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§ 2 The past continuous

1. F o r m a t i o n

The Past Continuous is formed with the Past Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to be + the Present Participle (the Infinitive + ing).

The negative is formed by putting not after the auxiliary verb to be + the Present Participle.

The interrogative is formed by inverting subject and the auxiliary verb to be + the Present Participle.

Affirmative

Negative

I was watching

I was not watching

You were watching

TV at 6

(= I wasn't watching)

TV at 6

He/she/it was watching

o'clock

You were not watching

o'clock

We were watching

yesterday.

He/she/it was not watching

yesterday.

They were watching

We were not watching

They were not watching

I nterrogative

Negative Interrogative

Was I watching

Was I not watching

Were you watching

TV at 6

(= Wasn't I watching)

TV at

Was he/she/it watching

o'clock

Were you not watching

6 o'clock

Were we watching

yesterday?

Was he/she/it not watching

yesterday?

Were they watching

Were we not watching

Were they not watching

2. U s a g e

The Past Continuous is used to denote:

  1. actions in the middle of happening at a stated past time: They were playing football at 5.30 yesterday.

  2. past action in progress interrupted by another past action. The longer action is in the Past Continuous, the shorter is in the Past Indefinite: Mark was having dinner when somebody knocked at the door.

  3. two or more simultaneous past actions: While I was swimming, Jane was sunbathing.

or background description to events in a story: She was flying to Rome. The sun was shining.

The following time expressions can be used with the Past Continuous: while, still, when, as, etc.

E X E R C I S E S

2.1. Explain the use of the Past Continuous forms. Translate into Russian.

  1. I was shaving while the children were having breakfast.

  2. Were you reading a newspaper when I came in?

  3. At 8 o'clock on Thursday evening the students of our group were having a meeting.

  4. They were revising for their preliminary in English when I arrived.

  5. Jane and Lewis were whispering in class while the teacher was looking at them with indignation.

  6. At this time yesterday Pete was preparing for his exam in Economics.

  7. I fell asleep when I was watching TV.

  8. It was raining the whole day yesterday that's why we couldn't take part in the excursion.

  9. He was working in the garden from 7 to 8 o'clock yesterday evening and he didn't hear the telephone ring.

  10. They were waiting for us when we came back.