Forms Past Continuous (Past Progressive) are formed with the help to be in the shape of ( was, were) and the present participle of the semantic verb: I was smiling. When adding endings to verbs - ing sometimes there are changes in their spelling, for example have/hav ing. More about .
Abbreviated forms:
wasn't= was not
weren't= were not
Using the Past Continuous
1. A continuous action that began before a certain moment in the past and is still happening at that moment. The moment can be indicated by time notation ( at that moment – at this moment, at that time – at this time, at 3 o’clock – at 3 o’clock, at midnight – at midnight) or subordinate clauses with a predicate verb in the Past Simple.
Examples: I was writing a letter. - I was writing a letter. (I still continued to write the letter)
At 10 o'clock last night I was watching TV. – Yesterday evening at 10 o’clock I was watching TV.
I was looking at myself in the mirror when she came in. “I was looking at myself in the mirror when she came in.”
2. A long action that was performed in the elapsed period of time, although it could be interrupted during this entire period of time.
Examples: I was reading a magazine during 2 hours. – I read the newspaper for 2 hours.
Note.Pay attention to the peculiarities of using Past Continuous (Past Progressive) and Past Simple.
3. Past Continuous (Past Progressive), like Past Simple, is used with the following time markings ( all day yesterday - all day yesterday, all day long - all day, all the time - all the time, the whole evening - all evening, from two till three - from two to three).
4. If we are talking about a long-term action (about a process), the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) form is used, and if the author states the fact of an action, the Past Simple form is used.
5. When two continuous actions are performed simultaneously, they are both expressed using either the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) or the Past Simple. If the speaker wants to emphasize the action as a process, the Past Continuous (Past Progressive) is used, and if he states a fact, the Past Simple is used.
Examples: While you were sleeping, I was playing tennis.– While you were sleeping, I was playing tennis. (process)
While you slept, I played tennis.– While you were sleeping, I was playing tennis. (fact)
The rules for using the Past Continuous (Past Progressive Tense, or past continuous tense) seem quite complicated to many. Actually this is not true. Today's lesson will help you understand once and for all in which cases we use the past continuous tense in English.
The Past Continuous form is formed in almost the same way as the Present Continuous, with the only difference being that the verb to be is in the past tense form.
Education Past Progressive
The Past Continuous formation scheme is as follows:
Let's take the verb to work as an example and conjugate it into the Past Continuous:
The conjugation of any verb will look the same. The only difference is in the formation of the gerund (ing form). In some cases it will be different.
The past continuous tense describes unfinished (unfinished) actions or events in the past. It’s not entirely clear yet, so let’s take a closer look.
Use Past Continuous (Past Progressive)
1. Interrupted actions in the past
Past Continuous Tense is used to show that some continuous action in the past was interrupted. Since interruption is a relatively short action, it is conveyed using the Past Simple form. The word “interruption” does not always mean the actual termination of an action. Sometimes this means simply the superposition of one event (action) in time on another, when a short action, expressed in the Past Simple, seems to break into a long unfinished action.
When the phone rang, I was writing a letter.- When the phone rang, I was writing a letter.
While Kate was sleeping, someone stole her car.— While Kate was sleeping, someone stole her car.
I was waiting for her when she got off the plane.— I was waiting for her (I met her) when she got off the plane.
When the fire started I was watching television.— When the fire started, I was watching TV.
In such cases, it is also possible to specify a specific time:
At six o'clock, I was working.— I was working at six o’clock.
Yesterday at 8 PM, we were eating dinner.— Yesterday at 8 o’clock in the evening we had dinner.
At midnight, we were still watching TV.— At midnight we were still watching TV.
IMPORTANT:
The Simple Past is used when specifying a specific time to show when an action began or ended, but with the Past Continuous the situation is slightly different. Let's see an example:
Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner. (I started dinner at 6 o'clock.)
Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner. (I started dinner earlier and was in the process by 6 o'clock.)
2. Parallel events
She was reading while he was making dinner. - She read while I was preparing dinner.
