THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

What happened?

This is John. He is eighteen years old. He took his father’s car because he wanted to go out with his girlfriend.

While he was driving, he called his girlfriend and they started to talk on the phone.

He was really upset and afraid. He called his father right away.

His father came very quickly. He was worried about his son. As John was explaining the accident to his father, he started to cry and promised never to use his mobile phone while driving again.

When she said something romantic to him, he lost control and drove into another car.

Why did the accident happen?

While he was driving, he started to talk to his girlfriend on the phone and he lost control.

past

future

now

While he was driving,he started to talk to his girlfriend.

When did he cry?

As John was explaining the accident to his father, he started to cry…

past

future

now

As John was explaining the accident to his father, he started to cry…

Use the past continuous tense to talk about an action in progress at a particular time in the past.

Past continuous

We can also use the past continuous tense to describe two actions that were happening at the same time in the past by

inserting the word ‘while’.

While Joe was driving his father’s car, his father was

resting at home.

past

futurenow

The form of the past continuous tense in affirmative and negative sentences

While I was watching T.V., my father came in.

be + verb -ing

S O

My father came in while I was watching T.V.

I was not watching T.V.

wasn’t

negativecontraction

Question forms

What were you doing

while you were driving?

I was talking on the phone.

Were you driving fast?

No, I was going slow.

Were you driving fast? - No, I was going slow.

What were you doing? - I was talking on the

phone.

Question forms

be Sverb -

ing

be Sverb -

ingQuestion

word

I / he / she / it was walking we / you / they were walking

I / he / she / it wasn’t walking

we / you / they weren’t walking

Was I / he / she / it walking? Were we / you / they walking?

Yes, I / he / she / it was.No , I / he / she/ it wasn’t.

Yes, we / you / they were. No, we / you / they weren’t.

Affirmative

Negative

Question

Short Answer

Do not use state verbs in the past continuous tense!

The usage of the Past continuous tense in table form

I was understanding I understood

Write sentences with while or as by using the prompts.

go to work- come across

While/ As she was going to work, she

came across her friends. She was going to work when she cameacross her friends.

Write sentences with while or as by using the prompts.

study – electricity go out

While/ As she was studying, theelectricity went out.

She was studying when theelectricity went out.

Write sentences with while or as by using the prompts.

break his leg – play soccer

He broke his leg while /as he wasplaying soccer

When he broke his leg, he wasplaying soccer.