Tag questions

I was standing in the queue when it began to rain, wasn't I?

- Yes, you were./No, you weren't.

You were cooking dinner when the fire started, weren't you?

- Yes, I was./No, I wasn't.

He/She was living in Liverpool then, wasn't he/she?

- Yes, he/she was./No, he/she wasn't.

It was snowing rather heavily last night, wasn't it?

- Yes, it was./No, it wasn't.

We were playing cards all evening, weren't we?

- Yes, you were./No, you weren't.

You were arguing when the phone rang, weren't you?

- Yes, we were./No, we weren't.

They were shopping downtown, weren't they?

- Yes, they were./No, they weren't.

I wasn't working overtime on Friday, was I?

- No, you weren't./Yes, you were.

You weren't lying on the beach at this time last year, were you?

- No, I wasn't./Yes, I was.

He/She wasn't driving at top speed, was he/she?

- No, he/she wasn't./ Yes, he/she was.

It wasn't working efficiently, was it?

- No, it wasn't./Yes, it was.

We weren't having a party last weekend, were we?

- No, you weren't./Yes, you were.

You weren't doing anything special last night, were you?

- No, we weren't./Yes, we were.

They weren't sitting the exam at 3 p.m., were they?

- No, they weren't./ Yes, they were

Past Continuous

Past Simple

1. We use it for an incomplete or continuing action in the past.

The doctors were looking for a cure. (An incomplete action)

I was cleaning my apartment for most of the morning. (A continuing action)

1. We use it for a single and complete action in the past.

Alison took the newspapers from Andy and walked out of the shop. (A single action)

He set his alarm clock for a quarter to seven. (A complete action)

2. We use it for an interrupted action in the past.

When Sue came home, Dick was making some tea. (Dick was in the middle of making some tea. Then Sue came home.)

2. We use it to say that one thing happened after another.

When Sue came home, Dick made some tea. (Sue came home. Then Dick made some tea.)

3. We use it for repeated actions in the past with, e.g. always.

She was always criticizing people.

3. We use it to talk about past habits or regular actions in the past.

Albert used to work on his grandparents' farm in his schooldays.

4. We use it to describe a round scene.

I was standing outside the bank. It was getting dark was feeling tired. I was waiting for a woman Joan Smith.

4. We use it to describe past events and actions.

Suddenly, a woman came round the corner and walked right up to me. "Are you Steve Berlin?" she asked.

5.

____

5. We also use it with verbs not used in the Continuous Tense.

Nobody knew Jack Kennedy completely. Steve was a fortunate man. We often went fishing when we were kids. I always wanted to be an athlete.