What were you doing while you were waiting?- What did you do while you were waiting?
When two actions or events in the Past Continuous are indicated in one sentence, this means that these actions (events) occur simultaneously (in parallel).
3. Story in the past tense
The Past Continuous can be found in stories written in the past tense. In this case, any background events are described using this time. Let's see an example:
In the example, you will notice several situations where the Past Continuous is used. As you can see, these are events that have a certain duration (extension): the sun was shining, the birds were singing, she was looking for her child, and so on. If you decide to write your own story in English, then this lesson will help you a lot. Please note that in such cases the Past Continuous is used in conjunction with the Past Simple.
We can also say that the past continuous tense describes the so-called atmosphere that reigned in a certain place at a certain time.
4.Past habits
Past Progressive is also used when describing any habits (most often annoying) in the past. Indicators of such sentences can be words always, constantly, forever, at that time, in those days. In the Present Continuous there is also such a rule, but for the present tense.
He was constantly talking.- He talked constantly.
She was always coming to class late. — She was always late for classes.
I didn’t like his friend because he was always complaining.— I didn’t like his friend because he constantly complained.
5. Finally, we use the past continuous tense when we want to emphasize that some event or action lasted for a long time. This is often indicated by expressions such as all day, all night, for hours and so on.
We were working all day.— We worked all day.
I was preparing for the exam all evening.— I spent the whole evening preparing for the exam.
A few more specific uses of Past Progressive Tense
1. When a person changed his mind and changed plans (in the construction was/were going to):
I was going to spend the day at the beach but I’ve decided to get my homework done instead.— I wanted to spend the whole day on the beach, but I decided to do my homework instead.
2. With a verb to wonder to form polite requests:
I was wondering if you could give me your e-mail address.
While and when
When we talk about the past using when and while, when is usually followed by the Past Simple, while while is followed by the Past Continuos form, because while translates as “during the time as”, “while”, that is, it implies long process. The next two examples have absolutely identical translations, but pay attention to the use of past tense forms - they are different from each other.
He was studying when his mother called.
While he was studying, his mother called.
Remember that some verbs are not used in the continuous form. That is, instead of Past Continuous, such verbs are used in Past Simple:
I was being at my house when she came. Wrong!
I was at my house when she came. Right
Active and passive form:
Assets: The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store.- The seller was helping the buyer when a thief entered the store.
Passive: The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store.
A brief diagram of the use of Past Progressive:
These were all the rules for using the past continuous tense. Don't forget to practice using English tenses and come up with your own examples to reinforce the material.
In this lesson we will look at the topic “Past continuous in English”. For most, this topic causes certain difficulties, however, if you study it in detail, it turns out that there is nothing complicated about it. You just need to carefully read the material presented and learn the basic rules. The British language is rich in tense forms; knowing each one to master grammar is necessary. Together with you, we will go over topics such as the meaning of the past continuous in speech and the basic rules of formation, as well as the main differences from other tense forms. So here we go.
This part of speech is one of the tenses from the Continuous group. Means past continuous tense. In principle, both in oral and written speech, it is not used very often, as a rule, in indirect speech , however, you should study it. But, thanks to the past continuous, the story or description of an action in the past becomes deeper and more effective.
Past continuous tense describes an action that has already happened in the past. A distinctive feature of this tense is that it expresses an action that has a long time interval in the past. A process that lasted a certain period of time, and it may not be over yet.
I was taking a bath when the phone rang. - I was taking a bath when the phone rang. In this case, I was taking a bath is an action that occurred in the past when the phone rang (when the phone rang). We do not know when the character began to take a bath and for how long he did it, however, we received information that it was at the moment of taking a bath that the telephone rang. The first part of the sentence is used in the Past Continuous, the second part in the Past Simple (simple past tense).
Many native speakers use the Past Simple form.
Eg,
- when I returned - when I returned; when the phone rang - when the phone rang.
Or with the help of pointer words that indicate the exact time.
