Past Continuous - My English World BLOG

Past Continuous - My English World BLOG

English Department’s Blog – IES CARLOS CANO
Grammar
Section
PAST
PAST CONTINUOUS
BE (Past)
(Past) + VV-ing
Was /were
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
I was walking
I was not walking
I wasn’t walking
Was I walking?
You were walking
You were not walking
You weren’t walking
Were you walking?
She was walking
She was not walking
She wasn’t walking
Was she walking?
He was walking
He was not walking
He wasn’t walking
Was he walking?
It was walking
It was not walking
It wasn’t walking
Was it walking?
We were walking
We were not walking
We weren’t walking
Were we walking?
You were walking
You were not walking
You weren’t walking
Were you walking?
They were walking
They were not walking
They weren’t walking
Were they walking?
SHORT ANSWERS:
Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
Use of the Past Continuous or Progressive:
To talk about events in progress in a particular moment in the past. We use it when we
want to emphasize the continuing process of an activity or the period of that activity.
•
While I was driving home, he was trying to contact me.
•
Were you expecting any visitors?
•
Sorry, were you sleeping?
•
Last night at 11.00 pm I was watching a film.
To describe a “background action” when something else happened.
•
She was talking on the phone when my mother arrived.
•
They were speaking loudly when the teacher came in.
•
I was walking in the street when I suddenly fell down.
•
We were watching a film when the light went out.
Changes in
SPELLING
TIME WORDS
At that moment
Yesterday at…
That week, month
Talk + ing > Talking (no changes)
Study + ing > Studying (no changes)
Come + ing > Coming (we omit the “e”)
Choose + ing > Choosing (we omit the “e”)
Chat + ing > Chatting (we double the consonant)
Run + ing > Running (we double the consonant)