity at a past moment. B/ Process in the past C/ Scene description |
3. The Arsenal was playing in South America then. |
A/ Activity at a past moment. B/ Process in the past C/ Past temporary activity |
4. The wind was blowing and the lightening was piercing the sky |
A/ Two processes in the past B/ Past scene description C/ Past changing situation |
5. He was staying in bed while I was looking for a doctor. |
A/ Past scene description B/ Two processes in the past C/ Interrupted past action |
6. I was taking a shower when the telephone rang. |
A/ Past scene description B/ Two processes in the past C/ Interrupted past action |
7. I was working for the University of Cambridge and this is my best memory. |
A/ Activity at a past moment B/ Process in the past C/ Past temporary activity |
8. I have been standing under the rain for hours. |
A/ Temporary duration B/ Up to now continuing past C/ Temporary situation |
9. You have been fighting again! |
A/ Recent past linked to present B/ Process in the past C/ Past temporary activity |
1.6.3. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate choice. Explain the difference.
She … in the sea enjoying herself.
The hunters … the wolf tired but ready to fight back.
Tourist groups … every Friday night.
Have you already … him?
Guests … at 7 P.M.
I … to think that this small boy is the criminal.
We … a chat for a short while.
Last summer I … for the exam and did not rest at all.
The fire-fighters … the window step by step.
I … night shift week after next.
1. A/ was bathing B/ bathed C/ has been bathing D/ swam
2. A/ have found B/ found C/ were attaching D/ killed
3. A/ are setting our B/ set out C/ have set out D/ sets out
4. A/ seeing B/ saw C/ seen D/ looked
5. A/ were arriving B/ have arrived C/ arrive D/ are arriving
6. A/ am refusing B/ refuse C/ have refused D/ am refuse
7. A/ had B/ were having C/ have had D/ have
8. A/ was reading B/ read C/ have read D/ have been reading
9. A/ reached B/ have reached C/ have been reaching D/ were reaching
10. A/ am taking B/ was taking C/ have taken D/ took
1.6.4. Fill the gaps in the text below with verbs. Use the words given by changing the form if necessary
In the early hours of the morning in April 1775 several hundred British soldiers … out of Boston. Their order was to seize weapons and ammunition from rebellious colonists. The colonists already knew that the soldiers …. Signal lights … from the spire of Boston's tallest church and the two fast riders …off with the news. When the British soldiers … they saw that the colonists … their way. These colonists were "minutemen" because there were ready to take up arms any minute whenever necessary. Nobody knows who … the first shot and them other shots came. Eight minutemen … dead. While the minutemen …, hundreds more … at the scene. They … down one by one many British soldiers. This was how the American War of Independence …. Soon American national government … support from France (Britain's old enemy) and … all political ties with Britain. |
March
Come, hang Gallop Come Bar
Fire Fall, fight Gather, shoot
Begin Seek Cut
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1.6.5. GRAMMAR-GLOSS. Read the text only once and write a free version of what you have read. Focus on Past Progressive (you can use other tenses as well).
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The Lad and the Fox (Swedish tale)
There was once upon a time a little lad, who was going to church. When he came to a clearing in the forest he caught sight of a fox, who was lying on the top of a big stone. The fox was sleeping and did not see that the bow was looking at her. The boy thought of a plan, "first I am killing the fox. Then I am selling the skin and getting money for it. With this money I am buying some rye. I am sowing that rye in my father's cornfield. When the rye is ripe I am selling the grain and getting so much money that I have never had in my life. When the people are passing by my field I will shout at them to keep away from my rye. I shall scream with all my might!". The boy did not notice that he was screaming so loudly indeed that the fox woke up and made off at once for the forest. The lad did not even get a handful of the fox's hair in his hand. As the saying goes, it's always best to take what you can reach.
1.6.6. Look at these photos taken by a detective following a suspected criminal. Say what the suspect was doing at every particular moment. Continue the description.
9.30 p.m. Entering the gate of the house
|
9.35. Tampering with the door lock |
9.37. Entering the house. |
9.38. Turning on the light in the back room. |
9.40. Pausing for a smoke. |
9.46. Making a telephone call
|
9.51. Coming out to the front door |
9. 58. A car is coming up to the house |
9. 59. Two men are carrying (vague) |
? |