For example,
- yesterday at this time - yesterday at this time, last night at 8 p.m. - last evening at 8 o'clock.
It is necessary to examine in more detail the differences between these temporary forms.
What is the difference between Past Continuous and Past Simple?
Translated into Russian, Past means “past” and shows us that the action was performed in the past. Continuous is translated as “long-term”. In the past tense, this tells us that some action began a long time ago, lasted a certain period of time, and by now has already been completed. This tense form is often used in indirect speech.
Using the past continuous tense we emphasize the duration of an action in the past. We use the Past Simple in the case when we should talk about something as a fact that took place in the past. You should look at examples to better understand the material.
- Past Continuous: I was talking to her for 3 hours. – I talked to her for three hours.
- Past Simple: I talked to her. – I talked to her.
In the first case, we built a construction that speaks of a process that lasted a certain period of time (in this case, 3 hours). In other words, we place emphasis on exactly how long the action took place. In addition, emotion is embedded in the structure we have built, and not just a list of actions.
In the second example we are just talking about a fact. It can be used to describe any other actions: I ate, I slept, I had breakfast, I lay down, I studied a foreign language, and so on.
How is the past continuous tense formed?
The past continuous is formed using several verbs. Formula: the verb to be and the main verb ending in ing (present participle). It should be noted that in this case only the verb to be changes. It is put in the past tense form were or was. The table below shows the designs.
A construction that is formed using the Past Continuous:
- She was working on this article from 8 to 11 - She worked on this article from 8 to 11.
- I was thinking of you, when you came in - I was thinking about you when you came in.
- My boss was yelling at me this morning - My boss yelled at me this morning.
Formation of the interrogative form in the past continuous tense
When composing questions in the past continuous, the auxiliary verb was (were) comes first, then the subject comes and the main verb completes everything. Consider the examples in the table below:
Some interrogative sentences, including in indirect speech, with this tense form:
- Were they playing chess this morning? - Did they play chess this morning?
- Was you cooking when I called? - Were you cooking (food) when I called?
Formation of the negative form in the past continuous
When forming negative sentences in the past continuous and forming progressive, the particle not is placed between the auxiliary and main verbs.
When used in colloquial speech, was and were can be combined with not, resulting in the formation of abbreviated forms.
For example, You weren't talking. She wasn't writing.
Variants of negative sentences with past continuous tense:
We weren't trying to insult you, we were just discussing your opinion.- We weren't trying to insult you, we were just discussing your point of view.
Don't interrupt me, I wasn't talking to you. - Don't interrupt me, I wasn't talking to you.
The question and a positive answer to it will look like this:
The question and the negative answer to it in the resulting group of continuous past progressive forms will look like this:
Words indicating a long time
The past continuous tense in English is often used with common phrases:
- all day long - all day;
- all the time - all the time;
- all day yesterday - all day yesterday;
- the whole morning - the whole morning;
- from 5 till 7 p.m. – from 5 to 7.
They help us understand that we have an extended period of time ahead of us.
Eg,
- I was painting all day yesterday. – I painted all day yesterday.
- They were reading from 5 till 9 p.m. “They read from five to nine in the evening.
- He was working the whole morning. - He worked all morning.
Please note that in all examples the special indicator words come last.
Using special question words
If we use the following interrogative words in a question, they require that the past continuous form be formed after them:
- What - what;
- Where - where;
- Who – who;
- Which – which one;
- Why - why.
These words must be placed in a certain order. Then the word order is the same as in a regular question.
Scheme: question word + was/were + the person in question + verb + -ing.
For example:
- What were they reading? What were they reading?
- Why was he studying whole morning? Why did he study all morning?
Using When and While
When and While are translated into Russian as “when”. When we talk about the past, when is followed by a verb in the Past Simple form. After while there is a past continuous form. While is used in the meaning of “while”, “while”.
Eg:
- While I was studying, she called. – While I was studying, she called. (It emphasizes what I was doing.)
