1. Past Tense ContinuousTARGET AUDIENCE: ADULT ESL STUDENTS-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

2. PAST CONTINUOUS FORM:WAS/WERE (AUXILIARY VERB --BE ) + PRESENT PARTICIPLE (MAIN VERB)EX. YESTERDAY, I WAS PLAYING SOCCER. Yesterday: Today: It happened in the past. The action wascontinuous. The action is now over. 3. HOW DO WE MAKE THE PAST CONTINUOUSTENSE? Subject + auxiliary verb BE (conjugated in simple past tense) + main verb (present participle) Subject +was/were+ base + ingI +was+ watching TV.I was watching TV. was watching = Past Continuous 4. THERE ARE 6 MAIN USES OF PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS: 4. Atmosphere 1. Interrupted Action in the Past Example: At the fair, a lady was drinking cola, whileanother one was watching the Ferris wheel. A manwas paying for a game and his son was playinganother one. The sun was shining and the flagswere blowing in the wind. Example: I was watching TV when shecalled me. 2. Specific Time as an Interruption5. Repetition and Irritation with Always Example: Last night at 7pm, I waswatching TV.Example: She was always coming to school late. 3. Parallel Time6. Polite QuestionsExample: I was wondering if you could give me Example: When Tom was reading, Idirections?was watching TV. 5. PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS FORMS Positive I was singing. You were singing. We were singing. They were singing. He was singing.Example: He was singing. She was singing. It was singing. Negative I was not singing. You were not singing. We were not singing. They were not singing. He was not singing.Example: He was not singing. She was not singing. It was not singing. Question Was I singing? Were you singing? Were we singing? Were they singing? Was he singing?Example: Was he singing? Was she singing? Was it singing? 6. WAS VS. WERE TO FORM THE PAST CONTINUOUS PHRASE, YOU WOULD: Use was + present participle for 1 person or thing Examples: He was dancing all night long! She was talking the whole night! The dog was not tired. It was running the whole time! The car was making noise the entire trip.Use were + present participle for more than one person or thing.Examples:The people were cheering the entire game. (please note: In a sentence like: The crowdwas cheering. You would use was cheering because it is 1 crowd.)The players were running down the field.The birds were chirping.The dogs were barking. 7. TODAY FOR OUR LESSON WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON THE FIRST 3 USES : 1. Interrupted Action in the Past Example: I was watching TV when she called me. 2. Specific Time as an Interruption Example: Last night at 7pm, I was eating dinner. 3. Parallel TimeExample: When you were reading, Tom was watching TV. 8. INTERRUPTED ACTION IN THE PAST : USE THE PAST CONTINUOUS TO INDICATE THAT A LONGERACTION IN THE PAST WAS INTERRUPTED. PLEASE SEE THE DIAGRAM BELOW. 1. Interrupted Action in the Past: Examples: I was watching TV when you asked me a question. When the doorbell rang, she was cooking dinner. While we were playing soccer, it started to rain. What were you doing when the car crashed? I was listening to the radio, so I didnt hear the phone ring. You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the water off. While Kate was sleeping last night, her cat ran away. 9. LETS PRACTICE!SEE IF YOU CAN FIND THE PAST CONTINUOUS PHRASES IN THIS STORY. HIGHLIGHTCIRCLEOR WRITE THE ANSWERS DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER.Remember to look for: was/were + present participle (-ing)Yesterday, I was playing soccer. While Julia was kicking the soccer ball, it started to rain. I was running to my car and I tripped. I looked at my knee and I saw that I was bleeding. I was looking for my phone and I heard thunder. When I looked up, a baby was crying. I jumped into my car and I looked up. I saw that the rain was coming down hard. We were hoping it would stop. We really wanted to play soccer again!Answers:was/were + present participlewas playing was + playingwas kicking was + kickingwas running was + runningwas bleedingwas + bleedingwas looking was + lookingwas cryingwas + cryingwas comingwas + comingwere hoping were+ hoping 10. SPECIFIC TIME AS AN INTERRUPTION: THE PAST CONTINUOUS IS INTERRUPTED AT A SPECIFICTIME Please note: the only difference between this use and use #1 is the specific timestated.Examples: Last night at 10 PM, I was brushing my teeth. At midnight, we were still dancing. Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work. Two days ago, at 9 AM, she was flying to California. Yesterday at lunchtime, he was sleeping. At 8 PM last night, the movie theater was starting to get crowded. 11. LETS PRACTICE! Remember to use: was/were + present participle (-ing) At 10 pm last night, I ___________. (sleep) Yesterday, he ___________ outside all day. (play) Yesterday morning, my dog __________ a lot! (bark) This past Tuesday, my throat ___________ me. (hurt) The other day at school, she __________ a lot. (talk) This past winter it _________for two days straight. (snow) 12. LETS CHECK OUR ANSWERS: At 10 pm last night, I was sleeping. (sleep) Yesterday, he was playing outside all day. (play) Yesterday morning, my dog was barking a lot! (bark) This past Tuesday, my throat was hurting me. (hurt) The other day at school, she was talking a lot. (talk) This past winter it was snowing for two days straight.(snow) 13. PARALLEL TIME: THIS IS THE IDEA THAT BOTH ACTIONS WERE HAPPENING ATTHE SAME TIME. THE ACTIONS ARE PARALLEL. 3. Parallel TimeExample: She was studying while he was washing his car. While I was reading, Andrew was watching television. Were you listening while I was talking? What were you doing while you were waiting? The children were talking while the teacher was reading. He was honking the horn as the children were crossing the street. The water was boiling as I was sleeping. 14. LETS PRACTICE! OPTIONS FOR ANSWERS: 1. She ______ while he _____histeeth was cooking was watching 2. While I_______,Andrew _________ television. were, listening was talking 3. ____ you ______ while I was whistling______? was sleeping4. The children ______while theteacher__________. were playing was teaching 5. The tea pot _______as I was singing________. was brushingYOU WILL HAVE 5 MINUTES. 15. LETS CHECK OUR ANSWERS! 1. She was singing while he was brushing his teeth 2. While I was cooking, Andrew was watchingtelevision. 3. Were you listening while I was talking?4. The children were playing while the teacher wasteaching. 5. The tea pot was whistling as I was sleeping. 16. While I was teaching, were you listening??? (joke) 17. LETS REVIEW! Past Continuous Form: was/were + present participle Today, we learned 3 types of uses: Interrupted Action in the Past : Use the Past Continuous to indicate that alonger action in the past was interrupted. Specific Time as an Interruption: the past continuous is interrupted at aspecific time Parallel Time: This is the idea that both actions were happening at the sametime. The actions are parallel. 18. GET READY FOR TOMORROWS LESSON: USE 4: Polite questions USE 5: Irritation 19. SOURCES: http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastcontinuous.html http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past-continuous_s.htm http://www.englishtenses.com/tenses/past_continuous