Past Continuous Tense

What is it?

Talk about an action that was still going on at a specific moment in the

past.

Time Words

when, while, yesterday, that day, last week, last year, two days ago, two weeks ago, etc

What do we use?

be verb (was,were)

+

Verb+ing

Singular Form

1st 2nd 3rd

HE

I YOU SHE

IT

He

I was standing You were standing She was standing

It

Plural Form

1st 2nd 3rd

WE YOU THEY

We were standing You were standing They were standing

NEGATIVES

He was doing well.

to

He was not doing well

QUESTIONS

He was doing well.

to

Was he doing well?

QUESTION TAGS

REMEMBER: When the statement is positive your tag must be negative. When your statement is negative your tag must be

positive.

e.g. I was doing well, wasn’t I? He was not doing well, was he?

A tag is there to confirm something. The speaker wants to make sure something is

correct.

REMEMBER:

•Verbs ending in -ie change to -ying lie = lying die = dying •Most verbs ending in -e lose the -e when -ing is added chase = chasing drive = driving BUT see = seeing dye = dyeing

Active and Passive •Find the verb •Who/What does it? = subject •To who/what is it done? = object •Change subject and object around •-ing becomes being •Use 3rd column verb •Therefore; be verb + being + 3rd column verb e.g. Jean was packing the backpack. (active) The backpack was being packed by Jean. (passive)

Reported Speech

•Present tense introductory verbs: says, asks, tells, wants to know, commands, enquires, recommends, etc.

•Past tense introductory verbs: said, asked, told, wanted to know, commanded, enquired, recommended, etc.

IMPORTANT

•NEVER change the introductory verb.

•If introductory verb is present tense: nouns; pronouns change all the rest stay the same.

•If introductory verb is past tense: nouns; pronouns change all the rest take one step back.

What is meant by “all the rest take one step back”?

Verbs go to the past tense.

is – was will go – would go

was – had been must go – had to go

are – were may go – might go

were – had been doesn’t go – didn’t go

see – saw don’t go – didn’t go

saw – had seen didn’t go – hadn’t gone

can go – could go

needn’t go – didn’t have to go

What is meant by “all the rest take one step back”?

Time words go one step back. •today – that day •tomorrow – the following day/the next day •yesterday – the day before/the previous day •the day before yesterday – two days before/two day ago/two days earlier •Last week – the week before/the previous week •next week – the following week •now – then •ago – before

OTHER CHANGES •here – there •this – that •these - those

GOLDEN RULES

•Find the introductory verb. •Decide on the tense it is in: present or past. •If the introductory verb is in present tense only change the nouns and pronouns, all the rest stay the same. •If the introductory verb is in the past tense change the nouns and pronouns, all the rest take one step back. •DO NOT chance the introductory verb. •Replace the inverted commas with that.

From direct to indirect:

DIRECT: Stephan says, “Tanya was working at the pet shop since last week.” (present) Stephen said, “Tanya was working at the pet shop since last week.” (past) INDIRECT: Stephen says that Tanya/she was working at the pet shop since last week. (present) Stephan said that Tanya/she had been working at the pet shop since the previous week/the week before. (past)