- I was studying when she called. “I was studying when she called.” (It is emphasized that she called).
Mixed verbs/non-continuous verbs
Remember that non-continuous verbs are not used in Continuous tenses. In addition, some meanings of verbs from the mixed group are also not used in the long tense. Past Simple is used with them.
Eg:
Incorrect option: Jane was being at my house when you arrived.
Correct option: Jane was at my house when you arrived.“Jane was at my house when you came.”
All verbs that are not used in this tense form
Verbs that express states, emotions and mental processes are not used not only in the past form, but in all forms of the continuous group. These include:
- to know - to know (I don`t know - I don’t know);
- to fit - to fit, to fit (The coat fits her well - the coat is just right for her);
- to astonish - to amaze, amaze;
- to disagree - disagree with you, disagree (I disagree with you = I don’t agree with you);
- to impress - to make an impression;
- to promise - promise (I promise I`ll do it = I promise I will do it);
- to understand - to understand;
- to want - to want;
- to believe - to believe;
- to love - to love;
- to like - to like;
- to hate - to hate;
- to forget - to forget;
- to remember - remember;
- to possess - to possess;
- to seem - to seem;
- to appear - to appear;
- to notice - to notice;
- to wish - to wish;
- to desire - to desire;
- to adore - to adore;
- to envy - to envy;
- to fear - to be afraid;
- to forgive - to forgive;
- to hear - to hear;
- to see - to see;
- to taste - to have taste;
- to smell - to smell;
- to feel - to feel;
- to consist - consist;
- to contain - contain;
- to need - to need;
- to prefer - to prefer;
- to belong - to belong;
- to realize - to realize, understand;
- to suppose - to believe, think, assume;
- to mean - mean, mean (What do you mean? - What do you mean?);
- to have - to have;
- to think - to count, to believe;
- to recognize - recognize (by sight);
- to agree - to agree;
- to refuse - to refuse;
- to doubt - to doubt;
- to satisfy - to satisfy;
- to deny - to deny;
- to resemble - have a resemblance, resemble, be similar;
- to depend - depend;
- to involve - include (It involves a lot of work - you will have to work here);
- to include - include (The price includes breakfast - the price includes breakfast);
- to own - to possess;
- to owe - to owe, to be in debt;
- to look - to look;
- to miss - to miss;
- to matter - matter (It doesn`t matter - doesn’t matter);
- to deserve - deserve (He deserves a pat on the back - he deserves praise/approval);
- to respect - to respect.
Some of the verbs in the list above are sometimes used in the Continuous tense, however, they have a certain connotation.
For example, I'm loving it. - I love it. She is appearing at the club tonight.— She is performing at the club today.
Verb to have. The meaning of “to have” is not used in this tense form, however, it is used to denote an action. For example, I am having a bath. - I am taking a bath.
Verb to think. Meaning “to be in thought.” For example, I was thinking to myself - I was thinking.
Verb to smell. In Continuous it only means “to smell”. For example, I am smelling the rose now - I smell the rose.
Verb to taste. Continuous meaning “to taste.” For example, I am tasting the pizza - I try pizza.
Summary table of verb conjugations in the form in question
To systematize the material, we offer you a summary table.
| Number | Face | Positive form | Negative form | Interrogative form |
| The only thing | 1 | I was singing. | I was not singing. | Was I singing? |
| 2 | You were singing. | You were not singing. | Were you singing? | |
| 3 | He was singing. She was singing. |
He was not singing. She was not singing. It was not singing. |
Was he singing? Was she singing? |
|
| Plural | 1 | We were singing. | You were not singing. | Were you singing? |
| 2 | You were singing. | We weren't singing. | Were we singing? | |
| 3 | They were singing. | They were not singing. | Were they singing? |
Please note that the rules for forming “-ing” - verb forms and the changes that occur in writing are discussed in the section on present participles.
Using the past continuous tense
Let's look at the main cases of using the past continuous. Often such a construction can be found in the indirect speech of the interlocutor.
