past continuous tense

Term Definition Example Sentence

continuous happening without interruption or stopping The rain was continuous all day.
(adjective)

interrupted stopped briefly by something else She was interrupted by a phone call while
(adjective) she was studying.

stative describing a state of being or a condition The verb 'know' is stative because it
(adjective) that does not change describes a state of knowledge.

specific clearly defined or identified He gave me specific instructions on how to

(adjective) complete the task.

conference a formal meeting for discussion or exchange She attended a conference on climate
(noun) of information change.

past continuous tense

The past continuous tense is used to talk about things that happened in the past. It is made by
using the past tense of the verb "be" (was/were) and adding -ing to the main verb.

We use the past continuous to talk about actions that happened before and after another action.
For example, "The children were doing their homework when I got home". It can also be used to
show that something continued for some time, like "My head was aching". The past continuous
can also be used to talk about actions that happened again and again, such as "They were always
quarrelling".

We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. Instead, we use the past simple.
For example, instead of saying "I was needing a shower," we say "I needed a shower".

The past continuous is also used to talk about things that happened in the past but are no longer
happening. For example, if someone says "This time last year I was living in Hong Kong," it means
they are not living there anymore.

In the past continuous, we use the past tense of the verb "be" (was/were) and the base form of the
main verb +ing. For example, "I was playing".

The past continuous is used to describe actions or events in the past that were still happening
when another event occurred. It is often used to describe the background in a story written in the
past tense. For example, "The sun was shining and the birds were singing as the elephant came
out of the jungle". It can also be used to describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by
another event or action, like "I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang".

The past continuous can also be used to express a change of mind, like "I was going to spend the
day at the beach but I've decided to get my homework done instead". It can also be used with the
word "wonder" to make a polite request, such as "I was wondering if you could baby-sit for me
tonight".

To form the past continuous, we use was or were + the -ing form of the verb. For example, "I was
playing".

The past continuous and the past simple are used together to show how two past actions or
situations are connected. The past simple shows that an action was in the past, while the past
continuous shows that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past. For
example, "When I woke up this morning, it was snowing". The past continuous can also show that
an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment. For example, "We were cleaning
the house all morning".

When we use the past continuous and the past simple together, it shows that the past simple
action happened in the middle of the past continuous action. For example, "While I was studying, I
suddenly felt sleepy". These tenses are often used to show an action interrupting another action,
like "I broke my leg when I was skiing".

The past continuous tense is used to show ongoing actions in the past. It uses the past tense of
the verb "to be" (was/were) and the present participle of the verb, which is formed by adding -ing
to the base form of the verb. For example, "I was working here".

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were happening in the past. It is the
past tense version of the present continuous tense. For example, "Adam is teaching in the
conference room" becomes "Adam was teaching in the conference room".

The past continuous tense is also used to describe a time when an action happened in the past.
For example, "I was writing my research paper all night".

The past continuous tense is formed by using was/were + present participle. For example, "You
were studying when she called".

The past continuous tense is used to show that an ongoing past action was happening at a specific
moment of interruption, or that two ongoing actions were happening at the same time. For
example, "I was watching TV when she called".

In the past continuous tense, a specific time can be used as an interruption. For example, "Last
night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner".

In the past continuous tense, stative verbs are not used. Stative verbs describe continual states of
mind, such as opinions or needs. Instead, we use the simple past tense for stative verbs. For
example, instead of saying "I was wanting a cookie," we say "I wanted a cookie".

Reading Summary
- The past continuous tense is used to talk about things that happened in the past.
- It is made by using the past tense of the verb 'be' (was/were) and adding -ing to the main verb.
- We use the past continuous to talk about actions that happened before and after another action.

Multiple Choice Questions

Question #1 Question #2 Question #3

What is the past continuous When do we use the past How are the past continuous
tense used for? simple instead of the past and past simple tenses used
continuous? together?

A. Talking about things A. When talking about A. To show ongoing

that happened in the actions that happened actions in the past
future before and after another B. To describe actions that
B. Describing actions or action were happening in the
events in the past that B. When describing an past
were still happening unfinished action that C. To indicate a change of
when another event was interrupted by mind
 occurred another event or action D. To show how two past
C. Expressing a change of C. When using stative actions or situations are
mind verbs to describe connected
D. Showing ongoing continual states of mind
actions in the present D. When showing that an
ongoing past action was
happening at a specific
moment of interruption

Short Answer Questions

What is the past continuous tense used for?
Question #1

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When do we use the past simple instead of the past continuous?

Question #2

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How are the past continuous and past simple tenses used together?
Question #3

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Open Ended Questions

Think about a time when you were doing something and someone interrupted
Question #1 you. How did you feel? Write about it.

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Have you ever had a change of mind about something? Describe the situation and
Question #2 explain why you changed your mind.

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Can you think of a time when you were working on something for a long time?
Question #3 How did you feel during that time? Write about it.

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