past continuous - optima training

Past continuous

Actions that were interrupted

Continuing actions in the past

Use

Structure

We will cover

Parallel actions

Scene-setting

Annoying habits

Non-continuous verbs

Past continuous

Statement Question Negative

Structure

I was working

He / she / it was working

We were working

They were working

You were working

Was I working?

Were you working?

Was he / she / it

working?

Were we working?

Were they working?

I wasn’t working

You weren’t working

He /she /it wasn’t

working

We weren’t working

They weren’t working

Use

Past continuous

The past continuous is used to refer to an action, state or event that has already happened.


Past continuous is used for…

To show actions that were in progress around a

particular time or period of time in the past:

A - What were you doing at 8 o’clock yesterday

evening?

B - I was watching TV.

This time last week I was lying on the beach.



To show an activity was in progress at every

moment during a period of time.

I was painting all day yesterday.

They were arguing the whole time they were in the

car.

Actions that were interrupted


Used with the past simple to indicate that a

longer action was interrupted:

I was watching TV when the phone rang.

She was waiting for him when he got home.

The doorbell rang as she was cooking dinner.

Parallel actions


Two or more actions that were happening at

the same time (and do not necessarily influence

each other):

She was studying while he was making dinner.

While he was cleaning the cooker, she was chatting

to her friend.

He was texting and driving at the same time.

Scene-setting


A series of parallel actions used to describe the

atmosphere at a particular time in the past:

The sun was shining, children were playing in the

park and the birds were singing, but something

was wrong…

Annoying habits


When we want to show that something

happened too often and we didn't like it we use

words such as ‘always’, ‘constantly’ and

‘forever’:

He was always losing his keys!

Her car was forever breaking down!

They were constantly talking in class!

Non-continuous (stative) verbs


Many verbs of thinking, feeling and sensing are

used in the simple form. For example: like,

want, need, prefer, know, seem, etc.

She needed to study harder.

They seemed very friendly.

[not: she was needing…]

[not: they were seeming…]

Non-continuous (stative) verbs


Some verbs, however, can be used in the

continuous form and the simple form,

depending on their meaning.

Compare:

I thought that film was great.

I was thinking about what he said.

Past continuous

Test your knowledge

Complete the sentences using the past

continuous or past simple form of the verb

(shown in brackets). Refer to the slide that best

explains your choice.

1. We …………… (eat) lunch when she …………… (call).

2. I …………… (know) your mother really well.

3. He …………… (work) as a waiter while studying to be a lawyer.

4. I couldn’t believe what I …………… (see).

5. He …………… (interrupt, forever)!

How did you do?

Answers

1. We were eating lunch when she called.

2. I knew your mother really well.

3. He was working as a waiter while studying to be a lawyer.

4. I couldn’t believe what I saw / was seeing.

5. He was forever interrupting!

[interrupted action]

[stative verb]

[parallel actions]

[continuous and simple form - both possible]

[annoying habits]

past continuous - optima training

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