1. This tense form is used when interlocutors describe an action that occurred in the past and lasted for a certain time interval. We do not know the time of its beginning, its duration, and also whether it is happening at the moment or no longer. As a rule, such constructions contain words that indicate time.
There are 2 options:
- The constructed structure indicates the specific time when the event occurred. For this purpose, the following expressions are used:
— at 8 a.m. (at 8 am),
— at 4 o’clock yesterday (yesterday at 4 o’clock),
- at noon (at noon),
- this morning at 5.10 (this morning at 5:10), etc.
For example, At midnight I was reading a book.– At midnight I was reading a book. In this construction, we say that we started reading the book before midnight, probably continued after, and are currently continuing to do so.
We were reading newspapers at 7 o’clock (yesterday). At seven o'clock (yesterday) we were reading newspapers. - The design indicates the period of time when the described events occurred. In this case the following applies:
- all day (all day),
- this afternoon (this afternoon),
- this time last month/year (at this time last month/year), etc.
For example, This time last year they were living in Argentina.– This time last year they were living in Argentina.
2. The temporary form in question is used when the conversation is about a temporary situation in the past, and the actions did not last long. A specific time period is indicated in the design.
For example,
- They were living in China for 3 months. – They lived in China for 3 months.
3. The past continuous tense in English is used when talking about 2 actions occurring simultaneously in the past. These actions can be combined in a construction with the conjunctions while (while, while) and and (and, a).
For example,
- My girlfriend and I were watching a film and my baby sister was playing with her new doll. – My girlfriend and I were watching a movie, and my sister was playing with her new doll.
4. Often the simple past tense and the past continuous tense are used together. In this combination, Past Simple takes on the role of denoting a short single action, and Past Continuous - a long action. In such constructions, a long action is interrupted by a single action. The following conjunctions are used here to combine parts - after (after), when (when), before (before), until (not yet).
For example,
- I was reading a book when my friend was knocked at the door. I was reading a book when my friend knocked on the door. (reading is a long activity, my friend knocked and interrupted him, but that’s all in the past).
5. In English, the past continuous is formed when the interlocutor tells a story. With its help you can describe the atmosphere, time.
For example,
- She came to her friend on Thanksgiving. The guests were sitting on the sofa. They were laughing and chatting. The smell of the roasted turkey was filling the room. Everyone was waiting for the dinner. “She came to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving. The guests were sitting on the sofa. They talked and laughed. The aroma of roasting turkey filled the room. Everyone was waiting for dinner.
- A girl was playing the piano and (was) singing softly to herself. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The girl stopped playing. The cat woke up... - The girl played the piano and hummed quietly. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The girl stopped playing. The cat woke up...
6. The past continuous tense is used in cases where we are talking about habits that the subject of the story had in the past. Such habits can be unpleasant for us, causing irritation and indignation. In such constructions you can find the adverbs constantly (constantly), often (often), always (always, constantly).
For example,
- We were often being late because of you! – Because of you, we were often late!
7. Also with always, this tense form is used to express repeatedly repeated actions that the speaker is tired of.
For example,
- Wasn't always ringing me up after his work. He always called me after work. (I'm sick of you.)
For comparison: Don't always rank me up after his work. In this case, we used the Past Simple, thereby changing the emotional coloring. Now the speaker’s attitude to what is happening is perceived by him as something that goes without saying, as a normal phenomenon. Translation - He always called me after work.
8. The past continuous is used in conditional sentences of the second type. It is worth noting that it is used much less frequently than the Past Simple. The past continuous tense is used when we want to highlight the fact that the action in the past in the condition is continuous. The situation in this construction refers to the future or present time.
For example,
- If the wind were not blowing hard, we would go yachting. – If the wind had not blown strongly, we would have gone sailing on a yacht.
9. The time form under consideration is used to express gradually developing events. Nothing is said about the time of development of events, but everything is clear from the context.
For example,
- It was getting dark. It was getting dark.
The wind was rising. The wind was rising.
10. The continuous past tense is used in cases where we describe events that were planned but did not occur. In the construction you can find the following verbs - to plan (plan), to mean to (get together, intend), to expect to (expect), to intend to (intend).
For example,
- They were thinking of buying a house, but then he lost his job and they had to put off their plans.“They were thinking of buying a house, but he lost his job and they had to put their plans on hold.
11. The form in question is used in questions when the interlocutor is interested in the time spent. This is a more polite form of answer or question than Past Indefinite.
For example,
- What were you doing during your summer vacation? What did you do during your summer holidays? And for comparison - What did you do during your summer vacation?
12. With the verb to wonder, the construction in question can be used to create a polite form.
For example,
- I was wondering if you could give me your e-mail address.
This is all we would like to say on the topic of past continuous tense. Learn the theory and come up with your own designs to reinforce the material you have learned. You can also test yourself by completing the past continuous exercises on our website. Knowing the past continuous tense is necessary to master the English language at a high level. Use the tips we give you in the form of tables - print them out and hang them in a visible place.
Past Simple- a grammatical tense that is used to indicate a completed action in the past. This is usually indicated by clue words. For example He finished school in 2002. He graduated from school in 2002. Thus, the indication 2002 is a clue word that requires the use of the Past Simple.
Past Continuous- in this grammatical tense we are primarily interested in the continuous nature of a specific action in the past. Often this time is accompanied by hints in your own words. For example, He was drinking tea with his friends yesterday at 5. That is, we are interested in a specific moment in the past, and special words indicate this.
Hint words
Let us dwell in a little more detail on the clue words of these two tenses.
Past Simple- yesterday, ago, last, the day before yesterday, in...(date), on...(day). Typically, all of the above clue words are used at the end of a sentence. However, in speech it is possible to use these words at the beginning of a sentence.
Past Continuous- at... (indication of time), all day long (all day), from...till... (from... to...). Just like in the Past Simple, hint words are placed at the end of the sentence, but they can also be used at the beginning of the sentence.
How Past Simple and Past Continuous are formed
Past Simple
Affirmative sentences— I started to work at shool in 2001. The subject is put in first place, then the predicate in the second form (for regular verbs the ending ed is added, for irregular verbs the second form is learned).
Interrogative sentences - Did you start to work at school in 2001? The auxiliary verb Did is placed in first place, which is not translated in any way, followed by the subject and predicate in the FIRST (initial) form.
Negative sentences— I did not (didn’t) start to work at school in 2001. (After the subject, did not + verb in the initial form is placed)
Past Continuous
Affirmative sentences— We were having breakfast yesterday at 5. The subject is put first, then to be in the past form (was/were - depending on the number of the subject. In the singular - was, in the plural - were.) + verb ending ...ing .
Interrogative sentences— Were you having breakfast yesterday at 5? The verb to be and the subject change places.
Negative sentences- We were not (weren’t) having breakfast at 5. After the verb to be, the particle not is placed.
Using two tenses together in one sentence
Often Past Simple And Past Continuous used side by side in the same sentence. The most important thing in this case is to correctly determine which time to use in which case. Consider an example: Sally came when I was having breakfast. Sally came while I was having breakfast. Let's compare the two actions. One of them is of a long-term nature - to have breakfast, the other is of a one-time, quick nature - to come. Thus, when two past actions collide in one sentence, you need to choose, reasoning as to which action lasted longer and which happened quickly. In such cases, two sentences are usually connected using conjunctions when(when and while(while)
Examples from fiction
A chill wind was blowing that nipped him sharply and bit with especial venom into his wounded shoulder. // Jack London “The Call Of The Wild”
She was trying to see it in a mirror behind the counter without letting the truck driver know, and so she pretended to push a bit of hair to neatness. // John Steinbeck "The Grapes Of Wrath"
The man was limping on towards this latter, as if he were the pirate come to life, and come down, and going back to hook himself up again. // Charles Dickens "Great Expectations"